fishballer06

I've never had problems with the side plate popping off on my Curado I, or on either of my two ci4's.

I thought so too. I used it a little this weekend with my Chronarch E series on it. Makes for a great topwater and jerkbait rod.

Over the weekend I went to the local Field and Stream store (Dick's newest outdoor sporting goods line of stores) to get some line put on 3 of my baitcasting reels since it's easier to have them do it for me, than trying to beg my girlfriend to help me do it at home. The gentlemen who works the fishing section is a local tournament fishermen who is very friendly and I've spoke to on many occasions. Once my reels were done, I was leaving the store whenever I glanced over at a rack of clearance rods. That's when I noticed a few G Loomis rods on the clearance rack. Upon checking them out, I found a TWR 773C for $145. I knew that I had a rewards certificate for $30, and a $10 off a $50+ purchase coupon. So in the end, this brought the total for my new rod down to $105. Overall, it's a very nice rod and I can see why guys are so loyal to G Loomis. I didn't need this rod at all, but for the price, I couldn't turn it down.

I use a 6'10" Crucial MH-F. I don't like a soft tip for topwater baits. I feel like I have to work through the give of the rod in order to get the bait to work properly, whether its a spook, torpedo, or a popper. Get yourself something with a fast action.

Senkos, Havoc Pit Boss, Zoom Trick

Cell mate and chartreuse black are two of my favorites. They've got a few nice looking crawdad colors too that work well for smallies.

I agree with everyone else here. Way too shallow and it probably almost freezes solid in the winter. With pike and musky in there, they're probably eating everything else. I'm surprised you haven't caught any pike or musky. Or at least been cut off by them yet. What exactly are you fishing this pond with? I'd be willing to bet that if you threw a buzzbait or spinnerbait, you'd be able to catch any of the predatory fish that are in that pond (bass, pike & musky).

Black jointed Jitterbug Black buzzbait

I'll give a nod for the Symetre and Saros reels from Shimano. Both are great reels, and are around $100.

If you're mainly a kayak/canoe fishermen, I would go with the 6'8".

I'm not a fan of the normal PowerPro. The PowerPro Slick 8 isn't too bad though. I'll give my vote to Suffix 832 though, for best braid overall.

I catch crappie all the time trolling Flicker Shads and Shad Raps in a size 7. Odd, but it works.

Dobyns 692 Savy Spinning Rod Seaguar Smackdown braid Suffix 832 braid Plano 3700 boxes Booyah pad crasher Zoom horny toad Cavitron buzzbait Owner twistlock 4/0 hooks Spro Little John crankbait Storm wiggle wort

You can see the bass sitting there. I'm guessing the guy saw the fish sitting at the edge of the water and put the minnow in front of his face to entice him. Must have been on a bed.

Skitter Pop's are my favorite popper out there. The size 9 in frog and lime frog are my go to's. You can work them any way you want. They do not walk, they just spit. Light twitch, heavy twitch, it works great. I usually stop every few twitches and let it sit. I would definitely say that the skitter pop has a quieter pop than any other popper out there, which is why I think its so effective. Its subtle, but it gets the job done very well.

I'll agree with the above. I don't like a moderate action for topwater baits. Get a fast action rod. If you're throwing 5/8 to 3/4 oz lures, get a MH. Or if you're fishing around heavy cover (thick weeds, wood, etc), get a MH.

Is that a serious question?

I tried some of the camo colored Suffix 832. In clearer water, I think it sticks out like a sore thumb. I would only advise using it in heavy weeds or muddy water.

So every October, I fly down to Florida to visit my Grandmother, who lives in The Villages. Well this year, I'd like to go out on a guided bass service for a day and catch some of these lunker Florida bass that I always hear about, that aren't so abundant here in Pennsylvania. I was hoping someone here could get me in touch with a guide on a lake that's within an hour or so of The Villages. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks guys!

The original, Bill Lewis.

I own a 7' MH HMG and a 6'10" MH HMX, both in spinning. I bought the HMG first and I really liked it, so then I ordered the HMX because I really liked the handle on it better, and it was $10 cheaper. I must say that the HMX is a fair bit heavier, and I don't like the guides as much either. If I had to make my purchase over again, I'd get another HMG.

You're not going to go wrong with any Shimano reel in the $200+ range. Pick the one that best suits the purpose you have for it and go with it.

I've heard problems with the Aetos guides. So I would go with the Avid. You know you're getting a solid rod from St. Croix.

Give her a few days. If you had the fish hooked, then that hook is still planted in here mouth. It will take a while for that hook to rust out.

I have 2 of the new Crucials. I've got the 6'10" MH-F split grip, and the 7' M-MF full grip cranking rod. I love them both. Grips are nice, reel seat is very nice, light weight, very sensitive, it casts a mile, and I think it's just a very good looking rod. I'm sure I'll be picking up one of the 7'3" models here eventually. I highly recommend them.