Onvacation

Outstanding.

I have a couple of two piece rods and I know that for me, the loss in sensitivity is negligible. Factor in that I have the two piece for travel reasons where a solid blank won't work and I think it just comes down to picking what you want.

I agree that for a few bucks more, hiring a guide is the best way to maximize your time on the water. I've done this at Kentucky Lake and will be doing the same at Toho this summer. Table Rock is on next years early spring agenda so ranger jockey, I may hit you up for some names. You pick up so much info with a good guide. Plus, a guide is going to know the baits that are working and will be well stocked. Only thing to be careful of with a guide is that they usually have primo equipment at your disposal. I haven't went on a trip yet that hasn't resulted in me buying a new rod or reel because I fished with something that I really liked.

That's kind of like asking what candy should I buy. There are threads covering best rod, best reel, and so on if you do a quick search. That would be where I would start and then once you have used that info to narrow your choices, post again with more specific questions. I spent weeks comparing five different reels for one of my rods before I decided and I'm sure there would be a dozen people who would have picked something different. It is ultimately a pretty personal choice since in your price range, there is a whole lot of good gear. Good luck.

I have a lot of fun with the Booyah Pond Magic baits and they are cheap. Paint doesn't hold up well, but that gives me something to do on rainy days and makes me feel like an old world craftsman.

To answer your question, in my opinion, in your price range, you will get a spinning setup that is much easier to deal and better quality then a baitcaster. A lot of people mentioned the Pflueger President reel which is excellent $50 range reel. I can't think of many baitcasters that are $50 that I would use the word excellent to describe. As a matter of fact, I think that sub-$100 baitcasters are probably the number one reason people get turned off to baitcasters which is a shame. As to which is better, it really gets down to how technique specific you want to get. For example, today I caught one fish on a weightless Texas rigged senko. It was on my spinning reel and he was barely moving the line. Would have been difficult with my MH BC at best. The second fish was on a chatter bait I was fishing just on the edge of some lily pads. The fish bit and ran for the cover. I pulled out about a two pound fish with about five pounds of vegetation. Wouldn't have happened on my spinning set up. Bottom line is get out there with whatever you can afford and go have a good time. The fish don't care what you are holding and neither will you once you land them.

I know Bass Pro makes the Carbonlite in a two piece because I have one. Sometimes they will have smoking deals on combos that can get you close to your price mark. There are less expensive rods and reels, but I find the Carbonlite rods to be pretty nice for the price. Also I think for what you want to do and the price range, a spinning reel would be the direction I would head. Someone else, Posted in another thread about a special on St. Croix Triumph combos as well. I think it was paired with a Diawa reel for $100. Some of the triumph rods are two-piece.

I think you have made an excellent point. I bank fish at a conservation area and dunce around to about eight different ponds/lakes of various size. Obviously the air temperature, weather, phase of the moon and so on are all consistent as is, for the most part, the surface temp of the water. However it is interesting to see that each pond this year has been at a different phase of the spawn on each day. To assume that every bass on every body of water in a given area is at the same place in the reproductive cycle on any given day would be wrong.

Nice to have you here. Stick around and you will learn how to use your current gear and more.

I have a 3000 Stradic which is essentially the same frame size. I bought it so I would have a reel to use for bass and for catching 20-30 pound bull reds when I head to Florida each November. The reel will handle anything you toss at it. I've caught flounder, trout, reds, stingray....the list goes on and all are bigger than any bass you or I will pull from the river. I throw 1/4 to 3/8oz spinner baits on a M/F 7 foot all the time. 1/2 is certainly doable but I'd rather have a MH.

Most of my time is spent bank fishing. Don't limit your bait selection. First off, it's fun to learn new things. Second, it kind of sucks if they are hitting on something you don't have. Also I like to think like I'm on a boat. In other words, I look for spots other than just fishing parallel to the bank that I would hit if I had a boat. I bought a Deeper fish finder over the winter and it has helped me map out some ponds that I also thought were featureless. I was a bit surprised because I "thought" I had a pretty good idea of what was under the surface. I wasn't always right.

Good to know that while everyone else is wearing BPS foul weather gear, at least there is one other guy out there wearing ACU gortex.

Thanks to everyone. Bluebasser86, I think we have similar backgrounds although mine would be considered a past life now. I let my wife do the work at this point.

Somebody spent too many years in the Army. Is it so ingrained that you find yourself showing up at 0200 for a 0300 start fishing time and dont toss a line until 0600?

Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate the classics.

If you want someone to explore those local ponds with you, I'll be down there in July. I was looking to do the same thing so it wouldn't hurt to have a local for some suggestions.

Hello. Some life changes, in the form of suddenly raising a four year old nephew, has led me to rediscover fishing. I've since become obsessed with bass and have spent 3 to 4 days a week fishing local ponds since December....not an easy feat during the Midwest winter. I was hooked for good when I landed a fish in 42 degree water. Made me realize I had a year around stress reliever. Anybody local want a buddy on their boat to share some expenses, hit me up. I have some flexibility at work so I can even do midweek. I've fished Kentucky Lake this year with Brandon Hunter who is a super nice guy, and I'm headed to Toho later in the year. I'll be researching some Orlando ponds soon as well since I feel that I don't want to leave all of my tackle behind in only Missouri waters.

Reid, I almost always toss a CB all year around so yes, the work well in ponds. Just a matter of getting the depth right and occasionally fighting the grass. I love the KVD 1.5 in sexy shad.

My wife, who is 14 years younger than me, bought me a Stradic Ci4 for Christmas. I could get by with a cheaper reel and an older wife, but in both instances I was fortunate enough to get the extra smoothness, slightly higher build quality, and something that I knew would outlast me. Just sayin'.

I caught two on about a 3 acre pond today using Z Man chatter baits. The first one was a craw color and just for the heck of it, I went to the other end of the spectrum and caught number two on a white and chartreuse. I also threw CB, spinners, and even tossed a frog on some pads just to say I did. The chatter baits were the only thing that worked so as of today, they are my favs. On a side note, it was interesting to see the bass had left the neighborhood and now the sunfish were taking over the shallow water. Just kind of a cool nature thing.

So now there is a reason to buy garlic scent over crawfish. It's dual purpose.

Amber will also enhance shadows. It helps to block out the blue light increasing depth perception and brightness. This is one reason that people who snow ski in flat light will wear Amber lenses. It helps to show the shadows on the snow. Same with shooters on a target. The Amber really brings out the contrast almost to a 3D type of appearance.

I agree that for the criteria you set forth, in particular the one hand casting, the Spirex is going to be hard to beat. I have an older model which is now on my loaner rod because it is very easy to use with the Quickfire system. It also gets used for everything from bluegill to catfish to 10 pound grass carp. Needless to say, it is used and abused and has held up very well over the years. It is the reason I had enough confidence in Shimano to spend the $$ on Stradic Ci4.

I think the first question to ask is are you ON or IN the goo? In other words, are you running too deep possibly? I bank fish a lot and have the same issues of course. I have had a great deal of success in the early spring with the KVD 1.5. As the water temp went up, the vegetation started to grow and the bass started to move. Like you, gooey green fingers after every cast was a pain for me so I started adjusting the baits that I was throwing. One rod I carry hasn't been without a spinner bait on it for the past month. I also am spending more time now with plastics. Of course I love CBs too, but I'm thinking that until the fish start moving a little deeper again, I'll save myself the frustration since other options are available that work just as well. Fish hard.