Micro

I rig mine on an Owner Spiral Lock 4/0 1/8 weighted hook. I slow roll it about a foot under the surface. This bait has produced more fish for me than any other bait I've used since the Rage tail line was introduced.

After years of being an unabashed Revo man, I took the plunge (again) and bought a couple of Curado E7s and man, they ared great casters. The 50, or two, is next on my list.

I do enjoy those Diawas. Fantastic performers, all. The Curados are new. I've owned three 200D Curados in the past and always kicked myself for letting them go. I've fished a couple of Curado Es and have to admit (cough, gag) they are d**n fine casters. And they feel really good. So I had to take the plunge again. I plan on wearing these out. And may get another, an E5, for a light crank rod. The Castaic is a few months old. I tried a friend's some time ago and hated it, but it did cast and flip nice. But I loved the flipping switch, which a lot of people said they hated. (The ability to re-engage the clutch by pushing up the thumb bar is one thing I really like about Diawa baitcasters.) I came across a new one in a store and got a killer deal and bought half-way with the intent of selling it. But I spooled it up and started using it and it turned out for flipping it was hard to beat. So I started using it and retired a Revo S that I had been using. As far as dumping Abu, I'm not dumping their reels, I'm just leaving Abu itself (which mean I'm not going to use their reels). I don't have a problem with Abu's products. But I sort of soured on them not too long ago. I had a couple of Revos that developed screeches and I sent them in for repair only to receive brand new ones in return. In fact, some of the Revos I sold were well under a year old. Something about that bugs me. But I know some people think that's great. My problem was that one of the STXs I sent in I had since the line was introduced. Taught my son to cast it. And landed a lot of good fish. I sort of wanted it repaired and returned, but without asking me, they kept it and sent another. What, they don't think their products are worth repairing? I felt like I was dealing with a big-box store with Abu, and I hate big box stores. Too impersonal.

Yes, among other. Currently, Roadwarrior owns more Revos than I do. ;D

The silver ones are Zillions, green are Curados, reds are Fuegos, orange are Sols, and the grey on left is a Castaic.

...I don't have an Abu Garcia on one of my baitcast rods. Feels weird.

Dave, did you get it working? Just a thought, are you turning the adjustment the right way? 6" at 30 yards is a lot.

I solved the problem. I bought both. >

I have this reel and love it. I've gone back and forth between a Revo and the Castaic for flipping and have settled on the Castaic. I hated it at first because it was big and the front end was very high off the reel seat. I like to palm the reel with my index finger wrapped around the front and on this reel that interferes with the pawl. But I almost never fight a fish that way. So I just learned to fish it the same way I fight a fish - with all my fingers under the reel seat. The reel is a brute and flips anything - light, medium or heavy. It's super-smooth. And it has a retro look. Great reel - highly recommended.

I've never caught one, but they have them in the Potomac here in Virginia. I hear they are delicious.

Is the Stradic $59 better than the Symetre? How do they stack up against each other? Trying to decide if I want to spend the extra bucks on a Stradic.

What Sam said. Back Bay is apparently an emerging hot spot. It has always been decent and my understanding is that it is producing some big bass now. Lots of grass.

Look at the Fenwick HMG GT 710H-MF heavy medium fast rated for 3/8 - 1.5 oz lures. This rod will handle the biggest deep divers and other lures with big trebles.

Frankly, I don't know why they even have the Exceller line when they have the Advantage line (Tierra is based on the Advantage). I've heard way too many complaints about Exceller reels (Exceller, Trillionaire, Aggrest) making noises on casting, and clutch bar issues. The Advantage HSTA is as good an all-around baitcaster as you will find. It is an excellent value at its price point. And yes, it's quiet.

Can't speak to the Tierra, but can speak to the others. The Fuego excels with baits over 1/4 oz. It is respectable with 1/4 oz baits. Below that, it certainly wouldn't be my top choice. It is a great all-round bass reel, though. The Advantage HSTA is expectional. It cast any bass bait well, including 1/4 oz baits. This surprised me because it is a relatively large reel. The Sol, if you can get one new, is really the way to go. It handles light baits better than the others. But the HSTA is really good, too. The Sol cast light baits very well.

The Advantage HSTA? Get one. It's a fantastic reel and very well made. It casts light baits very well. It's a little wide, but that is only an issue for a minute or two.

It is easy. Just buy the little black toothed thingy and the copper clicker and install.

Did you fish the lake or river?

For a hollowbody on open water, it's hard to beat a River2Sea Step Wa or Deps Basirisky. The R2S Step Wa sucks under any other condition but it's great on open water. Cast them out, and using a medium speed retrieve they have their own action.

If you had to fish with mono, would you choose 65lb test? Or even 40lb test? You aren't fishing with braid because you need 65lb test line for frog fishing. You fish with braid because it is very low to no stretch line. You pick 65lb test because it approximates the diameter of 15 lb test mono and it is less likely to dig into itself on the spool under load. If you can fish 40lb test braid (10# equivalent) without any dig, tangles or backlash, why not choose it over 65lb? If anything, it will be less visible due to smaller diameter. If they perform on your reel the same, and since you are never going to put a 40 or 65 lb load on you rig, why not go with the smaller diameter line. 40lb test braid is ENTIRELY sufficient for fishing frogs in the heaviest cover you would ever fish them. So is 30lb, for that matter. The issue is how it performs on your reel. I've fished with 30, 50 and 65, and have settled on 50. But 30 wasn't that problematic.

I remember when I used to hunt. I would go out after squirrels in October when it was still a bit warm. Walking in the morning woods trying to be stealthy. Then walking through one of those big webs that the spider always seems to make across a trail at face level. With one of those big tan spiders in the center that are big enough to make a thump when it hits your face. Believe me, I've freaked out in the woods more than once, stripping off clothes to get that spider off me.

I think they are under my siding at the north end of my house, where it stays cool. This weekend, I lifted up several rows of siding and sprayed for them.

Winch if you will be casting heavy lures most of the time (over 1/2 oz). Curado for lighter lures, though it will handle heavier lures, too. I've owned both a Winch and a Curado 200DPV (200DPV and 200E have virtually the same spool). The Winch would outdistance the Curado with heavier baits but wouldn't throw light baits like the Curado. The Curado would handle lighter baits better and handled heavy baits respectably. If I was only going to throw heavy baits, I'd own the Winch. If I wanted to switch it up a bit, the Curado is the way to go.

I could walk naked covered in rat juice through a swamp filled with cottonmouths and not get the heeby-jeebys like I get with spiders. I have no use for spiders. Except those little hairy colorful jumping spiders, and those don't bother me.

Ditto. Follwed by green pumpkin black flake, green pumpkin no flake, and purple pearl blue flake. Never caught anything except bowfin on white.