PondBoss

The Luck "E" Strike issue has been taken care of as far as I can tell from the recent purchases I've made. IMHO all of those baits come with good stock hooks. Will they bend, sure they will. That is what stock hooks are designed to do on most hard baits. That way you can apply constant pressure and get your $5-$10 bait back with just a bent hook. That being said I will change my hooks usually to a 2x wire, if you have a good lure retrieve straightening a hook is not needed.

I am throwing 1/8oz heads on my tri-pod and it works great. Still heavy enough to get to any depth, but not so heavy I need a broom stick to throw it on.

I have used it in minimal fashion at the Classic. It's very smooth, I wanna say it weighs 5.9oz. It's definitely on my list of things to get. Just hoping they offer it in different gear ratios.

Luck "E" Strike STX, The new Rogue, H2O Xpress

It's not as much fun to tell someone you caught a huge sack of fish with a $5 bait.

H2O Xpress Parka and bibs have been great for me. I know they have kept me warm and dry, they seem to breath pretty well so I'm sure burning up in them won't be a problem.

I have been throwing the rig on a 7'3" Pinnacle Perfecta C-Rig rod. It's pretty stout for a MH ( I use it for flipping and pitching mostly) But it is the perfect tool for the job here. I threw it again today while at a couple of different ponds and notta thing, caught a couple of plastics and cranks though.

I agree 100% with Dakota Lakes Tackle, not only does he supply a great blank, but he also has many videos on how to paint them once you get them. And if you don't have the equipment to paint them(like myself) he sells custom painted baits at the best price I've seen anywhere.

great job, those are gonna be awesome with clear coat on them.

Go get a H2O Xpress Mettle for the same price you won't be disappointed.

Exactly the same here, I have read and read and tried and tried. Almost zero results, I have caught 2 fish on senkos. Both of which hit as soon as it hit the water, so I'm thinking any bait would have done the trick.

I was fishing it pretty shallow and quick. The grass in the ponds I was fishing comes up to about 4 feet. So I was launching it as far as I could and reeling it anywhere from the surface down to the grass. Had a couple misses which is weird because they absolutely smoke it when they hit it. But managed a couple of dinks.

You would like to think that a fish would grow more than that in a years time, but if that was the case why is the state record only 14 and not 20? lol As for same fish, seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened for sure. Did they say if it was Northern strain or Florida?

Depending on water clarity for colors I personally fish fast with an erratic retrieve. I have been killing them on Bomber Square-A's, Swim Jigs, and Jerkbaits (both hard and soft). I understand all the talk about fishing slow, but if a fly buzzes by you a few times you swat at it. So will bass

Bomber crankbaits: 1) Square-A 2) 4a 3) Fat Free anything

You're not alone, I can't buy a bite on a Senko. I have several packs and have thrown them for long periods and zilch! Switch to a worm or craw in similar colors and it's almost automatic to get bit. Maybe it's just dumb luck?

I was using the mini swimming flukes, initially I was using the little curly tail grubs that come with it, but wanted to see how it would handle a medium sized bait.

It is super hard to find spools, so I will just carry a few extra reels with me. I am a co-angler so having a couple of extra reels in the bag takes up much less space.

Unfortunately not at this time. I was working in the booth and there were more than a handful of disappointed lefties out there. Hopefully sometime in the near future lefties will get a chance to use the awesomeness that is the Optimus line of reels.

I use a 7'3" Pinnacle Perfecta for all of those applications listed, works like a champ!

Yum ultralight tripod. I used it yesterday for the first time and it was easy to cast on a 7'3 MH Pinnacle Perfecta. I caught 2 fish on it, but swam it right in front of 2 fish in the 3-4 lb range and they just looked it off.

I know my Optimus X and Xi both cast light stuff really well. I was amazed at how far I was able to cast my Bomber Square-A.

Unfortunately they are not offering anything in left handed as of yet. That was a topic of discussion at the booth during the Classic, hopefully something can be done about it in the near future.

VMC

You can't put out a teaser like that and not give a hint. lol I totally expect a pm with any news you may have.