ww2farmer

My favorites are any that are still in the store in there box that I have not wasted any money on. Overpriced, overhyped, junk.

Don't know what you want to spend, but St Croix's MH powered spinning rods are pretty stout, and would fish frogs in all but the thickest slop if you want to stay with spinning gear.

Yet you have a GL2 I own and use Avids and Legend Tournaments too, and I am fine with the Mojos, I would buy another.

Depends on how agressive they are, it varies from fish to fish. Sometimes they are so protective they come off the bed to "escort" the boat away, sometimes they spook off when a bird flies over head and don't come back for a while. Smallmouth in general seem way more agressive then LM.

Thats what I thought 10 years ago when I bought one, in fact I have always thought any of the rods I owned built on SCII St Croix blanks were just as good, and a whole let less $$$. I think J.Francho has both Avids and the new GL2..............what do you say John??

If thats what your going to use the rod for, IMHO stay with the 6'8" M/XF rod in the series of your choice. If you go the other way around with dropshotting being the primary use, with the other stuff on occasion then the 6'9" ML/XF might be the better rod. I also have a ML St Croix (Avid 7' ML/F) and while a great drop shot rod, it's not what I would want in a "general purpose" spinning rod, but the 6'8' M/XF is.

What have you got?

I am just brash and dumb enough to go in on the guy and test him. I wouldn't recomend that to any one else, for obvious reasons.

As someone who owns both Mojo's and Legend Tournament's, and specificly that exact Mojo rod your looking at..........you can't go wrong with either........BUT if money is not an issue go with the LT. OR middle it and go Rage/Avid. That is probably my most versitle spinning rod, and if I could only have one it would be that one. I have had mine since the Mojo's first came out, ZERO problems with it, sensitivity or balance is not an issue...for me...I use 15lb braid with fluoro. leaders, and a 9 oz + Shimano Sedona on it. I guess if I used mono, or a feather light reel like the Ci4 it might not feel as sensitive or balanced, but like I said the way I have it set up is not an issue for me. I can't compair it directly to any of my LT's as I don't own the LT in that blank.....but in general the LT's have better blanks, guides, are a touch lighter..........but to be honest, I think the finish on the Mojos is more durable.

I owned all the Revo's when they first came out , two S's, an SX, and STX...........Loved the S's, hated the SX, and was luke warm about the STX. For me, it was all about the braking system. I liked the centrifugal of the S. Two pins on, adjust the cast control knob to your lure and forget it. The SX's mag brake was terrible, it did nothing for me unless it was all the way on, and then it casted like crap. The original STX was not much better. I sold both of them and went on an ill-conceived Daiwa kick for a bit. I did keep the S's. IDK anything about the updated SX and STX, other than the SX still has mag brakes, while the STX has dual brakes. If I were to buy Revo's again, I would skip the SX and either buy another S, or try the STX with the dual brake system. JMHO.

I have not yet taken my 7 year old bass fishing, we have just fished for panfish with a worm and bobber, and she's doing great with that, catches lots of fish. This year I bought her her first "real" rod/reel combo, no more Dora the explorer or Barbie spincasting outfits. I had her out with it Sat. at a local pond and she's doing well casting, but we still did the bobber thing for gills. Before we go next time I am going to go down to wal-mart and get some of those small Rebel cranks and see how that goes. This pond is loaded with 10"-12" bass that will bite anything, I don't think she's ready for "feel" baits yet. Thats just how I am going to do it........YMMV.

When we are busy at work, I usually can only get out for a couple hours in the evening during the week, and I usually do that 2-3 times a week, plus a couple hours on Sunday morning or something like that. If we are not busy,I have gone every day for 2 weeks straight before. From the time I get my boat out in late March/early April, till I put it away in late Nov./early Dec. It usually see's the water 125+ seperate times.

When the bite is tough, either because of weather, or fishing pressure, it's hard to beat a small 4"-5" worm or you choice..............they all catch fish. C-rigged, t-rigged, drop shot, wacky, shakey head...they get bit any way you rig them.

I have seen every color work in clear water. From natural,to burn your eyes out bright. Sometimes in shallow clear water, with baits like a fluke or senko, throwing super natural looking baits don't get noticed, thats when I toss on a color like bubble gum............... works for me.

I have them. St. Croix 7" MH/fast and 7' M/fast Legend Tournaments with Curado 51e's.

It's all about having the right tool for the job..............sure you can take a phillips head screw out with vise grips, but it's not going to be pretty. Same goes with fishing rods. While you don't a seperate rod for every technique, you do need to match your tackle to the fish ypour fishing for, the bait your fishing, and the cover your fishing in. You can cover almost all bass fising situations with a M power spinning rod, AND a MH power casting rod. The only two techniques, IMHO, that "need" decicated, technique specific rods if your going to use those methods alot, and be successfull, are heavy cover flipping/punching, and deep cranking.

Personal Preferance. I use 50lb green Power pro because I like that line and have no issues with it. Also it's the same line I use on my flipping stick so I can split the spool between two reels.

Gamakatsu Superlines.2/0 - 5/0

Weather trumps the moon this weekend here. We had a nice warming trend going this week, fish were moving up, some LMB bass in warm backwater areas were bedding, SMB were slowly making beds on the main lake..........then we get a cold front, not even a bad one, by our standards, but enough to drop the day time highs from the high 70's low 80's, to the 50's-and 60's the last two days, plus sky high barometric pressure. I got reports of bad fishing and empty beds, so I didn't even bother going today.

I'm sure the companies products are fine...............but there choice in Pro Staffers is suspect.

You from WNY??? My hometown to be exact? If not, you, along with most people here wouldn't know what I mean, but a few do.

I don't see myself straying from Shimano reels any time soon. While not "old" by some standards, I have a Citica 201D that has never been opened up, except for some oil on the worm gear and spool bearings, and it is still smooth and quite. IDK if it's just me, but Shimano reels don't often feel the smoothest new out of the box as some others, they seem to have a " break in" period, but they sure do get smooth, and stay trouble free (if you take care of them) for longer with less maint. than any other reel brands I have ever owned. Just the opposite in my case were Daiwa reels, best feeling reels straight out of the box, but were very fussy with what oil I lubed them with, and performance generaly faded with use. I am not talking super high end Daiwa stuff, but not low end junk either, and I had enough of them (TD Fuego, TD Advantage, TD Tierra, Exceler) that acted the exact same way to think it was just how they where/are. Pure fishing stuff (Abu/Pflueger) treated me a little better, I don't have a bad thing to say about the Revo's or Presidents I owned.............there only problem is they are not Shimano's LOL. I have never had good luck with most big chain store branded stuff, at least with reels. I don't have any thing bad to say about Gander Mtn, or BPS rods, owned a few and they were fine, but, like the Abu/Pflueger stuff, there problem is they are not St Croix's, which is my prefered brand, but thats another topic. And...........this may surprise some people, the reels I like best and still keep around and use besided my Shimanos are Quantums. The oldest and most used/abused reel in my boat is the previous generation Accurist 501PT, it's a tank. 50lb braid, on the flipping stick, drag locked down, never been opened up, just cleaned off and oiled. Finish looks like crap, but I'll use it till it dies. I also have another, with 50lb braid, on my frog rod, same exact reel, just not as old. NIB for $50 on ebay........can't beat it, will also use till it dies. Both of these reels have gotten smoother/better casters as they age too. When they do die, I probably will replace them with Shimano's, but I will think about Quantum if I can find a deal on one. As far as the new Shimano line up goes. I can't wait to get my hands on one, but being the cheap skate I am I will buy the G series Citica's and Curado's when they go one sale in the future when the H series comes out. Givin Shimanos recent history that should be in about 3 years LOL. I have also never seen a loss of performance, quality, or value when they change series, IMHO, they know better than to try and pass off inferior products as new and improved. You wait............I have seen it every time they come out with a new reel, people always complain that they won't be as good as the last, but every time, they end up being better.

To me, mid range in rods and reels is $100-$200, and for me that would be a Shimano Citica or Curado casting reels (Chronarch E too I guess at $199), on a St Croix Mojo, Premier, Rage or Avid. Depends on how much you want to spend. I have no comment on "mid" range spinning reels, I don't spend more than $100 on one. Plenty of good ones in the $50-$80 range to suit me. I feel the same as about the spinning rods as the casting.......St Croix Mojo, Premier, Rage or Avid.

I have had many a day not go as planned for LM or SM bass where pike have provided plenty of action. Heck sometimes, it's even bluegills or rockbass that save the day. Like I said, the only time I curse them is when they steal baits. I think it makes you a better bass fisherman to understand, appriciate, and even take a break from bass fishing once in a while to chase something else.

Not usually, just a few swear words when a big one comes off, or I get a lure bite off by a pike. The one time I did go "Ike" was just a few days ago, I got a jerkbait that I only had one left of get bit off by a pike, I swore and threw my rod on the deck................breaking it. Oh well, live an learn.