DaveT63

I've never thrown a wake bait. When and where do YOU throw them? Warmer or colder water temps? Morning/evening or all day long? Shallow or deep water? Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks! Dave

I really LOVE my St Croix Legend Xtreme XC71MHXF rod paired with a Shimano Core 51. Not sure I would prefer to have anything else over that.

The Ambassadeur D is the green one and seems to be in great working order, with a few scrapes and some boat rash, but otherwise pretty nice. Already exploring a possible trade on that one, as I'm not a round reel type of guy.

I grabbed a like new 5'6" MF BPS Extreme Pistol Grip rod with an Ambassadeur 5000D round reel on it today at a flea market for $15. My original intent was to flip it and make some money for some tackle. Then it occurred to me it might come in handy. I'm typically prefer 7' rods, but if I can put this to use, why not? What applications might this rod be good for? I would probably pair it with a Curado 201BSF. And why do you like pistol grip rods, if, of course, you do? Are there any advantages to them? Thanks, Dave

I recently picked up a used Chronarch 201E6. For the first month or so of using it, it worked great, although I thought it should have cast a bit farther than it did. I really liked it. But this past weekend, it started making a noise, I'll call it a "clacking" for lack of a better term, when casting. Usually just as line starts spooling out, for about half the cast distance. It doesn't appear to affect the casting distance, or retrieve, either with or without a fish on, but it's not right. Can anybody tell me if there is something simple to look at, or should I just send it in to Mike at DVT? Thanks, Dave

I have never fished an NRX rod, so I can't speak to them, but I have the new model St Croix Legend Xtreme 7'1" MHXF casting rod and I can't even imagine you needing anything better. I've fished several G Loomis GLX rods, and like the St Croix a bit better. That said, I also can't imagine you going wrong with an NRX. Dave

Looks good to me!

I think this is a great idea. I was looking to make a rod rod rack myself, but this one looks more functional.

I have used St. Croix's warranty a couple times on rods broken through my own fault. I actually consider it a pretty decent warranty. It's much better than paying full price for a new rod. As for the tip issue, you can put a new tip on it, but your action isn't going to be quite the same as a new rod. Not sure how much different it might be, and maybe just very little, but I would much rather send it in and pay to get a new rod than be using a repaired rod. JMHO. Dave

Thanks for the info! Would love to catch a smallie or two! Is there somewhere to park near the bridges, or do I just pull off the road, or what? I haven't been there, so I don't know what the area in town is like. But I will certainly enjoy it!

We are going to be staying in the Sevierville area next week. I know there are a couple big lakes in the area, but since this will be a family vacation, I won't be bringing my boat. Can someone tell med where I might find some decent access bank fishing where I can wet a line several times during the week? Thanks!! Dave

As others have said, I love the ugly otter, and the ace works for me too!

Thanks for the responses, all! Just what I was hoping to hear! Dave

So what's the difference between a frog and a mouse when it comes to topwater? I see a lot more frogs on the market than mice. Is the frog that much more productive? Is the mouse fished the same way as a frog? And is there a time when one is better than the other? Thanks, Dave

I don't care whether it's a pond or a lake. I just enjoy catching bass. The more, and the bigger, the better.

I appreciate all your input, everyone. Thanks!

Thanks for the recommendations. Omega it is!

St Croix for me

An elderly lady at church is allowing me to fish in her farm pond, which seems to be well stocked and fished very little. So yesterday while I was fishing there, she mentioned that she used to fish just to relax, but that her rod turned up missing a while back. She said she used an old Zebco because it was very easy to work. So I want to buy her a new combo for letting me fish there. But I don't want to just buy a cheap piece of junk. For those if you that use them, and I know there are some of you on this forum, would I be better off to find an older model 202, 404, or 33 that works well, or is there a decent model available on the market today? Wallyworld and Dick's seem to be all over the map, between the Snoopy/Barbie models and more. Any advice anybody can give me would be highly appreciated. Thanks, Dave

I like Owner hooks, but they are a bit spendy. I mainly used regular offset shank, wide gap plus, and the Owner Rig'n hooks. I've heard some good things about the VMC hooks, including the "Ike Approved" line, but not a lot. They do seem to cost a bit less than the Owners. Have any of you tried both, and if so, what did you think of the VMC compared to the Owner? Thanks, Dave

The T3B is without question one of the better deals you will find at that price. I loved the one I had, and have been considering another.

I have to second the suggestion of the flea market. You can find some much better rods for the same money or less if you are willing to buy used. There are also other forums to check for used rods. Some you will find are still new with tags on them for close to half of retail. Just have to be patient. I once got a St Croix LTB for $80 shipped.

Gander Mountain has the Arashi's on sale online as well.

I've never fished a Rage rod, but I can tell you, in MY opinion, the Avid is worth every penny, and if you can find one on sale or used, it's tough to beat for the money, Dave

I use 12 lb, even on my spinning gear, with the exception of my dropshot rod, and love it. I've never had a breakage problem with it.