FishTank

The Shimano Crucial gets my vote. It has the right balance for most of the medium size crankbaits I fish. I have the 7' MH model.

Please read and tell me if you have ever done this..... Just for the record my personal best Largemouth is 10.2lbs I was out fishing today and pitched a zoom lizard about 5 foot away from the bank and soon as it hit the water a big fat largemouth hit it. The fight was on. She swam towards me, jerked sideways and then tried to pull away. It took the line straight out. I tightened the drag almost all the way down and she was still pulling out line. I got her to the top of the water and she jumped. When I saw her, for the first time, I about loaded my pants. She was at least 12lbs maybe even 15. I am not joking. I have fished the waters of Indiana for 30+ years and never seen a bass this big here. Then this is the stupid part..... As she went back into the water she tried to turn down and spit out the hook but she was still on the line. She started to turn over and I did not want to loose her, so I put my thumb on the spool to stop the line from going out and so I could muscle her back to me. Then the line broke.... Stupid, Stupid, Stupid...... I thought, I am using 12lb FC what could brake that. I should have let her run. What was I thinking? I kept fishing but no luck. I gave up and went home. I am totally bummed..... I will go back to this honey hole and try again but it is heavily fished and several people fishing saw what I hooked up with. I have a feeling it will get crowded quick.

The Fat Ika and an old Lucky Craft Combat SSR in Ghost Minnow.

I can't remember where I had seen it but I watched a show that was basically, "A Day In the Life of KVD". He explained how he got up in the morning at 3 or 4 o'clock and pretty much how he worked until it got dark with not much in the way of food, rest or a bathroom. The most interesting thing was how one of his crew took care of his reels and rods. In not to many words he said that by the time Kevin received his reels for the day, they would rebuild them to his specifications with "other" parts. Not sure what "other" parts he used but I took that as they were not the factory ones.

I like using the Fat Ika for this type of presentation. I can rig it weedless and weightless with a 4/0 EWG. It can be skipped and has a nice slow fall.

The laws of diminishing returns are against you when it comes to rods. Below are just some generalizations on that school of thought...... Is a $400 rod double the rod of a $200 rod? NO...... Does a Custom Rod make you a better fisherman? Maybe..... A rod made to your specifications sure makes your confidence go up. Does a rod that cost $100 come with a warranty that compares to the warranty some rods have that cost $300? In general, NO. Sometimes service costs you as well.... Is an expensive rod more indestructible than a cheap rod? Maybe but in general no. Do you catch more fish with an expensive rod? Most of the time, yes.> But a guy with an awesome boat, lake knowledge and a sensitive fish finder, that fishes with low end equipment will always win this battle. One last thought/story, I use to fish with a guy for many years before he past away, that would go to BPS with $500 and buy six new rod and reel set ups every year. He would go at the beginning of the year when they had their annual rod and reel trade in sale. Usually, he would buy the Tourney Special rods and the Pro Qualifier reels. This guy would fish 3-4 times a week from March until November with a Tournament each weekend from April till September. By the end of the year his reels would be shot and at least one rod would be out of commission. He never serviced or oiled his reels. In contrast, another fisherman I have known all my life (that fished the exact same amount), would spend about the same amount each year on one rod and reel set up but he would service and keep his equipment in top shape. Over time, this fisherman had so many rod and reel set ups that he stopped buying them and used his extra cash for weekend trips to places he had never fished before. Both of these guys were great fisherman and each caught a lot of fish but they each had different approaches to equipment. Did some of his rods and reels die from use? Of course. But over all I think this method improved his quality of fishing or his fun factor (depending on how you look at it). Bottom line, I sort of look at this way. One thing fishing has taught me, is patience. If I can save up $150 in 6 months for a rod, then I can save up $300 in year. If a $300 rod is really what I want, then I can wait and enjoy what I have until I have the money. No sense in letting money burn a hole in my pocket and spend it right away. I would rather put a plan together and get the best price and bang for my buck> on my terms.

I like the Rage Tail soft plastics. But when it comes down to catching fish, Senkos and Zoom Lizards always produce the best for me. If I had to pick one of the Rage Tail products that I like to fish, it would have to be the Anaconda worm. It has great action and it is just fun to fish.

If you going with topwater, how about a Mann's Baby Bass -1?

Leatherman Surge... I have had mine for since it came out, maybe 10 years ago. Works great for everything except cutting braid. The scissors are razor sharp but tend to fray braided line. I have better luck with kid scissors.

Color can sometimes make a difference but some of my favorite lures have a lot of paint missing. For instance, I have a Lucky Craft Combat SSR in ghost minnow that has been a secret weapon for a long time. The paint on top is almost gone. I also have a Megabass Griffon MRX that is clear (no paint or finish) and it catches fish all the time. Would I go out of my way to purchase a custom painted bait>No not unless it is just a collectors item. There are way too many choices out there.

Smoothness> Shimano Calais Function> Shimano Core Power> Shimano Calcutta

In my neck of the woods, if a bass sees a snake it swims the other way. I have not tried it but years ago a few of the guys I fished with tried a wooden, jointed, kids, toy snake rigged with hooks. I thought it was crazy. It clicked and splashed but I saw a huge bass destroy it. It gave us a great big laugh and a good story. It looked kind of like this but the tail was fatter.

Owner Wide Mouth 4/0 or a Gami EWG 4/0

What 3 rods did you break?

I usually read reviews on most things before I buy but I should have read the reviews of this line on Tackle Warehouse. Some people had the same issue.

Yap, it's meant for spinning gear. If you read the back of the package it somewhat explains it's ideal uses. The regular Trilene 100% fluorocarbon is great line for baitcasters.

Well short version, this line is not that good. I picked up some 12lb of this and at $12.99 for 100 yards it's a couple of bucks more than Trilene and Seagur Invisix ($/yard). It does not cast well, memory is like mono, the stretch is OK but only after a few hours it started to fray, peal and crack. Worst of all I went to Gander Mountain and had them put the line on. They guy did a good job but they failed to tell me that they charge $5 to put line on now. No where in the store is there a sign posted that says it now costs. Had I known I would have done it myself. Now back to the line> I called Gander Mountain and told them the line I had was bad, they were nice enough to let me exchange it for the same thing. They gave me what they said was from a different lot. I spooled it again myself and guess what, it was exactly the same. I called them back and I exchanged it for some Invisix. This Sufix line is not the worst I have used but it's pretty close. The most disappointing thing was the casting and how bad it frayed on open water. I was glad Gander Mountain was able to help out. I'm not one to return fishing line but this I think qualifies.

Metanium HG or the Core for a few bucks more.

I have the 803c j&w glx. I can't imagine a rod a step up in sensitivity. If I had the coin I would jump all over nrx though. That's an awesome fish catching set up you got, enjoy.

The Usual Suspects, Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, A River Runs Through It, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of those........ there are too many to just pick one.

"Bye"........ Didn't the Raiders loose to that team last year..... Sorry couldn't resist. Seriously though, they have a very tough schedule. If they are going to turn things around, the NFL sure didn't do them any favors and if I read there roster correctly, they also have 23 rookies.

I kind of have to agree. If you shop for clearance rods and reels, yes it can be done but most combos at that price tend to be questionable. I have never been a fan of Pro Qualifier. I friend of mine use to swear by them but he bought new ones every year. Out of the combos I have seen and have heard good things about, this combo from Gander Mountain seems to be pretty good and it has been on sale before for $100. http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gander-Mountain-Elite-Series-Baitcasting-Combo-Medium-Heavy&i=762452

How about this Swindle , "Don't be that guy, in a dumb commercial."?

As I remember my coach saying ,"Two bad teams practicing together doesn't make one good team."

Because I can't afford a Ferrari.