The_Natural

The funny thing is...me, Raul, and I'm sure a few others paid $60-$100 for Lightning Rods almost 20 years ago that weren't as good as the $30 '07 model is. My how technology has changed!

People generally drop-shot them...but I'd be curious to twitch it and see what kind of action it has...maybe like a baby fluke. I saw them at Cabelas...they were smaller than I thought. They definitely look more like a drop-shot bait.

It's a replica because Tapp's aren't made anymore. WEC and a few other's make a 'Tapp'...it's almost a generic term for that style/action of a bait. The Bagley B2 has been copied a bunch, and sadly the copies are better. Brian's Bee 2, H&T HT2, WEC E2, etc. are all B2 copies.

There is a phase you go through where you need everything and buy everything. You give yourself too many choices and you constantly second guess yourself. Making a decision of what bait to fish and having confidence in it is the 'zen' of bass fishing I think. If I'm going fishing locally out of my two-man...I may only take a few baits based on the conditions. I may switch between two rods (moving bait and jig/worm), but if they aren't biting...it's not my bait. I know I made the right choice in what I'm throwing...it's the fish that aren't cooperating. That is the the way you have to look at it...and believe it. Otherwise you will switch baits every five casts (like my dad ;D). I may throw the same bait all day even if I'm not getting bit frequently if I believe the fish are inactive and I know I'm going to have to work for each bite. I own a lot of tackle, but not a ton of variety. I find baits I like, and stock a lot of them.

Now you've done it...you'll probably get some PM's. I have 4...the three pictured and a backup in the green. I do like them, but honestly I won't pay for what they fetch on ebay. I'd be willing to trade you for NIB Lucky Crafts or something.

Shhhh...they don't work . Just keep twitching your zoom flukes. Seriously though...the watermelon/shad Slug-go is dynamite. My favorite and only color I stock.

The Steez rod will be lighter, but the BCR more sensitive. I own(ed) both.

Apparently! I am cool right now, other than wanting two regular scorpions with carbon 90mm bassart handles (for cranking reels). You can do both of those for close to the price of that steez .

It will work fine...line choice has become less important now that the technology has improved so much. Retieing often and making sure your line is undamaged is the most important part. Other than that, Pline CXX is the best. Just kidding...use what you like 8-)

Very nice Matt. The Fishing manager here in OKC knows what he is doing. I'm moving to Texas this weekend, and I hear they are great down there as well (you have to be competitive in 'THE' bass state I suppose. I live 30 minutes away from Sportsmans Warehouse as of now, and 2.5 hours from Cabelas and routinely make the drive to both. That says something. As of Saturday, I will be 5min from Cabelas and 10-15min from Sportsmans...I'm in heaven (or hell ).

About $10 shipped.....whats your paypal address? ;D Actually...Kelly Blue Book has it at $12 if it is 'extra-clean' ;D. I'll assume yours is, so you can just send me a paypal bill. On a serious note, the bottom one is the chocolate shad...and I added the gammy red ewg's. The wobblers were discontinued in early '06, and even though they were discontinued only about a year and a half ago, they are pretty scarce. I've seen a few posts of people looking for them, and on ebay the discontinued WEC's will fetch $25-$80. I just looking on ebay...none to be found.

Wow! I change, or more accurately, add line "as needed." Yo-Zuri Hybrid and Hybrid Ultra Soft don't "get old." I change my line frequently, but not due to age. I change it due to tiny nicks, stretch deformation, and other factors you can't see. I probably could fish with my line longer, but nothing beats fresh line .

You've got to spend the extra $10 and get the Lightning Rod. My dad wanted to start fishing with me, and he only fishes with a spinning reel. He gave $100 and told me to buy the best combo I could for the money. It had to be available at Walmart or Academy, because that was what was local, and this combo had to do everything. I went with a 6'6" medium power Lightning Rod paired with a Shimano Sahara. I spooled it up with 12lb Pline CX premium, and he throws worms, cranks, spinnerbaits...the whole box with this rig. It's a nice little outfit...and I was surprised at how much rod you get for $30 with the Lightning Rod. IM7 blank...good cork...and the thing is surprisingly light. I'm not ready to trade my Loomis's for L-rods, but they are a great value at $30.

Definitely a pose...the only thing the camera couldn't capture was me knodding my head in approval of myself . I think I was still drunk from the night before... 12+ Natural Lights will do that to you...it may be permanent.

I get worn out from all aspects of cranking...working the reel handle, sweeping the rod right before I'm going to contact structure, and just really working over those fat wobblers. I crank on every trip, and always leave with both arms a little sore after a full day. Made me renew my gym membership. I think being in better shape will help me out. Now I just need to actually go to the gym

I haven't fished a Poe's since back in the day. In the early '90's...it was Poe's and Bagley's. All other cranks were inferior. Clunn was on their Pro Staff then, and hence where the Poe's RC gets its name. When I started fishing again in '03, I thought they had gone out of business or something. Didn't see them anywhere. Bass Pro, Cabelas, and all the big bass retailers carried the full line. I was more of a Bagley's guy back then, but I wasn't into cranks like I am now. Cranks have become a passion for me that just won't seem to peak. So...is the original company around, or is someone else making them now (I'll let you educate me versus googling it ).

I use the palomar for mono and the improved clinch for fluoro. I wouldn't hesitate to use the palomar for the Hybrid, but for floroclear I think I would use the improved clinch. I had some breakoff issues with floroclear, and I think they might have been solved with the improved clinch...the improved clinch has proven to be the best fluorocarbon knot, and floroclear behaves like fluorocarbon (albeit a soft one).

Just for comparison...here is a 4lber (4lbs...1oz) I caught a couple of weeks ago...

I didn't watch it past the first fish, a 2lber that was plastered 2" from the camera at 90 different angles. He was acting like he caught a hawg, and I would have broken out my golden rule if I caught that fish in a tournament

Rereading the thread title...Carolina Rigging DID NOT come natural to me. My uncle taught me everything I know, and I was introduced to the Carolina Rig during a buddy tournament he and I fished when I was 16. We finished 5th, with him catching a nice limit, and me contributing not a single keeper. I couldn't feel the bites. I actually had a 3lb+ fish on, but I didn't feel him, and I tried to reel him in only to watch him jump and spit out my hook. My rods, line, weights, and experience have changed that...but it was the toughest technique to learn before rods were super sensitive. I slayed them on jigs before I became efficient on the C-rig.

When I learned to adequately Texas rig a worm in the '89-'1990 range...it changed everything. Bass seemed easy to catch. About '92, my uncle had me tie on a rogue (silver/black back/orange belly) around springtime. He showed me how to jerk it, and I caught so many bass I lost count. The Carolina Rig came soon after...it was harder to learn but very beneficial. A Carolina rig with a Zoom french fry was super hot in the early '90's.

If you don't, than do yourself a favor and do it! The savings is incredible versus buying filler spools, and you won't hesitate to yank the line off of a reel and put on some fresh...even if you just feel like it. Also...bulk spools are larger in diameter, so they have less memory from the get go. If you use Pline CXX all the time...plunk down the $48 and get 3000yds of it! The memory coming off of the spool versus the 600yd spools is very noticeable (which bugs me). CXX is almost $10 for 300yds, or you can get 3k for $48 from bass pro...why wouldn't you?! Fluorocarbon is a little more expensive, but it seems the market is catering to the bulk spools as well, with Pline Fluorocarbon and Pline Halo both coming in bulk spools new for this year, and the new Trilene Fluorocarbon also coming in 2000yd spools (which I indulged in the 10 and 15lb versions). The Bass Pro XPS fluoro is $59.99 for 1000yds...well worth the savings. You will worry about line less if you go bulk.

x2 This stuff is almost unbreakable. x3 The best knot and abrasion resistance of any line I have used in my 20+ years or fishing.

Noisy? Then again I flush factory packed grease off of the bearings and relube with rocket fuel. You will be amazed in any reel you buy if you do that before you fish with it. That grease hinders performance!

Part 1...Revo S/Citica/Advantage (heard good reviews on each...haven't fished any of them) Part 2...Daiwa Alphas