TNBassin'

I usually try to "match the hatch" but our lake has stained water so chartreuse xcalibur xrk 50s and red eye shad is what I use most. I found some of the xcalibur xrk50s in the wounded series and have been lighting them up with those.

Spinnerbaits have been producing for me this whole week. Surprising that the bite is finally on at our lake.

I always use a jig trailer, but I don't go as big as some of you may though.

I caught my biggest fish on it last night, a 3.5lb smallie. The reel is so smooth on the retrieve....

Yeah just put a few drops on a q tip and rub it around the inside of that gold ring and you'll be good to go. While you're at it, clean off the brake tabs to get off that old grease. My Revo S brakes are much more consistent now, and distance has improved a little as well. Once a month you want to do this according to the Abu rep.

According to the Abu rep I talked to, if you run that gold ring dry you can actually melt the brake tabs.

Put a tiny dot of oil on a q tip and run it around that gold ring that the brakes ride on. Once that ring dries out, it gets a tad noisy. Not bad though.

Chartreuse for cranks and spinner baits, shad colors for topwater, and black or green pumpkin with the tail dyed chartreuse for worms.

I've been fishing a red eye shad in chartreuse bait fish and have been having good luck. Went yesterday, and nothing I tried worked. Fishing has been frustrating this year.

I can flat out sling a 1/2oz bait with 2 on. Can't imagine the distance I could get with this reel with another one off. It can flat out get the bait out there. Best $129 you'll spend.

I have 2 of the spring loaded brakes on an it works fine.

If I have a dink on the line I don't mind one bit if he wiggles off before I boat him.

Only briefly. He had to leave town to attend the 3 legged race in Vermont.

Was his name Tripod?

Man that's awesome. I caught a 2.5lber this summer and that sucker put up a nice fight. Can't imagine the fun of reeling in one that size.

It's lonely at the top as they say.

Dogs have 4 legs.

Oldest is an original Storm Hot N' Tot, and a few jointed Rapalas and an original Bagley's Fat Cat. Not sure which is the oldest though.

LOL. I was gonna be ticked if it was the STX since I just paid $199 for mine.

Good info.

Instead of fooling with that pin on the spool shaft, just take an old pill bottle and fill it up enough to where the acetone/lighter fluid will submerge the spool shaft bearing. It sounds janky, but it's much better than trying to get that pin out and risk denting the spool or nicking the shaft. After they are clean, place them on a pack of dessicant .

$160? You must've gotten the old model or you got hooked up. The Gen 3 STX is $199.

Biggest surprise bait for me is the Yum F2 ribbon tail. I stuck one of them on a Luck E Strike football jig head, and I catch bass like no other. Biggest disappointment bait is the Rage Tail Smokin' Rooster. I've fished it quite a few times, and haven't caught anything. It looks amazing in the water, but maybe it's too "loud" for the sissy bass in our lake?

Why? Don't you have thumbs? It's all subjective. I've used other baits that weren't Rage Tails and caught zilch. Take Culprit worms for example. I've fished many times with these and ZERO. First time out with a 7' Anaconda, second cast a bass nails it. Do I think they are worth $6 a pack? I don't think any soft baits are worth more than maybe $4, but I feel that Rage Tails are higher quality than say Zoom baits, so that extra couple of bucks is a little easier to swallow. As for SK's profit margin on their plastics? I think it's awesome that Steve Parks invented the clam shell to ensure that the baits perform as they should without passing that cost onto the consumer. Shame on them for looking out for the customer...

Try the sk silent res in the chili craw color. Also, chartreuse bait fish color in the rattling version is unbeatable for stained water.