RichF

I just don't see the point in fishing a body of water when there's a big time tournament going on. These events only last 4 days! It's not like they're gonna be on that particular body of water all year long. Let them do their thing. And yes, fishing the spots they find can absolutely have an effect on the outcome of the derby. So many spectators will mark locations then fish after the pro leaves. One more fish caught by the local is one more fish that will likely not be caught by the pro. How will something like that NOT effect the outcome of the event? Lastly, to say these guys need to find a different career...c'mon. These guys have invested ridiculous amounts of money into this. It's no different than starting your own business. They're essentially self-employed and the vast majority work their tails off to make ends meet. Yes, paying the $30 for a license does give you the right to fish public waters. However, just because you have the "right" doesn't mean you can't show a little common decency and just leave these guys alone for the couple days they're on your water.

For all you NRX nuts out there, AmericanLegacyFishing has the 843C MBR on sale for $367.50 right now.

It's amazing how many guys I've gone with, fill their wells, turn them off the rest of the day, then wonder why their fish die.

I've never used an NRX but I do have a couple SC Legend Xtremes (which I imagine are pretty close in sensitivity). They've made me realize that there's such thing as TOO sensitive. It can be almost annoying fishing these rods in grass.

That's a ton of boats for a lake that size. I wouldn't doubt if that kind of pressure did some sort of damage out there.

Boy am I glad I don't have that discount...I'd be broke and girlfriend-less. If it were me, I'd wait for the Curado K. That's gonna be my new kermit caster. The Curado I is a solid reel though and if you need it now, I'd go with that. It should be in your price range after your sweet discount!

Trying to make fishing an Olympic sport is silly. How can you showcase the best in the world when there is so much luck involved in it? No other Olympic sport has that variable. You either run faster than the other competitors, swim faster, jump higher, flip and twirl better, etc, etc. You can be a far better angler than your competitors and still fail to win all the competitions you participate in.

Just because a rod is obnoxiously colored, doesn't necessarily mean it's not a good product. I can think of a Park Falls company that makes bright blue, turquoise, and orange rods that are pretty spectacular. I think someone said it already...it's about brand recognition. The tried and true companies can kinda do as they like because they've been in the game a while and people know them. The new companies need a way to stand out and crazy colors make perfect sense. It's a really easy way to put your own original mark on your product. There are only so many combinations of available rod components out there with which to build. Guess what? These companies are all using the same stuff! How many rods are there on the market now with a black blank, black eva handles, and stainless micro guides? If you don't stand out against the crowd, how will you get noticed by your customer base? Why try the new Hammer, when a well known brand like Falcon already makes an identical looking rod?

A lot of companies are trying to cater to the younger class of angler. I think it's great. I don't necessarily like some of the color combos that are out there but I don't mind a little flair. There's still plenty of boring old rods out there...just look at the new Curado rod line. lol

That could be dangerous...

They have them on Tacklewarehouse right now. Not available yet (obviously) but you can take a peek

Just got a glimpse of the newly redesigned Legend Tournaments. No more sk2 reel seats and different guides. I'm pretty excited!

Daiwa Tatula CT! It can be found pretty easily for under $100. It's definitely the easiest baitcasting reel I've ever used (and I've used a lot). Super easy external brake dial. Start with it between 15 and 20 (the higher the setting, the more braking). Once you get comfortable, drop the dial for longer casts. I'd go with the 7.3:1 over the 6.3:1. You can always slow your retrieve when throwing moving baits but it's difficult to pick up a lot of line with the slower reel when your using frogs or flipping and pitching.

I'm not a big jerkbait guy by any means. I definitely prefer a medium action with a fast or moderate-fast tip. The stock hooks on the shadow rap shads are sticky sharp for sure but are kinda crappy. I've bent them on smallmouth with a rod like I stated earlier and 12lb fluoro. As for hindering the slow rise of the bait, I'm not sure what the Mustads would do. The 2x strong ones could possibly be too heavy but there are lighter ones too. If they stop the bait from rising, you could try throwing it on mono as well.

Throw a big jig....all day.

Your rod might be a little on the heavy side for jerkbaits but if you're set on using it, I'd try Mustad KVD short shank trebles. I change pretty much all the stock hooks on my hardbaits to those.

Trokar TK 135. They weren't good when they first came out (tips rolled) but that has been addressed. They're super sharp and have the best bait keeper out there. Gammies are great hooks, but, agree with everyone else...the bait keeper is junk. Mustad Grip Pins are pretty good. The grip pin will break eventually though.

I have a 7'3 heavy Gen 1 Villain. It's a nice rod. It's got really good sensitivity but the thing is a BROOMSTICK. I love fishing heavy tackle but the thing is a bit much, even for me. I tried it for froggin first. It has zero tip so accurate casting was impossible. I also just felt bad setting the hook on fish because the thing was so unforgiving. After that, I tried flipping with it. Like I said, it's really sensitive, but the thing is just too much of a face ripper. It hasn't been in my boat for 3 years. My guess is that the medium heavy might be much better.

Probably Brandon Palaniuk at toledo bend. He hit a big school in a grass patch and hammered them on a white swim jig.

This is one of my favorite ways to fish. I always fish heavy and fast. 99% of the time, it's a straight reaction bite so I want a fast fall rate and I want to cover as much water as possible. Practice is always helpful. It will help you shrink the size of grass beds to small areas you can focus on during the tournament. I always find that multiple fish tend to be in the same, small little areas. That's usually because (like @Catt said) there's some kind of structure within the grass. It could be a rock pile, hard spot, brush pile, hump, or depression. If you get a bite, I highly recommend fishing that area thoroughly and repeatedly throughout the day.

Care to share where.....

I'm wondering if the St. Croix Legend X is replacing the Legend Xtreme...

I just got the St Croix TBS610MXF. It's specifically designed for shakey head fishing. I have a Stradic FK on it and it's pretty awesome.

I did the xfinity search deal for it and it said it was replaying this friday on cbs. Can't remember what time. Maybe noonish?

I think it's supposed to have a smaller frame/body profile. I'm liking the addition of the 8.5:1 gear ratio.