ChiCityBasser

My fishing when I can get out has been pretty good but our weather here has been up and down. We had 80's for a couple days during the week and then on the weekend its either raining the entire weekend or its in the upper 40's to lower 50's. This will be the first weekend with temps in the 80's and can't wait to see how the fishing will be this weekend.

Ok and guess I won't miss it since I wasn't paying that bit extra to get the HD for just WFN.

You're right as I agree a "Custom" built rod should have in-put from the user regarding "how" the rod will be used.

Check out Ebay as well as they have some custom built rods there that might be just what you are looking for in your price range.

Great Video and nice to see him really enjoying

I agree that the Baby Rage craw and any of the Rage line can work as well.

Ok and what color and what was your retrieve like? making contact with the weeds? I'm getting bit on either the Gizzard Shad, Sexy sunfish or chartreuse/white after making contact with the weeds and ripping it our or with a jerk/pause in the retrieve.

Either choice isn't bad at all.

I fish a pond very similiar to what you are fishing but don't think it's 6 feet deep. Shallow running cranks might be your answer as I've been using a Strike King 1XS in Gizzard Shad over the weeds since it runs about 1-2' and ripping it out of the weeds when I hit them. I've also used a BPS XPS Egg in Texax shad with the same technigue as it also runs 1-2'. As I said the pond I fish is very similar with bluegill,catfish and carp as well. Using both has been very successful for me

Cabelas Flouro for me also

With the weather being up and down here in the Chicago area it's pretty much been changing lures or techniques til you find something they are hitting on for you. Some of the ponds and small lakes I fish the spawn is over but others its just starting or mid stage and just have to change up. Normally I have been fishing shallow running cranks 1-2' but I've also been using plastics and flipping them into beds to get bit.

I had 2 of them purchased offline before they were in the stores locally in my area. They were pretty good rods and used one of them as a crank rod for half a season before selling it due to my hookup ratio going down. Now that might not have been the rods fault at all. I had spinning models also and that action for crankbaits is very good. Never had it snap and sold it through the flea market here.

I have a high speed exceler and use it for plastics mostly

The crawfish are very very durable and yes they last after mutiple hits

Wanna by my shimano sahara so I an get a quantum I can fish with...

The Exceler is a very good reel for the price and just sold one to a board member after picking up a Quantum Kinetic PT.

How does the smoke handle as it's probably going to be my last BC for awhile?

Inline spinners are not a friend of mine and have been barred from my tackle box!!

Stress relief and a opportunity to learn each time I'm out but it really helps to relax and let go of some of the daily stress of life.

I had to pick Crankbaits and Shallow as most of my crankbait fishing is in the shallows.

So far for me this year it has been the Live Target Crawfish crank C52SB o-1' in Mustard/Brown run over the tops of weeds or ripping it off the weeds. Also over very shallow flats. My other successful lure has been the BPS Egg in Texax Shad.

Any of the KVD Crankin rods would be a good choice also. I handled them in BPS and they are super light with MF action.

I have 3 cranking setups right now and they are a Quantum Kinetic PT with a Kistler Mag TS 7' M/MF, a Cabelas Prodigy with a Cabelas Prodigy 7' MH/MF rod as my casting setups. I also have a spinning setup that I use for cranking which is a Quantum Catalyst PTi-B20 with a Cabelas Prodigy 7' M/F rod spooled with either 6# Cabelas Flouro or 30# Power Pro braid.

Baitcast reels working really well for me now are the Quantum Accurist PT, Daiwa Exceler 7.X, Cabelas Prodigy. I also have a Quantum Kinetic PT but it doesn't have any water time yet. All are LH reels with the Accurist being the oldest at 3 yrs and working very well.

Step up to the BPS pro qualifier if you feel the Megaforce is going to continue to give you problems.