FishTank

WOW..... No doubt about it, that's an awesome rod. You also picked a great reel to go with it. Enjoy.

Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-50 in Ghost Minnow.

Go for the either the Symmetry or the Sahara. Both are excellent reels.

I have been using this line for about a month now and out the Fluorocarbons I have tried, I am starting to like the best. I have used it on both spinning and baitcasting reels and like other fluorcarbon lines, it is not the best for spinning reels. It is sort of soft for a fluorocarbon, cast well and is extremely strong. It is way better than Vanish and not quite as good as Gamma. I would say it may be the best bang for the buck in Fluorocarbons but it is still expensive.

I saw the subject, "G. Loomis, fragile?" Personal opinion, NO..... I have had a coulpe for two years now. I know that's not a very long time but I fish them often and hard. I have broken 4 rods in the past two years, none of a them were a Loomis. The G. Loomis rods I own have been rock solid. If I had to complain about something, it would be the cork. I think for the money it could be of better quality. I look at this way, when you buy a G. Loomis rod, it's for life (minus $50).

We have had a dry and hot past couple of months here in Indiana and a lot of place I usually fish have been sort of slow. The fish have gone deep and lifeless. I have had some luck with Fat Ikas bouncing them off the bottom, Hula Grubs and various deep, slow rolling crankbaits during the day and dark Senkos at night.

I usually bring 3 rods, 2 baitcasters and one spinning reel but this changes if it's windy outside. If that's the case I bring 2 spinning rods and 1 baitcaster. The baitcasters are setup one for crankbait and the other for softplastic. For the spinning out fit I use a shorter rod 6' or 6'3" for casting in either tight places along the bank or into the wind. For tackle I pack tons of stuff into a Jansport 2 day backpack including food and water.

I would stay with the Curado series but if you want to look at a different line of reels you might consider the Daiwa Zillion. I think they have one of each available in a 5.1:1(JDM), a 6.3:1 and a 7.1:1 ratio. They will set you back about $250 each. You can sometimes find them cheaper on ebay.

I have had a great year with using both the Hula Grub and the Kreature. I rig the Hula Grub with a 1/4oz Ike Spike or a plain ball head jib. The Kreature I T-rig with a 1/8 oz or 3/16oz bullet weight. I fish Hula Grub just as would any jig and the Kreature slow with a little jerk, sort of the same way I fish a lizard. The colors I have had the best luck with are Black with Blue Flake and Pumkin with Black Flakes.

This is the setup I just purchased at Dicks for $140 ($65 for the rod with a $10 off coupon and $75 for the reel). You will have to ask the sales guy to scan the reel and the rod to make sure but they will ring up that price at the register.

I am a big Shimano fan but at that price I would have to go with the Zillion. Just a well made reel.

Picked a AS68MXF last week and with a coupon I got it for $65. A great rod for soft plastic. And for anyone who has said that can't afford one, now's the time to let that bait monkey out of his cage. ;D

MBR 844C and a Shimano Curado 200DPV.

Has anybody seen the commercial for Ugly Stick rods were a man is getting ready to go fishing and his wife takes his rod and tries to break it? She tries as hard as she can to break it to keep her husband from leaving but has no luck. Then as a last resort she folds the rod up and stuffs it in the trash compactor to destroy it. Her husband walks over to the trash compactor after she leaves, removes the rod from the compactor and goes out the back door to fish with the rod in perfect shape. ;D ;D ;D I am not a big fan of Ugly Sticks but I thougth the commercial was hilarious.

I have been using the skip gap hooks occasionaly since they first came out and they work great for 4 and 5 in Senkos and lizards but I don't care for them with Fat Ikas. My favorite hook for the Fat Ika is either a 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu or a 5/0 G-Lock Gamakatsu. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=54754&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults The price you quoted is about double or what I usually pay for them. I think a pay around $2.50 for a 5 pack.

The old Shimano Curado SF 200/201. They go for about $100-$120 on ebay, new in the box.

The Dicks stores here in Indy in general are great for getting sales but their staff is stretched between hunting, camping and fishing. So sometimes it's hard to get a straight answer or a correct one. I don't blame the staff just the company they work for. I had to ask about the sale on the St.Croix rods because they were not marked and the salesman needed to confirm the price for me. No harm done, I went home happy. Sometimes it's good to just go into the store and ask.

I picked up the exact same rod two days ago at Dicks for $75 minus $10 coupon ($65) and a Shimano Stradic. I've been fishing it the past couple of days and it is a sweet rod. The extra fast action takes some getting used to but on hookset with soft plastic, this rod can drive a hook home in a hurry. Anyway, enjoy your new rod.

I purchased a MH 6'10'' Crucial Febuary last year and fished for about a month. It was a very nice rod for the money but sad to say it broke at the tip on a hookset. It could have been some operator error involved or just the cold weather but I returned it to BPS and got talked into a G. Loomis MBR 783 GLX. I can't say enough about this rod, simply amazing. I later purchased, with the forum's advice, a MBR 844C IMX and it is an outstanding rod, probably the most versitale rod I own. It is by far a much better rod than the Crucial. It, IMHO, can handle a much heavier load than the crucials. Just on a personal obsrevation, the Crucial seemed to have an extra fast action to it. The way the rod loaded just seemed odd to me.

Dick's will put them 25% off with some exclusions, like the minnow rap or x-raps. If your a reward zone customer they will send out coupons like $10 off a $50 purchase. So if you keep your eyes open you can get some real good deals.

I owned an Ugly Stick years ago and my older brother has it now. Neither one of us care for it but it can catch fish. We each have used it for catfish and bluegill but it is not for bass and especially not for soft plastic. I would pick up a Bass Pro Shop Tourney Special before I would buy an Ugly Stick. Like others suggested it sounds like it's time to take a step up to a better more sensitive rod. There are several out there that might work but as long as it is a fast action and is either a medium or medium heavy rod in the 6'6" to 7' range, it should work. All Star, Shimano, and St. Croix all make rods that should be a big step up from the Ugly Stick without breaking the bank.

You got a great rod at a great price. The MBR 844C is the best all purpose rod I own. Enjoy.

The Dicks I stopped at was in Indianapolis and the sales guy said that they are ringing up that price eventhough they have not marked them as of yet.

I got the All Star bag in the mail a year ago and it is a nice bag. It only took about 6 months to get it and by then I had returned the rod. Thanks for the free bag. I only wish the rod had worked out.

I did a little surfing and found this.... http://www.antiquefishingreels.info/FAQgeneral.htm Check out question #4. Not much of an answer but it's just a little food for thought.