Stasher1

I've had pretty good luck with a chrome/black back floater, at night, in shallow water. They're a pretty flashy lure, so even moonlight will make them flash.

Are those the White castles of the south? Yup. Little square laxatives. Eat them on the way home because you don't want to be too far from the john when the intestinal gurgles start.

This is what I've been using... http://www.northlandtackle.com/Product/product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=615&pc=281 Green sunfish color, t-rigged with a 2/0 offset hook and an 1/8 oz tungsten weight. Hopped/twitched on the bottom, it's been productive on every body of water I've fished in the past 2-3 years.

That's my main problem with them. By the time my 11 and 8 yr olds get done opening the bag, you'd think a warthog had been chewing on it for a couple days. :

Actually I'm a spinnerbait and shakyhead kinda guy, and but my go-to bait is a 4" ring worm. I'll throw other stuff, but that little ring worm rarely fails to get a bite.

I don't think I would be as upset about it if I had known beforehand they were going to stop carrying them. Instead, they put the remaining inventory on clearance for $1.69 a pack, and some low-life(s) bought up all of the good ones. ;D

[rant] I guess I should've told more of the locals about my favorite soft plastics. They were apparently not a big seller so the local BPS has stopped carrying them. Now I'm going to have to either pay for shipping or find a replacement. Bungholes. > [/rant]

We're at ~$3.45, just outside of Atl.

Spinning: 20# or 30# braid with a 6-10# fluoro leader Casting: 30# or 50# braid, either straight braid or with 10-17# fluoro leader depending on the technique and water clarity

What's your price range? There are ton of reels out there that'll work, and the Mojo being tip-heavy would make me lean towards a slightly heavier reel to help balance the combo a bit. Something along the lines of the Pflueger President XT might not be a bad choice.

Yup. The economy sucks right now and alot of folks are fishing to put food on the table, not for trophies or bragging rights. Put yourself in their shoes for a second. You heard of (or saw) a pro fisherman catch some fairly large fish out of a lake in your area. Would't it make sense to hit this lake to feed your family?

I didn't see the "blurb", but if the locals have the appropriate licenses and are staying within their daily limits, it's their right to keep what they catch.

I just checked Walmart's site, and they have an Abu Garcia Cardinal 101 for about $35. Pair that with the Cherrywood and you'll have a much better setup than any pre-packaged Ugly Stick combo for about the same price.

You lost me. :-/

True, the President (even the XT) and below are rather "portly" reels and that is to be expected at their respective prices, but the upper-level reels ($99+) are all much lighter than the comparable Quantums. The extra weight doesn't necessarily make them bad reels, but it is something I look at when I'm shopping for a new reel. I have one of the President XT's in the 35 size, and it weighs in at about 11 oz. The weight of that combo isn't normally much of an issue since it's my "trunk" setup. In that role, I'm just concerned with making sure it can handle being bounced around in the back of the car/truck all the time. ;D

Personally, I would pass on the Ugly Sticks in favor of the Berkley Cherrywood rods. They're typically sold at the same retailers, and should run right around $22. Match these with some $30 spinning reels and some Trilene XL and you'll be ready to hit the water. The Ugly Sticks aren't necessarily bad rods, they're just better suited to live bait or bobber fishing. Now if you were talking about picking up a pair of combos for catfish, I'd say go with the Ugly.

I've heard this before about the reels being heavier and agree the earlier reels were heavier than other brands. Some of the newer models are lighter but is a 1 to 2 oz difference that much of a weight difference? I could be wrong in my thinking but I guess when you add in the total weight of a setup it could make a difference. Most of us have multiple setups and the weights vary with each setup and then adding the lure being used to that weight. I want the best feeling setup in my hand but I guess as technology goes more is always expected. I mean at one time a 5.x:1 reel was considered fast. Yes, it is. The newer Quantum spinning reels @ 10.7-11.1 (30 size) are a good bit heavier than the Pfluegers I'm using @ 8.5-8.8 (35 size) at roughly the same line capacity. The difference is obvious when you pick them up. Go to your terminal tackle box and grab 2 oz worth of worm weights and tell me you don't notice them in your hand.

That's probably the way I'd go as well. The 7' MF and the 7'2" MF would probably be decent choices, too.

I just want to clarify my post above. I have very minimal experience with Quantum products, and I'm not knocking them in any way. What I meant by most post is this: KVD's needs and expectations of his gear are most likely different than mine, yours, or anybody else's. He's paid to use and endorse a product, and he has been very successful at it. I own one of the older Tour PT KVD Signature Series casting rods (6'10" MH KVD spinnerbait model) and a 6'6" Energy PT spinning rod that I use as a loaner. The reels look pretty good, but I find the bulging sideplate on the casting reels uncomfortable and the spinning reels are generally heavier than comparable products from the other manufacturers. Those reasons have been enough to keep me from owning any of their reels. It's a shame too, because I really dig the finish on the Energy spinning reel.

I'm pretty sure he's getting his rods/reels for free, as well. What does he care if they only last him a couple trips? If you work for a living and have to make your $200+ reels last a few years, you're going to be a bit more concerned about longevity.

Probably a silly question, but has anyone here had an opportunity to look inside one of these? I'm curious about the quanitity of plastic bits inside. http://www.usreel.com/products/HIBDON800SX_Specs.aspx I've been eyeballin' this reel for a while now, and even bought the 700X that was for sale in the Flea Market to see how it worked. Surprisingly, it actually outcasts my Curado by about 5-6 yds with the same lure and the seesaw levelwind does a pretty good job of laying the line on the spool. It has a lot of plastic parts in it, though. I guess it's no more than you'd expect to see in a low/mid level reel, but it made me curious about the Hibdon model.

You can pair the Supreme XT with the BPS Carbonlite for ~$200 and put the rest towards good line. IMO, it's a much better feeling rod in the hand than the Veritas. ETA: There's also a $15 rebate going on and you get a free shirt. http://www.basspro.com/Pflueger-Supreme-XT/Bass-Pro-Shops-CarbonLite-Rod-Spinning-Combos/product/10210619/-1763188

Do what I do. Stand up and look around. If you see something that hasn't been used in the past 6 months, sell it. ;D Sometimes you just have to think like a crack head. ;D

Oh, ok. That's not so bad, then. Sounds like a good excuse to go shopping.

You need both. Light grease on gears and oil in bearings.