ww2farmer

I would just firmly, but, with class tell the boater you didn't think much of what he's doing. I wouldn't give the guy any gas money either, and I would make sure the tournamnet director knew what a jerk he was.

If new YES!

My current favorite is the OutKast Tackle RT jig, 1/2 oz. black/blue w/ black and blue shadow paca chunk.

Maybe this is a little off topic..........but it is still related to the orginal question. I used to think the higher end stuff (rods, reels, line,bait, etc.......) were all over priced. Then I bought a few things out of my typical price range...........then a few more............and a few more........and now, well lets just say if the quality is there I will gladly pay what they ask.......if not more. I often find the people that complain.........well complain is not the right word, more like self gratifying posturing, typicly have no idea what they are "complaining" about, they just like to sound "smart" by basicly saying such and such an item at such and such a price is stupid. Oh well.............never argue with an idiot, people have a tough time telling who the idiot actually is.

Whats your price range? What techniques do you plan on fishing? What series of All Stars are you looking at? I don't own any rods from All Star or Daiwa, there are a lot of other good rods out there. I like Fenwick and St Croix.

St Croix and Fenwick are my 2 favorite rods. I own both Avids and HMG's I think the Avid is lighter and a bit more sensitive. Same goes for the St Croix Legend Tournament vs. Techna AV, the nod goes to the St Croix. But the HMX blows the Premier out of the water, both in price, and performance. All Fenwick and St Croix rods are well made.

I never thought I would be a TX angler, and I guess I am not, but I do like to fish a "few". All opens, I have fished in 8 so far this season (since june 21st in NYS). I like it, partly because I have done well I guess. Have cashed 5 times out of 8 (1st, 2nd, two 3rd's, a fourth , and lunker once). Will probably fish a few more this year, and as many if not more next season. Call me derranged, but one of the things I like best about it is beating guys who walk around like they are touring B.A.S.S. pros w/ there $40K boats in my 17' paid for Bass Tracker......and spending 1/10th of what they do to do it, which means if I cash all the more $$$ in my pocket insted of in the gas tank and to the bank. Yeah I know..............but I fish 5 days a week for fun for the "love" of fishing, I'll take one day every once in while to be an a-hole.

I used to be anti-leader, as my home lake is not really clear and I never felt the need for it. But as I have traveled around more this season fishing tournaments on other, clearer, bodys of water, I have seen the difference in the number of bites I get with a leader, and with out. So from now on in clear water braid will be fished with a fluro leader, or not fished at all.

I skip with a St Croix Avid 6' Med/Fast spinning rod, it's great and by far the best rod I have ever used for this technique. I like to skip with 20lb braid, tied directly to the hook in weedy and/or stained water. In clear water I will use a 15lb flurocarbon leader.

I have 2 go to Smallmouth techniques which I use on Erie. Drop shotting and tube dragging. For Dropshotting I use a St Croix Avid AS70MLF, w/ a Pflueger Supreme 8030MG spooled w/6lb Trilene 100% Flurocarbon. For tube dragging, an Avid AS70MF, w/ a Pflueger Supreme 8035MG and 8lb Trilene 100% Fluro.

I have tried them all, Power Pro, Spider Wire Stealth, Spider Wire Ultra Cast, and Suffix, and I would take the Spider Wire ultra cast over the others any day.

LMB: 7' Medium power/Fast Action Fenwick Techna AV, Team Daiwa Advantage 2500 , 8lb Trilene sensation, weightless zoom trick worm. SMB 7' Medium light power/Fast action St. Croix Avid, Pflueger Supreme 8030MG, 6lb Trilene 100% Flurocarbon, drop shot rig, 4" robo worm. LMB=6.38 lbs 5-8-06 SMB=6.02 lbs 4-29-08

I use a St Croix Avid AS60MF. I would not want any thing longer than 6'.

Junebug Bubble gum Watermelon red flake

Are Shimano products generally better quality/performance than other brands? Some people will say yes, BUT I own a Shimano Citica 201D, and a Curado 101D, and the latest Quantum Accurist's, both the 501CX, and 501PT. I like the Quantums, and (in the CX's case) have been used hard for 2 years with no signs of slowing down. The Shimano diehards will add there .02 soon enough. But I like the Quantums, and will buy more. Now 8 years ago...............you couldn't pay me to use one, but over the past few years they have really come out with some great stuff, and I am exited about there 2009 offerings.

St Croix Legend Tournament 6'6" Medium power, Fast action "Jerkbait" rod. Name says it all, but the Avid RW mentioned is a close 2nd.

Hollow bodied frogs are go to lure for me. I have used,Bobbys Perfect Frog, Mann's Super Frog, River-2-Sea's Bully Wa, Reaction Innovations Swamp Donkey, and Spro's Bronze Eye. I USED to like Bobby Perfect Frog the best, BUT it ripped way to easy, and hook up ratio was less than ideal. The Mann's frog just plain sucks, and both thr R2S, and Reaction Innovation frogs didn't impress me. When I first started frog fishing I bought a few Spro's and prefered the Bobbys Perfect Frog. Now it's the other way around. There is something about that Spro frog, bass just crush it, hook up % is far better, they are quite abit more durable the skirt materila is 1000 time better, and trimable to your liking, and for some reason they seem to cast much better. Only downside to the Spro is they take a little more practice to "walk" than the Bobbys Perfect Frog, but when you get the hang of it you can walk them so slowly bass just can't seem to resist it.

I pull a Tracker PT 170 w/ my 1997 Jeep Cherokee, it seriously does not even know it's back there, even on hills. I pulled a freinds Nitro the other day (Z7 w/150 hp merc) and it was a load. Jeeps are great, easy and cheap to fix. My first one had 600,000 miles on it before I quit running it, my current one has 140,000 and "just broke in" LOL

Get ready for the great deals on "old" Legend elites...........I know I am. Those new Mojo Bass rods look sweet too, I have never liked Premiers, but now maybe St Croix has a rod in that price range I will like.

Yup, they are great, I own 3 of the casting rods. Best decison I ever made reguarding a rod purchase. All 3 of mine are the pre 2008 full rear grip versions, got them when they put them on sale for $150.

I don't like to flip and pitch with the same rod, but you can, and sometime I do. I use a 7'6" XH rod for flipping, a 7'6" MH for pitching.

Actually I am a bit underimpressed (is that a word lol). I would have liked to see a LH high speed revo, thats the only thing IMHO that the Revo line-up lacks. Never been a big fan of Abu spinning reels, looks like that won't change.

Trilene 100% flurocarbon is the "real deal". Not cheap, nor super expensive, try it, I think you'll like it.

Personal choice has a lot to do with it, but for some techniques a shorter or longer rod is a must IMHO. I have multiple rods in 6', 6'6",6'10", 7' and 7'6". Personal I would not want to flip with any thing shorter than 7'6", nor would I want to skip docks, or under trees with any thing longer than 6'. I prefer to work a jerkbait with a 6'6".

Strike King Premier Plus, Double Willow