Goose52

It's not a noodle rod - it's got some backbone down the blank and it deserves its fast-action rating. Still, it's a light (perhaps almost medium-lightish...) power rod that is probably most comfortable in the middle of it's weight rating (1/16 to 3/8) meaning about 1/4 oz or so. I've tossed 3/8 ounce lipless cranks with no problem but once you get to that 3/8 weight range, I've got lots of ML or M power rods that do a better job. Like I said, for me it's a niche rod for the <3/8 ounce spectrum.

I have the PHX-C682L as well, with a PX Type R on it - usually spooled with 6 or 8lb line. For me it's a "niche" rod for light baits. If you are looking for a more versatile rod, I agree that the 683 might be the better choice.

And out of that factorys door # 3 come many of the BPS reels...

Now that's how to do it - one stop shopping!

Capt.Bob - did you already get the Rage spinning rod? How long was the wait time after you mailed the paperwork?

Got my XC72MHM in a couple days ago. Bought it based on a strong recommendation that Dwight posted in another thread. It works, catches fish...

Wow - Paul - where have you been? Is it my imagination or have you been MIA for a long time (couple years?). Welcome back...and thanks for the great posts!

Dang - this thread got me all confused. Yesterday afternoon it was PARTLY cloudy. So, blue over chrome? Black over chrome? What to do? So, I gave up on chrome and went with a natural light craw. This 6.08 pound fish went for it.... Science, art, or the bait monkey...

Thanks. It started out just being a general purpose workbench with tools on the pegboard. As time has gone by, in the middle of the night when no one is looking, the bait monkey keeps finding other places for my tools and makes more room for tackle...

Well, this 3.6lb fish obviously didn't get the memo. Caught it this evening under a cloudy sky - dark enough for the camera flash to fire. Hard to tell from the glare in the photo but it's blue over chrome. Dang, I should have followed the rules and changed to black over chrome as soon as those clounds rolled in...........

I understand the logic behind black back on cloudy days and blue back on sunny days...but how does that fit into another color mantra that says you use chrome baits on sunny days and natural or brighter colors (like chartreuse) on cloudy days. Is it "natural" to have that much flash from a chrome bait on cloudy days when there's no sun..... How much of this is science...and how much is art...and how much is just the bait monkey?

I love it when you think you're hung up....and then the line starts moving... Great catch! Keep it up....

I personally don't think so - especially if the bass first sees the bait from any angle except from above (and bass have a pretty big blind spot in their downward vision). Even then, does that little bit of color matter? I think it's the flash of the chrome on the side that's getting their attention. My LMB PB was caught on a blue over chrome lipless crank, but I think I would have had just as good a chance to catch that bass had it been a black over chrome. I bet you get lots of different opinions on this...

I'm a BPS BC reel fan (I have 17)...but I'd pick the Revo and just try to save somewhere else to get the kayak...

I think about 20-22 feet is about all you're typically going to get out of a Mann's 30+ on a long cast. I know I hung one on the bottom in 22' of water once...but I have a feeling that it actually snagged a stump that was sticking up a foot or two off the bottom. This was on 10lb YZ Hybrid. I was getting crud on the hooks and bill in 18-20 FOW, but I think I was just barely hitting bottom, if at all, under 20 feet. Perhaps someone that makes longer casts than I can could get more depth and using flouro could get you another foot or two as well.

You keep bragging about that PL...you're just lucky I didn't start bumping your bid... Glad you ended up with it.

Good thing I have this reminder set up to go off every 3 years otherwise I'd probably forget. $24 for a re-arming kit is cheap insurance for 3-years of service...

Hey Rooster - not necessarily all soft plastics, but stickworms - especially GYCB Senkos since they're very soft. Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word notorious (as in happens all the time) but that it does occasionally happen, and a backlash is the result. The weightless part comes into play since when the bait leaves the hook, there's no weight left to pull out the line. If you were fishing a weighted soft plastic, the weight of the sinker may be enough to keep the line coming off the spool and minimize or prevent a backlash. Besides stickworms, I have a problem with Mann's Jelly Worms. They are pretty soft and I often have the worm tear-through right were the hook is tex-posed....the tail of the worm goes flying across the lake, but the bullet sinker and the head of the worm usually have enough weight to keep the line coming off the spool. Does all this happen all the time? No, but when it does, mongo backlash.

Stick worms in general, and GYCB Senkos in particular, are notorious for tearing off the hook on a cast. During the casting stroke, the spool is accelerated to high rotational speed by the weight of the bait. When the stickworm (or any other bait or weight that leaves the line during the casting stroke) tears off, the spool is still at high revs, but there is no weight to pull the line off the spool. Result - backlash city. This is the reason why many folks, as mentioned by flyfisher, use spinning gear to toss weightless plastics that are prone to depart the hook during a cast.

The dual-braking system design on your Lew's reel was being used on the PQ several years before the "new" Lew's company was formed. There isn't a feature on either reel that would prevent a backlash when the bait departs the line during the casting stoke.

Yup. I'm an amatuer reel tinkerer...but when I want to make sure the job gets done right - I send my stuff to Mike. I will be sending him 4 of my "winter acquisition" reels soon...

If you plan on mostly using 1/4 or 3/8oz lipless cranks, the 7' medium fast (looks like they only have that in microguides) would work fine. If you are thinking more of 1/2 and 5/8oz baits, AND ripping in grass, then you might consider the 7' med-heavy fast. If maximum casting distance is important, then I see they have a 7'3" MH-F. A caution, I don't personally know whether the Veritas line fishes "heavier" than it's rating. If so, you might get away with the medium power rod.

We usually have a couple threads each winter about gloves; if you search, you'll find quite a few threads with lots of recommendations. For me, I use thinner gloves in milder weather and still have reasonable sensitivity. The gloves shown, Seirus on the left, Under-Armor glove liner on the right, both are thin, but provide some warmth and keep the wind off your hands. Both work OK (for me) down to about the 40 deg range, depending on wind. Once it gets in the 30s or lower, I usually have to add an outer glove over the thin gloves. This morning, I was fishing in 27 deg. air temps with the Under Armor liners inside a fleece outer.

Reel gear ratios - I usually use 6.4:1 (26ipt) when fishing lipless cranks. I do occasionally use 7.1:1 (29ipt) when I want to speed up the bait in open water. Rods - two schools of thought: 1) it's a treble hook bait - so use a moderate or moderate fast action cranking rod...except...2) a primary strategy with lipless cranks it to tick the top of weeds and rip the bait out. Some folks feel more comforatable with a fast action rod for that type of presentation rather than a cranking stick. If using braid, then the cranking rod might still work fine for ripping out of weeds. So, for many folks, rod selection will depend on whether you're fishing open water or over weeds, and also line type. Rod power is appropriate to the weight of the bait. I fish lipless cranks on rods from ML to MH.