The_Natural

You are becoming quite the JDM junky as of late. Nice sticks! A little Off Topic, but you went to ICAST with Glen. How did you guys end up hooking up?! It seemed pretty random. Did you guys know each other before hand? Did you utilize a bassresource media pass? Regardless...I wish I could have gone. I would have started drinking about 7am to prime myself for some spectating 8-)

don't get lost in the matching combo thing and just asking why do you want that and not the regular one there's little difference and .6" of more line per crank 4 bearings in the handle and more crbb, ionly see buying it because of it being limited other than that why spend extra 50 buck ofr a heavier reel just my thoughts :-/ Addressing that; I will say the Hyperspeed Zillion is priced right. A $50 markup seems about right for 4 bearings in the handle, the fastest gearbox to date, and hot red paint (red paint shouldn't cost more, but hey...it does look hot!) I bet the Hyperspeed could have sold for $350 based solely on the Limited Edition status. It's going to be a very sought after reel if Daiwa indeed only produces them in limited numbers. I want a couple for plastics; ever little bit of line I can pick up after I detect a bite equates into more sold hooksets.

No, there hasn't been any studies on line visibility. There is no possible way to see through the fishes eyes. Fluorocarbon is deemed less visible due to having a light refraction index closer to that of water versus monofilament. I fish mainly stained to slightly stained water, but have been sold on fluorocarbon due to its density, which equates into heightened sensitivity. It's noticeable. As far as mono...I used green colored line for years, until I found that clear line actually seemed to disappear better than the green line...even in algae stained water. This is dependent on your line choice though...any mono that isn't perfectly clear will indeed stand out...and if you use a brand that doesn't produce a very clear 'clear' line...go with the colored varity. I used Trilene XT for years back in the day, and would still choose the green over the clear due to the clear not being truly clear...it has a slight milky tinge (Yozuri ultrasoft seemed that way to me as well...sorry RW ...just keepin' it real). I've noticed the milky tinge in several lines; mostly mono but some fluorocarbons are susceptible to it as well due to the resins used to make it soft enough for main line use. The milky appearance with some fluoro's appears only after the line is subjected to water for a long period, such as a day of fishing (Cabelas No-Vis is an example, as well as Triple Fish) Anyway...I use Trilene Pro-Grade fluoro and Pline CXX in crystal clear for mono. I'm done trying lines; these

I own a few. They should be talked about more; they were a great buy at $170, and are a steal at $139. You won't be disappointed.

The Hyperspeed Zillion sure does look sweet. I can't argue against pairing it with a Zillion flippin' stick either...the rods look nice as well. Tackle Warehouse said the Zillion rods should be there August 6th, give or take a couple of days of course.

Those are indeed Bodega Bay baits. He must be the owner/maker... Bodega Bay baits...

The heads are All Terrain Tackle's Rock Jighead. I wouldn't pay the money for them normally, but Cabelas had them on clearance for .88 cents (a 2-pack), so I bought them out. Cast industries is the cheapest place to buy jigheads; albeit the minimum order is 50. The skirts came from fishingskirts.com, and I'm using small zip ties as the collars versus wire (I won't use bands). Like wire; the zip ties are very tight and secure...your skirts will never slide down and the strands stay evenly spaced. They are also much quicker to put on when compared to using wire, and you don't risk losing any strands do to the wire cutting them. They also come in a bunch of colors.

There have been a few in the past that had that feature. I still have some old Blue Fox spinnerbaits that have a quick-change system. Secret Weapon is the only company today that I know of that makes them. I think most anglers just stock different spinnerbaits for different conditions.

Haha...Raul's callin' me out! Except for a shelf of line, scents, and other miscellaneous tackle...that's my stash. I switched from standard 3700's to those red ones (can't remember the number), because they are slightly shallower than regular 3700's and I can squeeze an extra one in my bag. The skinny 3700's with the yellow tabs hold jigs.

Why would the rubber melt? You don't tie your skirt on while the lead is hot. Anyway...rubber is making a comeback, particularly the silicone/rubber combo so you get the best of both worlds like the booyah a-jig and pigskin jig.

Exactly my thoughts my compre hasn't even seen water one don't wanna use it :-/ It isn't doing any good being dry! I had a quiver of 10 or so Compres when they were the brown blanked version. They were great. I also owned a couple of Croix' Premier rods. The Compres were my all-around favorites. Around that time I purchased my first Loomis...an IMX, and the sensitivity blew me away, but I still rely on my roots of fishing with $100 rods to give recommendations. The Compre isn't an IMX, but it won't limit you. I'd take it over a gl2 anyday...

I like mono for spinnerbaits, cover crankbaits, and topwaters as much as I like fluorocarbon for jigs and worms. One won't replace the other. I wouldn't recommend fluorocarbon for topwaters, and you are better off with a tough mono like CXX for moving baits that don't require the utmost in sensitivity or invisibility. I love Trilene 100% fluorocarbon, but CXX still blows it away in the abrasion resistance department. I use CXX 'whenever I can get away with it'.

$100. A Shimano Compre is the least amount of rod capable of properly discerning bites and hard vs. soft bottom medium. More expensive rods/graphite can further signal bites in deep water, discern bottom mediums of all types, and decipher structure better, but the Compre is at least capable.

What I saw made me smile; what I read made me frown . The new look is awesome...something never before seen in a $30 rod. Making the tip a fiberglass blend however just destroys the senstivity. In todays age...making a rod 'forgiving for braid' just isn't necessary. Today's graphite is quite capable of handling the shock of braid...even the x-fast action graphite rods.

Wow...the Paca Craw didn't even make 4 pages when it came out

Mono- Pline CXX in Crystal Clear Fluorocarbon- Berkley Trilene Professional Grade 100% Fluorocarbon I've tried them all...trust me. There is no mono that is stronger, more abrasion resistant, or has better clarity than Crystal Clear CXX. The silicone coating won me over as well. I change it as often as I do my fluorocarbon...whenever it gets enough nicks to justify it. The Berkley 100% is the best fluorocarbon to date in regards to managability, strength, and abrasion resistance. I'm very content with my line choices, and don't feel the need to try new lines.

Word....

I'm confused. Yes, the Revo S and Skeet Reese model have centrifugal brakes like the Curado, but the SX, STX, and Premier have magnetic brakes that are externally adjustable.

yes and yes...

These rods look hot...especially if you are a budget minded rod buyer. Their $80 entry level rod looks pretty bad arse, but I'm curious about their mid-level rods with the red accents. It's nice to have more choices and some enthusiast inspired rods! http://www.tackletour.com/reviewicast2008damiki.html

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21404-cat21406-cat21436&id=0048846116669a&navCount=10&podId=0048846&parentId=cat21436&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat21436&hasJS=true

I do. I wanted a 4 power BCR for pitching, and I wanted it longer than 7'. This leaves the 864 and 874. What sold me on the 874 was the rear grip length. It gives you an extra inch or better on the rear trigger, and not only does this serve as more fighting leverage, but also balances the rod better. I thought it balanced noticably better than the 864, even though it was an inch shorter at the tip. I believe the 874 is dubbed a c-rig rod, but a 7'3" heavy/fast action rod has a lot more uses than that. Awesome pitchin' stick, and I'm sure it would do well for frogs.

I haven't ever written about the customer service of any company. I suppose I would write if it sucked, but if it was good...well, it's supposed to be good. However, Pure Fishing just blew my mind. I got a knock on my door this morning, and it was Fed Ex. He handed me a box and I was immediately perplexed. I had just ordered my skirts from fishingskirts.com on Tuesday, but boy would that be fast if it were them. No way it could be my fishing line; I just sent it in on Wednesday of last week. Then I saw the Pure Fishing label. I was speechless (not just because there wasn't anyone around ;D). I sent a bad 3000yd spool of 17lb Trilene Sensation to pure fishing with a letter attached on Wednesday of last week...sending it USPS standard ground. How on earth do I already have it back?! I was expecting a good 3 week wait. That doesn't even seem like enough time just for shipping there and back! It gets better. In my letter, I was very candid. I told them that the line was breaking at the knot, and it needed to be replaced. I went on to say that even with a new spool, my confidence in the line is gone. The only other Pure Fishing product I use is the Trilene 100%. So I instructed them to replace my spool of Sensation with something different. Maybe one of there newer lines. Well, when I opened the box, my jaw dropped as I saw the familiar gold scheme of the Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. It was a brand new 2000yd spool of 17lb 100%. That's a $200 spool of line! I couldn't believe it. Thank you, Pure Fishing 8-)

Check out the new Legend Elites! http://www.tackletour.com/reviewicast08rodsstcroix.html