Eli-R

Great advice! A long rod, usually over 7'4", is essential to maximize your casting distance and your crankbait's diving depth. The rest of the specs in a deep cranking rod really boil down to personal preference. You can be successful with a rod power of medium heavy or heavy, depending on how deep you're cranking. You should generally use a heavier rod for a bigger, heavier crankbait. The softness of the rod tip is very important when deep cranking. A moderate fast action rod is ideal because it gives you enough strength for secure hookups, but at the same time it is soft enough to delay the feel of a bite to your hands. A slightly delayed feel is helpful because it makes sure that you don't set the hook before a fish has fully taken the bait. Good luck in your deep cranking rod search and happy fishing!

Jigs and soft plastics are definitely some of the best fish catching baits ever made and are an essential piece to every angler's tackle box. Here's our best answers to each of your questions, but always remember that nothing in bass fishing is always going to hold true. Even the best of techniques and patterns sometimes fall through. 1. There are two colors, green pumpkin and black/blue, that you always need to have handy. Opt for green pumpkin in clearer water and throw dark colors like black and blue in dirty water conditions. 2. The amount of movement you should put into your jigs and soft plastics depends on the state that the fish are in. If fish are actively feeding, more movement can trigger more strikes. If fish are lethargic, dragging your bait along the bottom with little movement is the best option. 3. Choosing a natural bait is all about "matching the hatch." To match the hatch, you need to throw a lure that imitates the forage that the fish are feeding on. For example, if bass are feeding on craw fish then a jig or soft plastic craw would be a good way to match the forage. Bait color plays a huge role in creating a natural presentation that imitates forage. It may not be perfect, but do your best to fish a lure that resembles the color of the main forage. A common example of this is using a silver and white crank bait to resemble shad, a common bait fish. Happy Fishing!

Fishing clear water can often be a challenge. A proven technique for clear water bass is the drop shot. With a drop shot, you can present a soft plastic lure up off the bottom in a subtle way to get bites from those finicky clear water fish. As for trying a frog in clear water, it might work. The success of frog fishing in clear water depends on if there is enough aquatic vegetation and if there is a significant population of largemouth bass. Give the frog a shot if the lake you will be fishing has a good amount of grass and lily pads. If the lake lacks vegetation, try a spook or a popper for the early morning top water bite. Good luck and tight lines!

We got to fish these in TX with Big O (AKA Steve Parks, designer of Rage Tail baits) a few weeks back and I had one last about 6-8 fish (on a swim jig). It needed some adjusting every now and then but seemed to hold up well. They are also about 78 cents a bait vs 99 cents a bait for Keitech (3.75"). Plus softer baits tend to equal more action.

It's called a rod tip-top and I actually just replaced mine this past weekend on one of my rods with micro-guides. It's actually really easy and takes 5 minutes. Here's what to do: 1. Take a lighter and heat up the current tip-top for a few second. That heats up the adhesive that holds it on there. Slide off the current tip top (with a pliers, it will be hot) 2. gently scrape off any old adhesive off the rod. 3. Shave off a very small amount of tip-top adhesive and put the shavings inside the new tip top where it slides onto the rod (http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-epoxy/290537.aspx) 4. hold the new tip top with a pliers and heat up the base with the adhesive inside. 5. Slide the new tip top on the rod and align it with the other guides. Scrape off any access adhesive that comes out. 6. Let it cool/dry in a place where it won't get moved. That's it! St. Croix will probably send a replacement but I know some manufacturers take a while to send that stuff. If you can find out what size/type of tip they use and you may be able to buy it for pretty cheap on Jann's Netcraft if you don't want to wait for them to process. You'll need to order the glue from there anyways. Hope that helps!

When thinking about a name think about what type of personality you want your company to have. Do you want it to be fun? Edgy? Classic? Futuristic? Before you pick a name first write a creative brief establishing how you want your company and product to be viewed. That will help you find the right name instead of just picking random names from a hat. Some other tips: http://www.businessinsider.com/ten-keys-to-a-killer-name-for-your-company-2010-11?op=1#!HIivt Good luck!

For us confidence is all about trying new baits and new colors. You're bound to land some fish on something and the more you try, the more chance you have to build your confidence. Once you find some confidence baits, don't be afraid to keep trying new baits. I think the ultimate confidence is being able to use almost any bait and feel like you can catch fish on it if you know the right conditions to use it in and the right presentation.