gripnrip

x2

Thanks!

Pictures can be deceiving. If the fish was weighed, I can believe the picture. On another thread, 00mod had a guess the weight of a fish in one of his pictures. The fish IMO looked over 10 pounds. It wound up being 7-15. Just my 2 cents.

3/4 oz football in the summer and a 1/2 oz any other times. I will downsize if the bite is tough. Only about 10% of the time tho.

That is what I ran into Saturday. They did have a Ci4 that I picked up. I will be buying a few of the Curado's as well!

Did you have a stinger on your spinnerbait? I highly doubt it was the rod. I had no d**n clue back in the day and I didn't ever have a problem of getting hooked on a less than ideal rod.

Braid has no memory. Flouro does. What type of braid are you using? Have you tried the KVD line conditioner?

That's what it's all about!

You sir are correct! The bladed jig has been neglected due to Howell's success with the DT-6 and Livingston. A lot of pros were throwing the jig.

Nice slammer. I plan on getting one soon!

It was Hackney.

I can't remember which way the brakes engage without looking. When I first started using them, I turned 2 brakes on and set the mag brake to 2 or 3. That oil should be fine. I used mine directly out of the box. Some guys wouldn't. They'd flush and clean before use. I just do it once a year. I would only use them in freshwater only. JMO They are great reels. I am currently fixing to upgrade mine to Shimano's over the course of a couple years. Here is a good read. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/126636-bps-pro-qualifier-bc-reel-–-5-year-challenge-–-4-years-down-1-to-go/?hl=%2Bpq+%2Byear

I fish a lot of stained water. You need a black/blue in your arsenal IMO.

I use black and blue and some browns. They are basically a mix of a spinnerbait and a crankbait IMO. As a trailer I'll use the LFT boot tail or a RE skinny dipper to match. I fish from the back most of the time. If the boater throws the spinnerbait, I throw the chatterbait and vise versa. It helps me to get bit.

A 1/2 ounce jig will attract your larger than average bass most of the time.

Ah very true. I get what your saying. But we all know how marketing is in the fishing world. If they improved machining the spool by even .001 then it technically runs more true! It is a ploy to get the "avid" fans to buy the new reels. Based on what I have researched the "G" was a PR nightmare and they're trying to repair their reputation. I on the other hand just purchased my first Shimano baitcaster. They have me now!

The cranksters are glass.

Nope. IMO the difference between graphite and fiberglass is the the amount of vibration. I also noticed the fiberglass rods are a little heavier. I fish the Mojo St Croix series and absolutely love them.

It may annoy you, but as a machinist by trade, I appreciate what they have done. I have worked some tight tolerances. + or - .010 is the norm for our aircraft parts. Unless specified. The tighter they can get that tolerance the better. Nothing is absolutely perfect and it looks like Shamano is about there with the new spool.

Thanks for the responses fellas. I will definitely give those responses some thought. An excellent review RW. A Tommy Gun would have went well in your last pic!

They went back to the original molds that were you used back before Rapala. Storm changed the style around 2000 I think, to what it was before the present Wart.

Guys that fish the big swimbaits love CXX.

I just purchased the reel yesterday. I was thinking of getting a Cumara 7'11" flipping stick. The only thing I'm worried about is the weight of this reel is 6.5oz. Based on the reviews on TW, this rod is tip heavy and a lighter reel doesn't feel rite. Rods in the $200-$250 range would be ideal. Also keep in mind, flipping sticks. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Awesome thread! I love crank................n!

On tour?