The_Natural

Tough decision; the new Quantums are very competitive and the 7:1 reels will cast light weight baits better than the Curado. The Curado is a proven reel, but I'm not one to wait a few years until I get the 'all clear' signal from everyone else.

totally agree........its how it got into it in the first place. The Steez...........I did months of research as it was an expensive proposition. I wanted to get something that had a lot of quality and would last a long time. I was so confused that I sort of gave up near the end of my research and was about to give up and pick anything when Daiwa just happen to come out with something new. I thought, thats it! I'm getting that! The Steez rods represent the highest build quality of any factory rod I've owned. You are officially ruined....you skipped all the 'steps' that lead to a $300+ rod purchase. You won't be able to purchase a lesser rod from now on....I promise. Don't give up on the casting reel; but the brakes on full blast, and tighten down the cast control knob. You can definitely make the reel almost impossible to backlash, albeit you will get little distance. You can back off the cast control knob slowly but surely.

They are impressive. They are quality baits with good paint jobs and quality VMC 2x hooks. I'm not going to tell you they are as good as a Lucky Craft, but I will say you get 75% of a Lucky Craft for 25% of the price. $3.79 is a steal...they could charge double that and it would still be a good deal.

I may have you beat on rods and reels, but I'm envious of your freezer! I'm slacking in the panfish area....I need to take my wife soon. There aren't any fish in the sea that compare to crappie, sand bass, or bluegill IMHO. I'll bring the cornmeal!

It's important to try new baits to broaden you horizons and make you versatile. Over half of professional tournaments are won with hard baits (jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits), and building confidence in these lures will make you a more successful angler. I can recommend a few 'no fail' hardbaits that easily get bit. The Lucky Craft Moonsault CB-100 is simply a 'no-fail' crankbait. I had my best friend (whom doesn't fish) throw this crank on a spinning rod and he tore it up. For spinnerbaits; throw a finesse spinnerbait to get frequent bites; the more bites you get the more confidence you build. The War Eagle finesse spinnerbait in 5/16oz is extremely reliable. The same goes for a jig. Smaller finesse jigs get bit when others don't. Just fish the jig like you do your worm and you will be good to go. For jerkbaits...a pointer 78 is a guarantee. Good luck....

Why is it that anglers that were dominant in the '80's aren't competitive in tournaments today? Rick Clunn, Shaw Grigsby, Randy Blaukat, etc. aren't threats to win anymore, yet have more experience than anyone on tour. Why are they getting their butts kicked? I hyposthesize that as you get older...you are less subject to change, and bass fishing is constantly changing. You must constantly be on board with new baits and new techniques; you need to adapt to the times. Also...there are twice as many anglers today as there were in the '80s....so the competition is better. Older pros have admitted that it was easier to start a career back in the days of only BASS Invitationals. Now you really have to be 'elite' to make it to the elite series. Anyway...it's food for thought. It's interesting that someone can be voted the best angler of all time, yet with significantly more TOW and experience....not be dominant. I just think today's tournament anglers are more educated and just all-around better. It's kind of like comparing an old football team of the '70s like the Steelers to a current team. They were great back then, but I bet they would get their arse handed to them now days.

Some expensive Japanese lures work excellently Some Cheap American baits such as Norman Lures work well also. I feel just buying one or the other is ignorant. Also, paying $25.00 for a Chinese made lure is a joke....if you are paying good money for a crankbait and don't look at where it is manufactured...you are an idiot. Lucky Craft, Megabass, and Evergreen cranks are made in Japan, where labor is expensive and precise.

I had two built back in 2004. I didn't end up buying them; he was waiting on a shipment of blanks, and I purchased some Loomis rods in the meantime. Gblanks had a booth at the OKC tackle show literally the next week, and I saw my two rods for sale....the only two with black foam and silver winding checks . He's a nice guy and makes great rods....probably the best deal in custom rods period. You just email him what you want, and he delivers. I will say the black foam with silver checks looked badassss.

Unfortunately, that can be said for a good number of NBA players. The NBA has more thugs than any of sport or league. All the sports related shootings or weapons charges come courtesy of the NBA.

I don't own one, but have handled them in Bass Pro. The blanks are very large in diameter, and the rods felt kind of heavy. Very similar to the old E-glass blanks....

I think you guys missed this....definitely the problem. You can't just bury the hook in the blunt end of the Ika; there is no way for the hook to pop out and stick the fish's mouth when you set the hook. You need to tex-pose it normally....in one side and out the other.

Yeah...I just heard about the lawsuit this morning. Shimano is ticked....real ticked. He is under contractual agreement to never sell or market under the Loomis name. The blanks and rods will bare the North Fork Composites name of course, but Shimano is contesting he is marketing the rods under his name. It would be near impossible to prove though, because Gary can say he will be designing blanks at North Fork all he wants. As long as Gary doesn't say they are 'Gary Loomis' blanks...he is fine. Distributors, retailers, and everyone else can say what they want.

Double Palomar? Seriously? I've used the Palomar for 20 years, and in the event my line snaps (which is rarely), it generally isn't the knots fault. To be honest, it's just a bonus that the palomar is generally regarded as the strongest knot out of the 'standard' knots....the overlooked benefit that seems just as important to me is the fact the palomar is the easiest and fastest knot to tie. I think I can literally tie one in 2 seconds. I think I retie more due to the Palomar's ease of tying.

I'm no detective, but that sounds like a confirmation.

Anybody purchased the Bugly? Looks kind of good. You can buy it at tackle warehouse.

...Gary Loomis is back producing fishing rod blanks under the name of North Fork Composites. This new company will produce blanks and factory rods. I was told he would release something by the end of the summer. With GLX graphite being light years ahead of its time when it was released in the early 90's....I can only imagine what Gary will produce using today's technology.

mmm....Tennessee Tuffy

hehe....everybody seems to be affected.

I did? I mean...I was drunk last night, but not that drunk

Sure you can pitch heavier jigs with a spinning reel, but it's going to be significantly easier with a casting reel. If a stickup is 50ft away, gently setting a half-ounce jig on top of it without a splash would take some serious talent. I'd buy tickets to that show. Sure you can feather the line with your hand...I've done it. However...the difficulty level of that versus utilizing the spool tension knob a casting reel offers isn't even fair.

It's the most I've payed to date...a new 'record' if you will. I've purchased Megabass Griffons, WEC's, etc. at a discount, but limited WEC's can't be had for a cheap price. Honestly, it was a good deal at $25....the wobbler is a discontinued Ed Chambers bait. 4 more left! You know you want one.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=220412472358#ebayphotohosting

The CBR 845 is a tremedous rod that handles a wide range of cranks. That said, you can get away with a longer rod for throwing traps. Traps aren't a bait you generally throw around cover. Long casts cover more water and equate to more fish when flinging a trap. My pick? CBR 906....

That's the ticket...don't be scared of those looong rods like some anglers are. Dude...you are going to be able to severely launch cranks, and get them down deep. You might be able to spool that E5 with a 3/4oz trap! For launching deep cranks and pitching...a long rod is really an eye-opener.

If that is an 18.5lber....the old pic of the huge bass taken in Georgia is 50lbs. The old Georgia bass pic shows a fish that looks twice as big, that is twice as far away from the camera. I've never seen a bass bigger than that....

The highest quality spinnerbaits on the market are the War Eagle, Nichols, and S.O.B baits. However, being of high quality and catching fish sometimes don't go together. Take for instance the Red River Tackle spinnerbait. I have been fishing the white tandem 1/2oz Red River Tackle spinnerbait with the fluorescent red kicker blade for over s5 years now, and it is still one of the top 2 pre-spawn spinnerbaits I stock. In a club tournament where I used nothing but that bait....I went through 5 of them.....2 of which I lost the willow blade due to swivel or wire. Unfortunately...it catches fish. Here is the bait I am referring to....