Micro

What the heck were they thinking when they selected this particular new-model Cranking Rod to be in their catalog? Couldn't they at least pick one that looked good? For $99 no one expects perfect cork, but this, IMO, just looks bad. 1) Gap between the winding check and the crappy looking foregrip, 2) reel seat that looks way too long, and 3) horrid looking cork on the grip that's not even flush with the rear of the reel seat. I've seen these rods in Gander Mountain and actually thought they were pretty nice. But I wouldn't seek one out based on the photos in their catalog. And nevermind the text next to it. "Canking" series? Come on, man. Maybe I'm just too picky

After seeing the new Quantums, I 'd definitely go Quantum. May pick some up myself.

Blue Cat

Are you talking about the Daiwa DC Classic Shad SP? Yes, they are good baits. I have several and they cast well, have good finishes, good hooks, good actions. They suspend horizontally. All of mine have run straight out of the package. They are very loud (louder than a rat-l-trap). The bluegill pattern has produced for me in clear water. They have produced pretty well for me overall. Pickerel LOVE them. For the price, I recommend them.

IMO, the current crop of Browning spinning reels are total garbage and unworthy of the Browning name. A few years ago they were very similar to Pfluegers - based on the fact that were made in Korea, and had a lot in common with Pfluegers. Those were excellent reels. I had two and ended up giving both away to some young fishermen. I acquired a "new" model Citori at a good price (free) and used it once on a smallmouth trip. This one was made in China and just didn't feel like the old reel. It essentially siezed up on me on that trip. When I got home and opened it up, I found a thin brass washer had somehow gotten drawn down the shaft wedging it immobile. There were also shavings of that washer in the anti-reverse bearing. I threw that reel in the trash. Avoid new Browning spinning reels.

I caught my personal best on a creme colored creme worm. The kind that was pre-rigged with hooks and that silly little silver spinner attached to it.

You don't need a leader with Yo Zuri. In fact, Yo Zuri makes a good leader for braid, if you like using leaders.

I had a 200DPV for cranking and it was great. It cast light baits better than my Revo Winch. The Wiinch cast heavy baits better. But the DPV was a better all around cranking reel IMO becuase it handled all weights well.

Look at line retrieve capabilities - IPT (inches per turn). Ratios can be misleading. The Revo Winch (5.4:1) retrieves 20.6 inches of line per turn. The Zillion High Power (4.9:1) retrieves 22 inches of line per turn. The Daiwa Sol (5.8:1) retrieves 23.6 inches of line per turn. All these reels are good cranking reels. IPTs in the low to mid 20s seems to be preferred for cranking. My only knock against the Revo Winch is that they are not the best choice for light crankbaits. They will flat-out hurl a heavy DD22. But for cranks of 1/2 oz or under there are better choices. For a good all-round cranking reel on a budget, I'd look hard for a Shimano Curado 200DPV in 5.0:1. It will cast light and heavy cranks well. There's still plenty new ones sitting around in stores. And they can be had brand new for under $80.

Beginners are the ones that learn to use them right. It's the people that get used to some Shimano or some other brand that moved to the Revo STX (or other higher end magnetic brake reel) that thinks they know what they are doing and thinks the reel ought to cast exactly like whatever it is they learned on. It's those people that seem to have the most problems.

Yep. Of all the advice RW ever dispensed, the Yo-Zuri bit was the best. I tried it because he recommended it, and use it because it's everything he said it was.

If the radio is on, I can't hear my bait plop in the water, or whine of my reel during a cast, or myself cuss when I screw up a cast...

Excellent photo, Avid. That is cool, thanks for sharing. Now that you've broached the topic of bass eating snakes, I'd like to comment. You don't see it very often because it doesn't happen very often. And I think that's what makes your photo all the more interesting. Despite what some high-profile professional fisherman/commentator would have you believe, snakes aren't regular forage for bass. There's several reasons, not the least of which is that they are very hard for a bass to swallow. Also, some water snakes can absorb oxygen through the skin (transcutaneously). They can stay submerged for quite a long time. Some even hibernate under water. That, along with their robust build, makes them a tough prey item. Lastly, attempting to feed on the wrong species is a death-sentence for a bass. A neonate Cottonmouth can kill a bass dead in short order. And there is some thought that even common watersnakes (Nerodia) produce a protien (a C-type lectin) found in their salivia that is toxic or heavily sedating to fish. Fish seem to go limp very quickly after being bitten by watersnakes. I tend to think bass will, for the most part, avoid snakes. There will always be the instance where they strike out of reaction, or their wiring is such that they will take a snake regardless of the danger. But I think it's rare. Again, great photo.

How many scales does a LMB have?

LOL, I love pickerel. They have to be the most optimistic fish God ever made.

Trying to start my outboard and cussing my outboard in front of other fishermen before realizing the on/off switch was off.

It's supposed to rain here every day this coming week. Yesterday and today it poured. First weekend I haven't fished at least some for several months. Saturday looks good. I'm off the week of May 11 so I hope the rain is gone by then.

Why was the Revolution Shad a rip off? It had its own look to me - distinctly different than the other two you mentioned. Now this bait. If I'm not mistaken, they've been out for awhile, as long or longer than the Mattlures. I think it looks great.

Team Daiwa Zillion High Power. You can spend more, but you can't get better.

"Stiffer" to means compared to the other brand I use. For instance, I have a TAS IM10 6'6" MH/F and a Fenwick HMG 6'6" MH/F. The TAS is stiffer. I would use my TAS for heavier t-rigged baits and my Fenwick for light t-rigged baits. To me, All Star's ratings are accurate within that brand. But what All Star calls something may be something different in another brand. I think its like that with most companies.

No. Time just moves slower in Richmond the later it gets.

I bet theres some screwier places up some of them hollers. BTW, ever been to Jolo? A friend and I have been thinking about going out there to attend a church service.

That is the last model Extreme and the $39 is a clearance price. It's been replaced by a more updated model. Nevertheless, the older one you are looking at is a highly regarded reel and for $39, I don't think it can be beat. If this were my first (ergo only) baitcaster, I'd go with the EXT10HD in 6.4:1 speed. 6.4:1 is a good all-around speed. Not too fast for crankbaits, just right for lipless crankbaits, and just fine for everything else.

They seem stiff to me, too, compared to other brands.