Bluebasser86

The difference is very noticeable if you get the chance to fish one. There's lots of really nice rods for around $100.

I got one last week, fished with it for the first time last weekend and loved it! I cleaned the bearings and excess grease and re-oiled the bearings and it casts a mile! I've got it on my jerkbait/topwater rod right now and the small size and light weight make it perfect for those techniques.

If you really want something trailing behind the bait just get a spinnerbait made with a long skirt, like one of the KVD strike kings or a war eagle.

Jerkbaits are usually my bait of choice in colder water when there isn't much cover and the water is fairly clear. Crankbaits get more use in warmer dirtier water in heavier cover.

I like the YUM Wooly Bug for flipping. I like a baby brush hog or jig for pitching.

I'm with grey wolf, save it. If you really feel like you need to thought I would get a nice rod like the Abu that has been suggested, you won't regret the decision.

Bass can pull the tails off worms pretty easily. If they bite down on nothing but the tail and you set the hook even a new worm will be minus a tail when you reel it in.

I'd agree with grey wolf and say around 50lbs. I've never seen a silver carp that big! Usually if we see an asian carp that big around here it's a bighead. Those silvers fight hard on bowfishing gear so I'm sure it's no different on rod and reel!

Decided to go out today despite the crappy weather because it's still my day off so we were going fish either way. My buddy (kanasbassfisher08) met me and we headed out to Pleasonton East City Lake. I honesly wasn't hoping for much, maybe a few small ones and a day out of the house. We started by squeezing through into a small pond connected to the lake with a little clearer and warmer water. Chris started fast with a nice fish right at 4lbs on a spinnerbait. Picture did it no justice. We caught a couple more small bass and a crappie before Chris stuck another good fish on a jig, this one was 4lbs 1oz He was feeling pretty good about having a couple solid fish while all I had was a couple dinks. We left the pond for the main lake. Fished across the dam with no luck. I saw a swirl at the edge of a dead weed line. Tossed a spinnerbait to the spot twice and stuck this nice one. It went 5lbs 7oz. I felt a little better to have a good one in the boat. A few casts later I stuck another one on a spinnerbait that was probably between 3 1/2 or 4lbs. Fished along catching a small one once in awhile before we got to a small submerged island. I threw and Excaliber One Knocker across the edge of it and caught a nice wiper. Next casts I caught another bigger one. The wind was terrible so we packed up and went to Pleasanton West City Lake. We caught a few small ones on spinnerbaits before I picked up my Excaliber One Knocker and caught a prespawn female that looked like she was about to pop! Wind was blowing to hard to weigh her but she was 5+ for sure. I lost one more good one on a jig before we called it a day. Our biggest 5 would have been in the low to mid 20's. Awesome day for any day but really amazing considering the conditions!

Well after yesterday being 90 and sunny the weather went to crap today barely making it to 50 with wind gusting to 50mph. It's still my day off so we were going fish either way. My buddy (kanasbassfisher08) met me and we headed to a small city lake that isn't very wide and runs east to west to try to avoid the north wind as much as possible. I honesly wasn't hoping for much, maybe a few small ones and a day out of the house. We started by squeezing through into a small pond connected to the lake with a little clearer and warmer water. Chris started fast with a nice fish right at 4lbs on a spinnerbait. Picture did it no justice. We caught a couple more small bass and a crappie before Chris stuck another good fish on a jig, this one was 4lbs 1oz He was feeling pretty good about having a couple solid fish while all I had was a couple dinks. We left the pond for the main lake. Fished across the dam with no luck. I saw a swirl at the edge of a dead weed line. Tossed a spinnerbait to the spot twice and stuck this nice one. It went 5lbs 7oz. I felt a little better to have a good one in the boat. A few casts later I stuck another one on a spinnerbait that was probably between 3 1/2 or 4lbs. Fished along catching a small one once in awhile before we got to a small submerged island. I threw and Excaliber One Knocker across the edge of it and caught a nice wiper. Next casts I caught another bigger one. The wind was terrible so we packed up and went to an even smaller lake down the street. We caught a few small ones on spinnerbaits before I picked up my Excaliber One Knocker and caught a prespawn female that looked like she was about to pop! Wind was blowing to hard to weigh her but she was 5+ for sure. I lost one more good one on a jig before we called it a day. Our biggest 5 would have been in the low to mid 20's. Awesome day for around here but really amazing considering the conditions!

I'd say it wasn't going too far because you know if her dog would have grabbed your bait and got hooked she would have gone off on you and probably wanted you to pay the vet bill.

I have a couple Shimano Cardiff 100s. I like them for cranks and traps. With the recessed reel seat they really don't sit much higher on the rod than a LP reel.

One of the preferred ways to waste time at work-look up a repeat customers mugshots from the first time in to the most current one and click through them. It's amazing how dramatic the change can be in as short as a month or two. Facesofmeth.com is almost hard to look at without getting a little sick to the stomach.

If you don't throughly wet the floroclear before you cinch it down and while you're cinching it down it seems to weaken very badly. I've had good luck with it when I've been careful to do that though. As for the Voltage, I have some 8lb on my shakeyhead rod. No real test yet since I have yet to catch a fish on a shakeyhead this year!

You can find the new model Symetre 2500 online for 79 NIB. Super smooth and solid reel. They don't come with a spare spool anymore but that just gives me an excuse to buy another rod and reel!

Cabela's used to carry a Hammering Hare spinnerbait and jig that sold like crazy when I worked there. I had one of the jigs I used as a swimjig and the action was great. The bad thing about the hair is it holds water forever so you really have to make sure to dry it out or the hooks start to rust. That is a a good looking bait and a really good looking fish!

I use black most of the time with either a gold or black blade. In clear water or lakes with lots of shad I use white with a white blade. Slow is usually the best way to go.

Nice healthy looking fish, looks like you have yourself a nice little honeyhole there too!

Man Chris, what a day! What pound test are you using on that little reel? Couldn't be more than 8lb and that would still be crazy light line to fight a fish that size on. I would think even their rough skin and boney plates would eventually part the line at some point during a fight as long as you had with that monster. That's one of those days that keeps all of us out there trying to do it all over again! Way to go!

That's a nice little muskie! The first one is always memorable!

That's a lot of fun on light tackle. I sight fish several every summer in a local creek while I'm catching catfish bait. On an ultralight and 4lb test any size carp is a workout! I just use a 1/100 ounce jighead with a piece of a grub to catch my bait and the carp seem to love it also.

I've got a ton of St.Croix rods and I love them. I've got Triumphs, Premiers, Avids, Mojos, LTB, and even a Classic Cat rod before they discontinued them. I've only ever broke one and that was a Triumph when they first came out. I got it replaced with a newer Triumph and have had no problems since. They are a great rod and even if they did outsource some jobs at least they still have some in the US too, that's more than most rod makers can say.

I've had pretty good luck with the xcalibers so far. I haven't got to use the Strike Kings yet but as soon as it warms up a little I've got some ready and waiting!

Looks like a nice healthy fish!

Looks like a good spot, minus the snow!