Willzx225

WEC Zoom Hickey - phenomenal flatsided bait! Spro Little John - one of the best production flatsides I have ever used I can't wait to try out the Little John MD (or Dr. John as I call it) ;D Lucky Craft Flat CB MR is also a good choice

7'6" MH Shimano Crucial. Light, sensitive and fairly reasonably priced. I have two and love them

Welcome to the forum. Good to see another fellow Charlotte member! Shoot me a PM if there is anything I can help you with. Welcome home!

X2 x3 Also one thing that I think would play a big role in the gizzard shad vs Blue Back in the bass' diet is that the Blue Backs are much more streamlined than the Gizzard shad (As Fluke's picture illustrates very nicely). I think the bass in the SC/GA region key on the Bluebacks more because they can digest them easier than a 10" gizzard shad. I don't doubt that a large bass won't eat a 10" gizzard shad though.

I held the 7'10" as well and would classify it as a parabolic action. It has a soft tip but it is firmer than a Fritts cranking rod without question. I don't have a doubt in my mind that it won't load right with those bigger crankbaits. I should be ordering a few in the next few days. I will let you know when I get them.

and for his 2nd at Wheeler the week before. At the show I found myself wanting to launch a DT16 so very badly when I had the 7'10" in my hand. I can't wait until this summer to cast them. Hopefully it will force me to learn how to deep crank better! ;D

I was just curious as to if anybody has one of these yet? If so, do you have any feedback on them? I am hoping to order a few in the next couple of weeks and will post what I have found. I got to play with one this weekend and it felt amazing! The 7'4" was very light and had a very good taper to it. Just right for those DT16's/ DD22/ Fat Free Shads. I couldn't hardly put it down. Kind of strange since I typically hold the same beliefs that many/most members hold concerning Quantum products.

SHHHH... It is a great lure when you are around schooling activity (Especially on Buggs Island/ Kerr Lake in front of a Super Spook).

I thought KVD was over 6' tall to begin with. I just think XcoM274 is very tall. Awesome experience meeting "The Man" I bet! Along with flipping & pitching, you were also designed for Sight fishing as well!!! Good call Low Budget! ;D

I completely agree with the reduction in the number of tournaments BUT I am appauled by the EXTREME reduction in the pay outs. I have always said that the key to sustainability in this sport would be to grow the lower check places. They have cut them in half but only cut the entry fees by 20%. Something is fishing and it's not the last weigh in bag that someone left out in the sun. I have aspired to fish professionally one day since I was 12 (going on 16 years) but if this continues after this year then that dream has been squashed! I don't know how BASS can't see that if the guys are paying $4k to enter the tournament then they have to pay mre than $5k to 26th-50th place. That $1k won't even cover the gas bill for most lakes for a week of fishing and drive time. Poor business decision for a fisherman to expect to break even atleast. We all know that you can't pay your bills without money. BASS is probably getting ready to kiss 30 or so of its "customers" good by and end up with the Elite 75 they were hoping for. Sorry for the rant but I don't like what I see. I will have faith that things will change because I do believe in ESPN/BASS unlike many.

Jay is just 'playing the game' I suspect. With FLW and their sponsor incentives (Chevy Trucks for Jay) and pay out structured in favor of Ranger owners, it unfortunately makes sense. I would not say that Skeeter is pulling back (maybe... I don't know) since they did become a boat sponsor for the Elites last year.

I currently use a Shimano Crucial 6'8" MH DS rod. It is awesome for drop shotting. Don't let the "MH" designation fool you though. It has a very light tip. I typically drop shot as deep as 35-40'. If you were to constantly drop shot in deep water the 7'2" version would probably be a better fit. I originally wanted that exact rod but it was an extended lead time on them at the time I purchased mine.

I don't like to down any reputable boat manufacturer but I will agree with Cart. I have riden in numerous Rangers over the years and the ride is not as good as many say. I fished BFL's as a non-boater for 3 years and fished out of numerous Rangers and did not like the ride. I understand that the driver is a major factor in how a boat performs in rough water but it couldn't have been the driver that many times. As recent as last year I rode in a Z-19 that really fell short in that area and that was driven by an Elite series competitor so I can eliminate the fact that he might not have known how to operate his boat. Ranger's are nice don't get me wrong but there are better riding boats. Take a look at Skeeter. P.S. make sure you check out the deck lids on the rear deck of the 518 I have been in two where they have started to get "soft" and cave in when standing on them. Once again, I am not trying to down Ranger because I would rank them in my top 3 (Skeeter, Champion, Ranger). They are very nice boats but, just like all of them, have things they can improve.

Not trying to offend anyone but I do want to give credit where credit is due. It was said that Rick Morris started the Chatterbait craze but it was actually started by Brian Thrift who won 3 Strens (2-nonboater/ 1 boater) in a very short period of time with this bait in 2005 and 2006 that really started the bulk of it. I know I was desperately trying to find them for the BASS Weekend Series National that was held on East Lake Toho one month before the Classic that Rick Morris finished second in with the chatterbait. That being said. I have not thrown that bait style a whole lot but I have only managed to catch one small fish on it. I will be throwing it more at night after reading the multiple posts stating that it is a great bait at night.

Rob beat me to it! ;D

I have a Team Diawa S Series Spinnerbait/ Cranking rod that I've been using continuesly for almost 14 years. I just put new guides on it last month but haven't done anything else to it. Still one of my favorite rods and I would love to know how many fish have been caught with that rod!

I find it very hard to ever spool less than 15lb Big game for spinnerbaits or buzzbaits (unless I am fishing a big spinnerbait deep). I mostly use 20lb Big Game on my spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, even in clear water. 20lb allows you to fish a buzzbait slower and around thicker cover.

4.25" Yum Vibra King Tube - Green Pumpkin Berkley Hollow Belly 5" - Tenn Shad

I too have wondered for countless hours why Shimano does not come out with the 6.3.1 ratio in the Curado/ Chronarch line up. It just doesn't make sense to me. The 7.1.1's are great but for a spinnerbait or other bait that is fished with a steady moderate retrieve on a 6.3.1 now has to be crawled on the faster reels. Just doesn't make sense to me but that is just my opinion. I typically use the 7.1's for bottom baits and the 5.1's for crankbaits. The 6.3's are my workhorse for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, shallow square bills, etc.

Be careful when it comes to having your whole day mapped out for practice. It is ok if you are absolutely positive your game plan will work but the thing to remember is that if you are worried about "checking" all of these spots, you won't fish in the moment and might completely miss out on the winning pattern. I always do the best when I fish what the lake will give me and adjust to the conditions instead of fishing history. But that is just me.

BASSMasters is good, FLW is good but my favorite BY FAR is Bass West. It is written with the competitive angler in mind but also it is very in depth with its articles. They do the "10 ways to improve..." articles but they also explain their reasoning. It is much more than "when fishing grass beds, use a rattle trap." The only drawback is that their sense of urgency is nil. My last issue was recapping how certain anglers fished in the Classic. Oh well, very high quality information.

Suddeth Crankbaits Mainly Little Earl and Little Boss hog

1- Be more efficient on the water IE. Eliminate unproductive water faster and, once I have developed a pattern, sticking to it until it tapers out. 2- Learn how to fish structure better whether it is as simple as fishing stuff you can't see as well as points, humps, ledges, etc. 3- Cash atleast 3 checks in the Shenandoah division BFL's next year and make the regional. (I would really like to finish in the top 10) 4- Make the necessary changes on the water faster. I'll stop there. There are a bunch more but they get pretty lofty after these. ;D

I prefer the Owner Shaky Ultrahead with the CPS (centering pin system). If only they made them in painted finishes! I prefer the screwlock since I skip a lot of docks with my shakey heads and with just the post the bait tends to ball up too much.

I just saw on *** that all of Daiwa products will be going up Jan. 1. Some as much as $100. Let the stampede begin!