The_Natural

I use the Plano sprinnerbait boxes to store backups, and I take a couple of the Falcon spinnerbait wallets with me which house my 'on deck' spinnerbaits.

Quick detailer that is found in the automotive section at wal-mart or at your local auto parts store. Meguiars, Ealge One, Mothers, etc. all make a quick detail spray. I apply it liberally to my rod and reel... it cleans and makes them shine as well!

I've got the terminal tackle box as well, but just use it for hooks. Works perfectly!

Good point; albeit worms are soft . I guess it's just a confidence thing...isn't it always? I wish my only confidence soft plastics were the renegade worms from Wal-mart...I could probably buy a new boat by now.

I'd go with the Compre for sure....

Well, the Revo may be partly to blame. The Revo has the least amount of backlash control of any reel I have thrown.

This is something I have struggled with, and like most long time anglers I have used every method under the sun to store them. Yes, even in the year 2008, they can't make a true worm-proof box. It takes a while, but all mine seem to warp eventually...some a little...some a lot. The problem is, storing them in 3700's is the quickest way to view all your options, you can view all the colors at the same time (easier to make a decision), and it is easier to snag a bait. In a tournament as a non-boater...this is important to me. What I do is, if a box starts to warp really bad, I'll return it for a new one. They will always take them back. This isn't like constant rotation, but I will ended up switching out a few each season.

Come on now...the hot boxes 20 years ago were the Magnums! You had to have you an amber colored magnum...and then when the Magnum Over and Under came out; that was THE box!

The Slider is a 4" finesse worm with a tiny paddle tail. It is rigged on a Slider jig head that is straight and flat, with the intention of gliding the little worm through the water column. The Slider worm was invented by Charlie Brewer over 30 years ago, and is credited with being the first finesse worm and finesse technique for bass fishing. I had never heard of it back in the early '90s during a tournament in which I was a non-boater. I was just getting throttled by my boater, and after he had his limit, he tossed me a couple of these slider worms and a slider head and just told me to cast it out and leave my rod tip high and just very slowly swim it back to the boat. I had my limit in about 30min and took second 8-). Lesson learned!

Gotta go Powell for jig and worm fishing. I've got a few of each, and I really don't think you will notice any weight difference, with the Powell getting the nod regarding sensitivity/guides. Powell has some faster actions as well, which will benefit your jig and worm fishing. Hope that helps...

I do love the foam; I actually like it better than the Steez foam. My Carrot foam stays black, and the foam on my steez rods started turning whitish after a couple of uses...like you could tell it was dirty.

I fished a pond like this when I lived in Norman. It got a lot of pressure, and I had to constantly outwit the bass in order to have a successful day (this didn't always happen ). What I found out goes against traditional heavy pressure situations. I would fish shallow crankbaits pretty fast, either bumping them off of structure or the bottom, or jerking my rod tip to make it dart during the retrieve. Most fisherman that visit that pond are amateurs, and more than likely they are throwing plastic worms and spinnerbaits. You want to give the fish something they haven't seen, but you don't want to give them an opportunity to think about striking your bait. A pure reaction strike is what we're after. I generally fish a Lucky Craft BDS 1 in smaller ponds and a Bagley B2 in larger ponds (shad patterns unless it is around the spawn or the water is murky). I'll finish my day burning a trap all over the pond; I do this last because it's noisy and causes a ruckus.

Well, he is using 6lb CXX, which is probably breaking at 11-12lbs or so. I've worm fishing using a heavy action rod with 8lb CXX and have never had a breakoff. Back on topic; I alternate between a drag and 'stutter' retrive. I drag it a few feet...wait a few seconds...then move it another few feet by using a quicker and shorter drag technique (stutter). Stuttering is performed the same way as you would if you were going to just drag your bait (only one stroke), but you do it a little quicker and pause twice during your stroke. Of course catching fish isn't this mechanical, and you have to experiment. I'll mix in some shaking and other stuff trying to solicit a bite. The split shot rig works very well, but the shakey head has overtaken it. You might switch it up and catch a few . Don't ever forget about the Slider...you will surprise your buddies with a limit in no time.

I was a Quantum Pro-Staffer at 14, albeit they didn't know how old I was (I omitted that from my cover letter). Anyway, it sure was a lot easier to get sponsored back then. The junior side of bass fishing wasn't even thought up yet. A well written letter was all you needed.

Absolutely, but it depends on the product. Some things are just a basic rip off. like the Yamamoto stuff. designed to be quickly replaced even, a marketing genius. Unlike you, I am PROUD to not be sucked in to hype. I WILL pay for quality, but I will HUNT for value. Some bargain savers of mine are *** plastics Eagle claw hooks Just about any rod above the Ugly stick level. Ande line My numbers and size speak for themselves. Swimbaits are next, I'm hooked, unfortunately, there is no middle ground here,..... I love 'ya low budget, and you obviously aren't wrong (opinions can't be wrong ). You should be the ambassador of the low budget demographic . So you brought up the question...are Yamamoto baits ridiculously soft because they are trying to mimic the softness and action that only hand poured baits can achieve, or are they making them super soft to simply sell more product? I guess it could be the latter, with Yamamoto getting miraculous stroke of luck when their super-soft baits that need constant replenishment actually out produced their injection molded, mass produced rivals. I personally don't think Gary Yamamoto is that vindictive. I think his marketing plan was simply to create the highest quality plastic baits out there. I seek out the softest soft plastics I can find... I guess you could say I actually buy Yamamoto's because they tear easily 8-). On another note I am a sale junkie...no one on the planet hits Cabelas bargain cave more than I do. I love a good sale, and that is the reason I have literally a few thousand bags of soft plastics. I think the key is knowing when to spend the money and when not to. JMHO of course 8-)

There isn't a 'problem' with the guides per say, but the stainless steel rings aren't near as hard as ceramic rings, with the only benefit of the SS rings being their weight. Rings are generally categorized from least hard to most hard when rating their performance; hence why SIC's are favored (they are very hard). In turn, the stainless steel guides will also produce more friction than their ceramic counterpart...they just aren't as smooth. The average Joe Blow may not notice any difference, but I can definitely tell a difference when I am working a hard-pulling moving bait like a deep diving crankbait, chatterbait, or spinnerbait. If you don't notice it...don't let that info get you down...your line will be fine.

X2. I've tried a number of different flouro's with unsatisfactory results, but the 100% from Berkley has performed very well for me. I think the proper term is that Trilene 100% is the 'Shizzle'. Anyway...the BPS is indeed made by Toray and is very good line (and the bulk spools were a bargain), but the Trilene is a little more limp and just is a pleasure to fish with. Love it...haven't read a bad review yet.

Unfortunately you have to own both to have a well-rounded arsenal of jerkbaits. It's like saying which is better...a carbon fiber shafted Ping 5-iron, or an entry level titleist 9 iron. Well...the Lucky Craft is obviously a higher quality bait, but both will excel at different times.

Loomis BCFR894- this is labeled as a flippin' rod, but I hate long, heavy broomsticks. This rod is very light...it feels like a 7'6" medium heavy. Loomis 844GLX- old standby...it 'gets-r-done in almost any situation. Powell Max 734c (7'3" Heavy)- I haven't owned this rod a long time, but I am already very impressed. I thought it was a whole lot of rod for $170, but with the new $130 price point they are stellar. Reels- All are paired with TDZ105H's (thanks Cabelas 8-)!. Shame on you if you didn't order any when they were $199!) Line- I use 15lb Trilene 100% fluoro on all my jig and worm rods except for very heavy cover and grass, in which I will step up to 20lb. I also use 15lb Pline CXX in crystal clear when I think my fluorocarbon's advantages don't weigh enough for me to spool it (i.e. my tournament last year on the Red River). I use several jigs. My favorite flippin' jig is the old Berkley Power Jig (Jay Yelas) in black/brown/amber. The reason for this is the incorporated metal ticker rattle that is not too overbearing like the twin rattles that dangle from so many jig styles today (similar to the original rattleback jig). It also has a 90 degree line tie which I prefer. For football jigs I don't think you can beat the Picasso jigs...great colors and head design but they do not come with rattles, so I insert one in my trailer (metal ticker). In the finesse department; I use the Booyah Baby Boo jig in 3/16 during prespawn when the water is very cold (45-52). I'll move up to a 5/16oz Baby boo in 52-55 degree water. For heavier finesse jigs, I like the Jewel Heavy Cover football finesse jigs (5/16 and 5/8)

No. I've come full circle. I had a Quantum 3.8 gear ratio crankin' reel back in the day. Waaaay slow. The 5.1:1 was my choice for a while, but these days I like a 6.2:1. Why? You can get conditioned to crank it slow...any experienced crankbaiter can feel the amount of resistance coming from their rod tip coupled with the rate of vibration coming from the bait to determine the proper retrieve speed. The higher gear ratio lets me reel in my bait faster when I am out of the strike zone, and is just more conducive to power fishing.

The sideplate opposite of the reel handle (the one that opens) has always been plastic. The handle side sideplate is generally the same material as the frame, but they are both going to be graphite on the Curado. I don't think the sideplate will make that much difference...as long as the frame is aluminum. Keeping the gears aligned is the main concern. I still am putting in an order for 6 Citicas when they start shipping...

It's not bad fluorocarbon; a lot of people still use Carbon Pro/No-Vis, but I think the Inviz-X/No-Viz extra is more popular. If you are trying fluorocarbon for the first time...let me recommend the No-Viz Extra. The old Cabelas 'Pro-Line' fluorocarbon was not made by seaguar and sucked pretty bad. The Berkley 100% is better, but is is 100% more expensive ($20/200yds versus $10/200yds)

Not a lot on their plate. The Skeet Edition Revo and the Winch are already offered, so their ICAST displays aren't going to get a lot of attention. Everyone at Shimano is high-fiving each other...they really needed Abu Garcia to get comfortable and sit idle this year. Granted with the Revo's sales figures...why change anything.

Fluorocarbon lines have come a long way in managability, but they still aren't as soft as mono. Try the No-Viz Extra...it's softer than the No-viz.

I like my Powell's better than my Carrots, and they just dropped the price from $170 to $140.