Columbia Craw

Your question is the T wing the big deal it's made out to be ? I say no it's not. I own and still fish numerous Lews models and for good reason. They perform well. I also wanted to know if the T wing was something special and had the opportunity to acquire a Tatula 100 at a very good price. The T wing was no big deal. What the reel did provide was the benefits of the cast control system and the gear train and it's ability to provide a sense of being connected to low vibration moving baits. It was those factors that piqued my interest in other Diawa models and I have since added Tatula CT, CT-R, SSSV, OG Zillion, SV103, SV105 and an Original Fuego. With that said, if you try a T wing and that would be good thing, realize the other design aspects of the Diawa will probably show up as well.

Okuma Spinning reels are actually very good. I had an Inspira and liked it just fine.

I wish my butt looked that good.

I fish a Ned Rig on my sturgeon rod.

Today is the first day I've worn a short sleeve shirt at work since last October. I scraped the ice off the windshield yesterday morning.

Diawa Tatula CT and the best rod you can find on sale. My co-worker just started bass fishing and I handed him my CT, set it and he was winging the baits in 15 minutes. At 100 bucks it's the way to go.

You Just missed the TW Classic sale. The SV 103 at 202.00 and the SV 105 at 179.00. I have an SV103 which is awesome and have the SV105 on order. It should be here tomorrow. The SS SV is a nice reel but just a bit over braked for really true finesse work. They are all tremendous reels. I agree with RL about the 80 MM handle.

I lean toward the Rage Bug. The Pit Boss is no slouch though.

Transition to a chatterbait or swimjig.

6.3 for any bait moved by the reel. 7.9 for baits moved by the rod. Simple huh ?

The 705CB is my dedicated squarebill rod. My favorite is actually the 764CBRM but that's because I throw Norman Deep Little N's a bunch.

Take note that Savvy micro guides are Kigan and are not tangle proof. Sierras are Fuji and tangle free and alconite. Kigans are not bad guides, they're just not Fuji. If you plan to use braid to leader at all, I would shy away from micro guides. I'm not sold on mirco guides and sold the two I did try but they were casting models. Something to think about.

Extreme 742sf HP and Diawa Procyon 2500

I'm using the Fury 735C as well. My partner is using the Sierra 735C.

I lost interest in the Classic years ago.

This. THREE BEARINGS and they are still casting machines.

I bought an SS SV 103 at two hundred bucks. It has a very comfortable profile. I agree with rippin-lips however. The SV spool's performance is somewhat limited by the braking. I have no intentions of selling it. I like like but, my SV 103 performs better and has a better overall feel. I'm not trying to discourage you from getting one. It's a very good reel. I'm confident you would like the SV 103 more.

I recall Greg Hackney commenting on this issue and he said something to the effect, bass populations and size have never been better. BASS pro's were content to "Mark Davis" the fish and contend for AOY with a 14 inch average. Not anymore. Aging reservoirs became reborn with hydrilla and other vegetation and populations and size surged. My home lake is not that big. It used to be a sought after destination in my region. Not anymore. Grass carp depleted the vegetation, water quality went in the dump, sediment impacted spawning areas and the fishing is far from what it used to be. The problem is mother nature can't fix what man ruined. Lakes with a stable biology continue to pump out quality fish. Habitat, habitat, habitat. Guys like Catt, Dwight, AJay and so on are blessed to have such great habitat to fish.

I switched to the 736CB glass last fall. It's composite. I love it. Dobyns has some mislabeled 736CB's labeled 735 CB on their store site for 170 bucks. That is a smoking deal.

I would take a serious look at site sponsor Seibert Outdoors. His components are top of the line and his skirt selection is extremely good. I read where someone had some customs jigs done for them. Email him. His reputation is darn good and pricing is extremely competitive.

Every time I think of Toledo Bend, it brings back the Hemphill gang of Tommy Martin, Larrry Nixon, Harold Allen, the late David Wharton and others. It is such a storied lake and was famous in the late 60's and beyond. When I think of one place that is the epicenter of largemouth bass fishing, Toledo Bend is it for me. Smallmouth is another thing. As much as I love the Columbia River (not the waves), I would love to fish Erie.

Toledo Bend.

Dorado, The far left lower two are the standard perch. The top row center area are two translucent perch. The majority of the lower left are Columbia Craw or Goby. We have no goby out here but do a have bullhead so that color seems to work very well. Doug

I thought I was pushing the envelope when I bought a Lunker Punker. Suicide Duck..............can't do it. Bubblegum.

It's a global economy and that's not going to change. I would love to buy every product made in the USA but that's not the reality today. It's about design, materials, tooling and quality control. Look at food labels closely. Chile, Mexico, Argentina, India, Pakistan, Canada, and so on. I was happy some of my Diawas were made in Japan and not Malysia.