Revo_Carrot Stix

Ahhh...I remember my first Lucky Craft. It's actually hanging in a dogwood @ Lake of the Ozarks like a xmas ornament. Very depressing, but the beginning of a great experience. I love the RC 1.5 and 2.5's. MS American Shad is a great color for me. If you like topwater, try the Kelly J lure.

Those were my impressions as well. Although the Loomis-name adds some attention, there are plenty of other choices out there at this price point.

J Francho I thougt you'd chime in but didn't want to call you out. I thought the "hooking mechanism" looked familiar...

A buddy of mine just got back from a fishing expo in NC and stumbled across this frog (and bought 2 of course). I'm just curious if anyone has had any experience with it? Ken Daubert's custom made frogs go for $50. Evidently, he got a company to mass produce these for him for $10 each. Either way, I'm curious if BR memebers have tried these since I have a few months of ice left in Kansas City. http://www.bass-frog.com/

Welcome back from a fellow Kansan in Olathe!

I think I watched Fishing University last year with Tom Mann, Jr and they were using Buckeye's Flick-It. Sounds like the same setup...and of course they were killing 'em!

Quality hook, skirt, and paint are more important to me than rattles. If anything, create a stained or muddy water style that includes the rattle and bolder colors for a little extra. I'm not sure I've seen manufacturers categorize jigs according to water clarity. Good luck.

Casting would be tough. Trebles add a whole new complexity. I like the Zulu rig with flukes where you use two swivels - but you're also dealing with single hooks in plastic. I've seen an inline version of your popper setup where you would remove the rear hooks from the first popper and tie on a second popper tied to where the rear hook was located. BPS has another version: http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Double-Take/product/10208625/-1600460

Made a special trip and it was pathetic. Stores in KC stink with hardly any stock.

x2. I'm considering this rod as well come Spring time. I'm curious to hear what folks have to say.

I haven't had a chance to see and hold one, but was interested in learning more about it as well. Here's Tackle Tour's take: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewtempleforkbass.html

The Bait Monkey heard about this post...Squirrel Tails are 25% off @ TW. $2.24/pack. ARG!!!!!!!!!

I recorded the past two shows and had a chance to watch both last night. First show was painful, but gave him another shot by watching the second show...fast forward thru commercials and most of the show. I have more room on my DVR now.

I make it a point to use rattles when the water is stained or muddy...but most my jigs have rattles anyway, so I guess I use them most of the time.

X2 in Firetiger. According to Mr. Clunn, "rod tip down in the water and crank as fast as you can." I tried this last year in the middle of summer and it was almost dark. Water was like glass and nothing had worked at all that evening. Last ditch effort and I was catching bass on almost every cast before calling it quits because it was dark.

Absolutely! Squirrel Tails are my most effective finesse worm. I've also had decent success with the 10" Kriet Tails. This year I'm going to order some of Rojas Cane Stick worms. Great company and you can't beat the bang for your buck with these guys.

Don't confuse sponsorship with success or personal preference. Contracts or money would convince most of us what products to use. Most notable changes have somewhat been downgrades in my opinion, except for Ike if you're considering the quality/reputation of products. Skeet went from Abu - Wright Mcgill. Ike went from Daiwa - Abu. Bill Dance went from Stren to Seagur. Linders went from Shimano to Quantum. If it matters, KVD signature reels and rods have gone from $99 to $299 and $80 to $150 respectively.

Both. I haven't had a problem using it for either one! Great buy!

They are my last resort and very effective. When nothing in the tackle box works, I grab my spinning rod, take a deep breath, and prepare myself for the slowest fishing...but I'm guaranteed to get on the board. The only other time is when I get a kitchen pass from the wife and it's 95+ outside when I know the bite is going to be tough. This year I'm going to use a baitcaster with braid/fluoro leader and start throwing it into weed pockets, hoping that this technique turns into something a little more enjoyable. I love the Strike King Zeros. I caught 35 bass on a 5-pack which suits me fine, weightless on 4/0 EWG Gammy.

I have a few BPS crankbaits. I think they have 2 quality levels - XPS/Lazer Eye and Professional series. I do not have any BPS "professional" series crankbaits because if I'm going to spend $7, I go with a name brand. What stands out to me are the cheap hooks. The paint varies (which is hard to tell with online pictures). The lures with a matte-finish (olive shad, table rock) seem to hold up better. The metallic-flash paint (firetiger) chips easily. By the time I change the hooks, I might as well have gone with Bomber, Strike King, Xcaliber, etc if you are considering cost.

During the Classic Event @ BPS, it has been Buy 2 get 1 free the past 2 years.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Revos(6-7 oz, 20# drag). I have bought new SX, STX, and Premiers for at or under $150. If you have some time, you can find them for a good price - especially in the Flea Market or on eBay.

12-14# BPS Excel mono for topwater treble hooks. 17# Vicious (for now-still searching for that perfect 17# line company) mono for buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. 65# Suffix (probably will try Suffix 832 this Spring) braid for frogs.

My son (10) and daughter (9) enjoy fishing with me for 30-45 minutes now. They have spinning gear and throw wacky stick worms. Their reaction and delayed hooksets are perfect for this type of fishing. They catch 4-5 dinks and they are excited. Before this past summer, it was a struggle. We used nightcrawlers and minnows. When they were 7-8, the best advice I can give you is to leave your fishing poles at home and just take the kid's stuff. Make them the center of your attention - taking your gear and thinking that you're going to fish is a big mistake and won't happen. Catch a few bluegills, then hunt for crawdads, cool looking sticks, and walk a trail. But the main goal should be quality time with dad - not fishing.

I have really enjoyed my 2009 6.4:1 RC blue reel (paired with 6'9M Carrot Stix) for crankin'. It has taken a beating over the past 2 years and has performed well. The guy I take my reels to for annual cleaning and repair had told me the inner workings look pretty close to Shimano's more than any other manufacturer. I owned a PQ for about a week last month based on the high reviews from BR members, but TW closed out the LH 2009 Revo STX for $99, so I returned the PQ. Good luck.