Goose52

The usual recommendation for using regular Hybrid on BC reels is based on the belief that it's stronger and more abrasion resistant than Ultrasoft, and that any line stiffness and/or memory are more easily addressed on BC reels than spinning reels. Yo-Zuri has the average breaking strength of regular YZ Hybrid listed in a chart on their web site. However, there is no breaking strength listed on the Yo-Zuri web site for Ultrasoft (at least I've never found it). Oversight or does YZ not want to go there? My personal gut feeling is that Ultrasoft probably does have a lower abrasion resistance and breaking strength than regular Hybrid. But, Ultrasoft is still most likely stronger and has more abrasion tolerance than most nylon monos, and, at the price I got it at, it's been a tremendous value. I never use any sort of line treatment like KVD or whatever on Ultrasoft, but as has been mentioned in this thread - many people do use line conditioner on regular Hybrid.

I'd pick any of the above...if it has a 23lb bass on the other end of the line...

Ah - good point. I fish only open water and get spoiled by being able to use 10lb on many of my rigs. For the OP, and with an MH rod, going up on the lb. test is a good idea.

Fine choices - lots of capability for not many bucks....

Dunno what's in the AR bearing .RM. - it's only happaned on spinning reels in <30 degree air temps and long cold soak times in the car. Haven't personally disassembled any of my (modern) spinning reels...if I did, I'd end up with a "box-o-parts"... Better for me to just let the reel warm back up... :lol:

Pegboard is your friend... In addition to the pegboard on the fishing workbench, I have three drawers under the bench for fishing stuff. Rod & reel combos stored vertically in rod racks. Couple cardboard boxes under the bench with some extra stuff.

On the reel - I don't think there are any lasting affects. On short-term affects - like .RM. said - lubricants can get a bit thick in cold weather and the reel can get a bit sluggish. Another issue that I've had in sub-freezing temps is the lube in the anti-reverse bearing getting cold and the AR becomes inop. Soon as the reel warms back up, the AR comes back up...

All our grass carp are stocked for aquatic weed control as well. They definately like to school...and they're very skittish. I'm always surprised that they don't see the lipless crank coming and move out of the way. Except for one little 7 pounder, all the grass carp I've snagged have been 30 - 50 pounds - no middleweights (15-30 pounds). Perhaps the reason is that the large ones just have too much mass to move quickly enough to get out of the way, and the middleweights are more agile. I'd actually rather catch more of the middleweights as I have a feeling that I would get more jumps out of them than the big guys. There is an annual stocking of grass carp in my 11 lakes so that all year-classes are present; this is done so that the entire population doesn't die off about the same time. So, I know there should be middleweight fish out there - just haven't caught one yet.

I'd gladly pay more for that one...

Tennessee: Annual Combination Hunting & Fishing = $28. Trout stamp, deer tag, etc. = extra Boat Registration - THREE years - 16 ft. or under = $35

This question has come up a few times lately; check out these threads - about 65 posts between the two threads: Need Help Deciding On Canoe or Kayak Kayak or Canoe?? Here's what I posted on those earlier threads: Really, only you can answer that question. Some types of small watercraft (canoes, kayaks, bass raiders, float tubes, pontoons, inflatables, etc.) are perfect for some people. No one type of small watercraft is perfect for all people. In selecting whether you want to get a canoe or a kayak, you need to make a list of your needs, and then determine which craft is the better fit for you. Some of the factors to consider: Stabililty and standing capability (moving around, landing fish, another person or kids or dogs in the boat, standing to fish, etc.) Cargo/gear storage (how much stuff do you want to take) Inboard storage & handling (canoe) versus handling things in your lap or over the water (yak) Seating position (usually, but not always more upright seating in a canoe vs. legs-out in yak - have back problems?) Vessel weight (how much can you lift/transport) Transportability - to the water and possible portaging (do you have a truck, trailer, going to car-top, need to portage, etc.) Storage at home - how much room do you have to store how much boat? Inside garage, on driveway, storage shed, outside on the lawn, etc. Ease of paddling Will you want the capability to motor it? Manueverability Type of water (lakes, streams, white water, etc.) Number of people in the craft Stay mostly dry or don't mind getting a bit wet Length of voyage (couple hours or a couple days) Etc. Once you answer those questions based on your own capabilities and needs, you'll come closer to chosing either a canoe, a yak, or a hybrid. All are great watercraft in their own ways, you just have to find the best fit for YOU. I faced the same decision as you are tying to make now but I was open to all types of small watercraft from float tubes up to bass boats. The best solution for ME, was a heavily accessorized canoe. I only fish my local, small (1.5 to 201 acres), no-wake lakes. Some of these lakes don't have boat ramps. I needed something car-topable without a special rack, modular, very light weight, with as much capability as possible. I wanted stability so I could stand and fish all day, lots of inboard storage, motorized, and little to no maintenance. I didn't want to have to buy a truck or other tow vehicle, I didn't want to consume a garage bay or driveway space with a boat and trailer, didn't want high expense and high maintenance, and didn't want to use gasoline power. Taking everything into account, I ended up with a canoe, trolling motor, and outriggers for stability.

Too bad - you're missing out! BUT - you're right next to the gulf so you got salt and fresh water beasties to enjoy... (BTW - The last time I was in your neck of the woods...it was only woods and swamp!)

Yeah - it's great! Normally, only the saltwater guys get to see 30-40 pound fish go aerial...

Not a coincidence. If you think about it, a lipped crank would probably deflect off the carp. The lipless crank is typically worked fast, and when it hits the carp it has a chance of snagging on a fin or whatever. Other treble hook baits usually aren't worked fast enough to hit the carp before it can move out of the way. Another factor is what bait is often used to work large grass flats for bass? Lipless crank. Where is a spot that grass carp like to chow down? Grass flats. Of the 8 I've landed - one was mouth hooked, two were snagged on the dorsal fin, and five were hooked in the tail/caudal fin.

This is the 8th, and smallest of these large grass carp that I've caught over the last few seasons (not counting a little 7lb baby I got once). The biggest was 48 pounds. All were caught on 10lb test and all on a lipless crank. 7 of the fish were foul-hooked, 1 fish actually hit the lipless crank on the fall and was mouth-hooked (it might have thought the lipless crank was plant matter falling through the water column). Great fighters. The one today tried a jump, but the first one I caught several years ago (37 pounds) jumped twice - the first time it completely cleared the water - the second jump it didn't quite clear. Really impressive! Here's the 48 pounder: ...and here's a particularly fat 41 pounder: ...and here's the 37-pounder that jumped twice: RW - this isn't the Tennessee river, the Mississippi, or other big water. I only fish my neighborhood, man-made, small lakes; in this case, a little 38 acre lake. The only fish in these lakes are what have been stocked. The only fish this large that have ever been stocked in our lakes are, as mentioned, triploid (sterile) grass carp. They are stocked for aquatic weed control.

I think the OP already got the answer he wanted but I'll just make a comment about the 7'MF Avid vs. the Premier. I own both. I think all agree that St. Croix rods fish heavier than their rating. I bought the Avid first and immediately noticed that it fished "heavier" than the other two 7'MF rods I had at the time. Then, I bought the Premier based on my experience with the Avid. For ME - the Premier is noticably "stouter" than the Avid. The lure rating even gives a hint of that. The Avid is rated up to 5/8 ounce baits (typical of many 7'MF rods), the Premier is rated to 3/4 ounce. So, I think the Premier might handle frogging duties just a bit better than the Avid would. One thing for sure, I now have five 7'MF rods from three different manufacturers...and none of them fish the same... (Premier on top, Avid below - note the lure ratings).

Had a hook-up with a big grass carp last month and the carp won - broke me off and stole my Red Eye Shad. Today, I won and got my lipless crank back and the carp. Little skinny guy - probably not getting a lot to eat over the winter - 42 inches long but only 34 pounds. He did try a jump and made it about halfway out of the water then splashed down. Water temp was 44 degrees and I think grass carp aren't happy in that cold of water - although it was foul-hooked in the tail, it only took 7 minutes to land this guy (it usually takes from 20 minutes to an hour). He did make a great run the first time I got him close to the bank - he was up on the surface, pulling drag, and made about a 30 foot run splashing about half-way out of the water - looked like a salmon swimming upstream over rapids. Tackle was the usual - 7'mf St. Croix Premier and the 5-Year Challenge PQ with 10lb YZ-US line. One change was that this was the first large carp I've fought since I changed out the stock PQ drag washers with carbontex washers. The smoother drag allowed me to keep the drag tightened down even when the fish was near the bank. With the stock drag, I would typically loosen the drag the closer I got the fish to the bank to avoid a break-off if he made a run and the drag stuttered. Of course, the loosened drag then meant that it took longer to land the fish. As usual, I had to go in the water to manhandle the fish up on the bank - my soaked shoes are out in the garage... Note the rear treble on the lipless crank - a bit more bend and it would have been bye bye carp!

That's a good deal indeed.

Sure - but build it on an Ugly Stick blank...not a St. Croix Legend Elite SCV blank...

Poor blank - it coulda been a contender.....

I had a hook-up on one of these "tarpon" last month - this time, the tarpon/carp won and stole my Red Eye Shad. It was great fun for the 20-30 seconds that I had the fish on...

That's a good summary of the differences. A-Jay, will send you a PM.

Thanks for the reply. The specs on these reals are really good, and the prices are attractive - especially on eBay. Then, there's the $30 rebate. It's tempting...

Hey K_Mac - Congrats indeed - those are fine catches for anyplace this time of year - let alone being up north in Illinois, and especially when you would normally still have hard water. My previous PB (a 9.06) was caught on a Z-Man chatterbait on February 21, 2011, in water that had just warmed up to 49 degrees after being in the low 40s for weeks before that. My best 5 fish bag here in TN was caught just a few weeks prior to that, on February 7, 2011 - 19.5 pounds caught in water that had a surface temp of 40 when I started, and 39 degrees when I quit after dark. This bag was caught on a spinnerbait and lipless crank. Another notable catch was the 8.4 on New Years eve last winter on a lipless crank in 46 degree water. The coldest water hook-up I had this winter was a nice bass in 38 degree water on a lipless crank - lost that fish at the bank. Like your experience - this fish started to rotate the rod out of my grip (of course, the two pair of gloves I had on and the blue, stinging fingers inside the gloves might have had something to do with that ) Not sure I know anything about winter fishing other than if you find them during that narrow window when they have the feedbag on...you get get some quality bites. I think I also tend to land more winter fish since they don't seem to want to jump when the water gets into the 40s. I have used the usual slow winter presentations (jigs, jerkbaits, and soft plastics) and caught a few fish, but most of my quality winter fish have been on moving baits - and in the case of lipless cranks - moving pretty fast. I guess if they want to feed...they'll add the speed ! Keep getting out there good buddy.

Wow!