GReb

Go graphite. 3-6 ft there is no need for a long rod. I have 3 primary crankbait rods and all are graphite and I shallow crank a ton. Kistler and Cashion make great graphite cranking rods. If you like a longer rod the 7’6 Falcon Cranker is a good stick and won’t break the bank. I think most brands make something that will fit your needs that is shorter and lighter than your current rod. There’s no need for any rod to weigh more than 4.5oz these days. My jig and frog rods don’t even weigh that

It’s a spectacle. But their food is actually legit. Bbq is better than a lot of restaurants and fudge/pecans/etc. is solid. It’s not an everyday type of stop but when on a road trip looking for a 30 min break to stretch the legs and fill the tank it’s fantastic

M&A isn’t inherently bad. The problem the bass fishing industry has is these companies aren’t being acquired by big money PEs or corps who see benefit in investing back into the industry. If they were you wouldn’t hear any complaints because then money would be pouring into the tournament scene. Professional bass fishing is cash crippled. The current M&As aren’t increasing industry cash flow. That’s the issue.

Labor of love. Learn it. Perfect it. Even if you move on to a different career path you can always build on the side for extra cash or just for yourself.

I have this reel and can't imagine throwing weightless plastics on it. I'm sure it can be done but I'd prefer a 70 or 100 size for that application. The BB1 series is designed for distance castings plugs and other power fishing, straight retrieve baits.

Whiskey sour or old fashioned. I don’t add egg to the sour so it’s really a Boston sour I think. With the old fashioned I like to make my own brown sugar syrup and add a few dashes of bitters, two cherries and an orange peel. If I don’t have any oranges I’ll add a few dashes of orange bitters and they work quite well in a pinch.

All of my drinkers are running low which means it’s time to buy. The local store had a barrel pick 1920 a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed they have a bottle left.

The time I reached out for a quote they offered $80 for a $250 rod and said I had to pay $15 shipping on top of that. Unless it’s a high end product from Shimano or Loomis don’t expect a competitive offer. 35% of msrp seems normal and but if it’s not a popular brand it will be less because they can’t turn it around. For instance I had a like new smoke pt spinning reel that sells for well over $100 and they offered $10 because demand was too low. However I have bought prob 10 or so used rods and reels from them over the years and been satisfied with most.

Wait, bass grow over 14”?

Finebaum is going to be can’t miss radio Monday when the SEC is left out.

2023 has been the year of Wild Turkey for me. Ive been through quite a few bottles of Rare Breed and Russell’s but I have to be honest. The Makers 46 cask strength is insanely good for the money. I don’t usually go for Makers products but this one’s a winner

Twitter is the best place for sports news. You get immediate information and direct access to local/team writers that have the most accurate information. The masses no longer want crazy in depth pieces on week old news. The Athletic tried to revamp what SI was and failed. Barstool is the new age variation that works. Content is king and they’ve done an exceptional job generating the content folks want by taking a “fan” approach.

Buy the zillion. Don’t ask questions just do it. However the Elite is 100% worth $40 over the 100 to me. The aluminum handle side plate improves the feel and smoothness. Plus I just think quality control is better on the Elite than 100 from my experience

David Fritts just announced his retirement. Not sure if he was on a legend exemption but if he was will open the door for someone.

I think Boyd thought he could find the money to cover the fees by assimilating certain anglers but quickly found out sponsors were more concerned about giving money to the individual than organization. Which is the right answer since the brand is the angler and his yt/instagram platform.

It was mid-late September back in 2019

I’ve only been to HH once and didn’t fish but we did take one of those little skiffs out one day to a sand bar and to see dolphins etc. There’s an island to the west of HH and just to the north of it was a wetland that was the most beautiful oasis of saltwater a fisherman’s ever seen. Bait everywhere. Redfish and other predators chewing on it. We even saw some dolphins strand feed which the captain said was rare. Anyways you’d have to have a boat or yak to access it but it’s burned in my memory for a future trip.

Why should they have had loyalty to BASS? It’s a job and their goal is to make money. BASS makes those guys go in debt $75k plus before even showing up to the derby by entry fees and such. What other professional sport requires contestants pay entry fees? If anyone has let someone down it’s the organizations. They have had decades to figure out sponsors, tv, media, etc so that their anglers are taken care of. BASS and MLF put their anglers in a negative financial position and if it weren’t for sponsors paying the the anglers individually they’d be bankrupt. MLF tried to change all that and failed too

Did GMan qualify when he went back because I think he used an exemption as well. I don’t have a problem with it. Winning two Classics should earn a lifetime exemption the same way winning the Masters does. If you don’t like it, win a classic.

I’m on my second set of AT3s and have been pleased for the money. They are $400 or so less than the KO2, etc. but they do tend to get loud around 25k miles. Got 80k out of first set and am 30k into this set with no issues.

Designed in Texas but machined and assembled overseas according to their website. https://batesfishingco.com/blogs/news/baitcast-reel-manufacturing#:~:text=Everything related to design and,transferred to our milling house.

I like the reduced field. The tv product will be much better with a smaller group fishing every day where every catch counts. I think we are going to see some schedule changes too with a reduced field putting smaller lakes in play. Those of us who are tired of seeing the same 10 lakes regurgitated each year would appreciate it. The invitationals could remain on the standard big lakes. Bass and MLF can coexist and it’s a positive that they have differences. The door is wide open for the NPFL to upgrade its position in the market. Some well known anglers with brand recognition and sponsors will be free agents next fall. People bash MLF for changing but I applaud it. They are still in the infancy stage and mistakes are expected. At least they are reacting instead of dying of stagnation. There’s something to be said for that.

Thanks for the replies. I ended up putting a 2nd coat of the JB weld on and it set much better. Still not sure I’d go this route again but the guide is snug. I think my problem the first time was a mixing issue and not necessarily from me not mixing it well but rather just not having enough of the two parts to create the right blend like mentioned above.

I’ve generally had better days in the fall than any other season. Here it’s more of an area bite than pattern. Run a bunch of water and fish fast until you find them. I have had days where it took 5+ hours to locate them. There’s no other time I can catch 20+ in a spot the size of a pickup bed using lipless, squarebills, and spinner baits.

OG Magnalite pot is required for gumbo