The_Natural

This reel doesn't seem like it came from the same manufacturer as last year's model; it's a drastic improvement. I purchased two of the blue PT Tour Editions at a little over $100, but sold them fairly quickly. They didn't necessarily suck, but they were worth about the $100 I paid for them. The reel was heavy and loose; tolerances werene't tight at all. This years PT looked nice...a copy of Diawa it seemed, and I didn't plan on purchasing one. However, I played with them at Cabelas, and curiosity got the best of me. These new PT's aren't just a step up, but a major leap.. Tolerances are tight, and overall feel is excellent. My new reel test plug (a 1/4oz BDS 1) would effortlessly fly without a hint of an overrun. The new shallower spool was obviously a major contributor to this (12lb/110yds). Overall I'm impressed. Even though the titanium coating is really tough; I'm not a fan of the mirror finish, so I opted for a black finish on the sideplates curtosy of my airbrush and some House of Color black paint (plus clear). Anyway....I'll give an update in a few months to see how they are doing. Pretty tight internals with solid aluminum sideplates on both sides...

I've got some normal spike-it and JJ's magic, and if you like the clear dyes that seep in and give you a highlighter effect...go with JJ's. Lately though, I've been using spike-it's worm paint when I need a chartreuse tip. There really isn't anything like it. I can see the tip of a senko with the worm paint on it several feet down....long after my senko has disappeared.

Where? You just have to keep an eye out. I bought a bunch from Backwaters (now 'tackle experts'), I bought a bunch from Cabelas on clearance, and took advantage of Dick's putting L/C's on sale and combining a coupon. I've also bought a bunch off of ebay. There were quite a few being auctioned off the past month for .01 cents and $6.99 shipping. I bought 4 G-Splashes, and 4 LV-O's. I try and tell anglers all the time....you can fish with the best baits for cheap if you just keep an eye out. If you don't look...you won't find bargains.

I posted some pics on Tackle Tour in the 'Show and Tell' section. Apparently you can't link to a post over there. Heaven forbid I show someone another site....they may never come back! :

Oh, and don't spend $15 a bait. I have never paid more than $10, and usually a couple of dollars less for my entire arsenal of LC's.

Without question. If you asked me what my favorite brand of crank is, I might say Zoom WEC....I love Ed's baits. However, I throw Lucky Crafts the most. Moonsault cb100's, the entire flat mini series, BDS series, and RC series. They just flat out catch fish, and I have a ton of confidence in them.

Daiwa TD-Z. Best reel Daiwa has ever built.... P.S. How do you become an Ex-member? I mean once you are a member, I thought you would have to be banned in order to lose it. I noticed Avid was listed as an ex-member as well :-?

Your BPS's are better than mine . I've returned something twice this year (two reels), and had to take it to the fishing department to get 'approved', and then back to customer service. Customer service then had to radio back to fishing (after asking who I talked to), and get the OK to proceed. BPS does have a better selection than Cabelas, but try Cabelas customer service out. You could take a dump in a box and return it to Cabelas, and they would smile and take care of you.

I only have two of them done, but yes...I planned on posting pics this weekend. I'm working on finding someone local to put them back together.

30 outings is overdue for a breakdown and cleaning. I keep my reels spotless, and ANYTHING can get in the bearings or gears....regardless of the brand or price. Do you own a Camera? Why don't you take a pic for us....

Don't talk poop about old Homer Burley....I bet he has a pre-rigged purple worm with a little spinner on the nose...ready to lay the smack down on ya!

I made a post about something Homer recommended a couple of years ago, and I got blasted! Something about him being a legend I guess, but I have laughed several times at advice he has given.

I've got about a dozen of the first tru-tungsten jigs that are tied with kevlar; they are nicely finished. I don't beleive they are tied this way anymore. Anyway...what is the advantage of wrapping thread around there dozens of times?

Roadwarrior....I didn't know you finally bought a BCR. I knew you were looking for an 854 a while back, I guess I didn't know you hooked up with one. I love me some black foam (zillions and Steez 8-)), but the fact remains that the BCR is the pinnacle of sensitivity. The recoils coupled with the tuned glx blank makes just a stupid sensitive rod. Anyone who doesn't agree is kidding themselves. Now if they will just make a split-grip version, I'll buy another one fo' sho'.

I didn't mention it, but yes....this stuff would rock on baits. I plan on using it myself.

I may be able to help you. I've been working on repainting some TD-Z's for a few months, and it's been a trial and error process. Painting was fairly easy, but now it was time for the clearcoat. After being informed by the guys at TCP Global that automotive clear coat is too thick to spray through an airbrush, I tried to improvise. They recommended an aerosol clear, but I just didn't like the sound of 'arerosol'. I bought some clearcoat at my local auto parts store, and thinned it with denatured alcohol. It was able to spray through my airbrush just fine, but it wouldn't set up for some reason....it remained soft enough to show a fingerprint even a day later. So I had to strip the sideplate bare and repaint it. I call back the guys at TCP Global and they recommend U-Pol Clear #1, which they said is a body-shop worthy clearcoat. I had it in 3 days and I was ready to paint. After shaking the can for 2mins (which it recommends), and holding the can 10" away as directed....I started coating. I sprayed one pass and it seemed very speckled and sparsely coated...it automized very nicely, but it showed its thickness on the surface by not bleeding together. I made another pass and it began to close the tiny beads. One last pass and the surface fused together into a sheet of glass. A perfect, thick coat! Even though it was wet; I must have admired it for 10 minutes. The metallic in the black paint popped out like crazy. I let it dry for two days, and it formed a ridiculously hard layer. I polished it perfectly smooth with some liquid polish (meguiars 2.0). I highly recommed it.... http://www.tcpglobal.com/AutoBodyDepot/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemNo=UPO+796

I actually think the Carrots look nice; I just didn't like the guides at all. On another note....when are you going to snap a pic of all those reels you have? I can't wait! If you are sporting all those bad boys...the only haircut for you is a pimpin' afro. Word....

It's obviously personal preference, but I'm weary about using it. The fluroescent lines only become fluorescent when light hits them. In very murky or muddy water it probably doesn't make a difference. In ultra clear water, light penetration can reach 40ft or more, and I feel much safer with clear line. Something I did a long time ago was fill a glass pitcher with lake water. Then I tied a bait on to a 2-3ft strand of a couple of monos I wanted to test. Drop each in the pitcher and look at it's visibility. What prompted me to do this was the fact that Academy Sports put all the Crystal Clear CXX on clearance. Like most; I previously used the Moss green. I wanted to see just how much more visible the clear was. To my surprise, even the stained green tint of Grand Lake water didn't hide the darker profile of the Moss Green. It was visible, and the Clear wasn't. Light could penetrate the clear easier, and it blended in better. Try this for yourself....whether you test green or fluorescent against clear....you might be surprised.

A little powerful for drop shotting IMO, but it will definitely work. However, it will excel with all plastics in general....a medium x-fast is a plastic fishin' machine. Just watch the hookset with the tiny circle or drop shot hooks.

The Sol is a great cranking reel. I used to have two Sols paired with Kistler crankbait rods. I wasn't happy with the rods, but the reels were money. Perfect IPT for cranking IMHO.

Inviz-X is simply the limpest fluoro on the market....period. It stretches a ton, but so does Trilene XL and people love it. Inviz-X is for anglers that want managability versus anything else....beginners fluoro if you will. However, the softness of Inviz-X directly affects its abrasion resistance. Check out Tackle Tour's fluorocarbon shootout....Inviz-X tested significantly lower in abrasion resistance than Trilene XL, and I feel Trilene XL is far from representing an abrasion resistant line. Fluoro's I will rate as far as 'limpness' Seaguar Carbon Pro...decently limp and castable....not very abrasion resistant....absorbs water like mono and turns white in a few weeks) Trilene 100%...limp...yet great abrasion resistance. Great clarity and slick feel. Does not absorb water or turn white with use. Knots consistently broke a couple of pounds higher than it's rating. Seaguar Inviz-X....Very limp...good knot strength, but poor abrasion resistance. Sunline FC Sniper...this very limp line is probably the most abrasion resistant of any lines that are 'noodle-limp'. This means it isn't very abrasion resistant, but tolerable. Fishability and castability were VERY close to Trilene XL. Like Inviz-X, it stretches like a rubber band, but on the bright side it will actually break at what it is rated.

A 7:1 is all about taking up slack. Reeling down when you get a bite represents the 2 or 3 second 'wait time' or interval in between the bite and hook set. A 7:1 takes up more slack and shortens the time between bite and hookset. Any plastic or jig rod will benefit from a 7:1. Equally beneficial is the ability for the high-speed reel to get your bait back to the boat....stat. Smart pros know getting more casts in=more fish....it's a numbers game (very similar to when I sold cars...not everyone will buy, but the more people I waited on....the more cars I sold). I read an article this year (kvd maybe?) about getting more casts in than your opponents, and this guy figured he makes about 700 casts while the competition was making only 500.. Before I had read any articles on it; I knew the times I had outfished my boater in tournaments was a direct result of me making more casts (don't get me wrong...it didn't happen every tournament ). I didn't have the trolling motor to worry about, and I 'machine gun' casted. My boss at the car dealership used to say 'just get in front of people'. It's easy to apply that logic to bass fishing, and it makes sense. Getting your bait in front of more bass will directly increase your catch ratio. A 7:1 is an excellent aid in doing this. KVD fishes with 7:1's for everything...but he is more man than I

;D Beat me to it by a minute... You both beat me . I honestly can't comprehend how anyone could try Trilene 100% and not like it. It has very little memory, has perfect clarity (no yellowish tint), is VERY abrasion resistant, and doesn't turn white after a few weeks like several fluoro's I've tried. I'm done trying new fluoros.....I have bulk spools of the 100%.

All around and in-between...I just maintain contact with my sinker. Vertical pulls with sinkers 3/4oz or less will result in hopping your weight unless worked really slow. Some do like to hop their sinker off the bottom...giving their bait some lift and letting it flutter back down. I generally prefer to use a 1oz sinker and maintain bottom contact, stirring up debris as my weight kicks along, allowing my bait to bounce along seemingly weightless. I'd say the afforementioned techique is the preferred method.

Coming in first doesn't happen often enough, but when you do it is always memorable. My wife and I were in bass pro the week before my tourny, and I spotted a little 3/16oz Leverage spinnerbait in 'Naked Shad'. I mentioned it would be a great post-spawn bait, and she snuck behind my back and bought it....giving it to me that weekend. I won the club tournament on that very bait, and I guess the McGuinness has a special place in my arsenal. The skirt on that particular bait probably needs to be replaced, but I'm torn on whether to change it or retire it and hang it on the plaque I received. When my local Cabelas put the McGuiness baits on clearance; I knew what was happening . I bought several of the small and larger spinnerbaits, as well as a good stock of their buzzbaits. They worked well....hence the reason Booyah was interested in purchasing the company. If you can't copy a pattened hook design....just buy the company!