Bassyak

I have several Quantums, including 4 older model Energy PTs, an Accurist PT (the 6.2:1, it's a couple seasons old), and KVD Signature Series from '05 that is virtually identical to the Accurist except for the color. The only problems I've ever had with any Quantum reel is that the finish was not very durable on the old Energy reels and tended to peel off pretty easily. Other than that though, I have no complaints. My Accurist is a solid, great performing reel that I have paired with my 7' XH Carrot Stick for a pitching/flipping combo. I'm looking forward to trying out their new line of reels, too.

I had a Compre that was broken while I had it in my car and was subsequently in an accident. Took it to BPS and they exchanged it on the spot for a new one. That was in the fall of 2005.

I've had my best success with the bone white and chrome/black back, usually in the smaller versions (I think it's called the Super Spook Junior).

Looking at the website...it looks like a regular canoe with a flat transom for a motor and some added adjustable pontoons for stability. It looks like it would be a handful for one man to control, especially in the wind. I've tried to fish out of a canoe and I end up spending a lot more time messing with the canoe than fishing. Now I fish primarily from a Hobie Mirage Sport kayak that I bought a little over a year ago. For the 5 years before that I had the Mirage Outback and really enjoyed it as well, though it was a little larger than I wanted. In my opinion, the pedal propulsion system allowing you to keep fishing as you move around is the ultimate innovation in fishing kayaks. I've made some modifications to mine that make it even a more ideal fishing machine and I wouldn't trade it for any other type of individual fishing craft out there. The pics don't show the Mirage Drive unit, but you can see it in action on the Hobie website. The website kayakfishingstuff.com has tons of reviews of this and other fishing kayaks and more pics of rigged kayaks. They also sell them online along with all the stuff you need to rig them. Good luck in your search!

Thanks for the input, guys...I looked at the 844, but I already had a heavy 7 footer and wanted something a little lighter for more versatility in my lineup. Any input on the Loomis crankbait series? Anyone use these with success?

I usually just clamp a wooden dowel scrap or pencil in my workbench vise (using tape around it if necessary to make the spool somewhat tight on the dowel) and crank it on. Make sure you set up the spool so that the line comes off the bottom of the spool to counter any memory from being on the storage spool. I also use the arbor knot fasten to the reel spool.

When I started seriously bass fishing several years ago, I fell into the "quantity vs quality" trap and ended up with almost 30 different combos, most of questionable quality. Then I slowly started selling off some of my cheaper ones and getting some better equipment over the past year and a half or so. But in the past 3 or 4 months, I've picked up the pace and managed to whittle my rod locker down to about 9 or 10 baitcasters and 5 spinning rigs (not counting my inshore saltwater stuff), all of them of pretty decent quality. As I've shopped around for better stuff, I've seen the G. Loomis rods sitting there taunting me with their $300 plus price tags and wondered what in the world could make these rods worth that much money. I've seen several reviews in the forum on how good the rods are, sensitivity-wise, but I've never been able to try one out on the water. After someone mentioned the great deal on the Mossybacks they saw on eBay, I started watching for a deal. I ended up winning an IMX MBR843C for about $150, which I thought was a steal, based on the list prices I've seen. Can't wait to get it and get it wet. My question for those of you that have used this particular rod is, what techniques do you use it for? I bought this model to replace a Shimano Clarus 7' MH/XF, which (by the ratings) has a bit heavier action. I used it for jigs, Texas-rigs, Carolina rigs, and such, but I'm not sure if that's the ideal applications for the new rod. If I'm as impressed with the MBR843C as I hope I'll be, my next target will be a CBR843 to fill a hole in my arsenal. I've yet to have a true cranking rod (anything softer than a fast tip) and am anxious to find a good one. Anyone use this model or have any experience with it? I typically throw small to medium cranks, (1/2oz or less, diving 10 ft or less) on 10lb mono or flouro. Thanks in advance.

I recently ran across a new 6'6" MH/XF Compre spinning rod at my local Sportsman's Warehouse for $30 on clearance (it was the older, brown blank model, but I still couldn't pass it up for that price, even though I didn't need it). I mated it with a Shimano Sahara 1000 spooled with 10lb PowerPro and I use it primarily when walking the banks and fishing from shore. I can throw all kinds of lightweight stuff on it, usually a weightless Zoom trick worm or a 5" Senko. I would have preferred a Medium vice the Medium-Heavy, but I'll readily admit that I've really had no trouble casting light baits and almost prefer having the stronger rod in case I tie into a big one (especially since I tend to fish around a lot of heavy cover). In my opinion, if you can do the things you want to be able to do with the rod without damaging it, it doens't matter what the ratings are.

I do most of my fishing from a kayak and ran into the same problem. I recently picked up an '08 Quantum Energy PT rod in a 6' MF and it works out perfect for throwing all my topwaters with treble hooks. I was looking for something with a pistol grip, but couldn't really find one I liked in my price range and the pistol grip doesn't really fit in my rod holders on my kayak, so I went with the Energy with the truncated split grip. I've really enjoyed it thus far and it's great looking and performing rod for the price ($70 on eBay).

*** Floater is a good choice, though the color selection is limited and they're a little longer than the Kut Tail. I usually just fish the black ones on a 1/0 or 2/0 Mustad Ultra Point in very shallow water (< 6 ft) and the hook is enough weight to make them fall head first and then stay vertical on the bottom. Should work well on a shakey head setup too.

Yes...some mono on the spool first helps it grip the spool and keep from sliding. You can also tape it to the spool, but most folks use mono backing, as it helps fill the spool as well (since braid is usually much thinner and would cost too much to fill the entire spool). I imagine if you pull on your line you'll see the line slip on the spool.

Sounds like too much line on the reel. There should be at least an 1/8" lip of the spool remaining when it's fully spooled. The type of line you have loaded might make a difference too.

I recently picked up two of these rods off eBay for $70 each, a 6'M and a 7'M. The shorter one is perfect for topwater poppers and Spooks from my kayak. I really needed the shorter rod and shorter grip for working these baits while sitting so close to the surface of the water, and it works like a champ. I use the 7' for some light to med cranking (though I still want to get a more modearate action rod for dedicated cranking) and tossing other lighter weight baits, such as weightless plastics. They are great rods for the price, with Fuji components and quality cork handles. The black blanks and silver wraps look very slick. I could do without the fore grip, but it doesn't really bother me all that much, especially not at half the price of my rods that don't have a fore grip (Carrot and Powell).

I think the main thing most people associate with a "bass boat" is having a shallow draft combined with a large casting deck that is almost as high as the gunwales, giving you an elevated place to look down into the water and cast/flip/pitch, while maneuvering in very shallow water (usually with a trolling motor). That being said, I've caught a lot of bass out of a lot of different boats and it's really up to you. I have a 17' Bass Tracker that most folks would consider a "bass boat," but I've caught a whole lot more fish out of my kayak.

I picked up some Mann's Hardnose 9" worms at Tackle Warehouse on sale last week. I like the hard head on these baits; they really keep them from sliding down the hook. Haven't had much chance to use them yet, though so I don't know how well they catch fish. I have had good luck in the past with green pumpkin Zoom Ol' Monsters, though, and they're around $3 a pack too.

I have two Crucial spinning rods (7'2" ML dropshot and 7' M), both with Shimano reels. The 7'2" ML has a Symetre 1500 and the 7' has a Saros 2500. Both are great reels, very smooth, nice drags, and look good, too. I prefer the Saros a little more because of the upgraded features it has over the Symetre (one-piece bail, new spool design, harder gears, etc..). I bought the Symetre a few years ago for ~$80 and just got the Saros a couple months ago for $100 on eBay.

Sorry... I don't have any experience with G Loomis rods either, but I'm thinking about getting one of those Mossybacks too and wanted to tag on another question to your post here that might help us both decide. I'm guessing by the regular price that these rods fall somewhere between an IMX and a GLX in perfromance, but I'm not sure. Anyone have much experience with these rods and able to compare them with some other G Loomis models and other brands as far as sensitivity and power? (I'm considering the BCR853 for a worm rod) Thanks.

I've been having very good success this year with a weightless black Zoom Trick worm rigged on a 2/0 Mustad wide gap hook. The bass up here in WA really love it and we have pretty clear water in most lakes I fish as well. I rarely feel the strikes, they just suck it in and swim off with it.

I like a 6'8" to 7' MH action, with a fast or extra-fast tip. I usually use a longer rod when I can. I use the shorter ones when I have to make tighter casts.

I have a 7' Extra Heavy Carrot Stix paired with an Accurist PT spooled with 50 Sufix braid that I use for flipping/pitching. The light weight of the rod more than makes up for a slightly heavier reel and it's a great combo for pitching/flipping all day. The EVA grips are new to me, but very comfortable and I love the split seat for lots of blank contact while palming the reel. I don't really care for the look of the stainless guides, but have had no problems with them, especially in the short cast applications that I use the rod for. I'm definitely impressed with the rod for the price point and may be picking up another sometime soon after I sell some of my older stuff. I also have a Powell 704C heavy action that I use for a frog rod, and I like it as well. I don't think it's as light as the Carrot, but I like the Alconite guides better, and now it's even cheaper than the Carrot. I'm gonna order a Powell 683C to replace my 6'10" Kistler Magnesium as soon as it sells on eBay.

I have a 7' Extra Heavy Carrot Stix paired with an Accurist PT spooled with 50 Sufix braid that I use for flipping/pitching. The light weight of the rod more than makes up for a slightly heavier reel and it's a great combo for pitching/flipping all day. The EVA grips are new to me, but very comfortable and I love the split seat for lots of blank contact while palming the reel. I don't really care for the look of the stainless guides, but have had no problems with them, especially in the short cast applications that I use the rod for. I'm definitely impressed with the rod for the price point and may be picking up another sometime soon after I sell some of my older stuff.

As far as I know, Carrot only makes 1-piece rods. I really like my 7' Extra-Heavy model that I use as a flipping stick, even with the guides as they are (they work well with braid). I also have a couple Quantum Energy rods on order that should arrive today. I've heard lots of good stuff about them, which is what prompted me to buy them online(I am in a similar situation in that there are no local stores that carry most rods I want to try). They also have several two piece models, which should meet your criteria. They list for $100, but I got mine off eBay for $70 with Buy-it-Now. The two-piece models often go for even cheaper in regular auctions, since not as many people buy them.

Based on the number of Quantum reels I have (8), I'd have to say Quantum. But Shimano (5) is starting to move up in my rod locker more often (especsially the spinning reels). And I recently purchased a Pflueger Summit and Patriarch and they are both great so far--very smooth casters and sharp-looking to boot. This may all change in the next few months when Quantum and Shimano release their new models.

I'd have to say lightweight too, as I have yet to have or use a perfectly balanced spinning rig. All of mine are tip heavy to some degree, some more than others. Just a little tip heavy is preferable as it helps me load the rod when casting light lures.

I have two Crucial spinning rods (7'2" ML dropshot and 7' M), both with Shimano reels. The 7'2" ML has a Symetre 1500 and the 7' has a Saros 2500. Both are great reels, very smooth, nice drags, and look good, too. I prefer the Saros a little more because of the upgraded features it has over the Symetre (one-piece bail, new spool design, harder gears, etc..). I bought the Symetre a few years ago for ~$80 and just got the Saros a couple months ago for $100 on eBay.