Jrob78

Call TW tomorrow morning, they will make it right for you.

Yeah, you really can't go wrong at that price. I have a few LC lipless baits but I'm honestly not sure of the model. Nice score.

Go back and buy every single one of them. Academy doesn't carry Lucky Craft so they must have gotten them by mistake somehow. They are good baits and could be sold for considerably more if you don't want them.

Very cool!

Well said. On the flip side of that, higher gear ratio, (7:1+) reels are good for non moving baits or baits that don't offer a lot of resistance. Jigs, t-rigs, c-rigs, frogs, pitching.....etc...are baits that are fished on a slack line. The ability to take up that slack quickly is beneficial. Also, these baits are often target oriented and sometimes reeling in the 2nd half of a cast quickly is helpful.

That's fair enough. Some guys want to catch a bunch of 1-3lb bass while some guys want to catch the biggest bass swimming in the lake. The big swimbait gives you a better chance to catch a giant. It really just depends on what you want to get out of your time spent fishing.

How do you know he wasn't using a crankbait rod? "Medium action" doesn't really exist. Medium is a power, Quantum makes a few medium power crankbait rods in a few different lines. Many people, Pros too, use the term "action" wrong. When Dance said "medium action," he meant "medium power," which could very easily be a crankbait rod, just not a KVD signature rod. Also, for me at least, a medium powered fast action rod is good for crankbaits. The lighter power makes up for the faster action, you still get plenty of flex it's just closer to the tip than with a moderate action rod.

The Calcutta is a nice reel but the fact that you have to take it apart to get to the brakes is a no go for me.

What is it you don't "get" about swimbaits?

I like the Rogue Perfect 10's and the XCalibur EEratic Shad for cheaper jerkbaits. I rarely lose jerkbaits though, so I don't mind throwing the expensive ones most of the time.

Why not just go straight braid or straight fluoro if you're having so much trouble? No need to make it harder than it should be. Just sayin....

Pit Boss in Okeechobee Craw with some chart dye on the tips.

I'm a side dragger too. I usually fish a football head jig like a c-rig. I don't like to use the reel because I feel like it distracts me a little from what I'm feeling on the end of my line. Dragging a football jig is about the only time I fish a jig like that.

All you have to do is thumb the spool if the drag is too loose.

x2

Good knife! I carried a regular stainless Endura with a plain blade for years.

The knobs would cost more than the reel. Odds are, the knobs on a Black Max are riveted on anyway, you would have to buy a whole new handle. The link above is your best bet.

I have a Falcon Bucoo micro guide rod with a Curado 50E. I think I paid $75 for the rod and $130 for the reel.

Swimbaits and large, heavy spinnerbaits are the 2 main techniques I can think of.

Wow, somebodies panties must be a little too tight. If the snake poses an immediate danger, by all means, dispose of it. Otherwise, just go around it. Wear some tall boots for the ones you don't see. There's no need to kill a snake just because it's there.

If I had a disposable income, I know I would own a few combos over $1000. Unfortunately, I can't afford that. I think that at some point you reach the point of diminishing returns and you get less for your money as the price goes higher. That doesn't mean I wouldn't go there if I could though.

He already has the 7' MH Ethos. In my opinion, at this point, a new rod to do something different is more important than another rod of the same, even if it is versatile.

Go with the heavy power, fast action and braid. Since you don't have a ton of rods, you need variety. Cover all your bases. You can always tie a leader if you don't want to fish straight braid.

If you don't fish crankbaits much, get the heavy rod. Try to find a heavy powered rod in the 7'2"-7'6" range with a 7:1 reel. You can use it for jigs, c-rigs, pitching to heavy cover, frogs and small swimbaits.

If I could only pick one brand of soft plastics to use for everything, it would be Zoom. They have the largest selection of shapes, more colors than you could ever need, the quantity per bag is generous and the price is competitive. Berkley Powerbait and Havoc are worth checking out and so are Big Bite Baits. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get quality soft plastics. I do prefer Yamamoto Senkos over the knockoffs though.