Dockhead

Count me in-

The area might not be first-class, but tourism is huge. There is a strong police presence throughout the area. They make an effort to keep people and possessions safe. If they weren't doing a pretty good job, the tourism industry would be in even more trouble than it is because of the economy. And having said that, I certainly don't think this is a problem that is isolated. Definitely happens in other areas, and not just when there are flashy tournaments being held. I would venture to say that if thieves knew there was a good chance you had several thousand dollars worth of "stuff" in your vehicle, they would take a chance on burglarizing it no matter what the risk. And no matter where you are parked.

There is only one iphone (although newer versions), but lots of android phones to choose from. So which androids are we talking about? Which one is "best?"

Same thing happened to me at Bass Pro. The rod still had the tags on it, she wouldn't even look at it without the receipt. One of the guide inserts was a little loose, just wanted to change it out for another identical rod but it took me asking for a manager (loudly) to get results. But as to the op, I like the Crucial 7'2" dropshot rods, both m and mh, a lot. Don't use them for that purpose, but they are great all-around rods. Sensitive, strong and versatile. I have one Cumara, and it is great - sensitive and strong as heck (7'2" mh/xf). Love the reel seat and foam grip. And while this model is not exactly versatile, I think several of the other rods in the Cumara line would be able to serve a variety of purposes.

Wow - this turned out to be prophetic indeed after seeing the Southern Open on Toho. Plenty of big fish came off beds, but the offshore stuff accounted for countless pounds (and the win) in this one.

Great looking web site. Any plans to do something a little further north?

How about a Powell Max 766 and a Curado E7. Use the extra cash for line, baits hooks, etc. By the way, where in the world is Middleburg?

The only thing I don't like about my rods....they are not Champion Extremes. Other than that I like 'em just fine.

All draw tourneys are not created equal. Some are co-anglers fishing for one pot and boaters fishing for another. Some are everyone fishing against everyone else. Some are strictly co-anglers in back, boaters up front. Some allow you to split time up front and each person gets to select fishing spots. So look into the specifics of the tournaments you are considering. Personally I like being a boater more. I like to be in control and at the end of the day I want my results to be based on my decisions versus being contingent on someone else. I am planning on fishing some bigger tournaments this year as a non-boater because I want to get some experience - and a bigger boat - before participating as a boater. But I know there will be some frustrations going in and I just have to accept that. Some people enjoy being able to just relax as a co-angler, not have to worry about the trolling motor, dealing with others fishing the same areas, etc. I'd say try both and see what suits you.

Yes, nets are allowed in the opens. I was surprised by that myself. On other subjects, it was mentioned that things were done to create "consistency" between the elites and the opens, so I thought it was strange that nets were allowed. Banning nets does add another element to the actual catching of fish, so maybe they like the idea that this is an area that makes the elite series the top of the line, other than the field of anglers.

And in Toho it would be.....?

Ya, I have a serrano and it's the same deal. Very hard the first time, till you get the hang of it. There are instructions in the manual that came with the serrano, if you have that it may help. Still, I felt like I was doing just like they said and it wasn't budging. It is a hard turn down, almost inward, and then out, if that makes sense.

Personally, I don't find it advantageous to use an actual cranking rod for lipless rattle baits. I use a 7'4" Medium Power/Fast Action BPS Extreme rod. I fish grass a lot , and it is tough for me to rip a bait out of it with a moderately paced rod. You don't have as much forgiveness when fighting a fish as you would with a cranking rod, but there is still enough play to help out in that area with the medium/fast.

I actually did something similar to this for awhile. The large bag I mentioned is actually designed to carry the tackle logic binders, but I found they didn't hold enough per binder. So I went to the ziplocks. I am just hoping to find something more organized and easier to manage. Thanks for all of the ideas. I have a small speed bag that I will probably use, along with a larger bag of some sort and some binders.

"Second they need to bring back the Western Opens. The West has been tearing up both circuits over the past 10 years. Most of our top guys are trying to go east to get to the Elites. I believe it is in the cards and they will be back." That's what I was thinking. At least start with that, can't see why they don't want a central, southern, northern and western series.

How's that for a subject line... I'm looking for some storage ideas. I am fishing a tournament as a co-angler for the first time in quite a while. Fishing with guys I don't know, and I want to keep it simple. I have one large bag, it's just a bit cumbersome and it's basically just a big duffel. Really just want something different. I want something to help keep me organized and efficient. I see a lot of good bags that hold several 3600 size boxes, but I only plan on bringing a couple topwaters, a handful of lipless cranks and the rest will be plenty of soft plastics and terminal tackle. They don't fit so well in 3600 boxes (I like to keep them in the original bags as opposed to just laying them in boxes). So, any suggestions for me??

the property that gives line stretch deadens the feel even if the line isn't stretched. mono lines generally have approx 20% stretch.that means at 35 feet your line will stretch 7 feet.in weeds the problem becomes even greater as the mono grabs the weeds and stretchs like a rubber band . like i said you cannot logically argue this point. Are you saying that if we put out 35 feet of mono, and pull it tight and keep pulling, it will stretch to 42 feet?? (Assuming it doesn't reach its breaking point first.)

Micro makes some interesting points. Braid can be a pain, it's true. But I have to say, with soft plastics, in the places I normally fish, braid is downright addicting. Setting the hook in basically any type/strength/density of cover with braid and knowing that fish is coming to the boat, is hard to get away from. So it definitely adds some confidence and also minimizes angler miscues. If I "miss" a hook set on a fish with mono, there is a good chance the fish won't get to meet me. With braid, that miscue doesn't hurt as much and many times the fish is hooked properly anyway. Actually now that I write that, maybe that's a negative for braid. After all, one of the reasons we do this is to become better fisherman, and if something covers our mistakes, we can't learn from them. (Don't want to go back to a string on a stick either, though.) Hmmmm....something to ponder I guess. My big concern with braid is the visibility factor. And by the way, have you noticed most pros use flouro, and reserve braid only for truly thick stuff? Gotta be a reason (or 2) that they don't use it more. :-?

Unfortunately this method leaves more line in the water, posing potential problems for other anglers and/or animals.

Make sure you consider just how thick the cover is that you will be fishing. I have a Mojo Slop and Frog rod, and that thing is a broom stick. But many times that is exactly what is needed to get fish to the boat if the cover is really thick. I think about upgrading it (just because, I guess), but it casts well, and extreme sensitivity is not needed for frogs, so I have stuck with it. In thinner stuff you may be able to get away with a mh, but I still opt for at least a "light" heavy rod, just to be on the safe side. I have been using a Powell 734 in more sparse cover lately.

I am about to order some, but no straight junebug available?? Wow. Thought that would be a given. Guess I'll go with the black/blue.

Karma??

Guess if they are, it's a pretty tight secret. Seems like someone around here always has the scoop on new stuff.

How much is on a 1lb spool?

First of all, WAY more than half of us are going to complain. You should know that by now. And second, if you enjoy doing the reviews, go for it.