J Francho

You don't remove it, at least not without special tools.

I think any of the sub $100 MSRP reels are not worth it, even at discounted rates. They seldom last very long, and never perform as new for any length of time.

You can look up the specs on the baits here: http://www.lurenet.com/brands/rebel-lures Nothing is exact, though. Line type, and diameter have a big influence on running depth.

That isn't what we're saying. But your suggestions are really good ones.

There was a thread on here a few months ago that went on for pages with innovative ideas.

I think a big part of why there is so much support for Ragetail baits is that not only does their inventor use them EXCLUSIVELY, but he is always looking to improve what is already there, making the best baits possible, AND take the time to teach us all how to best use them. Spend 20 minutes on the phone with Mr. Parks, and you'll get what I mean. It's this kind of support that brings about loyalty. It's not brand bashing, it's loyalty. Maybe Creme can come on here, sponsor the site, and put forth the effort Steve does to educate us about his unique baits. Or they can pump out copies of other successful designs for less money. There's room in the market for both. I'm cool that Frank found something that works for him, and saves him money. While they don't look to be an improvement over the Rage Craw, they look like a reasonable facsimile. I don't see the color 'Bama Craw, though, and that's a deal breaker for me.

I don't think I'm confused, the jigs I'm referring to are by Buckeye, and called "Mop Jigs." I have designed a few for Siebert Outdoors that emulate some of their skirts, but in colors, hooks, and head styles that I prefer. http://www.buckeyelures.com/mop_jig.shtml

Thanks guys, this is just one of literally hundreds of acts of generosity during this event. I did the bare minimum, by doing something I love to do anyway.

Nice slob!

That's the idea. Whether it's a fact....well, that's just fishing.

I figured that's what you meant. I like a straight silicone skirt, and don't wait when I'm on the "poke and pray" pattern.

Mine just says "Bullet" on the side. No need to add anything else.

You do want to fish them slower, as in let them soak after the drop. The living rubber takes a few seconds to bloom, depending on length of the skirt and how it's tied.

I'd looking at a Basscat, if those were my two options. My three top picks would be Gambler, Stroker, or Bullet. I currently own a Bullet.

Wait a minute? He's fishing for crappie when it's the best time of year to catch them. Probably using live bait and a corky too, huh? Someone needs to introduce Mr. Pot to Mr. Kettle.

I use a leverage landing net, linked above.

There's another show, I think it's Joe Thomas', where they use fluorocarbon, and there's this weird, zinging noise theye use on the hookset. Really bugs me, sounds more like plucking the line than any sound I've heard making a hookset.

Added sound effect. They do that on many fishing shows. It's irritating. I once saw a guy catch a fish using a Curado, and when it took drag, it pinged like a spinning reel, lol.

Saturday, 5" YUM Dingers in black, and XCalibur One Knocker in Royal Red were the ticket: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117591-take-a-soldier-fishing-oneida-lake/

I wonder who came up with the name "Spring Craw" for red, and why? Anyone have a history on that?

Here's one OEM making branded reels: http://www.doyofishing.co.kr/goods/theme.php?code=2

Some background: http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2013/04/soldiers_give_back_to_soldiers.html Did the TASF event this past Saturday, at Oneida Lake. This is my 3rd year volunteering, and this was by far the best event yet. After free coffee and sweets, we got paired up with our soldiers, and off we went. I gotta say, the valet service at the launch was a great add this year. It took a lot out of the confusion during launch and retrieval. Out on the water, I explained to my guests that we weren't fishing to win any of the "rough fish" categories. We were going to fish for smallmouth bass. Since neither had ever caught a bass in their lives, they both agreed this would be a good plan. I got them situated with spinning rods, Avid St. Croix AVS63MLXH with Shimano CI4 Stradic 2500 reels, spooled up with 6# Seaguar Tatsu. Set them up with wacky rigged, 5" Yum Dingers in solid black. I had one throw shallow, and the other throw deep, and I fan-casted an Xcalibur One-Knocker in Royal Red. This was sort of like a trolling set, with our baits covering a lot of water. I use a fast moving, reaction bait to find the active chasers, and put together some pattern, while they basically dead sticked the bigger baits, looking for the bigger fish. After I caught several pickerel, and two smallies on the shallower side, and my shallow dragger, TJ had a pick and two smallies, we got serious, pounded the shallows. Most fish were caught between 2-6' water. I used the same bait all day, and the guys barely went through half a pack of Dingers. We did go through a few bags of hooks - d**n picks! All said and done, somwhere around 20 smallmouth bass, and stopped counting pickerel at 30. We even had a double smallie hook up for Ken and TJ. Just an awesome day on the water, followed up with good grub, and great company. Here are the highlights from the day: Did I mention the "joy ride" to the spot? Heh! Getting paired up:

OUCH!!!

3/0 for the monkeys, and 5/0 for the roosters. The rooster on a swimbait hook is a dead ringer for a madtom, so if you're on a madtom/bullhead pattern, that is the ticket. That deal usually coincides with prespawn and spawn timing.

Nice work, I had a tough day fishing the dump yesterday. What a turnaround from the smallie fest the day before on Oneida. Luckily, I had some company in the boat.