Goose52

X2 on the BPS Crankin' Stick (I have 4 of them). They went up $10 this year to $79 but still a very good value for the money. They will periodically go on sale for $69 I would think....

I have both the Loomis MBR842C and the Daiwa PX Type R...but not as a combo. The Daiwa is on a Phenix light-power rod. On the MBR842 - I use mine mostly as a worm rod but like most 7'mf rods, it is very versatile. Soft plastics, lipless cranks, lighter spinnerbaits, perhaps topwater, etc. Would work OK for shallow and medium cranks but at some point you might want to get a dedicated cranking rod for that kind of thing. On the PX Type R - I've run 6 and 8lb YZ Ultrasoft on mine. The reel would have no problem "handling" a heavier line...but you will have VERY limited line capacity. 8lb YZ or 20lb braid (if you don't have the "dig-in" problem) would be a good balance between strength and line capacity. You have some cool gear - have fun...

Woo hoo!

The PERFECT rod for your applications was made by Shimano until last year; it was in the old Crucial series. I bought this one at a close-out price earlier this year. At 5'9" it is a little shorter than you want but it really is a nifty length for close-quarters. The weight rating on the rod is 3/8 to 1/2 - it is a pretty stout little rod and could probably go to 5/8 or 3/4oz easy enough - for 1/4oz, I might find a different tool. Be advised that the rear grip is only 6" long so it's a sorta one and one-half hands on the grip if you normally cast with two hands... Anyway, check eBay for starters - some are still around.

This topic always gets replies all over the map. Some folks give an answer based on mechanical advantage (lower numerical ratios), some give an answer based on being able to "burn" a deep crank and say just slow down when you need to (higher numerical ratios)...although these people must have wrists and forearms the size of tree trunks... Me, I use a 4.7 ratio (19ipt) reel on my deep-cranking rod; I have a 5.2 (21ipt) ratio reel on another rod that would work nearly as well. Some folks (few nowadays) that really like to work the bottom slow favor the older 3.8 ratio reels. Some will say that a 6.x (24-26ipt) ratio works well. Then there's those "burner" folks with the "wrists of steel" that say a 7.x works well...

Wow - great fish...and a bass too! You sure put that Conquest to work...

Hanging up on structure when slow rolling along the bottom - plus I lose some from time to time when squirrel fishing in the trees as was previously mentioned... I do keep some WalMart spinnerbaits handy to use in place of the premium spinnerbaits when I want to fish some high-risk water to see if anything's home...

Occasionally. 5'UL spinning rod w/4lb test Stren on the reel. I usually get panfish or 10-12 inch bass on it but now and then I will get one of those 2 pounders. Lots of fun indeed and a nice change from the heavier tackle. I wouldn't use it as my primary rig though, even though I fish mostly open water. I do have the possibility of catching 8, 9, or 10+ pound bass in my water and don't want to take a risk of losing a catch 'cause of the UL gear...

Yes! Great line with basically the same properties as regular YZ Hybrid. YZ does not have a tensile strength chart for the UltraSoft on it's web site so I don't know if it's as strong as the regular flavor...but it's plenty strong with good abrasion resistance...and VERY inexpensive. These 1 pound spools cost me about $25 each. I use 6lb on spinning, 10lb on casting, and have a spool of 8lb to use on light-casting or heavy-spinning.

I match every combo - I always try to make sure that each rod has a reel on it... Like others above - I'm looking for fish-catching potential. I usually buy rods and reels based on value, features, and performance for a specific need. I put combos together to get the desired end result, with no regard for brand, color, or other non-fish catching factors. Although, I will have to admit that I did once slip over to the dark side to match a black reel with red accents with a black rod with red accents...

BPS Crankin' Sticks are a great value with good performance for their price - especially when they were on sale for $59...

The one with a 23lb LMB on the end of the line...

...and with drop shot or other vertical presentations, it's usually easier to drop the line from a spinning reel than it is to pull off the line from a BC reel spool...

Sure - especially lipless cranks. I fish from the bank a lot and loose them from time-to-time. Countdown the bait and run it across the grass - but there are stumps and structure down there in the middle of the grass. Some are lost in the first few casts, some I at least catch a few fish on. If a lipless crank is lucky, it will catch quite a few fish...but it will eventually be lost. I lost count at about 25 lost lipless cranks over the last two seasons. I would imagine I'm at 30 or 35 by now. One little cove that I fish a lot from the bank has lots of underwater stumps. Over time, I've found most of them - one lipless crank at a time. I've lost at least 15 lures in that cove. High risk on lures indeed...but I've pulled a 9, an 8, and a number of 5 and 6 pounders out of that water so the risk is worth it. Example - on January 11 this year, I tied on a 3/4oz RES to see how a particular rod would handle that weight. I was in the high-risk/high-reward cove. Caught a 5.02 on the first cast of the brand-new bait. On the second cast, I hung it on a stump that I knew was out in that direction...that 3/4oz bait ran deeper than my usual 1/2oz RESs and I hit the stump - thought I was high enough in the water column to miss that one....

Great advice! Now, if I only had a bite hot enough to follow that advice.... In my little lakes, I get about a fish an hour from the bank. In the boat, I might get a fish every 30 minutes or so. In the few occasions where I've got into a school of fish, and am catching every few casts, it only lasts for 5 or 6 fish and then you're done...not enough time to experiment. Someday.....

I have 6 PQs. All are smooth (for a $100 reel). They don't backlash with proper adjustments and reasonable skill by the angler. My primary PQ that gets the most use, usually 5/8oz lipless cranks (granted - about the farthest casting bait), will probably make 150 feet easy enough when I do my part and there's no headwind. Of the comments you posted - I'd wonder about the skill and experience level of someone that calls a fishing ROD a pole. On the one about 20lb braid - there is often some additional skill required to successfully use braid on a BC reel - especially as light as 20lb. Lastly, I'm puzzled by the commentor that says he has mastered old-school Ambassadeur reels but can't handle a modern, dual-braking, BC reel. I'd take some of the BPS reviews with a grain of salt. All you know for sure about the commentor is that they have a computer or other web-enabled device and know how to leave a comment....

Another vote for DVT...

249 but nothing 6lbs or over. Five 5 pounders, four 4 pounders, twelve 3 pounders, the rest smaller.

WOW - 800 already! WTG I'm only at 263 so far this year. Went to 8 of my neighborhood lakes this morning and could only scare up TWO bass - a 10" and a 9"...

You bet! You'd have a free ride around the lake for as long as you like! Eat your lunch, catch some rays, maybe listen to some tunes, and let the carp give you a scenic tour... I've caught all of these from the bank but I've often wondered what I would do if I hook one from my canoe. I would be reeling the canoe to the fish in essence. Then, once you're near the fish - then what? I guess just try to get your crank back and let the critter go it's way. I'm not gonna try to get the fish in the boat to get a weight or length on it....

My "boat" is a canoe so I don't store any gear in the boat. In the garage, I have most of the in-use tackle in 3600-size boxes. I pick & choose from these 3600s depending on what type of fishing I'll be doing. I have 3600 boxes for: Cranks 1-8 ft. Cranks 7-13ft Cranks 14-20+ft Lipless cranks Minnow baits Topwater Jigs Spinnerbaits Terminal tackle Misc I also have 3500-size boxes and other size plastic boxes for swimbaits, in-line spinners, ultralight, other misc stuff and tackle I take when fishing from the bank. Most soft plastics and new baits are hung from pegboard. Other soft plastics are stored in a small tub. Other stuff is in boxes under the workbench or in a big workbench drawer.

Yeah - grass carp are from a different genus from the European common carp. There's a bunch of different carp species - some are from the same genus...but the grass carp is the only species within their genus. So, just a distant cousin of the common carp.

Not me...anytime I have the opportunity to fight a 40-50 pound fish...I'm takin' it... (Although, about 30 minutes into the fight with the 44-pounder, with my arm getting a bit sore, I was sorta wishing for the "instant gratification" of something like a 4 to 6 pound bass that you land in from 30 seconds to a minute or so...)

Yeah - it seems like the fins is where they're vulnerable. The scales are too big and thick to get any hook penetration as the lipless crank hits the fish. Of the six of these big grass carp that I've caught, one was mouth hooked (must have thought the lipless crank was some plant matter falling through the water column), four were hooked in the fins (3 tail fin and 1 dorsal fin), and only one was through the scales and into the fish (in the tail again). Here's a 41 pounder I got last September that was hooked in the dorsal fin like your fish from last week:

So I cast out my trusty 5/8oz lipless crank across a shallow grass flat - trying for largemouth bass. On the retrieve, the lipless crank spotted a big honkin' grass carp and promptly bit it on the tail and didn't let go. 51 minutes later, me and the lipless crank beat the 47 inch, 48.6 pound grass carp into submission. (translation: while casting for LMB, I foul-hooked the carp in the tail... ). After landing the 48-pounder, I head home and decide that since the line has been on that reel for a few weeks, and with the stress from the carp, that I should respool the line. After lunch, I head back to the same lake as the morning...AND, good thing I had fresh line and a good knot 'cause the lipless crank does it again! Dang, all I wanted was a bass and I've got another huge carp on the line. After 1 hour and 9 minutes, I land the 45 inch, 44.4 pound carp - this one also foul-hooked in the tail. 93 pounds of carp fight fun in ONE day - makes the 13" LMB that I started my day with seem sorta puny- eh? Tackle was a St. Croix 7' mf rod, BPS PQ reel, and 10lb YZ Hybrid Ultra-Soft. 48.6 pounder: 44.4 pounder: And, just to show how thick these fish are - a top view of the 44 pounder: