Hot n Tot

Right now my favorite is a Loomis GLX CR722 with a Daiwa TDZ 105H reel. Great for worms, jerkbaits and topwater.

For the money, I think St. Croix Avids

ditto on the St. Croix Avid MHF for frogging.

Daiwa TDZ

When my brother-in-law Larry was visiting was visiting us when we lived on a lake, we used floating Rapalas alot. After we went to the bait store and he purchased some Long A's we started hammering them with it. My wife named it the "Larry Lure", and so we still call the long A by that name more than 15 years later.

Check out the medium power St. Croix Avid, I think you will be impressed. If money is not an issue, look at the Croix Legend Elite or the 3-power Loomis rods: SJR783 in either IMX or GLX.

I just ordered a #450 & #550 and received them a few days ago. They are expensive, but I really like the action of these lures. I also got one of their topwater plugs with spinners on each end and the middle. I'm anxious to get them wet.

Ok, here is another opinion. I don't know what you have for a worm rod, but this Avid is perfect for soft plastics. Keep it and get another cheaper rod for Topwater if money is the issue. Try it with worms and soft plastics before you give up on it. If you got it for $100, no way should you return it. I sure wouldn't. BTW, St. Croix does not overrate their rods. Other companies might underrater theirs, but Croix's are rated correctly for bass fishing in my opinion.

If I had to chose one it would be a baby torpedo. I have used Rapala minnows on top for years, although it's not technically a topwater bait.

Does anyone like these lures? I just ordered a couple and they seem to have a terrific action, much more so than the Rapala minnows.

I have several Avids, and most of them are more powerful than comparably rated Loomis rods that I have. However, the Medium Avid casting rod has a very soft tip. I believe this is one St. Croix rod that in not overrated powerwise. I would not consider the MF or MH/F an "all around" rod, but your criteria may differ. The MF Legend Elite I have is very close in power to the Loomis MBR783, and I would think a rod like that might better fit your needs, I don't know about your budget. A cheaper all around alternative might be the Loomis MBR783 in GL3. It fits in between the two Avid rods powerwise. I have these rods and these are my opinions, but you should check them out for yourself before purchasing.

That MH Avid rod would be nice for worm fishing, but I don't think you would like it at all for topwater and other treble hook lures. The MF Avid would be a nice topwater rod. I'm assuming you are talking about casting rods. The MH you mentioned is rated for 3/8 - 1 oz lures. Good Luck

For years my go to top water bait was an original Rapala floater/diver. I'd just twitch it on the surface and if I reeled in at all, it was very slowly so the it didn't really dive.

I'm wondering about the original balsa floating Rapala. Do you use them much and which size is your favorite? My first one was a #7 in gold/black. My first memorable day bass fishing (other than my very first bass) was using this lure and killing them casting into the shallows with an ultralite rod. This was in the mid seventies. a few years later, I met up with an old friend from school, and he was using a longer, 3 treble hook silver/black..size 11 think but it could have been a 13. He looped the the line around the front hook so it would turn on it's side when he twitched it. I was impressed with the quanity and size of the bass he was catching that day. He said it was the only lure he used, and for some time after that it was about the only lure I used as well. Now I don't use them as often, sometimes I never tie one on during an outing, although I always have some with me. I still have a special feeling for this lure, and will always remember fish I've caught with them. For those of you too young to remember, there was a look or life magazine article about this lure back in the 60s, titled "the lure fish can't refuse. My uncle was the first person I knew who used one, and he killed them on our local lake and I was really impressed, and saved my money and purchased my #7 gold/black which I still have 40 some years later. Back then, we used pre-rigged plastic worms during the day, jitterbugs late evenings, and Rapalas. If we wanted to try for the "king of freshwater", the northern pike we would tie on a Mepps. Well, this was my first exposure to bass fishing which I still have fond memories of.

I used to use night crawlers and minnows that I'd trap when I lived on a lake. Honestly, I don't think live bait works any better day in and day out, and is not really worth the hassle. I only use artificial now and haven't touched live bait in years.

original floater in #13, I kinda like the blue/white or the silver/black but I don't really think color matters much. I also like the #7 shad rap in shad. I've also had some luck with the DT-4 in silver.

For those of you that fish them, what are your favorite Shad Raps? Personally I like the #7 shad pattern, but am also having good luck with the #5 shad. Only thing with the #5 is I always seem to catch lots of bluegill as well. The #7 also lands me lots of pike because I primarily fish them in the spring while the weeds are sparse. Also, what is your rod of choice for tossing them? I'm using a Loomis GL3 6'-6" medium (SJR-782). thanks

Just wondering why you purchased the two GLX rods in the first place? You must have like the feel and balance of them? What did you expect? Just wondering.

Same here, my first Loomis rods were purchased in the mid nineties and are just as good as the newer versions.

I am right handed and always use RH baitcasters. I purchased a LH Curado two years ago for my frog rod, and just couldn't do it. I immediately returned it for a RH reel. The place I purchased it thought it was the dumbest thing in the world to be right handed and try a LH reel. They obviously don't see it happen very often, and couldn't understand why anyone would try it. I got the idea from reading these message boards and realizing lots of guys here do it that way, but it didn't work for me. With spinning rods, I only reel LH and couldn't imaging doing it any other way. I guess its all in whay you get used to, I'm over 60 and have fished for many years this way.

Wow, Shakespeare outsells St. Croix!

Yeah, really hard to pick just one. Right now I think it's my Loomis BCR803 GLX, but I really like my St. Croix rods, especially my Legend Elite 6'-6" Medium-Fast casting rod.

I've had good luck with the TD Minnow.

It would have to be a Steez 103

MBR842 Loomis Casting Rod