The_Natural

Both...

I can't paint anywhere close to that good with my airbrush, but that won't stop me from making a comment . If I were to place an order to have baits painted by you right now...I would ask you to hold the scales on the gill and breast. This just makes it easier on you as well. This is just my preference....an orange throat and a little shot of blue on the gill plate is dynamite IMHO. I have 8 very special cranks I need painted...what do you charge? I was going to have Dwain Baitey do them, but I'm hesitant at $14 a bait.

I live in Fort Worth....lets go fishing. I'm no expert, but I can show you the basics. You need to use a topo map first, to narrow down several spots, and then your 'finder will narrow down the spots you selected on the map. It would take a year to graph the whole lake! However, if you know a productive creek, we can scan around and find the sweet spot.

Can you (or anyone) imagine? It blows my mind....

Correct. I find it refreshing when an angler like Aaron states he won the tournament on a Lucky Craft. There are countless BASS wins that an Elite angler credits an 'unknown' crankbait or creature bait. If you watched that event with Martens, we got a good shot of his deck with all his rods laid out. He had at least 8 rods rigged with sexy shad crankbaits; a Strike King series 5 and 6, a Fat Free Bomber, a DD22, and the RC among others.

Before a war happens...I do feel plastics can make a difference, but there are far less expamples. Most often, a pro can get by with what his sponsor supplies him. All my ribbon tail worms perform the same. The noted execptions I have (there are more I'm sure) are the Senko (even KVD was seen last year with a bag of Senkos on his deck), the Sweet Beaver, and the Paca Craw.

My favorite article in Bassmaster Magazine is 'A Day on the Lake with a Pro'. I love the breakdown of how a professional angler finds fish, where he found fish, and what baits he uses (vital info for tournament preparation). There are certain baits that I feel don't make much of a difference (plastics for the most part), and baits I do feel make a difference (hard baits). Baits a pro uses that are not part of that particular pro's sponsor group peak my interest the most. He more than likely doesn't pay what we pay for them (connections are connections), but he doesn't get them for free...and the fact he feels he needs them says something to me). Lucky Craft sticks out in my mind the most of course, due to non-sponsored pros continually throwing the Pointer and RC series. The most recent example would be Aaron Martens on Guntersville, who threw the RC2.5DD to a win. Not only is Aaron not sponsored by Lucky Craft, but Lucky Craft is the main competitor of his sponsor, Megabass. Also, Kevin Short just won on the River with a WEC E1, a custom crankbait made by Ed Chambers. Most of the Elite Series events have anglers fishing the same areas....this is the case more and more. If you are sharing a stretch of bank, ledge, or hump....the bait can be the 'dash of tabasco' that puts you in the lead. Anybody else pay attention to this?

In no particular order... 1. Gary Yamamoto 8" grub in Pumpkin (orange) with chartreuse tail (although the orange bleeds onto the tail making it solid bright orange). 2. Reaction Innovations Double Wide Beaver 5.20 in Big Texan 3. Bass Pro Shops Beaver Bug in Roadkill Those are the ones I end up throwing 'more often' than the other plastics I throw, which are Charlie Brewer Sliders, Paca Craws/Toads, and Tubes. Here is the GYCB 8" grub in Pumpkin with 'chartreuse' tail....(my spring time dynamite stick). I used this bait last spring to teach my wife how to set the hook....it always gets bit.

I have relentless enthusiasm every time I fish, but fishing a tournament and fishing for a trophy are polar opposites. If you are fishing a tournament, it is proven that 'getting 5' is priority number one. It's just a different strategy. Time management is also key when fishing a tournament, and 'spot' management is also big. When do you leave? Do you need to leave fish for days 2 and 3?. You don't want to wear out your spot on day 1. I think Trophy fishing falls under the 'fun fishing' category. You aren't going to prefish for 5 days before you go out and try to catch a big bass.....that sounds ridiculous. Adequate tournament preparation involves map study and backup plans...generally not something you do when you go fishing for a large bass. You can confidently sit on a spot all day when trophy fishing....even if you don't have a fish by noon. However, in a tournament...odds are you need to move.

Sorry for the OT reply: but what are you doing up so late Matt? I guess it's just after last call. if I go out and get shittty, I'm generally doing something else at this time of morning .

Nice....I was shocked when it went up for sale on Tackle Tour; that dude seemed crazy about that combo....it was his avatar for cryin' out loud. When somebody spends that kind of time putting together a unique combo like that, it is always surprising if it goes up for sale. He must have hit hard times, because I know he loved that combo. I can't believe he never fished it; I truly love high end gear and take the utmost care of mine, but not fishing it is an abomination. You better give that puppy a workout!

I purchased 4 Lucky Craft LV-100's in ghost minnow from him, and the paint job was spot on. The baits looked like the pictures of the LV-100 I've seen....I don't own any LV-100's to compare. The thing is; this guy could make thousands of dollars as a legitimate business owner is he just came clean. He probably sells the best knockoffs of anyone.

I agree....I think VMC's stink. The triple grip is quite popular, and this surprises me. Even bargain shoppers can afford Gamakatsu trebles. My insider tip is to buy the bronze Gamakatsu hooks; they are noticeably sharper/stickier than the red or black nickel gammy's. This is because the bronze gammy's are not coated like the black nickel or red hooks. Try the bronze gamakatsu's next time....the bronze makes quite a difference.

Funny you mention; I saw Citica D's for $120 at my local walmart, and figured they missed the markdown....this has happened before. I had the guy take it out of the case and scan it, only for it to come up $120. I was shocked. Full price for an entirely outdated reel.

Just out of curiosity....did you like the 15lb CX Premium? That is the line I recommend for anglers that enjoy the benefits of a soft line.

I don't mind memory....I think memory mostly disappears after a few casts. That said....I wouldn't put 10lb CXX on a spinning reel. It is a .014" line, and the heaviest I go on a spinning reel is .010....maybe .011. CXX is the toughest line of the market IMHO, and I've tried them all.

I don't have the 7'6" heavy, but I do have the 7' heavy. They are good rods...sensitive little buggers. However, I can't remind everyone enough how underrated these rods regarding power....more so than even the BCR's. This will equate to people ordering the wrong rod. I found my heavy action 7' weighed a little more than I expected, but this is due to the underrated power. My 7' Heavy Cumara is the equivalent of the 7' MH Zillion.

I can't name a favorite fast food restarurant, because at certain times I crave a certain one. You have to look at who is the best at what they do. Taco Bueno- I don't think these are everywhere, but they blow Taco Bell out of the water. They have real queso and salsa. Been eating there since I was little. Taco Cabana is great, but not a true fast food restaurant joint. Arby's- Oh lord I love me some Arby's. Arby's has a unique product, nobody just 'craves' a roast beef sandwich, but you sure as heck crave Arbys. Their roast beef is uber flavorful, and they have some unique side items such as potato cakes (potato cakes rule). Their beef and cheddar or french dip paired with potato cakes is the bomb! Chick-Fil-A- They are simply the best at what they do. Nearly every fast food restaurant offers a chicken sandwich, but none even come close to a Chick-Fil-a sandwich (or nuggets). Their secret is in the way they cook them...they use pressure cookers. They are actually pressure fryers. They drop them down in the hot oil, and then lower a big lid with a lock on it which pressurizes when steam can't get out. They also use fresh chicken breast that aren't frozen, and their nuggest are just diced up fresh chicken breasts (hence why they are square). Their semi-sweet breading is also second to none. Best fast food burger: this is more local or regional. In Tulsa, it was Lot-a-burger for me....in Dallas it's probably sonic or whataburger. I don't count Five Guys as a fast food restaurant...the one here is in a shopping center, and doesn't have a drive through.

The slow economy has affected the fast food industry...studies show people are eating out less. This has benefited us with the fast food 'Value Menu'. McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, as well as many others have a separate section of items all under a dollar (as you all are aware of I'm sure). Now fast food chains are battling each other as to who has the best or cheapest items on their Value Menu. McDonalds has a double cheeseburger on the dollar menu....this is a steal! Having eaten two of them today, I had to admire at the bargain. This is a substantial little burger with two patties and two slices of cheese. Two of them filled me up and I only spent $2. This is good and bad....Americans are fat because it is quite a bit cheaper to eat unhealthy food versus healthy choices. I just wish these dollar menus were around when I was in college.

H20 baits are a tremendous value...they have detailing and hooks that generally only come on high dollar baits. That said, stay away from their mono. It was terrible abrasion resistance. I tried some on my spinning rod.

If I was limited to $50, I would buy a Berkley Lightning rod and pair it with an inexpensive spinning reel. I fished for years with only a 6' Lightning rod and cheap Quantum spinning reel. The lightning rod is a good rod. Wal-Mart is the place to go.....

I always fear when I post any pics of my stuff that I will be looked at as a snob. Honestly, the reason I think this hobby is so great is that money can't buy success in it. Back in 2004, I owned all Shimano Compre's paired with BPS Prolight finesse reels. I was very proud of them, and took great care of them as if they were $1000 combos. I was in college, and I worked hard for every buck I had. The Carolina rig is the only thing that my Loomis rods helped immediately, but I had just struggled with that rig in the past.

A nice reel definitely increases the pleasure of fishing....like a find automobile. However, a sensitive rod can actually improve your fishing....especially in deeper water. My first high end rod, an mbr844 IMX, improved my Carolina rig fishing 3 fold or more. All my deep water fishing improved with highly sensitive rods, including drop shot, deep jigs, etc. I can say with certainty that I catch more fish with higher-end rods. Do you think that is possible, because you expect to. You pay attention more with eqipment you trust. There are a few fellas here who have many double digit bass and quite a few checks who do not use very high end rods How did Linder,Dance and Mann catch all those fish with basically cue stick old ABU and Fenwick Fibergalss Lunker Sticks? Experience and talent overrides an expensive rod. Sensing bites almost becomes a sixth sense after years and years of fishing, and you rely less and less on the rod. A nice rod at this point is just a luxury. I feel Elite series pros are good enough and experienced enough to use whatever their sponsor gives them. However, I'm not as good as them. I have my days, but at this point in my angling I will take all the help I can get

I think Stringjam did a nice job of answering your question, but I'll add to it. Rapala makes a nice selection of baits, and they work very well. I throw the $4 DD22 just as much or more than the $22 WEC Tapp. I guess the question you are asking is, if there are 4 'like' baits, and one is made by WEC...why would I go with the WEC? Simply put....they seem to have the most lively and unique actions. WEC's B2 clone...the E2...is the best B2 clone made IMHO, and the only thing better is a pre-1980 bagley. I will never tell anyone they need to buy $22 cranks to be successful, it's just a passion of mine. I'm always looking for something better....

I've bought several WEC's from Simmon's, and they emailed me with some limited runs. One was the coffin bill z-flat, and the other was a 'thin' hicky. I have a few z-flats, but that new Ayu shad z-flat looks really good, and I'll probably buy one. He also has a few E1's and E2's, which are extremely hard to get ahold of. This will probably sting a few of the guys who purchased the z-flat for $50 or so. That's what they were going for on ebay. Let's hope they run the same.... Warning: you could go broke looking at this page(s). Three pages of WEC's... http://stores.shop.ebay.com/SIMMONS-SPORTING-GOODS__zoom-crankbait_W0QQ_sidZ223902033QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em14?_pgn=2