K_Mac

I use them most of the time with good success I will not say they have quite the movement of the original, but for the money they are hard to beat IMO.

Same here. As RW posted, traditionally baitcasters were made to allow for winching with the dominate hand. For bass fishing I find most of the work is done with the hand holding the rod, and I am far more confident in my ability to set the hook and control the fish using my dominate side. I learned to use a baitcaster using an old LH reel, and a RH one just feels wrong to me. Many use both, and if I had the coordination to do so I would. When fishing for several days straight it would be nice to be able to change up. This question comes up often. There is no right (or left) answer IMO. Find what works best for you and work to get good using it. I don't think the fish care...good luck.

There is often some truth in that, esp when it comes to specific techniques and waters. I fish often with a guy who has great skills, but his biggest strength is his ability to focus on the job at hand. Watching him has made me better. And yes, in answer to the OP, my fishing partners sometimes outfish me. I will whine and snivel-while paying very close attention...

When using a slower action rod, more of the rod is in play when under load as you know. This results in a couple of differences between a fast and moderate fast, with all other things being equal. The MF rod will be more forgiving in that more of the rod is being used to keep pressure on the fish. This is good thing when fishing baits with treble hooks that generally are easier to pull loose during the fight. It is also a good thing when working tight to cover where fish are fought up close and personal, again allowing a little more work to be done by the rod, and putting less stress on everything else-including you. Conversely, a F action will bring the power of the rod into effect faster, allowing faster hook-sets. This can be desirable when fishing a bait with a single hook-like a jig or soft plastic. In this case you want to be able to get the power of the rod into play immediately to drive home the hook. Once hooked these baits are less vulnerable to be pulled out, so speed is the key. The above is generally accurate IMO. What I have learned is there are great differences how rods are rated in both power and action, and how a rod performs is a very subjective thing. Tight lines.

Tony you are predictably offensive in your responses. Your continued vitriol will undoubtedly get you the boot, with no loss to this community. That you are still here shows Glenn's patience with negative commentary. Happy trails...

Way to go man! A great year of bass fishing. I am more than a little jealous of those numbers. I am going to have to try harder this year!

Good story, and good job LMG. Sometimes the fish wins. Sounds like a great way to spend an evening. I have only one suggestion:paragraphs! I have to go take some Dramamine now...

Hey Goose! It is good to hear from you, and good to know your still catching more fish than most of us will ever hope to catch! You are right about the fish not wanting to come out of the water, even though they all fought hard. FWIW if I would have had on gloves when the big girl hit, I would still be whining about it taking my combo... LMG it is the reason we crazies go in all sorts of weather; you just never know when they will turn on...

Kieth shows in the picture my favorite ways of fishing them. T-rigged (and pitched into cover), on a stand-up jig, or C-rigged also work well. They are very versatile baits. Enjoy!

The weather has been a little warmer around here the last few days-temps around 30 at night and 50 during the day. I have fished the last couple of days with a friend at a club with old strip pit lakes. The water temp has been in the lower 40s. Tuesday afternoon we caught 6 nice fish, with the biggest in the 4 lb range. Yesterday we caught 8 good fish, with the biggest somewhere over 6 lb. My scale is not working so those numbers are not certified, but I am confident they are accurate . The reason for my post (other than a little shameless bragging) is the way most of these were caught. Tuesday all the fish were caught on jigs. Yesterday all of the bigger fish were caught slow rolling a 1/2 oz chatterbait. I know that for pre-spawn fish this is a great technique, but did not have much confidence in 41 degree water. I was a little surprised when on about the third cast I felt some old grass that that turned out to be a fine bass. I was also surprised when the biggest fish nearly took the rod away from me when it hit. I guess my point is I still have much to learn about bass fishing, and catching fish in February in the Midwest is wonderful thing. EDIT: I just realized I posted this in the wrong spot. Sorry guys.

This is a funny thread. You asked for feedback, and it was about 10:1 for the PQ (based on the comments). You then went with the Quantum-not that there is anything wrong with the KVD combo. Many of us have proven over time the PQ is a fine reel for the money. I have 4 and will add another before spring. At $99 the rod would not have to be much to justify the cost since the reel is normally sold for that same price. Good luck with the new combo. I will be curious to see how it holds up.

My prayers are with your father and your family.

Tony there are many forums that you can go to and rant about politics, gun control, religion, or any other thing that stirs your passion. If you want to howl at the moon there are plenty who will howl along with you. I go to some of these sites from time to time. Wear a cup, fire resistant clothing, and body armor if you have it. There are a couple of points I would like to make regarding your criticism of Glenn: 1. It is Glenn's forum. 2. It is a fishing forum. The only common interest shared by all here is our enthusiasm for bass fishing. 3. Some of us have been around long enough to remember when Glenn and the mods allowed more latitude regarding political and religious topics. I love to talk about these subjects, but the truth is this is not a format that allows for calm, intelligent conversation-if there is such a thing. These topics are divisive by nature, sometimes even when talking with like minded folks. By the time they were no longer allowed here, most of us understood that it was for the best. Glenn was right then, and he is right now. 4. We are all here by Glenn's good pleasure. Any questions regarding this are answered by rule 1.

I love breakfast any time of the day or night. After reading this thread I had a bowl of cereal (at 9:30 PM). I would prefer some grits with salt, pepper, and a little good olive oil but didn't have the gumption to make them. Actually I would prefer the meal described by Teal in the original post, but I am trying to keep my girlish figure. SirSnook I have never had this meal, but I am sure it would suit me me just fine. Come on over to the house and I'll make some biscuits and sausage gravy to go with some bacon, eggs and grits. You bring along some kippers and we'll mix cultures and then go fishing. We might want to wait till spring or meet at your place-it's a bit cool here.

Deep is right. A sharp hook will stick; a dull one will not.

Excellent report as always Goose. As you know I am a believer! I have long known the PQs are solid, well made reels. Mine have all performed well with minimal maintenance. Thanks again for yuor comprehensive review.

40 degrees and rain, hot water lake or not, is not cheating. Most folks are not going in that kind of weather. You earned those fish my friend. Well done.

Nice! If I had to depend on my fishing activities, esp through the winter, I would once again be a fat guy. Usually the only time I get my rate up to healthy levels while fishing is when I fall off the boat...

That is great news. The company running the show (Reed Exhibitions, a British owned co.) obviously does not understand the resolve of the American people when it comes to the 2A. EDIT: This is not good news for those who will lose thousands of dollars as a result of the cancellation, but in the big picture it is a victory for all involved IMO.

Good explanation Hooligan. I agree with you on the PQs well. I will add number 5 to my collection before the spring.

I agree with the rest. I have an 18' 6" tin boat that is not nearly as heavy as most glass boats, and I still use the 4 wheel drive in my Durango from time to time. I can put my boat in strip pits with gravel ramps that I could not even think about with my 2WD pick-up. Having and not needing is far better than the other way around.

Raider even as an old, formerly fat guy I can feel your pain. 11 months ago my Cardiologist told me to lose some weight or not make any long term plans. On Feb 23 I started going to the gym. Now 11 months later I am able to do more, and having to work around the knot-heads who have turned out in droves since the first of the year is frustrating. I still have an old guy looking back at me from the mirror, but he is a lot sexier than he once was! Hang in there. I'm told in a month or two all will be back to normal. FWIW I was one of the knot-heads that didn't have a clue about proper gym etiquette when I started. Now I can hang with the big boys... I'm just using about half the weight.

KVD does change the hooks...but they have become my favorite cranks. At that price for the LCs they are absolutely worth the price. They are worth the price at full retail, but my budget won't allow them.

My Father-in-law has one that has worked fine in limited use with both ball and HP ammo. it doesn't shoot too bad. It is heavy and ugly and I would buy one in a minute if I didn't have the money for something better. My local guy has sold a bunch of them, with very few issues. HI-point will repair or replace them for life-a better warranty than any other as far as I know. I considered buying one a few years ago, but ended up buying a Ruger SR9c instead. The Ruger was about double the price, but I do not regret spending the extra. A Hi-Point pistol is like a cheap baitcast reel, it won't be as fun to use as a good quality one but it will get the job done and is a lot better than nothing. Good luck.

I agree. It mostly depends on the power rating of the rod for me. With a medium power rod and lighter jigs XF works best. With heavier jigs in deeper water, a medium heavy/heavy Fast action is my preference. In close working heavy cover, a little heavier power with a Moderate action gives a little more forgiveness with a bigger fish on a short line. Rod ratings vary, and there can be differences in models of rods by the same maker. Finding a rod that works best comes down to trial and error for most of us. Good luck.