Raul

If you can 't bet it then you are better if you join him.

I 've tried many brands of rods, I do have a mixed rod collection, couple of old Berkley Lightning rods, a couple of Shimano Clarus rods, a JDM Graphiteleader Bosco, but all my other rods are GLoomis, why ? because I like them, I like the way they feel, I like the way they look, I like how they perform and I know what can I expect to get based upon experience.

Nearest lake is about 30 min drive, could be less if it weren 't for two inconviniences: 1.- Traffic to exit the city 2.- There 's no paved road from the highway to the lake shore.

Never pay attention to them in that aspect, I purchase, try, keep/sell/trade/trash based upon my preferences. Let me give you an example, let 's say I 'm watching a spinnerbait video of KVD the only thing I pay attention to is the tips and techniques he 's explaining about spinnerbaiting, the moment he says: "here I have this Quantum reel" all I hear is yadda, yadda, yadda ( background noise to which I pay no attention ) until he begins talking again about what I 'm interested in ---> information about spinnerbaiting.

As long as I 'm at the pooch n 'kitty hospital I 'm in BR, don 't need to hide, I 'm the boss !

Ask him if it 's fun :

The swivel doesn 't make the action better, the snap does, lots of high quality hard swimbaits do come with a snap, actually they need it to make the bait wobble more freely, the same can be applied to cranks, there are baits that have a better action with a snap ( like the Rapala Original Minnow ). Checking your line condition frequently looking for signs of wear is something you have to do, doesn 't matter if you tie direct or use a snap, changing baits quickly is no excuse for being lazy. I 've fished for more than 30 years, the only time I use a snap/swivel combo is when I fish with in-line spinners because those no matter how much the manufacturer claims they still twist the line. Also, if you are going to use snaps for crying out loud, DON 'T BUY "EL CHEAPO" !

Yes, but fly fishing for bass only with topwater is a waste of the full potential you can achieve with a fly rod, fly rods are not only for topwater fishing. A friend of mine ( Luis ) is obsesed with fly fishing for bass and he uses all sorts of flies ( he even ties his own ) to attack different depths and does it very succesfully.

Not all Shimanos are made in Japan ----> Malaysia Not all Daiwas are made in Japan ----> China, Thailand. Not all Abus are made in Sweden ----> Korea, China Just because it 's not made where you think or wish it was made means that the product is made poorly, cheaply or with bad quality. The company determines which quality standards should be applied for the product and provide the parts. If the companie 's quality standards are low, if the parts provided are of poor quality the product will be bad quality no matter where it was made.

There you go:

If you are lazy enough not to retie oftenly then you are lazy enough not to check the condition of your line looking for signs of wear; then there you are reeling in you crank, a big momma strikes ( doesn 't have to be a big momma ), you pull, she pulls and .......... PRACK !, the line breaks leaving you with the Whiskey Tango Helo face and blaming the line for breaking. Yes, you can use SNAPS ( not snap swivels ) for your cranks as long as you check the condition of your line oftenly, cut and retie as needed.

Tha Avid is a better rod than the Crucial or the GLoomis GL2.

They aren't an Owner.

I liked: Don 't just stand there.

You see us fishing with lots or rods and reels not because they are an absolute must, because we like our tools to be more duty specific, also, to "save" time between changes without having to retie. You need them all ? Nope, not really Can you have only one setup to cover most of your needs ? yup Normally I carry 5-6 setups when I 'm on the boat, when I fish from shore I only carry one.

#10 should be #1.

Owner Phantom Tube Hook.

I loved the scent of the old Mann 's baits.

Not going to say they are junk or something like that, compared to RI Beavers: harder material which causes the bait not to be as flexible where I want them to be flexible ( the flaps ), the body is harder ( won 't break as fast ), the sink rate is completly different ( Yums are a lot slower ), when rigged backwards they don 't have that sink away from you as pronounced as the RI Beaver. I 've tried them and I didn 't quite liked them, I 'd rather buy RI Beavers.

Budget spinning combo: Rod.- Shimano Clarus Reel.- Shimano Sahara 2500 $140-$150

You're eventually going to be buying more gear anyhow, so go with the quality rod now. It just means you'll have to spend more on the next one. ;D The BaitMonkey Ain 't that the truth !

All Megabass lures I own work for me ( except for those Gatta X that I don 't fish ), my absolute favorite is the Bait X Concept.

I use all these: CR721 CR722 CR723 CR724 MBR782 MBR783 MBR785 SJR782 CSS66MH LR15 LR16 GLBS66ML

My friend, success depends upon many factors not just one, choosing the right rig and bait at the right time in the right location is part of what makes you succesful. Like in every single other rig you can tie the way you rig it, how much weight you add and in the case of the DS rig, how far you tie your hook from the weight ( "leader" length ) also determine how succesful you can be. For example: Your dad may be using a 12 inch leader and whupping them while you are using an 8 inch leader, the same bait and you are getting skunked. Those 4 inches difference in the leader length can be the difference between catching fish and getting skunked. You see, there are no "rules", nowhere it 's written on stone that the leader in a DS rig has to be "X", it 's only a suggestion and from there you adapt to your needs.

Yes, good results.