RogerWaters

I fished the Persuader Echip jig yesterday in muddy water. I was fishing the 5/8 oz. model in black and blue w/a black and blue netbait trailer. I landed 5 decent keepers and lost a few others. Twice I had the claws ripped off my trailer while I was reeling in, which made me think maybe the fish could track down the jig do to the echip :-/. I like the jig despite the echip technology, but I don't think I can justify the extra cost without more research being done first, which means I'll have to get out and fish with it more 8-). On another note, I fished on 4 different lakes this weekend (fri, sat, sun, mon) and I noticed very little boat traffic and very little camp/cabin/shore activity. The weather was real nice all 4 days and these are normally busy lakes, especially on a holiday weekend. As much as I enjoy the solitude, I hope this trend doesn't continue all summer, for the sake of the seasonal businesses.......

I gave the Carrot a real workout today and it didn't let me down. I fished with it all day and was able to boat several nice bass. I can't think of anything I don't like about this rod. I like the feel and action of it, I even like the hook-keeper design and location. The Castiac reel is very nice too. I didn't fish the Pursuader Echip jig today, but I will tomorrow in a different lake with stained water.......

Yup, Great reels in their time. I have a decent collection of old reels, many of them are Mitchell's and Abu's......

That's a tough one to find in that price range. When I brought mine back I upgraded to a Shimano Castiac 201, and so far I love it, but I've never had a Shimano reel I didn't like. I'm sure If you do some reel searches on this site, you'll get the answer you're looking for (or get alot more confused :-? ) Also, although I only had the magforce for a month and only used it about a dozen times, I already find myself missing the twitchin' bar applications.......

Yup. I fished one for about a month, then I returned it to BPS. The thumbar stuck open all the time and the drag came lose on its own. I love the twitchin' bar for taking up slack line while multi-tasking with my crank hand (drinking coffee, messing with sonar or gps, ect.) but it wasn't worth the trade off for poor operation. I might pick up the Viento w/twitchin' bar in the future, but it's 3 times the price......

Good Post. The next question is: Could a bass become conditioned to live bait? In other words, If a bass was caught several times on a live crayfish, would crayfish no longer be a part of his diet? Interesting........

Then what color is it, extra-dark grey?

Pitching is easier to learn than it is to teach, especially trying to teach it over the web. Here are a few tips that work for me: Start out with a heavy jig, 3/4 to 1 oz. Set the spool tension very light, set the brake mid-way. Let out enough line to put the jig even with the reel. Point the rod tip at the water/ground, while holding the jig in your hand. Keep the reel facing you, and keep your elbow up. The rod will be almost straight up and down, the reel will be at eye level. As you sweep the rod upward (most the movement should be in your wrist and elbow), move your 'jig hand' forward, as if you were going to toss the jig at the target. Let go of the jig before you release any line from the spool (about 'mid-sweep'). As you complete the rod sweep, release line from the spool, tethering as necessary (that's the hard part, you need an 'educated thumb' ). The rod should travel a longer range and use more energy than it would seem needed to make such a short cast, that is the key! I hope this helps, I'm no expert, but I pitch jigs about 80% of my fishing time (I flip the other 20% 8-))

I would go w/the telescopic one, but..... No matter which rod you choose, be careful on the hooksets. Not much to worry about with a swing and miss on the frog, but a 3/4 oz. jig coming back at you and your partner from close range can cause a problem (I've got the scar on my forehead to prove it :-[)

Very Good Post 8-).

There are some red trim rings around the grips on the carrot, basically making it a perfect match w/the core . I would even consider spooling it up w/red Power Pro braid .

I took my Daiwa magforce reel back to BPS today and swapped it for a Shimano Castiac 201SF. I felt the extra $110 would be money well spent. When I got home my Carrot Stix 7'-3" MH casting rod was waiting for me in a shipping tube on the porch. I spooled the reel w/30# Power Pro braid and a 30" 15# fluoro leader, tied on a 3/8 oz. Persuader Echip jig w/a NetBait trailer and took it down to the local pond to try out all 3 for the first time. First, the reel is great, as are all Shimano reels, IMO. The rod is very light and sensitive, as advertised. I could feel the claws on the trailer vibrate as I yo-yoed the jig through the weeds. I hit 2 smaller bass, both of which I could feel inhale the jig. The rod was stiff enough to bury the hook but had some give during the fight, just what I would consider for a MH rating. I will have to fish both the rod and reel more extensively before I can really comment on them, but so far I like this combo, ALOT. The Echip jig is well made but the real test will come in colored water, where I plan on fishing it behind a regular jig, to see if the fish can find it easier. Oh yeah, I did hit one more bass before I left. I could feel this one breathing on the jig before he inhaled it .

Thanks guys. I've been searching through past threads and I've found alot of helpful information without having to repost topics that have already been discussed. I hope to be able to add some helpful info of my own......

I had the same problems with mine. The free spool button sticks, (which is also true on my Daiwa 150HL). The drag comes loose on its own, and then it will still give line when tightened down all the way. Mine is headed back to BPS today.....

FishTank, Were the 15 fish all bass, or no bass, or a mixed bag? Also, were the 15 fish all legal to keep (based on size, creel limit, ect.) as stated by your local regs? I think that information would help, before responding, in this situation......

Hello everyone, I just thought I would introduce myself. I live in central New York and North Carolina. I fish rivers for salmon and trout and I ice-fish, but bass are my #1 target. I love flippin' jigs into heavy cover and/or stained water and waiting for my line to twitch . Anyway, thanks for havin' me!