Stasher1

I know this won't help in your situation, but I've gotten in the habit of engraving the underside of the lip with the diving depth, and in some cases the brand and model. It's won't wear off like marker sometimes will.

You will have a hard time getting a rod that performs like the Johnny Morris Elite, for $200. x3 I've got a Johnny Morris Signature Series spinning rod that's become my favorite spinning rod in the past few months. They're on sale right now, as are the JM Elite rods. Picked up a Kistler Magnesium TS crankbait rod a little while ago for $150, and like it alot. Sensitive, light, and not as whippy as a lot of other crankbait rods.

TW also accepts payment via Paypal. I can sell off my unwanted gear here and order new stuff from TW without the wife getting on my case about my spending.

Well, I ordered my new Patriarch Wed. night and it should be here by Tues. if everything goes well. Good timing, too, since I got laid off this morning and won't have to call in sick when I go try it out next Wed.

I've been using nothing but BPS EWG hooks for the past year and can count on one hand the number of fish I've lost, and I think the majority of those could be attributed more to poor hookset than bad hooks.

I disagree that it takes any kind of fancy reel. I learned when I was a kid on a 25 year old technology reel (at the time-even more old school now). There is one key point to remember and/or feel when starting out....And that is to keep the rod loaded. Spinning only guys get used to whipping it out there....A baitcaster will backlash every time with that tactic. Practice with a heavy lure/weight, and a slower action rod... I never said it takes a fancy reel. There's a big difference between "fancy" and "quality". There's nothing fancy about an Abu 5500C3, yet it's still a quality reel.

The baitcaster's difficulty will vary, depending on the quality of the reel and your hand/eye coordination and timing.

Might not be that bad. Free room and board, and you get to wear pajamas all day.

For the past year or so I've been doing pretty much all of my fishing with spinning rigs with no problems at all. I've decided to focus more on cranks this year, so I bought a new rod and have a new BC on the way, but that's mainly due to the lack of decent crankbait rods for spinning reels. Stick with what you're comfortable using.

I picked up a 6'6" MH Team Daiwa - V rod on clearance about a year ago for $25. It's a nice looking rod and has a nice feel in the hand, but I've never had it out to the lake.

Personally, I'd take any BPS rod from the Pro Qualifier-level and up over a Mojo. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it just a Premier with a split grip? I have no interest in the Premier, and feel the same way about the Mojo.

I live less than 15 miles form the Atlanta BPS and go there fairly often. While it is true that you can often find the same items cheaper from some online dealers, it's still nice to be able to hold an item in your hand and verify the color, size, shape, condition, etc. before you shell out the cash. For example, if you order a Bomber Fat Free Shad in Tennessee Shad and a Bomber Model A in Tennessee Shad you're going to get two completely different colors. It's also one of the best places to compare rods and reels, side by side. You can go handle a couple dozen different rods/reels, and then go home and order the one you like from another dealer for less money. I was there earlier today fondling every baitcast reel between $100 and $275. I've got it narrowed down to two, now I just need to scour the net to see who has the best deals.

It does a good job of shading my noggin and is sufficiently ventilated to keep the headsweat under control. I got mine on sale from Campmor for about $20.

I really appreciate it, cart7t. I took the day off to do a little shopping and general bumming around, and decided to hit the local BPS to see how the JM and the Patriarch feel in the hand. Comparing specs online will only get you so far. The JM is butter smooth and looks/feels like a nice solid reel, but it's on the large side and pretty heavy for a low-pro reel. The sale price during their spring sale (after reel trade-in) is only $105, which makes it a real bargain, imho. The Patriarch is just as smooth (possibly even smoother) and even in the WLP version it's still smaller and lighter than the JM by about an ounce. BPS has them for $199, but they're available online for $130-$150. So the only question left to answer is this... Is the size/weight difference between the two worth the $25-$45? I think so. On a side note, the new Pro Qualifier looks to be a pretty darn nice reel for the money. I was really impressed by the solid feel and overall smoothness Not at all what I expected.

I don't wear one quite like that, but I do wear a larger hat to keep my ears and neck from getting burnt. This is the one I wear... http://www.rei.com/product/778057

Actually, an Ugly Stick wouldn't be a bad choice as long as you're only using it for cranks. Soft tip, decent backbone, good price, and pretty good warranty.

According to their boxes, the wide spool versions hold 160/12 while the narrow version holds 100/12. Since this reel will only be used for lipless and shallow cranks, I won't be spooling it with braid.

They do appear similar externally, and it's my understanding they're very similar internally, yet different. I know the JM has a higher max drag rating, but it's also 1-1.4 oz heavier than the Patriarch, and supposedly bigger overall. The reel I'm currently using for this task (Abu EXT-Pro) weighs 9.8 oz, so the weight difference isn't a deal breaker, but it is something that I'm looking at.

You are correct. Since max diving depth isn't typically an issue with shallow divers and lipless cranks, it'll be spooled with the same 12# Sufix Elite that I use on my current cranking reel. You may be right. I have a tendency to fall into the "if one is good, two would be great" school of thought. :-/ cart7t, in your experience, is there a huge performance difference between the Patriarch and the JM Signature Series reels? With BPS's pricing during their big spring sale, and the reel trade-in discount, the JM would only be $105. As much as I like the lighter and more attractive Patriarch, the rather large price difference makes the decision much more difficult.

Hmm...I hadn't thought about that. :-/ I was thinking about getting the WLP for the added line capacity. How much difference do you think there would be in casting distance between the two, using light lures?

I've got a 6'6" M/F Crucial spinning rod that's very nice, light and sensitive as you'd expect. They're great rods for the price, but the narrow lure weight range on mine limits its usefulness. The Compre, IMHO, feels like a broomstick. I've handled them on numerous occasions, and have even convinced myself to buy one a couple different times, but once I get them in my hand I lose all desire to own one. I know there are many satisfied Compre users out there, but it just doesn't scream "buy me". Picked up a 7' med/mod-fast Kistler Magnesium TS crankbait rod a little while ago, and have been pleased so far. It's light, sensitive, and flexible without being too "whippy". I've yet to actually catch anything on it, so I can't tell you how well it handles with a fish on, but I have no problem yanking 1/2 oz. lipless cranks thru the weeds. I've never owned a Carrot Stix rod, nor have I used one, but I have handled them in the store and put them right back on the rack where I found them. They're cute, but the guides are a real deal-breaker for me. They look like the ones on a $20 Berkley Cherrywood. IMHO, for the money they ought to come with Fuji Alconites.

Can anybody here tell me how well the Patriarch does casting light cranks, like 1/4 oz.-3/8 oz.? I'm looking to buy a new reel for lipless and/or shallow cranks and the Patriarch looks like the one...if it can cast the lighter cranks well.

I enjoy their site. It's one of the first places I go when I'm looking for info on a rod or reel. Their flourocarbon shoot-out was enlightening, as well.

They only dance to Bill Dance's theme song.

Daiwa Regal 1000XiA, Eagle Claw "Featherlight" rod, 4# Trilene XL The rod is all fiberglass, so it's very "whippy", but it works fine for bream and small bass.