Gone_Phishin

No prob. I have a 100SHLA and I absolutely love it. I had it tuned with ABEC 5's and carbontex drag upgrade, and a sweet reel became even sweeter. I mainly use mine for topwater plugs and buzzbaits. But I've also used it for T-rigs and it did really well. As I said before, the swept handle is really nice; it has a very balanced feel to it.

Peasey, The Zillion is a work horse. It is not meant for finesse applications. The swept handle is really nice when working topwater baits. It also will do a geat job on a MH or H worm/jig stick. It also handles big spinnerbaits, c-rigs, and froggin' really well too.

I used to use a AS69MLXF for shakey head fishing. Now granted that rod is a bit stiffer than the 70MLF, because it is an XF, but that rod did very well for shakey heads and grub work. Next time you're at the store, give the MLXF and the MF or MXF a good shakin', and then compare them to your rod.

It's been snowing for only a few hours here in cheeseland, and we already have 4-5" on the ground from this storm. And it's the really heavy, wet stuff. It sticks to everything, so it looks purdy, but what a pain in the butt to shovel.

I know it's not bass, but that rod would make a superb Lindy rig rod for walleye. So.......translate that technique into bass fishing, and you have a nice split-shot rod. Also, it should do well for a dropshot, and a slip-bobber rod. If you scour the internet, you can find the discontinued 2000 size Shimano spinning reels. One of those would balance that baby out nicely.

Yea, those shorter muskie rods are pretty stiff, but they are great for winching skis out of shallow cover, ripping jerks, or chuggin monster topwaters.

Another vote for Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft. I spooled two reels with it last year, using them on medium powered rods for plastics work, and fell in love.

MN Basser, St. Croix makes excellent muskie rods. A Premier series would be a great starter. If you are going to buy one all-purpose rod, the 7'6" MH is hard to beat. It's ratings are 3/4-3 oz, and 20-50lb line. If you plan on getting a couple rods, a second, shorter, heavier rod for jerkbaits would be the ticket. Croix has a 6'3" and a 6'9" in an XH power. The Avid series also has a 6'9" in a H power. If the price isn't an issue, check out the Avids and the new Legend Tournament muskie rods. The LT's look SWEET. If you go on the website, look up the LT's. They are listed as technique specific, and the description of each rod will give you a good idea as to what rods (length and power) will best suit the applications you plan on using most, and which wouldn't. It will take all the guess work outta the way for you.

Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year.

I use my retired walleye jig stick: a BPS's Walleye Angler Signature series WA59JS. It's medium powered, and has a 1/16-1/2oz, and 4-10lb rating. It definitely fishes on the heavier side, and has ample backbone. Another vote for a spinning rod as well.

If you're going Daiwa, then another vote for the Zillion. It palms well for a tuff, super fast burner. I use mine for frogs and other topwater presentations, and I love it. The swept handle feels great when working TW baits. Infidel mentioned the Revo. It is worth a look before you pull the trigger. I've never personally used one, but lots of people love the high speed STX for the application you listed.

I use a Loomis BCR 852. It is 7'1", medium powered, and rated from 1/8-3/8oz. I have a TD-Z 103ML mounted on it, spooled with 8lb. Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft. I usually throw 3/16oz Spot Removers.

Another 9 oz. reel. :

Get the 854. I bought my first jig-n-worm series this past year, and it blew me away. It is so sensitive, and so responsive , exactly what you need when fishing plastics. It may not have the aesthetic appeal of a Carrot stick, but who cares? Fishing plastics is about the feel, not the bling.

Join the crowd. :'( Shimano usually releases a southpaw model within a year of the reel's original release.

A short time ago I said to myself that I'd never pay that much for weights.......God, what was I thinking? Another vote here for the never going back to lead again. The only exception is when I'm C-rigging in areas with very small crevices on the bottom structure, small enough for little tungsten weights to get stuck in. This is where I'll use a bigger lead or brass weights. Another Tru-Tungsten fan here too. Definitely worth the money Millerman.

He closed for the crew. He saved 44 games with an era of 2.98. His bb/k's was 18/86.

quote] d**n right. Do yourself a favor. Next time your at a bar (classy enought to have Blue Moon Ale) try one. Just drop the orange slice in the glass. It's not what you're expecting.

lPa1nl, I wouldn't count Gagne out yet, maybe except for the 'roids thing. ;D Gagne was a terrible fit for Boston. He was never comfortable. You already had an awesome closer in Paplebon, forcing Gagne into a set-up role. He was extremely uncomfortable at best there. He has been, and always will be, a closer. Now he is back where he's most comfortable, where he's flourished: closing in the NL. I'm not jumping on the Gagne bandwagon here, just saying he very well might show Sox nation a totally different pitcher. Fisher of Men proves an excellent point: Cordero really stunk-up the joint in Texas, then beacame an All-Star with the Crew. Heck, the Reds beat out our offer of 4/$42 by four million when he hit the market last month. It's amazing what a change of scenery and a new pitching coach can do. And Milwaukee has an excellent pc in Maddux.

E-mail sent, fingers crossed. Thanks for the opportunity.

If I'm drinking booze, straight up, I like a good tequila or brandy. If I'm drinking something on the rocks, it's usually vodka. If I'm going for a traditional potato based vodka, I like 44 North. If I'm going a different route, Stoli does it for me too. As far as cocktails are concerned, I've never met one I didn't like, with the exception of a few whiskeys. If I'm in a boozin' mood, then it's Beam and coke. I drink brandy and coke or rootbeer a lot too. Us cheeseheads love our brandy, that's for sure. I have a soft spot for Bombay Sapphire, a splash of tonic, and the slightest squeeze of lime. I love Beefeater martinis. Tom and Jerry's around the holidays are always a favorite. I love beer as well. IPA's are probably my favorite, although I'm partial to oatmeal stouts too. Believe it or not I love malt liquor too. ;D A cold forty of Colt .45 or Mickey's is an oldtime fav. When fishing in the summer, I love a big glass of my old friend Carlos Rossi, on ice, with a hunk of lemon.

As previously mentioned, snakes scare the crap out of me. Even little grass snakes make me scream like a little girl, it's pretty emabarrassing. I also have this recurring nightmare that Micheal Meyers from the Halloween movies is trying to kill me. Haunted houses get me too, not the fun ones you go to in October, but real houses with a sketchy past and strange noises, seeing stuff out of the corner of your eye, etc...

Let's hope this one works out. When I first saw ten million I wasn't the happiest, but after seeing the Nats give Lo Duca five mil for a year, maybe it's not so bad. I just wish the Crew got an option for 09' on Gagne. The Crew's bullpen has a lot of potential right now. A lot of these guys we signed are ?'s though. I'll be happy if Mota even makes the team come spring. Riske is a good pick-up, and I hope Torres is as well. It looks as if Wise may be non-tendered. I'll be ticked if we can't get anything in return for him or Mench. Man, 3-5 years ago, these guys together in the same pen would have been absolutely dominating.

I, like Infidel, have the 852, and I absolutely love it. I have a TD-Z 103ML mounted on it. I use this rod for shakey heads, small jigs, and finesse T-rigs. The first time I felt a fish strike on this rod, it literally scared me. The rod is that sensitive. It was like a shock wave down my arm. The real surprise came when I set the hook for the first time, as the rod immediately took over; talk about efficient. If I had to think of something I don't like about the rod, um, It would be the fact that I would not use it for cranks or jerks. But that's ok, this rod does what it is designed to do, fish plastics and jigs, better than any other rod I have ever fished. -Hope that helps some, Shaun

When I first started fishing topwater baits on a consistent basis, I used mono exclusively. When I would get excited at seeing the strike, and set the hook a tad too early, the stretch would help offset that a bit.