flippin and pitchin

Yes they are durable....to a fault. If you fish these in any cover at all you will want to tex-pose or skin hook them and this material makes that difficult. You risk missing strikes. The material looks good new when it has it's sheen but it scuffs and looks dull pretty quick. The price is fair so at least try a pack. I won't replace the product I bought. You know what ? PM me and I'll send you a pack, no charge.

Have any of you master bassers out there purchased/used an Okuma Trio spinning reel ? Iv'e had some great results with Okuma spinning reels in the past and picked one up at a very competetive price. If no one has, I guess I might do a review if I can ever get out and fish it. Local steelheaders here in SW WA. are hot on this reel.

I have a couple of the Winches and could not be happier. The Curado is also an excellent reel. Try to borrow one of each and or get a demo if you can. How it feels in your hand makes a huge difference. I was able to pick my Revos up for around 165.00 which helped the selection process.

The Classic makes for better ads. AOY demonstrates consistency and versatility. They are both prestigious.

The earth's axis is off ? That's why my spinnerbait's blades won't turn slowly. Honestly, hot water does not dissolve oxygen very well and vegetation often starts to die and rot. The rot creates gasses and it stinks. My home lake had the worst algae bloom I have ever seen last year. The water stunk and so did the fishing.

Depends on water clarity. You can color the last 2 feet with a black felt pen too. If you have vegetation you can away without a leader.

I have a couple bags of mad Man craws. They look nearly identical to the YUM craw.

I'm no expert by any means but I use a process that helps me. Like Big Tom says, WHERE is everything. Generally, where should the fish be based on the seasonal pattern of pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn ? Where have the fish moved to, based on depth options? Deep, shallow, other ? Where is the cover the fish might relate to ? Where are the fish in relation to that cover or structure, the bottom, suspended, upper surface area, inside or outside ? I try to use a lure as a tool to refine what I think might be going on using horizontal and then verticle, i'e', spinnerbait then jig ? Then I try to establish a presentation the fish want or will accept. Is it fast, slow, hop it, drag it, stop and go, lot's of vibration or noise or little to none ? The colors I choose are based on weather, water conditions, forage and past experience. This process values that first bite in hopes that fish can tell me something to put at least one piece of the puzzle in place. That's kind of a progression I guess. If nothing works and I have applied everything I can think of to answer those questions, I have one last thing I can do, trailer the boat and go get some pizza.

I have sold or traded off all my old pistol grip rods from the 70's/80's except 2 Lews fiberglass Speedsticks and my original straight handle Fenwick Dee Thomas HMG Flippin Stik. Love those memories ! :

Sweet ! I'd rather catch smallies on a crankbait than any other lure. Try ice on that elbow when you get home and some ibuprofen to reduce the inflamation. There's a topical analgesic called Biofreeze that helps too. If your elbow issue is from the stress of winding a crankbait and you haven't tried a 5 to 1 ratio reel please do so. It reduced my fatigue and soreness by 90% . My crankbait has a first name, it's Norman.

It's a swimbait ! No it's a bass ! No it's a swimbait ! No It's a bass ! Did it take drag ?

This post got my curiosity up. I took the time to research the biology of crayfish. They are a fascinating creature. I didn't know there are over 400 species, they molt around late May and into June and consume their expended shell to replenish their calcium. They are not relegated to the bottom only but spend a significant amount of time in the upper canopy of vegetation. There's much much more. What I learned will make me a better angler. Thanks again for the post.

Time for a moderator to terminate this thread ?

Allexperts.com says that model is 1965 with similar models from 1940 to 1965. Value is 28.00 to 32.00 depending on condition, box and paperwork. Nice find !!!

Your retailer thanks you. Joe Thomas already did a fishing show on this called Ultimate Craw Fishing.

Hulas grubs, tubes and jig heads. Rocks have a big appetite.

Rods are like shoes. You can probably come close just applying your shoe size but trying the shoe on and walking in it for a few minutes will help you know if it realy fits. The rods you mentioned as options are really very different in feel, actions, flex charateristics, reel seats, and so on. Try to put them in your hand if you can. There's quite a selection of rods under $150.00 that are tremendous values. Good luck.

Great information. What are your thoughts on on the use of crawfish colored crankbaits that are moving a quick pace, specifically lipless rattle baits? My best producing lipless baits are actually not shad or baitfish colors, they are dark browns, brown orange or reddish patterns and the retrieve is much faster than a backward swimming crayfish. Any thoughts?

Haven't you heard? Orvil Reddenbacher is coming out with his own line of rods.

They are most likely pad weevils. There's two species. One is harmless and the second can emit a toxic substance that may cause lesions on the skin. Without seeing a photo it will be pretty difficult to determine which species they are. You will just have to pick the lesser of two weevils.

Tackle Warehouse has the Revo STX on sale for 139.99. That would my choice. I have both STX and S and would spend the few dollars more for the STX.

Maybe wait for the XL704CM or XL705CM with micro guides. They should be available pretty soon. I have the 703,704,705 and 734 models. The 704C matched with a 2010 Revo Premier weighs in at 11.6 ounces with line. That's not too shabby.

Same here.

It's all about water temperature. That dictates the start and the end. My earliest bass came on a February 11th trip and the lasted on November 23rd.