Brandon Underwood

It seems as a lot of people are feeling the same thing as me about the Revo's. I don't know what it is about them that pulls me towards them, but whatever it is, it works! My first real baitcaster was an abu black maxx, and somehow I hate that reel compared to my quantum, but I still lean towards the revo.

So I'm at a dilemma. I have been looking to buy a new reel/combo, and I have two things that I have my eyes set on. The Revo SX with a Vendetta at a local shop for $208 or a Quantum Catalyst for $129. I have already talked to him about the Revo Combo where he priced me the $208 versus $169 + $79 = $268. I'm pretty sure he had $129 on the catalyst, which I will probably just put on my Quantum Burst rod or buy another rod similar to it for roughly $45, and I'm sure that I could possibly get the Catalyst a little cheaper, but no guarantees. But my question is, does anyone have both of these reels, and can give me some insight on which one is better, and by how much, things like that. And people that have one or the other, and can give me some pros and cons. I have read reviews on both, but I'm mostly looking for someone that has, or has had both of these them, and can tell me which one is a better deal. I want the Revo, but mainly because of a youtube review that I seen, and I think he was actually from this forum. Again, thanks for everyone's input in advance.-Brandon

The trip would mostly be for pleasure, and the city in itself. We don't get to go places like that much, so we try to enjoy it as much as possible when we do. Does Gander Mountain generally have a lot of tackle as well? Like I said, I've never been, but have heard about them (mostly from reloading friends).

Endless, I really dig that combo, thanks. They just opened a gander mountain like 2 hours from here and have been wanting to go, just haven't gotten around to it, and didn't realize that they had any fishing stuff, lol.

I'm pretty sure I seen Bill Dance talking about using a Heddon Sonar the other day on VS fishing deep for bass, and it looks to me like it could be a killer lure. Not sure, I can't speak from experience, but perhaps it's something to look at?

That looks like it would be a good popper to me, I'm not sure what other presentation that you could use with it. The lip doesn't look like it would dive to me and run like a shallow crank, so I would just experiment with it, you'll figure out what's working, but I would definitely lean towards the popper approach. -Brandon

I'm going to pick up a new spinning rod soon (mine is a 7' MH action Bill Dance Quantum combo, I bought specifically for wading the river). We went over the weekend to Cedar Branch, if anyone is familiar, to visit family since they were camping, and I fished for quite a while. I was using the Strike King Shim-e sticks in a watermelon/chartreuse swirl, and caught 1 smallmouth about 1.5 lbs, and that was it. I fished about everything in my tackle box, including spinners, cranks, etc. I was the only person that caught a bass (they catfished later in the evening and caught a few). Which I understand where we were at was extremely hard to fish without a boat, as bank access is beyond limited. I keep it slow, I understand the importance of presentation, or at least I'm pretty sure I do, lol. But so far, the senko style baits and variations have been my only producing soft plastics. And to Monte, I was fishing from a boat for a while, but I traded it to the father in law (that way I still get to fish off it ) but it doesn't have any kind of sonar on it. We went this morning actually to a small local reservoir early in the am, and neither me nor him even so much as had a bite. As for his wife and youngest son, they were wearing the bluegill out on some nightcrawlers. Granted, I personally never have caught anything over 1 pound from there myself, one of my friends swears that he wears the bass out there on green pumpkin yum dingers and that they're usually 2-3 lbs, and his boss supposedly caught a 5lb bass on a ribbon tail, but I've also not seen any proof. I do know that the DNR came in earlier this year and removed over 1500 bass to restock a more popular lake upstate just a little (Moncove Lake, if anyone is familiar with that one). I pound the banks pretty much the whole time, throwing at any sign of structure that I can find. It always produced for me before, so I continue with it, and it seems it works for everyone else as well. I've been laid off from work since April, and I'm getting ready to go back, so I plan on buying another kayak when I get the money saved up. I plan to rig this one up a lot better than the last one, and I'm going to definitely add some sort of sonar. Another full size boat just isn't practical, I generally fish alone, and can't use gas motors anywhere close. Thanks again guys. -Brandon

I have down sized to Berkeley's Professional Grade Fluoro in 12# (I was afraid that too much smaller, I wouldn't be able to cast it well on my baitcaster). I have some of the Berkeley's lizards, real life like looking things, and no luck on those either. I'm going to try everyone's advice, and I really appreciate it guys.

Where is the XPS on sale at? We don't have any BPS or any big bait shops like that around here, just small rinky dink shops, and honestly Wal Mart is usually better than they are as far as bait. I tried the stren fluoro (like $10 a spool at wal mart) and I hated it, but I knew I wasn't getting a high quality line. It floated, and had line memory like wire.

I used the search function, but couldn't find anything, I was wondering it anyone had ever made one of these from pvc pipe that fit on roof racks. I just traded my pick up for a Trailblazer (had to get a baby hauler) and now I'm having an awful time carrying my poles around (one has already gotten broken). I tend to take my poles about everywhere with me, just in case someone says, "hey, wanna go fishing!?" or I get the wild urge to go myself. I had thought about a pvc pipe about 8' long and 8" od with a solid cap on one end (towards the front of the vehicle) and one of the twist off caps on the other end. My only dilemma truly, is how well do they work? Would this possibly beat the snot out of my reels, and if so, is there anything I could do to prevent this? And mounting, I haven't quite figured that part out yet. I'm not too worried about locking, as very few people around here know what a baitcaster is, much less know how to use one, nor would they necessarily know what is even in the tube, as it wouldn't be very apparent, and also, I never really park anywhere that it might get stolen. Anyways, I hope to hear from you guys with ideas, experience, or advice, and thanks in advance. -Brandon

Thanks for all of the advice guys, I super appreciate it. I have tried the carolina rig but, I always get it hung up a lot (most of lakes here everyone gets them hung up). I mostly use my baitcasting outfit (it was multiple until the secondary rod somehow got broken) and my spinning outfit for lighter rigs. But perhaps something I hadn't thought about until line was mentioned is on my baticaster I use the Berkeley TransOptic 15# which is a line that changes color in the daylight and is supposed to turn clear again when under the water, could this be contributing to the lack of strikes? On my spinning reel I have the Suffix Camo 12# which is tri-colored in a green, brown, and a semi-clear (I hate this line, btw) could this one be a problem as well? I just joined this forum, but I had already started doing what someone here mentioned in another post, which was to fish Senko's and learn to fish them before moving onto any other soft plastic for the reason of learning to be patient (which I sometimes lack). I haven't had much luck on them (1 fish, my only soft plastics fish on a swim senko, green pumpkin) and I have used multiple types, senko's in the june bug and baby bass colors (it looked similar to the green pumpkin, and is actually a Kinami bait made by GYCB), a swim senko in green pumpkin, and yum dinger's in carolina pumpkin, and green pumpkin which chartreuse tails, and the strike king shim-e worms in the watermelon chartreuse swirl. And as for the flukes, I have a bag, and have had absolutely no luck with them, which are also green pumpkin. As for the river I try to use the Gitzit G-tail green pumpkin grubs as absolutely everyone that fishes that river swears by them to be the absolute best producing bait .The lakes I fish the most are clear to stained, but never muddy, and I understand that soft plastics are a visual bait, as in the fish has to see it to hit it, unlike spinners, and crankbaits where they can generally hear them before they see them. I try to throw at cover as much as possible, as only one lake here has lilly pads, and they are so bad, I have no idea at all how anyone fishes it, it is literally impossible without a boat, as most of the bank is private property, and the pads are so bad, nobody can get a boat through them. My fishing times are pretty much never during the middle of the day either, as I can't stand the heat, and I always try to throw in a little top water near sunrise and sunset, and usually catch at least one decent bass off a green/white jitterbug or the rage tail pearl belly toads. But back to the whole line thing, do you all think that the line could be an issue? Both lines currently spooled are a monofilament, and I've been wanting to put the Berkeley Professional Grade Fluoro on my baitcaster at least, but just haven't worked up the $25 for a spool (that's a lot of baits I could be buying!). Thanks again guys, I really appreciate all the help, and advice. P.S. About the rocks etc stopping the bait, I picked up on that this year (when I finally bought decent rods and reels) and learned the difference between the feel of a rock, or stump and grass, and a strike, which has been a big help.

Fluoro in general seems like the best leader material to me, as it is practically invisible, but the abrasion problems can cause and issue, I don't really fish anywhere that it's an issue, so I'm not sure about what line brand in particular. I have though, proven that line/leader makes a big difference though, brother in law was fishing with straight braid, couldn't hardly catch anything, so I told him to let me see his rod, and tied on about a 4 ft leader of fluro, and what would you know, he started catching more fish. Perhaps not the most scientific way, but it seemed to make a difference.

I don't have either rods, but I have an ambassadeur rod for my black maxx and I can say the same about the hook keeper with the line, mine gets caught up on it a lot. I checked the veritas out at a local shop, and it seemed like a super nice rod for the money, and plan on buying one myself in the future.

I use the Berkeley TransOtic 15# on my quantum, it turns a bright orange in the daylight, but instantly goes clear when it hits the water, and casts great on my reel, and use Trilene XL 14# on my Black Maxx as it's the only thing it will cast well for me. From experience (not that I have all that much) don't buy the cheap-o stren fluoro from wal mart, It's absolute junk, it floats, and has a ton of line memory, doesn't sound like fluoro to me. But I'm sure more people with more experience than me will chime in and give you some advice.

Topic's a little old, but I have a Black Maxx too, and it was also my first baitcaster. About a month after I bought it, I bought a Quantum burst combo at a good deal, and I honestly can say that it is indeed a good learning reel, if you can cast it, you'll be able to cast a much nicer reel with ease. My Quantum is by no means a high end reel, but I feel it is a lot better quality (I only paid $84 for the combo with 7.0 burner gears and an IM8 graphite rod). i still use my black maxx, but not as much, and plan to replace it with a Revo sx.

Hey guys, I'm new here, but I think this could be a good topic for other new to semi-new bass fisherman. I just got into the artificial baits this year, starting in spring, so I bought spinner baits, and crank baits. I was able to consistently produce with these baits up until it really started warming up. I can still produce with spinner baits, but I know soft plastics produce better during the summer, where in lies the problem. I have talked to people for hours on end about soft plastics, and have fished them a lot lately but without any real bites, or hits. I have used senko's and swim senko's and yum dingers ( june bug, baby bass, green pumpkin) throwing them weightless texas rig, letting them free fall and then bringing them back up to let them fall again. I've tried ribbontails, grubs, creature baits etc, all texas rigged with a bullet sinker, swimming, crawling them on the bottom, and jigging, with different colors, black (muddy water) blue translucent with purple (clear water) green pumpkin (clear to stained water). What I'm getting around to is mostly, what am I doing wrong, or not doing? I have caught one fish on soft plastics this year, off of a green pumpkin swim senko weightless in the new river (it was a largemouth to beat it all), but that's been it. I still catch a few off of spinners, jitterbugs, and rage toads, but I cannot seem to figure out the whole soft plastics. Does anyone have tips, or anyone else that seems to have this problem, or has been through it? Thanks in ahead for any input, and I hope this will help others out as well, maybe bring a new light to some people who have been fishing soft plastics and producing for some time, but learn a new technique or tactic. Also I'm not sure what section this topic should be in, and I apologize if I have picked the wrong section. -Brandon

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum, but not so much so fishing. Granted I grew up on the old hook 'n worm, I've gotten into more productive forms of fishing. Largemouth generally being the target, but I still like fishing the New River when I can.A little more in depth about me: I grew up in the coal fields of southern WV fishing nightcrawlers and any other living wiggly thing we could find, with little success. I have worked in machine shops, been a mechanic, auto detailer, and now work in the coal mines. As far as hobbies go, they range from playing guitar, to video games, to computers and electronics and modification of, fishing, wood working, aquariums, reptiles, modifying trucks and cars, just about anything really, lol. I'm always into the do-it-yourself approach, as I hate relying on someone else to do it for me, I ALWAYS appreciate the knowledge, guidance, and advice, but still like being able to do it myself. I also really like the technical approach to things, for whatever reason it clicks better, it just seems to make more sense. Nonetheless, I look forward to being a part of this forum, and am glad to see something like this on the internet. -Brandon