islandbass

That's what I call a hokey pokey bass, because, "that's what it's all about!" Congrats!

BR, Thanks! I appreciate the clarification. I normally don't fish depths greater than 20' and I wanted to confirm that the choice for Medium power was related to fishing greater depths. It seems to make sense. 8-)

Try to see how the Pflueger spool sizes translate to Shimano/Daiwa spool sizes. For example the drop shot could be well handled with reels that have spool sizes between 1500 and 3000. The Pflueger 3000 might be a size 30 reel and if it is, I'd try to find one with a 2500 size. My preferences for drop shotting are reels with size 2000 (20) or 2500 (25) spools. I am assuming bass fishing. If I were targetting larger species, then 3500 or 4000 for fish like salmon.

Grassassasin sounds cool. How about Grassinator, from the Governator. Go Arhhhnold. ;D

I think one of the advantages of lead is its relatively low melting point. However, if 1/8 oz jigs are out of the question, then perhaps you might consider using some type of buoyant foam and place it behind the jig head. The foam's buoyancy should counteract the lead's weight. The material I am picturing is something like piping insulation or the material that "dink" floats are made of.

I have drop shotted with rods as short as 6'6" through to 7'. My current rod dedicated to drop shotting is 7'. If you need the line control, 7' is not too shabby. I know of one Lamiglas rod that is a 6'3" finesse rod. I imagine it would handle like a light saber and it is a sweet rod to boot. I can't comment on the Elite Tech, but as already mentioned, it probably couldn't be worse than the Crucial. I am curious as to why it is common sense that a drop shot rod needs to have a medium power. Is it the cover you face or do you plan to fish deeper waters? I ask this only because my DS rod is a ML power and I can't describe how flawlessly it has performed. 8-) Those Elite techs look decent too.

All of the above. It would be interesting to see this as a poll.

Another vote for Cabelas. The reason I recommend this is because you already have ugly sticks. It's time to explore and try rods from other makers. You'll be on the dark side soon enough.

Lamiglas... 'nuff said. Nothing against St. Croix, but the lamis feel much better in my hand. I get the perception that Lamiglas rods are underrated and understated and when you mention Lamiglas, people think, crankbait rod. That is sad. If you don't like it, I'll buy it from you. here's a review of an excel. While it isn't a spinning rod, you can get the gist from it with regard to good bang for the buck. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewlamiglasexcel734c.html

I don 't. I 'm not supersttious or anything like that but I 've found a trend, when I take the camera I don 't catch anything worth taking a picture of, when I don 't take the camera is when I catch something worth taking a picture but I got no camera. so, the camera satays at home. I have the same luck. Camera brought = fish caught not worth photographing, most of the time. There's always the cell phone camera. ;D

Yo Zuri is not a fluorocarbon, as it's name suggests it is a FC/nylon blend. x2 x3 x4 on the invizx and yozuri being a great bargain. I was lucky once to find yozuri in 12# for $6 for a 600 yard spool. For those who dislike how wirey and unruly some fc lines can be, try Invizx. I have not seen an fc line more limp and manageble, especially for finesse purposes. If anyone has given up on fc because of its stiffness or unmanageability, I'd bet a floating rapala that they haven't tried Invizx. And like other lines, no two fc lines are equal. It would be the equivalent of trying one braid or mono and having a bad experience and thinking the same line tyoe from other makers is going to act exactly the same.

Absolutely not. If it were true, all of my reels would be broken. ;D Have fun. Good see I am not the only one willing to cast while it's snowing.

They have a camo version? Well, I'd "never" buy it anyway. If I put it down in the bush, I might not find it. ;D Just kidding. I'm going to have check some local shops to see if the have it. Camo. Now that's awsome.

If you are familiar with Trilene XL and XT mono lines, then this can help... Elite can be likened to XL. It seems limper. I wouldn't mind using it where abrasion resistance is a requirement. I'd use it for finesse, topwater and anywhere I might deal with open water or very little cover. Siege can be likened to XT. It seems to be more abrasion resistant. I would prefer this for heavier cover. I use siege for all around and crankbaits in 10# test. Both are awesome. I have never seem a mono line resist memory as well as either line. Not only that, it is reasonably priced which translates to great bang for the buck. Sufix done did right with these two lines. 8-)

It is the curado of two iterations ago, the predessor to the Curado D. The "B" was its designation and the SF stands for super free. It is still a decent and quite well loved reel. They can be had for about 80 dollars give or take. It will handle 1/4 lures with ease. You might encounter some work with less weight, but hey, most non light weight lure specific casting reels aren't going to fare any better until you get to the Chronarch/Pixy/Sol class anyway. Unlike its D or E sisters it does NOT have the HE gearing but it doesn't mean it's a lousy reel. I have one and they're awesome reels. I believe its drag is somewhere between 10-12 lbs which is acceptable to me. Here is a review of it http://www.tackletour.com/reviewcuradosf.html

My best chances for top water action in our state for LMB have been later spring in the evenings as the sun is setting and late fall. It can happen at any time, but it seems for me that the greater % happened in those time frames. Topwater might not be the best choice now, given the current weather pattern. Make sure you hold on tight. There is no other bass strike like a topwater. Trust me... It's a blast.

The St. Croix's just feel okay in my hands and that's just me. I can tell you that the Compre is going to be a no frills, awesome workhorse that will get the job done. It's sensitivity is excellent and quite exceptional for a $100 rod. I have the 6'6" MH 2-piece that is my "panacea" spinning rod. I do everything for toss treble hook lures, t-rigs, jigs, and even drop shotting with it. It was even landed coho salmon thanks to my dad. I reckon its 1-piece sister would be a bit sweeter in the sensitivity department and the 2-piece is no slouch. With that said, I was very impressed with the Lamiglas Excels. They felt good in hand, at least the models I tried. I think I need to give the bait monkey answer and say to get one of each. ;D I'd go for the Lami, but only because I already have a Compre.

Thanks for your responses! I might buy a mud hole blank for practice on second thought. Since the Lamiglas HQ is a mere 2 hours away, I think I'll drive down to say hello and get the blank that way.

I might be anal but anytime my reel gets dunked, I'm going to have a look see when I get home. Not only water could get in, but also fine dirt and silt too. You wouldn't want any of this stuff causing your reel to fail when you might have the fish of a lifetime on. Most of the time you will find some water has seeped in. Just dab a rag to dry the innards and check if other places need to be regreased or lubed.

Topwater is one of the most exciting ways to catch a bass. The time will come for you, no doubt. However, that collection is not going to be complete without a few poppers. Rapala's skitter pop is a practical shoe in when the conditions are right.

With the recent posts of such beautifully crafted rods, it's pushing closer and closer to wanting to build rods. I have done my preliminary research, but still have a few questions such as: 1) Determining the Location of the reel seat - How is this done to ensure that the rod is balanced? I am asking for both casting and spinning rods. 2) How in the world do I know the right reel seat size? It seems that 16 and 17 are the most common. Any thoughts on the pros and cons of skeleton reel seats? 3)What are your choices of Epoxy for the guides and to install the reel seat? I plan to build on a Lamiglas 7'2" XMG50 casting blank with alconite guides. I know it's going to be a first time build but I am going to take it slow. Thanks!

Wow. It just makes me want to really give rod building a try now! Great work, Eddie!

Don't know what kind of braking system your reel has, but the link below is a primer to just getting started. Even if your reel doesn't use centrifual brakes there are great nuggets of information. If I can say one thing that is use at least 1/2 of weight to start and think of not using anything lighter until you get the hang of it. Use a bass casting weight and stay away from learning with lures that are not very aerodynamic.

You could probably find a Shimano Symetre FI for about $50 these days. I'd put my money on one. If not, then the Shimano Spinning reel at that price point. I think that would be the Sonora or Sedona but I could be mistaken.

Do you mean balancing the lure so it floats upright unassisted? It will really depend on the actual shape of the lure, but a good starting point is the lowest point or as close to that as possible on the body. As a reference, this location is somewhere from being directly under where the belly treble is to somewhere forward, closer to its neck or throat. Your final location of the weight and the amount of weight you use can influence the wobble. If this is your first time, promise yourself to not get frustrated. There will be a good deal of trial and error, but persistence will pay you dividends in rewards and accomplishment and eventually having catch fish. Good luck!