Hooligan

It isn't about moving weight inward, it's about moving the centerline more towards the gears and it makes a large difference in torque transferred to the gears, as well as making it easier to crank the handle under load. It's not BS at all.

I've bent/broken at least a dozen hooks on 1.5s and 2.5s when I failed to change them. At first I thought it was the way I was fishing them, and what I was doing. Alas, no. Now, I've learned my lesson; every single one gets changed.

Very, very different baits under the water, as well as in profile. The 2 hook is very different from the Pointer 100, as well. Dive depth, suspension, and roll. I wouldn't even begin to compare the KVD to the Pointer series baits. The pointers are loads better.

No, that's not what is being talked about here.

We're not talking about the same thing then. The bait in question won't be available for orders (to the wholesale or distribution level) until late February. I know there are fewer than 10 people at the organization I deal with that have seen it.

There are a lot of people that are waiting to get their hands on them again, myself included. Will it catch fish without falling apart? Yes, it does. Do I have pictures? No, I already said as much. It's not as deep as a 10XD in the production models I've seen. There is talk af making deep cranks that will compete with it in this same style of bait. I'm no longer actively involved with R&D with Rapala and that's the only reason I'm talking about it now.

Not a good fluke or senko rod, there isn't enough tip in the rod. I use my DSR for grubs and sliders a lot, as well as flick shaking worms around docks. In truth, the 822C is probably the perfect dropshot rod, casting or spinning. It has incredible strength and power for a rod in its class. It really is superb for dragging a dropshot becuase of the accuracy gained. I don't leave home without mine in spring.

And one day only. The Enigma is total crap. The PQ is a great buy at that price, as is the Sig. Frankly, however, the PQ is a better reel.

One year utterly and completely ruins the advantage of a limited lifetime over the counter warranty. I know, rather intimately, that Bass Pro Shops is one of the only national vendors that honors that over the counter policy. They even PUBLISH signage for it. They have dictated guidelines regarding who's rods they will warrant in store and who must deal with the manufacturer. They're wrong, or you are. Regardless, Bass Pro Shops will honor the lifetime warranty at every store I've been in, and that's a lot of them. Almost all except the New England/New York stores.

Taper doesn't have much to do with stiffness in any portion of the blank. It affects recovery, power, speed, and lifting strength. Stiffness of any portion of the blank can be related to taper, but is not a direct result of.

You're 100% incorrect. There is no "no questions" warranty with Bass Pro or Shimano. That said, they are obligated by the dealer agreement with Shimano to exchange Shimano rods over the counter. You are not required to purchase any extended warranty. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. In 99% of the cases, no question will be asked of the limited lifetime warranty, and it will be no issue.

Chrome blue and Menendez' purple painter and threadfin are great colors in the rogue.

It's a very good bait in the larger size. I'm not overly fond of the two hook model. Both are erratic, both have good characteristics in terms of how wide they dart, and both have decent depths. I've had some trouble with pinning fish on the two hook, so I don't have a lot of faith in it. Rather fish a Pointer or McStick 95.

They can trade for every DT6 they want, that bat is nothing compared to this. There's only one or two pros that have the bait. Ott had a heavy, heavy influence in the design of this bait. My money is on him fishing it extensively at the Classic if the correct conditions are introduced. Someone posted that it's similar to a sub-surface Triggerfish. Not really. Very different in the way it works. The dive angle is huge, and the speed, as well as the movement. It's very, ,very different.

SOME Shimano rods are limited lifetime. Not all. The Compre, in new series, are covered under that warranty. Cabela's will not honor that warranty, nor will Dicks, or Scheels. Bass Pro Shops is about the only one that will, as far as national retailers. Many smaller shops will also honor Shimano's warranty, as will Shimano directly.

The bait they're coming out with is a new style of crankbait. Similar in form to a shad bodied bait, or a shad rap. The difference is the way the bill is formed. It's a cup, or accentuated U shaped bill, if you will. It's hard to describe it exactly. And I don't currently have pictures. What's unique is that the lure readily changes direction and speed. It's a very, very unique design, but it isn't game changing; yet. I've not fished the release version. It's a pretty cool bait...

I'll be moving back to VMC almost exclusively this year. They're being made at the French facility again, they're built well, and they're reasonably priced.

One hundred percent incorrect. They're made in the same facilities that they have been for the past 25 years.

#13 and #144 with some #108 and #109 for good measure. Had very, very good results on it all the way in to December in a couple places.

There is a lot of money and ego in our sport. There's more truth in that statement, alone, than most would even think to realize. I'm going to use myself as an example here. I have zero ego about my tenure in the fishing industry, no reason to. Yet, because I'm extremely fortunate to have access to gear on several different levels of the game, I have the opportunity, sometimes, to see things that other guys won't see for a year or two down the road. I have the opportunity to get my hands on a lot of gear that I wouldn't otherwise purchase, as well, I have no sponsors to answer to other than a couple. I use Northstar and Seaguar, amongst others, because I genuinely believe them to be the best I've used for what I do and how I do it. I've tried all other major fluorocarbon lines out there, and I've not found one that gives me the benefits of Tatsu. I don't represent those products or companies for free gear, or to get something out of the deal, it's because they've got a great product and it's one that I use. I can honestly say that for over two years, Northstar is the sole jig/spinnerbait I've thrown. Seaguar is not the only line I've fished, but I always go back to it. In the case of a lot of pros, they're using a product or pushing a product for the fact that it works. They're with that company and using that product because they believe in it. Edwin Evers is a great example of this- as is Tim Horton, and Kevin with his Nitro. There are those guys, i know, that are pimping something only to be throwing another on the backside. But there are those guys that are legit, and they're doing just what they say. I agree heartily that I listen to what occurs in a seminar a lot more than a TV show. I really enjoy the opportunity for learning most of these guys throw out there. Guys like Jami Fralick are superb teachers that can illustrate every portion of what and why. Most of them are good about that. Most, if you listen well, will give you everything they do- they do tend to break it up and compartmentalize it, but it's all there if you can put it together.

For my money, I'd actually take the 7-6H Wild Black over the Savvy. Little less money, as good, or better, materials than what you get in that series, and it performs very well.

Pretty well guarantee you that I can nail the bait on the head. Had a similar experience with a brand of baits in two colors...

Worst purchase I made in a reel was a JDM Daiwa, not because the reel was poorly designed, but that it was poorly represented. Ended up being a total lemon that had mismatch bearings and a gear set from a TDX that had stripped the levelwind. Paid a chunk of change for the reel, then a chunk of change in parts to get it back on the up and up. Finally fished it, hated it. Just didn't fit right and never wanted to cast the way it should. Pretty sure the spool was off center on the shaft... Rod- wtihout a doubt the worst rod purchase I ever made was a Kistler Zbone. Ridiculously overpriced, and ridiculously undergunned. I fully expected it to be the cat's meow. More appropriately, it was the fly's fart. Total lack in power, the 9" hand measured 7.5" to the foregrip, it was terribly balanced, and there was enough epoxy on the guide wraps to finish another three rods. One guide was actually plugged. The worst part? Nothing EVER has been done about it. I sent it back to them a year ago, and have heard nothing. Period. I've never been so poorly treated in the process of being a consumer, and never been so disregarded. I've got at least a dozen emails exchanged, including one that said they have my rod, and then another saying they don't have any idea what I'm talking about. I'm not bitter, I just refuse to ever do business with them again.

If money is no option, DX795, I have two and I love them dearly. They're my favorite flip stick bar none. Two rods I had a lot of time with last year, and was quite pleasantly surprised by are the Carrot Stix Wild Black 7-6 and 8'. The 7-6 punches extremely well, and is a little more forgiving than the 8. The 8' is technically a swimbait rod, however it does very very well with 1-2 ounce punch rigs. It's very powerful and has a very good feel for a sub $140 rod.

I don't know of many people that swimbait with braid- not wood baits, anyhow. I know a few that throw Hudds and Matt's with braid, myself included. I prefer 20lb Big Game or 20LB Silver Thread AN40.