Bass_Fanatic

Ive done it with a LFT Live Magic Shad. Can be deadly...

I fish plastics more often than jigs. I opt for a jig early in the year (February and March) and if the fish are being stubborn. I feel like a jig with round rubber in it can attract fish as it just soaks as the skirt moves with the water whereas a plastic just lays on the bottom.

I have a Zillian 100 SHA and it is a nice reel, but I still favor my Curado E's

Your problem has nothing to do with the kind of line your using. If anything, braid should help you turn the fish and work them out of the brush. Sounds like to me you need to tighten the drag down and bully em in to keep them out of the tops. Also, try something over the top of the brush instead of in it and see if you get bit.

HOLY COW!!!!! Awesome trip man...Ive been looking into Falcon, but I may look here now!!!

Thats a stud man!!!

m/f or m/xf is ideal for poppers Look at the Powell 6'10" TW exclusive jerkbait rod

Try a Powell 703 CB Glass or Dobyns 705 Glass...you will never look back.

Look at the Powell TW exclusive jerbait rod. Its 6'10" and a great little rod for jerkbaits and topwater...

Rods: Powell Reels: Shimano Line: Sunline Plastics: Rage and Missle Cranks: LC and Strike King Spinnerbaits: War Eagle Buzzbaits: Cavitron Frogs: Spro

That would be a great combo. I love my Mettle reels and I have played around with the Ethos rods and they feel awesome.

Powell Endurance 714C Curado E7 (slightly used)

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And any color as long as its white...

I would consider both the Veritas and the Powell Deisal rods. I have one Veritas and it is nice, Im just not a big fan of the reel seat. I dont own a Powell Deisal, but I do own some Max and Endurance series rods and for the price...you just cannot beat a Powell. The 723 should serve you well.

I use em all. Casting 1. Powell Endurance 714C/Plueger President - 16lb Sunline Sniper (heavy T-rig, spinnerbaits, chatterbait, hollow body swimbaits) 2. Phenix Recon 764/Diawa Zillian 100 SHA - 20bl Sunline Sniper (Pitching/Swimbaits) 3. St. Croix Avid 7' MH/F/Shimano Curado 50E - 14lb Sunline Sniper (T-rigs, C-rigs) 4. Shimano Cumara 7'2" M/XF/Shimano Citica 200E - 12lb Sunline Sniper (light T-rigs) 5. Shimano Crucial 7' M/XF/Shimano Citica 200E - 12lb Suffix Seige (jerkbaits) 6. Dobyns Savvy 734C/Shimano Curado 200E - 65lb Suffix 832 braid (Frogs) 7. Powell Max 703CB Glass/Shimano Curado 200B - 12lb Suffix Seige (deep cranking/sqaurebill) 8. BPS Carbonlite 7' M/M/Shimano Curado 200B - 12lb Suffix Seige (mid cranks) 9. Abu Garcia Vendetta 6'9" MH/F/H2O Mettle - 15lb Yozuri Hybrid (Everything) 10. Cabelas XMTLi 7' MH/F/Pflueger Patriarch - 12lb Pline CXX (topwater/squarebill/spinnerbait) 11. IROD Genesis II 7'10" Bama Rod/Pflueger President - 65lb Suffix 832 braid (Alabama rig/punching) Spinning 1. Abu Garcia Veritas 7' M/F/Diawa TDZ - 6lb Yozuri Ultra Soft (dropshot)

Try out the Powell Max rods. They are the best bang for the buck IMO. I love the lightweight, crisp, and sensitive feel of them not to mention they have every model to cover all techniques.

Try War Eagle spinnerbaits...they are the BOMB!

No doubt SHimano and Diawa took a back seat this year. Diawa did have the Lexa and a few rods, but Lews, Abu, and Quantum had a much better ICAST IMO. Lews is quietly sneaking up on Shimano and Diawa to compete for the best quality fishing reels made too. I was not impressed with any baits except maybe the Rage Recon and SHellcracker, but even those are not anything new. It was not a great year, but heck, I still found plenty of stuff to spend my money on lol.

The Quantum Accurist is a proven flip/pitch reel. They are super durable and will last you a lifetime. They are the only Quanum reel that I will recommend, but Quantum sure got it right with that one!

I want one of those Team Lews Pro Speed Spool! They look freaking sick!

Im not from Baton Rouge...Im a little north up in Alexandria area, but there is plenty of good fishing down that way. False River has some good fish in it, just tough to fish alot of times, but then you have the Spillway. I hear a ton of good reports from that place. Also Henderson, Verret, Des Allemonds, and the Delta just to name a few within 30 minutes or so.

There is a thread already introducing the Shellcracker. They all look awesome and Im ready to try em.

The Mettle is a great little reel. I love mine and for $50 your not going to find a better reel. Matter of fact, they go on sale occasionally for $25 and I load up on em! I have Curado B and E, Citica E, Pflueger Supreme, President, and Patriarch, and a Diawa Zillian an the mettle will outcast them all! I know it sounds stupid, but its true. I would say the Mettle competes with all $100 reels. It isnt quite as smooth as a Curado, but it will cast with it inch for inch. As you can tell, Im in love and so are most of my buddies. Around here, everyone uses them because they cannot be beat!

Looks awesome...Im pumped to fish these!