Goose52

Before anyone reads too much into this thread - keep in mind that it was started in February 2013 - it's last years news and has nothing to do with any BPS sales or offers in 2014....

Mostly Red Eye Shads and mostly in 1/2 ounce. Color? Does it matter... I use Sexy Shad, Orange Belly Craw, Chartreuse Baitfish, Ghost Minnow, and other colors. Actually, my 9.5 LMB PB was caught on a..............wait for it...............Academy H20 Express "Rattlin T" in blue over chrome. That bait is somewhat of an XCalibur XR50 clone...

Well as already stated...NFC blanks AND Edge rods: http://www.edgerods.com/

Yeah - fun reels for sure. I'm up to 9 of them now and have a 2014 Conquest on order... ...and then will have to get the new model CQ50 when it comes out in 2015. ...and then I should be done !

I generally toss lipless cranks on a 7' med-fast (rated at 1/4oz to 3/4oz) with the PQ 5-year Challenge test reel. Medium, rather than moderate action to be better able to rip out of grass. Under ideal conditions, I can make 45 yards or so, could maybe touch 50 yards in still air and freshly cleaned bearings. Since I fish lipless from the bank quite a bit, casting distance can be a factor in getting to where the fish are. So, I started a quest to assemble the ultimate lipless crank combo (mostly for open water - not ripping in grass). I ended up with: Calais 200DC on a 7'2" St. Croix XC72MHM (mh-mod) Antares (latest model) on another XC72MHM Calcutta 100DC on a 7'6" BPS medium-power Crankin' Stick Tatula reel on a 7'7" med-reg Tatula rod (on order) 2014 Conquest 100 on a (already have) Loomis CBR906 7'6" mh-mod I also have a Crucial CRCC711MA - 7'11" med-mod rod waiting for a reel. The Calais DC will toss baits a LONG way when you get the cast just right...but you can backlash this sucker. I haven't graduated to the long range setting on it yet. The Antares is very nice but I wasn't getting the range I wanted with the red/stock brakes so I just installed two of the lighter weight brakes but haven't had it on the water yet. The Calcutta DC is also a bit touchy on casting technique and I haven't had it much farther out than my trusty PQ. The Tatula reel with that Tat rod may be a pretty good combination - great distance, achieved relatively easily. I'm looking forward to getting the 2014 Conquest and seeing what she will do. Finally, I put the Tat reel on the 7'11" Crucial for a test run and I'm finding that perhaps my shoulder/elbow issues are going to keep me from getting all the distance out of that rod that It's probably capable of (gone are the days when I could handle my 13' surf rod... ). After playing with all this stuff, what I find is that even if you do get out to 60 or 70 yard distances, you've exceeded your hook-up (and button-up) range and you loose fish out there. I could try switching to braid, and may try that some day. I think at the end of the day, regardless of the tackle you use, if you can reach out 40-50 yards, you've probably hit the practical limit for keeping fish on the line... YMMV Edit: Since you were focusing on reels - IPT is a factor as well. I generally use a 6.4 (26" IPT) but you might consider a faster reel if you plan on running the bait over skinny water and/or ripping it out of grass....

A nice squadron of Calcuttas/Conquests...

Certainly many of the rods designated as "bass rods" can be used for many other species as well. I guess it comes down to a bass rod being any rod that is suitable in length, action, and power to deliver the presentations commonly used to bass fishing. Capable of handling the weight of baits typically used...,and capable of presenting those baits in the manner desired. Sensitivity can be important as well, especially for bottom contact presentations. For instance, I sold my 13' surf rod when I moved away from the ocean - not an ideal rod for most bass fishing. Don't need heavy boat rods and other tackle used for blue-water fishing for bass. Ect.....

I built a rod box to secure the rods from rolling around - the box holds tackle as well. The rod tips extend forward in-between the front seats. Couple photos below. The construction details of my box are in the thread referenced by stk in Post #2 of this thread.

If you are only going to use it occasionally - the other brands will probably work fine. Use it a lot...and a genuine Dremel tool is probably a good investment. I have two Dremels, and they will outlast me. Also, x2 on DVTs advice. A Dremel is also known as a "fully-automatic assault file".................be careful what you use it on....................

You don't often see the PQ go down to $70 - a good deal indeed at that price...

I don't pay much attention to photos anymore - too hard to tell. Nor do I respond to threads where folks post a photo and say: "how much does my fish weigh - I don't have a scale!". Well, time for those folks to at least carry a tape measure to get length/girth, or better yet..........buy a scale. As I said in that other recent thread...photos capture memories, accurate scales capture the weight...

While you're waiting for folks to come on board...you might browse this thread from last year - 70 replies: How Much Does Your State Resident Permit Cost? Tennessee - bass open all year - combination hunting and fishing license = $28

Browsing through my tackle spreadsheet shows that I have accumulated rods from 14 companies and reels from 13 companies. I like variety, it's fun. If I was to start over from scratch, I could probably whittle it down to 3 or 4 companies for rods - the same for reels. Even if one company DID cover all the bases...I would find limiting myself to only one brand somewhat...boring. Regarding efficiency - I don't fish tournaments so time isn't a critical factor. I fish for fun, and having lots of different tackle to play with is fun. I managed to catch 1885 bass last year. I wonder how many more I would have caught if all my rods and reels were from the same company...

I've seen folks convert large capacity coolers into livewells, plus there are livewell kits for jons. Google it and you will probably get some ideas for what might work in a canoe. Canoes aren't typically tournament watercraft where you need to retain your catch alive for a period of time so livewells for canoes isn't a frequent topic in this forum. I imagine folks in canoes that are keeping their catch probably do tow a stringer alongside the boat (assuming there are no toothy critters around to eat the catch ). Otherwise, some folks probably dispatch their catch and put on ice. I fish exclusively from a canoe and have the biggest livewell of all...I remove the fish from the hook and put it back in the lake...

I don't have the 6'8" but do have the 7'2" mf - CUC72MA. I reported on this rod here: New Cumara A Casting Rod - Initial And On-The-Water Reviews - Updated I now use this rod, with a Core 50, as my primary light t-rig combo where it gives outstanding service. In short, and as I mentioned in my review thread - fantastic blank, quality construction, and a rod series that one could build a fine arsenal around. HOWEVER, the grip behind the reel seat is absurdly short, and the spacing between that grip and the rear grip is too long (for me). While some might like the ergonomics of the Cumara A - I am not a fan. I have gotten used to the grip enough to where I can fish with it...but really just don't care for it. I was shopping for a new spinning rod a while back and briefly considered the Cumara A...but the grip in the spinning rod is just as "unfriendly" (for me) as the casting rod. At this point, I can't really see myself purchasing any more of rods in this product line.

It's a nice combo - I got it for open water lipless cranks. It was a winter purchase and I don't have much time on the water with it yet...

It's practically an antique - an 11 year-old Sony with a max res of 5 meg. This shot was taken on the 1.2 meg setting AND macro focus enabled.

Nice rods...

If you look in the FAQs on Shimano's web site this is what they say about the brake (they spell break!) collars: Why are there more than one color of break weights for my Baitcasting VBS system? Shimano makes two different break weights; Heavy (Black, Grey, or Green in color) and Light (Red, Blue, and Clear in color). Most of the new reels are shipped with the light break weights on the reel, and the heavy break weights in packaging in the box. If the light break weights don’t provide adequate spool stopping power, change them simply by pulling them off of the spool and replace them with the heavier weights. Of course - this is pre-SVS. FWIW

Hot stuff !

Eric - where the HECK have you been ! Welcome back !!

If I plotted my tackle purchases on a calendar, there certainly would be a spike in the winter months...and a trough in the prime fishing months. Seems like buying tackle becomes a substitute for catching fish during those winter months...

Welcome to the 21st Century...................................finally............................

It's always hard to tell from photos. The one below, also caught on 10lb test, is close to your estimate at 41 pounds but with that big belly looks heavier than the 48 pounder. To the OP - sorry for drifting on your thread but at least you can see that in open water, 10lb test can handle some sizeable fish...

Well, this one was 48 pounds and took 53 minutes to land. If you caught a 48 pounder on 4lb test - that was quite a catch indeed !