ghost

Sufix has a fluorcarbon line??? That's news to me...

I bought or should I say won this on ebay, it's the ghost colorsomething in slow sinking. I got it for a real good price so why not? Tried it out today & it swam quite well, similar to the Spro BBZ-1 Shad. I did add some Storm Suspend Dots to make it drop a bit faster. It casts "ok" not like casting the Spro Shad which casts much better. Also changed out the stock hook w/ a size 1 Gamakatsu treble hook. I was thinking that the Revolution Shad wouldn't swim all that well but it does. Now it just needs to warm up some more so I can really use the Revolution & Spro Shad & see how well they work. I also bought the Sebile Magic Swimmer in natural shiner. The only thing I don't like about these lures mentioned is how quickly they rise up. I guess they are mostly for waking???

Huh? Are you talking about the shrink wrap that's on the cork when you buy the rod new? If that's the case, I take that off & the Made in China sticker once I get it home. Man, I hate the made in China sticker 'specially after spending $200 on that rod! I take the plastic off cuz if I leave it on, my hand sweat & I just can't get a good grip on the handles. Also if I leave the plastic on that rod is flying into the water on a cast. I would think that your friend leave the plastic on to keep the cork looking new???

I know another Carrot Stix thread... Here's the specs on this rod: LTX701M-S 7'0" Medium 4-16 1/4-5/8 Moderate Fast I bought this rod last year & have used it for everything but drop shotting. The more I think about this rod & the specs, it seems that it could do well as a DS rod also. What do you guys think, do you own this rod? Also what makes a drop shot rod, a drop shot rod? Besides the light to ML action, why is a rod deemed a drop shot rod? I ask this cuz couldn't any rod be used as a drop shot rod? I used a 7' MH b/c rod last year for drop shotting when other techniques weren't working. I was surprised I caught bass on the hook & I used a jig & chunk trailer & caught bass on that too. I've not caught a bass on both though...that would be cool!

I'm SO tired of hearing about the E21 Carrot Stix that I own 4 of them! 1 Boyd Duckett 6'9" MH b/c rod & 3 LTX (6'9" parabolic b/c rod, 6'9" MH spinning, & 7' M spinning). I just got the 6'9" MH spinning in today...won it on ebay for $107, new. I'm so sick & tired of Carrot Stix that I'm thinking of adding a 5th one to the mess. I want the 6'9" MH LTX b/c rod OR the Gold Carrot Stix in 6'10" MH...but Tackletour has tried the Gold Carrot Stix & they say there is an issue of the first guide, that the black coating is coming off. I'll be keeping an eye on the Boyd Duckett one I have, it has the same guides as the Gold Carrot Stix. It's been over a year since the Carrot Stix debut & it's still going strong w/ people interested in them...why? :-/

Paddle tails like the Strike King Shadalicious & Yum Money Minnow used like a Zoom Fluke, weightless w/o a weighted EWG hook. I haven't tried it yet but just wondering if you guys tried this & does it work like a fluke, weightless?

I want one, it looks promising!

Which of these 2 line weights would be a good all around line? I want to use this for worms/jigs, topwater, shallow cranks & medium cranks. Maybe also use either of these lines for frog fishing in less weedy areas. I know there are other lines to consider like Yozuri, Sufix & braids. P-Line to me seems to be a very good strong line w/ all the qualities I want in abrasion resistance & less visibitlity...& for sure strength. Thanks

Yup, I have 4 of them. Very good rod for the price, but order the 2009 Cabelas Spring catalog; the Prodigy rods are $80. You can order through the catalog or bring the catalog to a Cabelas close to you & they'll match the price. The Prodigy rods are quite lite weight & have a similar look to the Shimano Cumara, especially the spinning rod. The hook hanger is upside down...stupid. A couple months ago, Cabelas ran a special w/ a Shimano Citica E/Prodigy b/c rod for $160. Also a Shimano Symetre/prodigy spinning for the same price, I bought both & saved some money.

Very good writeup! I bought the 09 Catalyst b/c reel a month ago. I spooled 30 lb (8 dia mono) Sufix, it's the 7.1:1 burner. I have last years Energy PT b/c reel & it is a big difference in weight & feel w/ the 09 Catalyst. Since I'm using braid I tend to keep the braking set higher to 6 & have not backlashed, as long as I keep the spool tension in check. I can cast the Catalyst pretty good. I have to say it's on par w/ the Citica 201E but it's $30 more for the Catalyst & it weighs about the same as the 201E. I was really thinking of getting the 09 Tour Edition buyt read a BPS review about the TE from 1 guy who bought 2 of these reels & had both of them have broken handles right out of the box. I'm hoping to put the 09 Catalyst through the paces in the next few weeks. But so far I like the reel.

I bought the 7' M C3 spinning rod. It's a very nice looking rod but the guides are a bit on the flimsy side IMO. They bend quite easily & doesn't seem that strong. Also the first 2 guides on the bottom are small for a spinning rod. Also the butt handle is on the thin side when gripping. This is my second C3 7' spinning rod. The first one snapped while fishing & I sent it to Okuma for warranty. I've never had to use the limited lifeteme warranty on any rod till now & Okuma sent me a new 7' Med spinning rod w/a rod case(I also have a rod case for the first one I bought, don't really need 2 rod cases). The first one I had I noticed that it felt heavier than normal. The second one I got it feels lighter, but can't compare it to the first one since it was sent to Okuma. I was thinking of getting a matching baitcast C3 rod, but I don't think this rod is worth the $150 asking price. That's a good price but I don't know if the first batches of these rods are as heavy as the first one I got. Okuma did something to make the second 7' spinning rod feel lighter. I haven't used the new 7' spinning rod yet, just got it yesterday. I do have to put it through the paces & feel if it's sensitive...or not. It is a very good looking rod though, but putting a 2009 Shimano Symetre 2500 doesn't really match up color wise. I just hope I won't have issues w/ the guides bending easily, that's my real concern. Any of you guys own the C3 rods? If so what's your opinion?

Looking to getting this lure & wanted opinion if you own or used it. Also what does "Giron" mean???

Anyone bought this reel & have used it? It's $30 more than the Shimano Citica & has centrifugal braking. The burnt orange color doesn't look as bad as I thought, looks better in person. The ergonomics feels much better than last years Quantum b/c models, it's much lower profile & lighter. Also what gear ratio did you get & why. I haven't really used Quantum b/c reels but from what the 2009 b/c reels are, they look like winners.

Been trying to figure out the best way to use my Shimano Calcutta 51 & decided to make it a full time drop shot reel. I've been wanting the Shimano Crucial 6'6" b/c drop shot rod, but did not want to pay $150 for a rod that I'll use infrequently. The Calcutta 51 is such a cool little b/c reel, but slow 16" IPT. Adding a longer Cardiff 101 handle has improved the cranking on this reel though. So found the Berkley Amp b/c rod in 6'6" M instead for $30. The action is so close to the Crucial ds rod that for $30 I found a very good rod to go w/ the Calcutta 51. It has chrome guides & the reel seat is very exposed. Did the "hum" test & has great vibrations on the exposed reel seat area. I have 8 lb P-Line CXX on the Calcutta 51. The action on this rod is closer to an ML than a medium. I can see using this rod for cranks & topwater also w/ the 6.4:1 BPS Pro Qualifier b/c reel. The Amp b/c rod is very light also & the split grips look great. Now I just need to wait till the ice melts & use this for drop shotting. I may use it this week for cranking. I like this Berkley Amp that I may have to return the 6'6" M Berkley Lightning Rod Shock, since the Amp is that much more lighter than the Shock. I was thinking of using the Shock for cranks & topwater...

I got my quality Shimano & Daiwas but the new PQ w/ dual braking intrigued me. I really think this reel will give the name brands a run for their money w/ the quality that's in the PQ b/c reel. I guess I would've bought other 2009 Curados & Citicas if they were offered in more gear ratios, especially for us lefties. So owning a store brand reel in 2 gear ratio's is first for me. I've heard that BPS has the PQ on sale for $50, that's last years model w/o the swept handle & dual braking. The 2009 PQ retails for $100 w/ swept handle & dual braking.

Yup got 1 b/c & 1 spinning rods for $80 ea. Bought 2 more w/ Shimano Citica & Symetre combo's for $160 ea. The Prodigy rods are real nice & sensitive & light for the price. If you look at the Shimano Cumara, especially the spinning rod ones; the Prodigy are very similar to those rods. The spinning rod has a graphite spacer on top of the reel seat for more sensitivity. The blanks are a bit thinner than the Magtouch rods but are the same 54 million modulus blanks. The guides are Pac Bay Hialoy which I think are comparable to Fuji Hardaloy guides. The eva grips are firm, not mushy when gripping. Cabelas did a great job on these rods & are a great buy at $80 starting end of this week during their Spring Sale. The Citica combo for $160 is on that same sales flyer & the Symetre combo, look online on their combos for the $160 price. I used the 6'6" Medium spinning last week & it is light, responsive & great senstivity.

The Spring Classic this past Friday was pretty ROUGH on me. I ended up buying quite a few items...did I really need them...some say yes, others say no. The tackle wh*re in me said "YES"! Anyways, I went away w/ a couple of the new PQ b/c reels. I got the 7.1:1 & 6.4:1 in left hand. This is the first time the PQ has come out in left hand & it's dual braking. I was very impressed w/ how the reel looks & how well it spun. The swept handle on this reel looks very sharp & the handles feel & look similar to the ones on the Shimano Citica. The handles are even designated for left hand retrieve, so it can't be switched over to right hand cuz it would have a weird feel. This is the first time I bought the same make of reel but in different gear ratios, & I vowed I wasn't going to buy store branded reels again...the PQ has changed my mind on how well it's constructed & the solidness of it. I played around w/ the reel before spooling on line, like adjusting the dual braking & noticed how well it worked. I feel I got twins from different motha's! ;D I loaded the 7.1:1 w/ 30 lb(8 lb dia) Sufix braid & the 6.4:1 w/ 12 lb P-Line CXX. I put the reel on a few different b/c rods & it felt good & balanced on all of them. It really felt great on the Kistler Magnesium 6'10" MH & Falcon Cara Finesse Jig 6'10" MH b/c rods. I even put it on the new Cabelas Prodigy b/c rod & wouldn't you know it, the 2 different store brands got along very well! I had thoughts of buying the new Extreme b/c reel instead of a 2nd PQ b/c reel. But the Extreme 7.1:1 I bought a few years ago was a "good" reel. I didn't like the mag braking which would every so often felt like it stopped working & I'd get backlashes, even though I set the braking & spool knob just right. It would act up & backlash, even using heavier lures. If BPS ever comes out w/a slower gear ratio on the PQ b/c reel, I will definately get one. So BPS if you happen to read this post, this is something to think about, you would have a winner! But please have the slower gear ratio in left hand like on the Extreme. But make it w/ 21" IPT to make it really worth while. With the reel trade-in the PQ's were $85 ea. Not bad but I tried asking the cashier if she could bump it up an extra penny for the $20 discount price...no go...bummer! I'll be trying both out this week, see if the PQ's are as good working lures, as they are good looking. Something tells me that I won't be disappointed buying both these reels. From all the BPS brand b/c reels the Pro Qualifier is MONEY! Now I gotta watch the BPS show on Versus & see if Edwin Evers is using the newer Pro Qualifier reels. You guys really gotta check out the PQ baitcast reel. If you're on a budget & don't want to spend much on a quality b/c reel, this is one of the best for under $100; even better that it's that much cheaper during the Spring Classic sale. This is one reel that can take on the Simano Citica. The Citica may be an ounce lighter but that's about it. The PQ b/c reel is $20 cheaper when it's regular priced & has a swept handle & dual braking. Also it comes in 2 gear ratios while the Citica comes in 1. Also the PQ is slightly narrower width wise than the Citica & the PQ holds the same amount of 12 lb line as the Citica. The PQ is just a little taller than the Citica since it's a bit narrower, but it's still easy to palm. Also the little added weight on the PQ makes it balance out on a b/c rod very well. BPS got it right in redesigning the PQ to what it is now...a great b/c reel for under a $100!

Thanks for your input! I'm heading to Cabela's spring sale at the end of the week, I'll stop at BPS & exchange the PTi-B 30 I bought last night & get the 20. As I said, I'm used to the IPT on Shimano spinning reels.

Bass-Brat, which spinning reel(s) would you recommend?

I need help deciding which of these 2 I need to get. I'll be mostly using it for bass fishing w/ 1 spool w/ either 6-8 lb mono & the other spool w/ 10(4lb) braid. This will be for multi-use, but the 2 I listed below have good & bad points. So I need your guys opinion, please. Size 20 is 10.7 oz, 5.2:1 gear ratio, 24" IPT, 6/140 yds & 8/100 yds Size 30 is 11.1 oz, 5.2:1 gear ratio, 27" IPT, 6/250 yds & 8/160 yds I like the IPT on the 30 & like the size on the 20, but don't like the slower 24" IPT on the 20. Does it make that much of a difference of 3" IPT from the 20 to the 30? Also the 20 is slightly lighter in weight. I guess I'm used to the faster gear ratio & higher IPT on Shimano spinning reels in the 2500 & 3000 sizes. I wouldn't mind the 30 but it just takes too much line & I know I won't be filling it full w/ the main line. The 20 seems to be the one I want but it just seems slow at 24" IPT. I gotta say that these reels are super sweet & smooth, Quantum did a very good job on this years model & dropping the weight just a bit. I'll admit I had last years 20 size & it felt like a dog...slow feeling while reeling. I don't know if the 2009 20 model is the same way. Opinions???

Frank Stract, check your PM

Dbassman15, I bought the Calcutta 51 a few years ago. Shimano doesn't have the Calcutta 51 in their lineup anymore. I switched out the stock short handle w/a Shimano Cardiff 101 longer handle & it rocks! I've had thoughts of selling this little reel but not sure....smallest round b/c reel out there, that's for sure! These are hard to come by nowadays.

Saw these rods tonight & they are quite nice for $30, the Berkley Amp rod. Only bummer was the Amp spinning rods the store had were 2 piece, I want the 1 piece. But they did have a 6'6'" M b/c rod that I think I found the rod I want for my Shimano Calcutta 51 for drop shotting. This rod almost feels like a ML than a Medium action. I wanted the Shimano 6'6" b/c drop shot rod, but just a bit more money than what I wanted to spend. The guides on this rod are chrome SS guides, but works w/ this rod. The rod feels quite sensitive, your fingers are on the rod blank, not partial like on some exposed reel seats. It's very light too & glossy or matte black finish, I don't remember. It has a hook keeper also. The reel seat as I said give you a very exposed area on the bottom on the rod blank. I was checking out the 6'6" M b/c rod & the action on this rod is perfect for drop shot/crankbaits/topwater lures. Amp rod is lighter than the Lightning Rod Shock. Also the store had the Okuma C3 spinning rods. Very nice, but doesn't really match well w/ the new Shimano Symetre reel as I thought it would. I do have to say this rod is a bit heavy compared to other split grip rods. I think cuz it's the graphite handle & butt section plus the reel seat. But when you match it up w/ a spinning reel over 9 oz, it feels balanced. The store didn't get any of the b/c rods in...yet. I am so waiting for those to come in.

I got the Tru-tungsten 4" swimbait & will be getting the BBZ-1 4" swimbait next week. I am wondering what line weight & rod power/length/baitcast or spinning rod are you using for these swimbaits. I'm finally going to have a chance to try out the Tru-tungsten 4" tomorrow & will be using 12lb P-line CXX on a 7' MH b/c rod. Will this setup work for these swimbaits?

I got the 6'8" wacky spinning rod a couple weeks ago. I've used it 1 time & it's a very good rod. I think this is more of a multi-purpose rod. I don't think the Mojo's come in a 6'9' model, if they do then it's new...wait they do have this model but it's the drop shot model. Soft tip perfect for drop shotting & shakey head. You can do all that plus more w/ the 6'8" wacky, it's just a bit stiffer though. Very good rods IMO & priced well.