FishTank

My recommendation may be a bit strange but here goes.... I have a Shimano Calcutta and a Fenwick Elite Tech Heavy Moderate that I love. It throughs cranks country mile and I like the slow retrieve of the Calcutta. So I going to recommend something similar. I know this is out of the price range by a few bucks but I would recommend a round reel (Shimano Cardiff 200A) and a Fenwick Elite Tech Moderate taper. The reel can be found on amazon for $115 and the rod for $100 on amazon and few other online retailers. Both are bullet proof tanks that will hold up to everyday fishing.

The BPS Pro Qualifier gets my vote. I have not fished one personally but one of my friends from work has sworn by them for years. He fishes a lot of tournaments (successfully) and by the end of the year his reals may be held together with duct and a little glue but the reels still work. Then at the beginning of the following year, he trades/pitches them and buys all new. It sounds goofy but he doesn't service them and he abuses them. Also, this way he doesn't have to worry about destroying an expensive reel and he has equipment that he can depend on each year with out braking the bank.

The one that open here in Indy is nice and the staff seems great (better than when it was Gander Mountain). They seem to carry a lot of stuff Dicks doesn't carry. But each time I have been in there, the store is pretty much empty. Also and this is odd to me, the lighting in the store is weird. It's actually a dim blue color and it's sort of depressing and uninspiring. It gives the whole place a sort old warehouse look. The other thing is their selection is weird. They may have a few fringe colors in baits but not the most popular ones. I think in time they will get it sorted out and turn it around. Or at least I hope they do.

This guy or something like it.

So how do I get a Curado K for $117? Could you provide a link? I tried searching e-bay but only found one for $150.

I think they both have their pluses and minuses. For me, I prefer the senko. It just catches fish. It could be I have more confidence in it. I would like to think it has better action and it just tastes better to bass (I don't know). On the down side it is way more expensive and it last about one catch and it's toast. As far as the Dinger goes, it's cheaper and it is more durable. I just don't catch as many fish with it. I also think that it sinks differently than a senko, almost straight down instead of a side to side motion, which causes less bites. I would try both in similar colors and see which works best for you.

Hate to hear that. It seems Dick's fishing section has gone down hill. A lot of basic baits and colors are not being sold there anymore and it makes no sense. I may have missed it but they no longer carry Shimano and maybe Daiwa reels.

I think I will stick with the regular reel oil. I am not sure about this but I have heard about using olive oil or cooking oil on reels and I believe they are viscous. I think cold temps and water may change their properties. Somebody smarter than me can chime in on this.

10-12lb Trilene. Works for everything.

I recently received a Go Pro as a gift and was not quite sure what to do with it. It has been fun to tie to the dogs and watch them chase toys and do stupid stuff but I have been reluctant to take and video myself. Do you guys shot video while you're fishing? For me it would just be for fun and memories, nothing scientific. I just feel self conscience about putting myself out on a boat with a camera strapped to my body.

I have two of the Elite Tech rods and they are nice work horse type rods. They are not the most sensitive but they have plenty of power when it counts and are made out of nice components. Plus, they just feel nice in my hands. As far as the G Loomis E6X goes, a fishing buddy of mine swears by them. I have tried them and after fishing a couple of GLX's its hard to compare the difference. I would say they are both just a step below the St. Croix Avid. The only down side about the E6X is that if feels like a cheap G. Loomis rod. Not that it is a bad thing. It's sort of like driving a Chevy and expecting it to feel like a Cadillac.

When it comes to crankbaits, I like mixed dark colors in shallow water (Ghost minnow) and shinny cranks (American Shad) in deep water. Of course, my daughter, when she was little, had a pink crankbait that she thought was pretty. Well, her crankbait and Barbie poll would catch one fish after another so my theory is meaningless. I would use whatever you have the most confidence with and try not to over think it.

For the heavier ones like a #3 and #4 Mepps, I would say that this is fine. I have been using the 6' St. Croix Avid ML Fast for lighter spinner baits and it has been a lot of fun for crappie, smaller bass, wipers, and walleye.

I hit DSG again and found 10 more packs of senkos. They were clearance buy 5 get 5 free. I picked up the following colors.... Green Flash, Bama Bug, Smoke w/purple and blue flake and watermelon with blue flake, and purple with pearl/blue flake. With a coupon they came up to $2.85 each. They also had a bunch of stuff that was clearance. You just kind had to hunt through it all.

St. Croix Avid 6'8'' M XF. Set you back $200. I would put the Stradic Ci4 2500 on it. It should cover a lot of techniques.

I use a Shimano Stradic 2500 and a 6'8'' St. Croix Avid M XF. On a side note, years ago when this technique hit the mainstream, I would see a lot of guys out in the middle of the lake shaking their rods up and down with no bites. All I saw was frustration. I really have not had much confidence in this technique since. I'd rather work a bait slow and easy. Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't work.

No, I aways expect to enjoy being outside first. It eases any frustration I may get if the fish are not biting.

Another that is doing well and is the Fat Ika. This has always been a good one for me at pretty much any time of the year.

Right now, I have been catching them on Zoom lizards. I fish them a little fast over weeds and they seem to be destroying it.

Big spinner baits and frogs. Not sure why but I better luck with just about anything.

I had the same problem with mine after about a month of use, except I tried 2 different types of braid and 2 different types of mono. I spooled it once and then had the guys at DSG do it three different times, all with the same result. I ended up returning it and exchanging it for something else. It was a shame because it was a nice reel, smooth and just felt good. It seemed like a good reel at a reasonable price point.

I woke up at 6am looked at the temp, 82 degrees. I just went back to sleep. It's supposed to be 95 today with a heat index of 110. I think I will be hunting down some unneeded tackle in an air conditioned store or reading a book.

For me, I tend to fish soft plastic worms weightless and Texas rigged more than anything else. I use to through jigs a lot but I got tired of loosing them in and around the heavy rock bases I usually fish. I've caught a ton of fish with them. I just wish I didn't get hung up with them so much.

I tried it out today and so far so good. I caught 4 Large Mouth in the 3-4lb range and it performed well. I had no brakes, it casted well and seemed to disappear well under water. I used it on a spinning reel that I use for weightless soft plastic. I think this line may be better suited for crank baits but I think I like it better than Trilene and Sufix mono. Only time will tell on well it holds up for me.

I tried Vanish in the past and it did not work for me. It seemed like a good line to start with but after a few outings it just became brittle and hard to manage. I have tried a few others (Gamma, P-Line, Sunline Shooter/Sniper, Trilene FC, Abrazx, Red Label and even Tatsu) and Invizx has been the best bang for the buck so far.