PlasticMan135

Most catch and keep fishermen(women) I have seen have always been fishing live bait. I believe live bait leads to more gut hooked fish. A gut hooked fish stands a better chance of dying. If the fish has an increased chance of dying, then I feel it should feed someone rather than be wasted. I C&R 100% of the time, with the exception of a few trout a year, which I pay to have stocked by the state. I have a problem with people coming down the path with a 5 gallon bucket and filling it with every fish they catch. If she is within her states regulations, then she has done nothing wrong. She was honest enough and knowledgeable enough to know she could not keep bass at this time of year. Give her credit.

My rule has always been you have to touch it. If you don't touch the fish, it doesn't count.

I have found that really active fish will hit the frogs that have the large boot type feet, such as the Ribbit, Rage Toad and Cane Toad. If they are slightly less aggressive they can be enticed to hit a Sizmic or a Horny Toad. Sometimes I will throw a larger foot frog first, then switch to the Sizmic. I prefer the Sizmic.

I myself have had bad luck with the Revo's. I just bought my 5th one, a Revo S. I have always hated the braking system, but the 6 pin system on the S is amazing. I might look into other Revo's with the 6 pin system. I am not a fan of Mag brakes.

Love them Berkley baits. I like the tubes, the beasts and their worms. My only complaint is you have to leave them in their original bags. Otherwise they stink up the tackle bag. And the car. Oh, and the garage.

Thanks for the info. I did not like the way that metal winding check looked. I will probably talk to my builder to find out what he recommends.

Hey all, I would like to know which skeleton reel seat I should go with on my custom. My rod builder can order from Mudhole or Merrick. So far this looks like the one from Pacific Bay, http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Graphite_2/MINIMA-Ultra-Lite-Exposed-Blank-Casting-Reel-Seat Have any of you guys used this one before? Anything you guys got would be helpful. Thanks

I stuck a jerkbait into the knee of my waders, so I bought a patch kit from Wal-Mart, and went heavy on the glue that came with it. Then, I applied a lot of heavy duty glue. Let it cure for a few days, then I took some waterproofing spray and coated my entire waders. Fixed them right up. Since your holes are along a seem, I would patch them up good, and hit them with some waterproofing spray. Make sure you let them cure for a few days before wearing them.

The Shimano that Natural posted is the Shimano Aldebaran Mg. It is a JDM reel. (Japanese) Here's a link, http://www.japantackle.com/Shimano/Shimano_AldebaranMg_Mg7.htm

I use an Owner Sled head with Screw-Lock Shank hook for most of my fishing. I love them because keep the bait secure and I feel that I get more fish out of each plastic.

When fishing frogs i use a palomar, but I go in through the eye twice, then do 2 overhand knots and finish it traditional palomar style.

That is about the exact same review that I have for this reel. However, I do like the looks of the older models a little more. I do agree with the ACS braking system. If it had more settings for better adjustability it would be great.

I am going to go out and buy a Patriarch because the idea of meeting Jennifer Aniston and marrying her sounds like a great proposition to me. Seriously, they should use it as a marketing point. On a serious note, this is a good discussion. I have been tossing the idea around in my head to getting either a Johnny Morris or a Patriarch for a few weeks. Anybody else have anything to add, please do.

I believe the Quantum Energy with Orange accents is actually the Shaw Grigsby Accurist. I could be wrong. I know the stores around here don't sell the saltwater version of the Energy. I could be wrong. Does it have a flipping switch?

09 Quantum Energy 6.3:1 I picked up my 09 Energy online for $145, plus free shipping. So far I have taken it out in the river 3 times. I will give you the rundown. Pros: Light(er) - 7.7oz. is very light for a Quantum. Drag - 18-20 pounds will work. Ergonomics - This reel fits my hand much better than the older Energies. Casting This is a double edged sword for me. It can cast great. Smooth retrieve due to handle bearings. I like the new handle design. It looks cool. Cons: Casting The ACS system has caused me troubles. I wish it had more break settings. The line guide on these reels seems really loose to me. I have checked a few out in the stores and they all share this feature. I do not think that the Energy is a huge step up from the Catalyst. The Catalyst has 7 bearings to the Energies 9. The extra 2 bearings can be found in the handle. From what I have heard the insides on all of the new PT's are the same, so if you are on a budget, the Catalyst will work just as well. For $40 more, I wish the Energy had more than the Catalyst. One problem that some have complained about in the past in the durability of Quantum reels. I hope that they have this resolved. Overall, I am pleased with this reel. It has all the features I like, and I was able to get it cheaper than the Catalyst. I would not hesitate in getting the 7.1:1 for frog fishing.

I picked up my 09 Energy online for $145, plus free shipping. So far I have taken it out in the river 3 times. I will give you the rundown. Pros: Light(er) - 7.7oz. is very light for a Quantum. Drag - 18-20 pounds will work. Ergonomics - This reel fits my hand much better than the older Energies. Casting This is a double edged sword for me. It can cast great. Smooth retrieve due to handle bearings. I like the new handle design. It looks cool. Cons: Casting The ACS system has caused me troubles. I wish it had more break settings. The line guide on these reels seems really loose to me. I have checked a few out in the stores and they all share this feature. I do not think that the Energy is a huge step up from the Catalyst. The Catalyst has 7 bearings to the Energies 9. The extra 2 bearings can be found in the handle. From what I have heard the insides on all of the new PT's are the same, so if you are on a budget, the Catalyst will work just as well. For $40 more, I wish the Energy had more than the Catalyst. One problem that some have complained about in the past in the durability of Quantum reels. I hope that they have this resolved. Overall, I am pleased with this reel. It has all the features I like, and I was able to get it cheaper than the Catalyst. I would not hesitate in getting the 7.1:1 for frog fishing.

I just ordered the new Energy. got it for $145. The energy, catalyst and tour edition all have the same ergonomics, and my understanding is the only differences in the energy and catalyst are bearings in the handle. I got the energy because I could get it for the same price as the catalyst. The 6.3:1 has a 27 IPT ratio and the 7.1:1 has 29 IPT.

I am a big fan of the new Quantum reels. I think that they are heading in a better direction with their new lineup. However, the best reel I have ever fished with was a 50mg. If I had the choice I would said the 50mg any day of the week. I am not brand loyal, I use what I think is best suited for my needs. The 50mg is the best I have ever used, hands down.

Mine is 21 inches. Look at the beauty under my name.

I like the Clarus rods. I think they feel comfortable in my hand. I also think they are relatively sensitive. Are there better rods? Yes. I also have 2 Compre rods. I think the Compre is a better rod, but the Clarus is nice. I have owned 3. One ultra lite, one med heavy and a new medium. I like the price of the rod and do not think that there will be a better rod for the money.

Not that I'm a fan of defacing money, drilling penny sounds like it would work well.

I wanted to take a picture of it and send it into the Jay Leno Show. That sign only lasted a little while. It has now been reversed and Dick's is listed first, but its still funny.

When they built the Dicks in Whitehall PA they built it right next to a grocery store called Giant. Giant insisted on being listed on the sign first. Man, what were they thinking.

I have heard people having good success catching fish with the Lake Forks Swimbait. I am thinking that if you fish it weightless, kind of like a fluke, you might be able to hook into a monster. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0049893122370a&navCount=1&podId=0049893&parentId=cat603337&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat603337&catalogCode=UJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat603337&hasJS=true Senko's, soft jerkbaits and jerkbaits will probably do well. I also think a spook will be successful. Good luck and post some pictures.

I had one of them, but 2 of the zippers broke. It lasted about a year. I used it for another season or two, until I was sick of things falling out of it. Good steal at $7, I had to pay full price.