FishTank

All I can say is the Bait Monkey is happy, for now........... These things can be addictive. I got a good deal on Ebay. I just hope they catch some fish.

For a couple of extra bucks, the new Shimano Stradic 2500 would be awesome. I had an old Stradic on this same rod last year and I liked it alot. But with the new Stradic, it seems like a perfect match.

You must be the Emperior's new apprentice.

My favorite so far is Trilene Profesional Fluorocarbon. It is the only one I have tried that has lived up to the hype. I have tried it on spinning gear and was the best fluoro yet bet still "loopy". The Trilene, IMHO, is the best bang for the buck.

My favorites for this time of year are jerkbaits and Zoom Lizards.

Don't hold me to this but I purchased a Revo Premier(6.2 oz) and I remember someone mentioning that if you call Abu Garcia that they might have either a gear swap or a way of getting you a Premier with the lower gear ratio. I could be wrong but I thought this might be another option.

Another vote for the Zillion. Fantastic workhorse reel.

Did you pick these up from a seller calling himself Basscat2000? I ask because I picked up a Deep-X 100 and a spool of Sunline FC Sniper line and I know he had some other Sunline and Megbass product on auction. Small world...maybe. You guessed right. That's the guy. Like you said, Small world....

Fiskars kids scissors.

You might look at a Shimano Calcutta 200 or 300. They're easy to use and can cast a country mile.

I am going to contact the ebay seller and see if he can get some at the price it sold for last night. He also had some great prices on Megabass lures. I scored a Limber Lumberjack for $30. I have seen this swimmbait go for $70 ;D. I also got 3 other Megabass cranks for $10-$15 each. At that price, I can stomach ordering these lures. Most of the time I see them for around $25 and up.

I hope the rumor is true about the Curado. I have one of the old ones and it has been a rock solid performer. I did purchase one of the new 201 and returned it after fishing for a day. It was like fishing with a tank. It just didn't seem to be as comfortable to palm as my old Curado. I too thought after fishing it that the $200 price was not justified. It is still a very nice reel but again I like my old one better.

I can't speak for the mossybacks but I have a Bronzeback spinning rod and I would say it is just a step below the IMX. Loomis does make a Bronzeback spinning rod in a GLX blank. I have heard it's an amazing rod.

Dropshot. I have had zero luck.

The grips on my Shimano Calais have the best feel, IMHO. I also have a new Revo Premier and Daiwa Zillion to compare to but the Calais' are just something special.

Every year I always ask the owner at my local tackle shop what is the hottest thing going this year and what is the worst new product. (As of two weeks ago) This years hot item has been swimbaits from Reaction Strike and his dog of the year has been the Megaforce. He has had 4 of the 10 he has sold come back with mechanical drag problems. One he showed me new in the box, couldn't be cranked.

Has anyone tried Sunline Defier? Is this stuff any good? I almost bought some 13lb on ebay. It had a last bid of $19.99. I did not bid because I thought who would spend $20 for Nylon Line. I then looked up the regular price at a couple of on line stores. This stuff costs $40. Should I have jumped all over this?

I have both the old and new Stradic and I have also fished a Symetre for a weekend. After fishing all three, I would wait and get the new Stradic. It balances better and it is as smooth, if not smoother, than my Sustain. It almost feels as good as the old Stellas. The best part of this reel is how well it casts. I can't explain why but my guess is that it has something to do with the spool design.

Depending on how long I am walking, I might bring up to four but three usually works the best. I take one casting rod/reel for worms, one casting for jerkbaits or cranks, and one spinning setup for lightweight stuff.

Very cool. I especially like the craw bait.

Hey Mike, Just wanted to say I love the show and I think it's a great idea to let people send you their video. Should be awesome stuff.

I don't think of them look like a baby bass. I have tried some of these and have had zero luck. Not one single fish or bite. I would take a look at the stuff from Reaction Strike. They have some great patterns and some well made baits.

Another vote for the Sammy. My personal favorite is the Aurora Black 100.

They are for the most part worth the money. They are the only lure that I have used that comes perfect out of the package. Their Pointers are probably the best of the bunch but I also like the Sammy and the Flat Mini's. I have used all sorts of cranks and for some reason I use the LC more but I lose more of the other brands at least 3 to 1. For instance I love to fish a Silver Rapala DT-4, I lost 5 of these last year on snags as opposed to my favorite LC Flat Mini MR in Chartreuse Shad I have had for 3 years and it gets fished almost every time I'm out. My only guess is that this bait runs so different that it is actually better at avoiding or bouncing off structure.

Xcalibur XR 50 has worked the best for me. They work great and at about $7, it's alot cheaper than LC's LVR.