MtCarmelTriton20x

Well that is a good question. I never really thought I was loyal to a brand of reel or rod until I started fishing with zillions. They just seem to fit my hand. I used to have a ton of different brands in the boat and never had a problem out of any of them but they just don't feel right in my hand. I also like the ease of tearing down a Daiwa for maintenance. They are much less aggravating than some. Then there is the fact that I can adjust the casting drag for different weight lures without messing with the palm plate and a bunch of little sliding pins(I hate this on my SKT's). They reel smooth and seem to be pretty durable so what more can you ask for? I think everyone has a preference but it really comes down to how it feels to you and not what others like. Now rods on the other hand I think Shimano has the perfect idea. A quality rod at a decent price and if you break it they replace it. You really can't beat that. ;D

The fact is in the tests they performed they pick which reel works best for them. Look at what they judge smooth feel of the drag, ease of casting. What works for them must not be what works for me. I have no doubt that all these reel companies are producing excellent products but many times they get a bad review because alot of it is the testers opinion. Now if they did a review on the reel holding up after heavy fishing for 6 months or how well they held up if abused and not maintained. This would be good info on how well the product is constructed. I have reels from all these manufacturers and a few more. My favorite by far for any purpose is a Daiwa Zillion. I don't have big hands so the feel of the small frame of the Zillion just feels better. I think some people put way too much into reviews. The only way you will ever know what works for you is demo all of them before you buy. I didn't the last time I bought a reel because I liked the way it looked and felt in the store so I bought 3 Revo SKT's. I have used them maybe 3 times then cleaned them up and put them back in the boxes. They now sit unused on my tackle shelf. Try before you buy. Trust me.

I have to go Daiwa Zillion Baitcasters, Shimano Stradic spinning, and a healthy dose of Crucial rods all the way around. I have 3 Revo SKT's that are nice but i still like the zillions. I also have a few BPS PQ's(good for the price if you don't fish every day) for guests in the boat that don't bring their own.

Braid: PowerPro without a doubt Floro: Viscious Mono: P-Line CXX

I thought it was pretty ironic how Lowrance did a 1 up on Humminbird with the down scan technology and then Humminbird brings it out like "O ya, I guess we could do that too".... and then Humminbird files suit against Lowrance?? Looks like Lowrance could possibly do a counter suit on that technology if they patented it. The ironic thing is Lowrance tried to copy the technology because they were losing some of their customers. They did try to one up them by giving the DI with the structure scan, which by the way is sold seperately from the depth finder as an option, and saying how truely unique this system was when H-bird had it out for several years prior. So they add DI at no cost to everyone who had SI units for FREE. You would never catch Lowrance giving anything for free and their service stinks. I switched out my LCX-113 and LCX-28 for a 1197c SI and a 798c si. I will say I could not be happier. I did have an issue with my 1197 wich was my fault by the way and had to send it in for repair. I called and they told me to send it in and told me it would be a quick fix. I expected the usual of they tell you a week and it takes a month. This was not the case with H-bird. I mailed it on Monday and had it back on my doorstep by Friday. I would rate this as excellent customer service.

A comparison was done in Bassmaster Magazine on deep divers and with all things considered(colors,finish,running true,reaching advertized depth) they overwhelmingly picked the DD22 as the winner. This is pretty impresive to me considering it was up against a lot more expensive baits and it is the same design as it has been for years. I have always liked a DD22 and you can get it in almost any color you can think of(around 120 I think).

Unless you have a motor that is designed for flex-fuel stay away. And if you have a flex-fuel vehicle as I do stay away from it. It may be a nickle cheaper but your fuel milage will go down quite a bit. Until they figure out a way to make biofuels cheaper they are just not worth using.

I personally use a CUS68M for this. I have coupled it with a Stadic 2500FI and use PowerPro braid and a floro leader. I love this set up for shakey heads especially. And I agree with others the Cumara is very sensative. You can almost feel a fish smell the bait as it swims by. OK maybe it's not that sensative but it is a very good rod. The crucials are also excellent if you want to save a few dollars.

It is not that you gave an oppinion it is the way you gave the opinion. A lot was lost in your delivery. I understand that you don't like tin boats but why degrade people who do? Attitudes like this is what turned me away from bass clubs for years. It seemed like everytime I was fishing one would pull in on the point I was fishing,proudly wearing his club shirt, and I would say did you not see me here. They seemed to always reply yeah but I'm fishing a tournament. I have since learned that not all have this attitude but 1 bad apple can spoil a bunch. I appreciate your oppinion and as you notice mine is the same. I am not a tin boat fan but if that is what fits your budget and your likes I will not fault you for it. That was my point.

Hey should we remind Stratos that a BASS Elite event was won in 2009 out of a tin boat. I think they probably know a little more about bass fishing than he does and Mark got the $100,000.00 check to prove it. I personally have a glass boat with all the bells and whistles but before I got it i had an 18' Monarch(tin boat) with a 75hp Force motor. I had it because it was what I could get at the time and I'm not real sure I didn't catch more fish out of it. Granted my current boat is more stable, has more storage, a lot smoother in chop, and a heck of alot faster. Will any of these help you catch fish? Not really but I am a die hard glass boat lover but I will definately not sneer at anyone who wants to get out and fish even if they are on a plastic paddle boat(I have done this too by the way) only jet skis that buzz right beside me while I'm trying to fish. Now that I got that out of my system a Tracker seems to be a pretty good boat. I have a buddy that I fish with that has one and we do just fine fishing out of it.

I am a big fan of Smelly Jelly. I use the Bass Feast scent on all jigs and plastics. I also use Bang from time to time but I like the jelly better because it doesn't get all over your boat like the spray does. I am not sure that it helps but I seem to get alot more bites when I started using it. I wouldn't know now though because I won't fish a jig without it.

what? the skeet rods are THAT much heavier than the crucials... if at all. The Skeet rods are made of fiberglass where the Shimano is a TC4 construction. Yes the Skeet rods are heavier. I may have exagerated on the boat anchor deal but I like a light rod. Maybe because during the sumer months I usually fish daylight till dark then half the night every weekend I am home. I may fish as much as 20 hrs in a day. With that said ounces=a lot of weight. Don't get me wrong the Skeet Rods are excellent products and I am a huge fan of Skeet. His Abu Reel is the best they have had at Abu.(I own 3) But IMO the Crucial coupled with a zillion reel is my stick of choice. As I said before we all have opinions this is just mine.

I am not sure where it will come from but I do know the population of smallies in east TN is growing by leaps and bounds. A couple of the moutain lakes here have started producing some big smallies(South Holston Lake & Watauga Lake). I'm not sure if one 12 pounds will be pulled from here but I know there are some quality smallies here and the entire HHolston river system is chocked full. This is really exciting for us in the east part of TN because 30 years ago the Holston was so polluted you couldn't find a smallie past the mountain lakes. I don't really care where it comes from I'm just glad our fisheries are getting clean enough and managed well enough for us to actually be thinking it's possible.

If you are looking for a deep crank rod for those heavier cranks, I know I sound like a broken record, but give the Crucial CRCC-72MH a spin. I think you'll be happy and you can launch a DD22 a mile when paired with a good reel. I use a Daiwa Luna with mine. Oh and Yes the KVD rods and the Skeet Reese rods feel like boat anchors after fishing with a crucial. Both are quite a bit heavier.

If you are going to spend $150 on a rod I think you should also look at ease replacement. Let's face it sometimes rods break or they get shut in a tail gate or rod locker lid or stepped on. You can't go wrong with a Shimano Crucial. If something does happen, take it where you bought it and no questions are asked. If they have the same one in stock they give you the new one and you are fishing again. It is also IMO the best rod around for the money. I have 2 Loomis rods(I do like their spinner bait rods), 5 St.Croix's and 12 Crucials and 2 Cumera's. I would recomend the Crucials over any I have fished. And on that same note I would buy the crucial before the Cumera just because I don't think they are $100 dollar better rod. The best thing to do is feel them out in the store then if they have a demo program fish with one of each and decide for yourself. All of us have different likes and dislikes and more than likely you do also. This is an area kinda of like buying a car. I can tell you the one I like and mechanically the problems or lack of but not everyone want a 1975 AMC Pacer.LOL

Ya I mean seriously what's with all those horrible Tennessee hats he wears. Hey easy on the TN hat....That is probably the most valuable item in his boat. ;D

This maybe good for Abu and Berkley. The Skeet Reese Revo is the best reel they have had to date IMO so maybe by listening to Ike and Skeet they can com up with a even better reel. This goes for Berkley also. Let's face it they need some serious help in the rod department. The way I see it the only real loser is Ike but I'm sure for enough money he could fish a tourney with a Zebco 33.

I personally use the crucial m for my small cranks with a zillion 4.9 speed reel. It is great for shallow to medium cranks but not really enough stick for the deep stuff. Now by the same token I have a mh with a daiwa Luna to throw deep cranks that is great for deep cranks and ok on mediums but if you get one that stiff to throw shallow cranks on you will feel nothing on the retrieve. There is just not enough action. I guess what I am saying is the Shimano Crucial is my favorite rod but if you throw med and shallow most of the time I would highly recomend the m rod you will be glad you did. JMHO

I know I have one of those names like Pat but belive it or not when I graduated high school there were 5 of us named Shannon and all guys. I thought by saying I had a wife that would clear it up but I guess these days you never know.

I am new to the board and just wanted to say hello. My name is Shannon. I have a very understanding wife when it comes to my fishing addiction and two boys ages 5 and 2. I like to hunt when not fishing. I am from the Eastern tip of TN and bass fish on Cherokee, Boone, South Holston, Douglas, and Patrick Henry Lakes with the occational trip to Guntersville for good measure. I usually fish for fun but like to fish rodeos and a open tx or two. If any of you all are up this way and need some help finding your way around shoot me a line and I would be glad to be your tour guide.