Bass Junkie

Too true....

Lucky Craft Pointer 78SP Rapala Rippin' Rap Spro Bronzeye Frog, I'd go with the Jr. in your neck of the woods. Terminator T1 Spinnerbait 3/8 oz. Black and Blue Jig

A lot of guys run them dry, which puts the RPMs of the spool into the stratosphere. It does, however, add a significant amount of audible noise, and reduces the lifetime of the bearings. Any good oil will work, but go very conservative when applying oil.

As will I....

I do not. To me it takes too much time to unstrung, remove the spool, replace the spool, restring, and re-tie. I'd much rather just have another rod there. Switching spools on the water also opens up the risk of dropping a spool, and believe me, that is NOT good news. More so if it slips over the side... I do know that some enthusiast reels, such as the Megabass Zonda Hedgehog Custom, come with both a shallow and deep spool.

I was as to handle a Lexa recently. It was smooth, and very solid. I loved the handle, although the knobs might take a little getting used to. I am not interested in purchasing one for three specific reasons: 1. The spool shaft is a solid, through frame design. While this is not a end-all for me, I don't like the fact that it was in an $140 reel. 2. The fixed inductor. I prefer the standard, mobile inductor. It tends to handle lighter weights better, as long as the angler has an educated thumb. 3. The lack of a spool-supporting bearing in the handle side plate. Especially on a spool shaft through design, I'd really like to see a bearing there. I also did not like how the star drag was designed. It is similar to those on the Sol/Alphas platform, and too thin. Not that it is susceptible to bending, but it tends to dig into your fingers every time you adjust it. I much would have preferred a thicker star drag. For the MSRP, I feel Daiwa could have done slightly better, but it is probably the best $140 reel made in the last few years. I do think it will be around for a while though, and that Shimano is in trouble if they think they can compete with the current Curado....

My thoughts exactly. I only get so much time on the water, and I'm not going to waste any of it with extra knots to deal with, insufficient amounts of line spooled after a couple trips, etc. And for as much as a lot of people, myself included, spend on rods, reels, and lures, braid isn't that terribly expensive. And when you consider how long it lasts in comparison to monofilament, it is an even better deal.

Comfortably Numb- Don't let them get to you too much. I was anticipating this bait myself, but the colors are underwhelming, at least in my humble opinion.

Many pros say that the main reason they contact cover with a crankbait is to achieve a deflection and cause an erratic action. When this action is built into the bait the reasons for contacting cover are diminished.

Traditional Texas Rig has always worked for me.

I have no experience with this specific model, but I personally won't be buying a Quantum again for quite a while. There are better options for the money.

For a Quantum of older vintage, the only one I can reccomend is the Accurist from a few years ago, or the Shaw Grigsby signature series reel, which is the same reel with a different paint scheme. Other older reels in that price range would include a used Daiwa 153HST, which is truly a great reel for anywhere near that money.

Why choose a Bandit over a Norman? I think it boils down to local availability, personal preference, and what colors you have confidence in.

I've had some pretty good success on Cotton Candy colored Dingers...

I just can't get past the cosmetics. I like my equipment to look good, atleast to me, and these rods just look terrible. Does it matter that much? Not really, but if I'm putting money out I want to enjoy looking at it during these long periods of near senselessness known commonly as winter. I have also heard complaints about the quality of the construction in the rods.

Very nice read for some of us "less fortunate" stuck in this miserable white curse. I enjoyed it, and you did a good job, I felt like I was right there..... Only I would've had a Daiwa as well Glad you had a good outing, and good luck on getting her next time! Tight lines -Bass Junkie

Jig Meister- I am really digging that last jig!! Both of them look good!

LOL As soon as I saw the original post I started laughing... That thread is still one of the weirdest we've had in a while... The jig looks good! I'm tempted to try to rig up something like that myself. With your expressed permission of course!

Hooked a pretty nice walleye once, stone dead, had been for a while. Hooked it right in the mouth with a sqaure bill crank fishing a river. Also landed and released a goose, and a West Cost Choppers hoodie with a Storm Hot 'N Tot snagged in it.

My process starts in early winter, with me leaving rods strung up with jerkbaits/jigs/drop shot rigs tied on, just in case. After around a month of this I finally give up hope and unrig them. The reels get lubed, drags backed off, and line stripped when necessary. Then I wipe any debris off and put them back into their boxes, or wrap them in foam Coozies, all of which goes into a larger box. The roda get wiped down and the cork cleaned, and go on a rod rack. I sort through my boxes countless times thought the off season, replacing trebles, tieing jig skirts, etc. And sometimes just to look at the lures and ponder soft water... I also buy lures like a mad man, trying to satisfy that stupid bait monkey in some way. A lost cause, but a noble one... (It gets bad around here...)

No, I do not base everything St. Croix on their "crappiest" rod line. First of all, it is not their lowest end series. Also, I have used St. Croix products from a couple of series, the Mojo being the ony one I personally purchased. The rest have belonged to fishing buddies. I have not been impressed by any of their products, and am not impressed personally with the company either. Your mileage may vary.

Very nice work in display guys!! I had not realized we had this much talent working around here.

If you're considering the *** rod, check out Tackle Tour's review of it. It has some very good info, it's unbiased, and the photography gives you a good idea of the cosmetics, especially when compared to the standard e-tailers pictures.....

You generally do not want the same combo for both cranking and worms, due to several issues. What budget are you talking?

I always set goals to learn a specific technique and then end up learning new techniques throughout the season, but rarely are they the ones I originally intended to learn...