flippin and pitchin

I took the advice from a recent thread and tried the Magic Eraser as a cork cleaner. I am sold !! This is the deal. Thanks for the question and replies. Soft Scrub doesn't hold a candle to this product. TRY IT guys. It's cheap and effective.

Two lipless and the remaining lipped for sure. Two narrow wobble, two 3-5 feet standard style divers and two 5 to 8 feet divers. Red Eye shads or Rattle Traps at 5.00 apiece, LJ Speed Traps at 5.00 apiece, Strike King Series #1 at 4.00 apiece or Bandit 100's at 5.00 apiece. SK or Bandit 200 series at 5.00 apiece . That leaves you with about 11.00 bucks to split on a one footer and deep diver. I have no idea for your forage base so colors would be a baitfish color and crawfish color. When in doubt Tennesee Shad or Char.Rootbeer works everywhere. Ask your local tackle dealer what flies off the pegs in your area and hope they tell you the truth.

If your buddy is committed to expanding his skills he would be well served to go with another baitcaster. BUT, help him out. Show him the fundamentals from how to set the breaking system and how to let the rod load. Casting is like most any other skill, if the fundamentals are learned first the rest falls in line. I taught my daughters to use BC when they were 10 or 11 years old. The back yard is for trial and error and the water is for fishing.

You gotta give St. Croix some props, They started a movement in the rod industry to make a decent quality rod at an affordable price. We all win with the options out there in front of us. What a competitive market. Some other companies just raised the bar further, Just wait for a year and see what else shows up.

Balsa Shad Rap, Bandit Flat Maxx, Brad's Wiggler and my favorite, Luhr Jensen Speed Trap. Colors vary on conditions and forage.

Lamiglas XL705 Glass. $99.99 at TW.

Flippin tubes are a staple. I love em around buck brush. They have a unique type of fall. There are days when a tube is THE bait and other days when a creature bait with bumps, ridges, arms, tentacles and stuff work better. They are great in warm water. Give them a fair try and you will be surprised.

Mojo's are not junk. They are decent rods. I tried the top water and spinner bait models last year. You can find a better option at that price point. I have to agree with NorCal and I too added several Excels to my arsenal and have three more on order. If you like the Mojo and are comfortable with it, buy it. If you have the time, research some of the other models out there before you make your final choices. BTW, I have seen Mojos at 89.99 on the shelf.

What is "best" is subjective. The Lamiglas Excel series sells for 109.99 and is a much better product than the Competitor series. Fenwick HMG rods also need more love. What you have are incredible options and a selection so you can decide what is best for you based on your criteria. You are half way there already.

I agree with supporting your local dealers. I am so lucky to have a family owned business that caters to the needs of local anglers. I can get just about anything I want or need and they will special order items. They have very competitive prices and stand behind what they sell. Like I said, very very lucky. Not to defend BPS or anyone else but with the way the economy is, every retailer is watching inventory levels and not willing to risk over buying and having dead inventory in stock. The fact you couldn't get a rain check is what's surprising. Sad.

There you guys go again. Always looking at the negative. Don't give the guy a complex. You didn't waste your three bucks at all. Here's what you do.... get some sharp nippers and carefully remove the stock hook. Got that ? Now tie the eel to 50 pound braid with a Palomar knot. Use it as a cat toy. Drives mine crazy !!

Sorry, I forgot children read these postings. I'm going to wash my mouth out with Mega Strike right after I hit post this.

Check your PM for ideas F n P

The Roland Martin helicopter bait and the Banjo Minnow. I can't seem to get bit with these tremendous lures. I'd rather fish a Dancin' Eel than these baits.

I was able to see the series at a recent sportsman's show. They drop the Loomis name but that's as far as it goes. If you look, the headquarters is in Texas. They were heavy, the banks were dead feeling. They are an attractive rod, I will give you that. I can think of several rods I would choose over this series. If you think your buying " Loomis " you will be dissappointed. As always, put one in your hand before you buy if at all possible. You might be impressed, I just was not. I was far more impressed with what Okuma put out for a new series as a comparison.

Starbucks is coming out with their own line of plastics, the MOCHA line. They added a half-caff because the bass fought harder on full-caff. The colors are predominately browns and tans. You can also buy easy listening CD's with them. Flipping, a scone and coffee flavored worms.....what more could you want.

My buddy does the same thing. It drives me nuts. I bought a lefty a few years ago to see if I could make the switch. Nada. I sold it. I pitch with my left or right hand and cast with my right. It makes sense but some people are just clumsy like me. Borrow one and try it for a whole day on the water. You will know pretty quick if it's for you.

It is a Curado "super free." I think all the SF models were 6.3-1 but I am not positive. These are the original green Curados and were the workhorse of the line for some time. It is the "wide" spool but the spool isns't that wide. This reel will do it all, flippin, pitchin, cranks, braid, you name it. It's most likely going to be at least 5 years old so look out for a worn out reel if you do the ebay thing. If it's a left over NIB 80 bucks would be a decent price. Steelheaders in my area love them and pay top dollar for good ones. :-?

Has anyone used Maxima 100% flourocarbon ? What was your opinion(s) ?

I bought the Excel 703 and 704 two weeks ago and matched them with Pflueger Presidents. The rods were on a show special that made buying both very affordable. I haven't had a chance to fish smallies yet but that's where they will be used. I like em.

I like smelly jelly crawfish. It's the consistency of thick vaseline. Keep a towel handy. One of my buddies and I did a trial. We fished the exact same lure rigged the same way, same presentation and in the same areas. He had at least three bites to my one. It can make a real difference when the bite is tough and they won't hang on. It stays on the bait well.

I agree. Make a tungsten jig with a Trokar hook and it will sell for about 12 bucks. Seriously though, let us know how your hook ups are and how they come through brush.

Nice kangaroo though

I picked up two 604ALB's last fall on special. They are a little heavy but for what I paid, I'm more than happy. Decent drag and very little line twist. They have a great oversize T handle. (Are you listening Pflueger !! ) I have one set with #8 and one with #10 for tubes and hula grubs on matching 703 Certified Pro rods. Look around, you might get lucky and find them for around 40 bucks new.

Owner Twist Lock Trokar Flippin Hook or BMF Gammi G-lok Depends on what bait is being used.