The Bassman

I use to take pics of most all of my bigger bass. Then I scrolled through my phone gallery and realized how redundant they were. Yes, I get a thrill when I catch a big one (over 4 for me) but I'm out there alone and truthfully have as much fun getting on a good bite with fish that are much smaller.

Just rake off the dead stuff then scratch up the soil so the seed has a place to root. Get a good bluegrass and tall fescue blend. Don't scatter it too thick. Lightly shake the dead stuff over the top of it to hold moisture and discourage birds. Keep it damp and stand back. You'll get a lot of weeds at first but don't spray them until you're able to mow a few times. You might have to hand weed until fall cause you don't want to use weed killer once the temp gets above 80 or so. Good luck.

I've found this to be the best solution too, even on rods with keepers. BTW welcome.

Mine are the orange ones. I was off on the price but I've had them for quite a while.

I use a four dollar pair from Wal-Mart's craft aisle. More precise than anything fishing specific that I've tried.

Shimano's rep Dan Thorburn, aka Bantam 1 concurs. He's a Shimano engineer and knows what he's talking about. I've used Shimano spinners for years and have had no issues with stock drag washers. It's not a big issue with bass fishing anyway. Just the occasional catfish or other rough fish that comes along.

Just saw this. Definitely puts my thoughts on a different course this afternoon. Everything has a reason. We just aren't wise enough to know what it is.

1/8 oz. PopR with swapped out hooks, no feather, fished almost dead stick. Absolutely deadly.

Got a new toy to play with. Slightly modded Scorpion 70 on a new to me rod. Comes from a US manufacturer called FXtreme. Only 6'3" and feather light with Winn Grips. I'm trying to get used to a split grip rear handle. I'm old school and primarily use shorter full grip handles. Reel matches rod real nice. Fishes good, too. Virtually no tip weight.

He must get a kick out of it. Hasn't stopped giggling since I started watching him back in the 80's.

3.5 oz.

I bought an FXtreme Angler Series 6'3"MH recently. It's perfect for what you want. I wasn't familiar with the company but am very impressed so far. I spoke with the owner and concluded that there's a lot of on the water knowledge built into these rods. American made, extremely light. I think they're getting popular across the south in tournament circles.

Just a word of advice. Be on the lookout for "discarded net" in every small man made lake. It's actually erosion netting that was laid down when the lake was dug and grass planted. I can't tell you how many lures I've lost in it.

That's what I thought as well. I throw them on spinning tackle and really don't snap cast hard enough to move that weight very often. I really don't notice much loss of distance without the weight transferring. Might be more evident with baitcasting.

They're pretty much the same reel. I wouldn't think there would be any differences as far as frame materials. Maybe a different alloy for the main gear in the Scorp. Still don't understand the big spread in price. Shimano is notorious for big price jumps over small upgrades.

These are my favorite rods and sadly they are discontinued. Just about impossible to find a short rod anymore.

I've started using cheap 50 lb. braid for my baitcasting backing. Takes a couple of grams off of the spool weight vs. mono. I start it with a few wraps of mono on the arbor.

When I saw this topic I knew I would find you in the que with this opinion. If one would search your Latest Catch Pics history it would certainly validate your take on this every time it's brought up.

The more I use my stock Scorp 70 the happier I am with it. Decided against MGL spool. I've got other reels for lighter stuff. I did order a cast control cap and drag star from a Scorp BFS from PLAT, though. I don't understand Shimano's thinking when it comes to cosmetics. That bronzy cap and star look awful on a black reel. Guess I'm a bit OCD about silly things.

I know this strays from the op's topic but I bought an Ambassadeur 2500C and matching Conolon rod around 1977. It was pretty high end stuff at the time. I was completely inept with it. Went back to my Mitchell 300 and 308.

I'm trying to make sense of the 40.00 price difference with the 70 MGL. It also seems identical to the Scorpion BFS and it goes for around 250.00.

I combine BFS with standard tactics. My Shimano Brenious lets me go plenty light with 10-15 lb. braid but fishes like any 30-70 size Shimano. That said I use it just for fun. For me there's no denying that spinning is more versatile. But don't we fish just for fun? I paint to pay the bills. More power to dedicated BFS guys I say.

I got a new 70 MGL about a month ago on e-bay and saved about 25.00. They're not available JDM. '16 Scorp 70 is still current.

Well, then I guess being "the bassman" takes on a whole different meaning for me then.

SLX XT or 70MGL. Matches the rod, too.