Travis O

Thank you guys for all of the recomendations. I know that every rod manufacturer out there probably has rods that would fit the bill. These were really the only brands that I am interested in because of past dealings with them. I will probably give the elitetech a try and see how it works out.

I am looking for a new dropshot rod to purchase. I have been using an abu garcia veritas for the last year or so and have been fairly happy with it. I have been dropshotting much more lately and would like to upgrade to something a little lighter and with more sensitivity. I also have felt that the veritas is a little clunky to fish with, the blank remians pretty thick all the way out to the rod tip and for some reason this bothers me. I recently bought a falcon bucoo open hook model because I loved how light it was and thought that it was plenty sensitive while playing with it in the store. I thought that I was going to fall in love with the rod, but when I took it fishing, I absolutely hated it. I could not feel anything, the only way I could tell if I had a bite was to see the rod tip move. I also felt the action was all wrong for a dropshot rod. That being said, I pretty much have my decision narrowed to a few different rods. First is the abu garcia Villian rod. I have not been able to handle one of these yet and cannot even find a review for a villian dropshot rod. Has anybody used this rod as a dropshot rod? If not, how do other rods in that lineup compare to the veritas? Second is a Lews Team Lews rod. I have some other team lews rods and love them for how light and sensitive they are. They do not have a dropshot specific rod, but have a 7' ML F that might do the job. Has anyone fished a dropshot with one of these? The last option is something from Fenwick. The one rod manufacturer that keeps coming up in my research for a dropshot rod is fenwick. I know the old elitetech was the cat's meow for dropshot fishing but they no longer carry that rod. Is the newer smallmouth series comparable? To be fair, this is the most innexpensive rod of the bunch so how about the fenwick aetos? Would this be a better option? I noticed that the only ML rod they offer is 7'6". Does anybody dropshot with this long of a rod? I can see where it would be an advantage for making long casts in ultra clear water, but will I be overworking the bait? Thank you for any thoughts on these rods.

Most people like them because they look cool. I personally like them more than regular grips because of the ergonomics. Big on top and skinny on bottom is what feels good in my hand but YMMV.

I thought it wasnt being released until ICAST. I think Ike gets to fish with them before that but you wont be able to buy one until this fall.

I use them to make trolling rigs for salmon fishing and such because beads and clevises will damage a knot unless a snelled hook is used. They also work well if you need a bait loop for roe or shrimp. I dont see any reason to use snelled hooks for bass fishing though. :-?

You should be able to pick up a bps extreme combo for $100 during the classic sale. Great rods and reels, and a steel for $100.

I got a couple of these the last time I was at cabelas and they are great baits for $7.

Cherrywood rods are not a terrible rod for the price but I think you can do better. What would you like to spend on a combo? House brand combos are usually a good value and they have price points to fit any budget. I have no experience with gander mountain so i cant help you there but somebody should know about it.

Are you being serious?

Buy 6 from cabelas and you get one free.

Yep, they still sell them up here in Washington.

You want to charge your batteries with 10% of the amp/hour rating. 4 amps is not enough for most deep cycle batteries and will decrease the life of your batteries.

what do you mean by loud? and is it still loud after a oil and lube job? Yes. Its not like a freight train but it is definitely louder than all of my other reels. Not a huge deal, just my observation.

I have one and they are a good reel for the money. Mine is really loud and the bearings are not that great but it does its job. I just got my first BPS extreme and like it a lot better than the exceler for the price. Much smoother and quieter in my opinion.

Yeah there are a bunch of sites that are owned by the same parent company that are really bad. They are known for credit card fraud and very poor customer service. If you do order from them, talk to your bank and see if you can get a 1 time credit card number to make the transaction, that way your cc info wont get into their hands.

Most telescopic rods have one telescoping section between the foregrip and the first eye. If you have limited length in your rod locker they are great since they are usually about a foot shorter while folded up. Most are a bit heavier than 1 piece rods and some people believe they are less sensitive. If you have the space, I would go with a 1 piece rod, but if not, telescopic is the next best thing.

Here is a link if anyone wants to look/buy. You cant get to them from the website but it will let you add it to your cart so I assume that means you can order it. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10205012____SearchResults

I would like a livewell to hold 10 fish. Thanks for the advice Cart7t and I respect your experience but I think the ride will be okay with the livewell between the consoles. That is really the only option I have, other than sticking with the lame livewell that is already there. This boat is not meant to last me forever, just to get me by for a while.

Okay, I guess I am confused. I thought the action was related to the lure weight. So if i am buying a rod online, such as any of the cabelas rods, that do not list the action, is there any way to tell what it is?

The front hatch is a livewell but its not even deep enought for a single perch to survive with the livewell completely full. The livewell in the back is only big enough to hold a few bass comfortably, nowhere close to 10 or even 5 for that matter. The only option I have for a livewell is right in the center of the boat. The boat actually handles very well in rough water, I have had other boats that about pound you to death when the wind picks up, but mine does well. I am afraid that if I put the livewell off center, I may have handling issues, 260lbs to the side of the boat could cause some problems while on plain. The big side seat has storage underneath of it that extends all the way up under the front deck and another one that goes under the console. This would be long enough but I dont know if I can get a rod in there with only an access hatch in the middle. The ski locker is 6' long but it is going to be taken out because of the deck and livewell. Thanks for everyones input so far, keep it coming.

You 're talking about POWER not action, two different animals. In layman 's term Power = stiffness ( line and weight capacity ), Action = where the rod bends along it 's length. I mean action. For example if a rod has a lure weight of 3/8 - 2 oz that means the action is probably extra fast. But what is 3/8 - 1 oz? or .5 - 1.5? or 1/4 - 3/4?

Anybody know of a table that shows the lure weight vs action. I know rods by action but some rods online only have lure weight so I am completely clueless when it comes to choosing which one. Thanks

Yeah that definitely works in your boat. I cant put them on the transom because thats where my co angler is fishing and I cant put them behind the cockpit seats because they would be in the way of the rear pedestal seat. http://www.bac-rac.com/ I will probably make something a little different that will be permanently attached to the sides of the boat. You picked a great name for your son.

Yeah I hate having my rods stored vertical. They are ALWAYS in the way. Maybe it is just where I have mine mounted but I think strapping them to the front deck and using a bac rac is the ticket.

Thanks for the input. I really like the Idea of that bac rac. I may install one, I am just worried about the rods hanging over the edge of the boat and getting broken on brush and whatnot. What do you guys thing about turning the existing back livewell into a cooler?