RichF

I replaced an old lamiglas certified pro with a new XP and had it snap on the first hookset. They gave me a replacement for free but the second one did the very same thing in the exact same location on the rod. Lamiglas did refund my upgrade fee as I told them I didn't want another replacement. Thats a $270 rod so I'm hoping they just had a bad batch of blanks.

Total letdown! C'mon TW!

I love my zillion tws's. They are a bit bigger than the curado 70 but they still palm fine for me and I have small hands. They cast great, are smooth, and have a great drag. Def worth it.

Hard to beat the frog bite!

The "no trade" clause thing was kind of a joke. I'm also not sure I agree here. There are PLENTY of sponsored pros that have and retain sponsors regardless of their performance on the water. I actually don't think most companies even care as long as you still "work" for them, be it through advertising, speaking engagements, etc. Companies in the industry know how tournament fishing works. With the number of variables involved in fishing (luck being a big one) there's no way the pros could ever consistently perform at a dominant level. If sponsors dropped anglers because of their performance on the water the only guys that would have a shot at retaining anything would be KVD, Martens, Hack, Evers, and Morgan. I'm not even a religious man and I still think it's just not right to question Al's faith and character based on what he says about fishing tackle. Has he caught a bunch of fish on Trigger-X baits? Yup, so have a bunch of other anglers. Big Bite Baits? Yup, so have a bunch of other anglers. Why would he need to say " Brand A doesn't sponsor us anymore so we started using Brand B and we found it is just as good" ? You can see it with your own two eyes. He's showed us all on national television that both baits can catch fish. Is he lying/spinning when he says one is the best on the market? Not at all. If there is no way to prove that Trigger-X is actually better than Big Bite Baits or vice versa (and there definitely isn't), then saying one is the best isn't a lie, it's simply a subjective opinion.

They only have the 5.5:1 in righties now but I don't crank enough to warrant replacing my Curado E5. If that extra 25% off sale items counts towards it, I might reconsider though lol. It is in fact on the "Sale" page.

Maybe KVD has a "no-trade" clause in his contracts with SK, Nitro, and Quantum lol. With regards to Al Linder, I'm sure money had something to do with the sponsor transition, it usually does, but...who cares? That's how he makes his living. I'd do it in a heartbeat. Let's be honest, 97% of fishing gear nowadays is pretty darn good when you hit a certain price point, regardless of brand/company. Since that's the case, the only reason for any professional angler to make a brand switch is $$. To me, it's no different from leaving one job for another that pays better. But seriously guys, a hypocrite and a liar? That's awfully harsh. Sure he's said that whatever brand he has worked for is great (er) (est), but how is that lying and/or hypocritical? All those brands actually do have really good stuff. And what brands are better than others is a completely subjective concept anyway. Saying Daiwa is better than Shimano or Quantum is neither true nor false because there's no actual objective truth to compare to. Cut the guy some slack!

You won't be disappointed!

I picked up another Zillion. Got a gift card first so I paid about $122 for it. I would've bought a few more if they had the higher gear ratios. Also got a 300 yd spool of the fx2 braid. Anytime my favorite braid is on sale I grab some. Thought long and hard about another Chronarch and Stradic CI4 but couldn't bring myself to do it. I still have $250 in gift cards but I may just wait till the Memorial Day sale.

The Tackletour guys did a side by side comparison of the Chronarch CI4 and Zillion TWS. I think they gave the edge to the Chronarch but both were pretty similar in performance. I own both reels (high gear ratios so I don't use them for cranking) and love them both. I just ordered a 6.3:1 Zillion from TW at the insane price of $121.50 (combo of 10% off gift card and current sale price of $135). Should've got another but they sold out. If you're looking for a reel for deep cranks, I believe TW still has Zillion 5.5:1's.

I got incredibly spoiled this year...to the point that I feel guilty. I think I'm too old to have anyone get me Christmas gifts and have to plead every year for them not to do so. I always lose the fight...My parents got my girlfriend and I a new 4K tv and sound bar (which is currently in "our" mancave) and a $50 TW gift card just for me. My girlfriend's parents got me some nice clothes, another $50 TW giftcard, an xbox game and subscription to xbox live, and a big bottle of crown royal. My wonderful girlfriend takes the cake though. She got me a LIFETIME fishing license for New York! We live in VA now but I can still claim resident status in NY because I have a valid driver's license there. We're both from there and it's where I do most of my fishing. This would've been my last year to get it since I'll be a fully fledged Virginian pretty soon. I think she's a keeper!

Agreed. I used to be intimidated. I've won enough against them over the years that that's gone away now. Still can be frustrating watching guys win by fishing 100 miles from the launch area though.

I'd love to see this catch on nationally. I've been fishing out of an aluminum boat forever and always wanted to start an aluminum only trail. I hope you get some interested anglers!

I just can't bring myself to call it that HA! I'll have to tweak the description of the technique a teeny tiny bit just so I can coin my own term for it. Maybe something like "power poppin" or "snap crackin." Hey! I got something new for you Bassmaster magazine!

I gotta believe you'd be very welcomed into any of your local clubs. I've found that most local tournament anglers are pretty good dudes/dudettes who are willing to help out those with less experience. Sure you'll run into some buttheads, we all have. But every person on here will tell you that those folks are in the minority. All clubs are going to be a little different though. Some will be more about the competition than others. This doesn't necessarily mean the club members won't be welcoming or willing to help though. They may not wanna give away all their secrets but you shouldn't take that as them being jerks. Others will be pretty lax, more of a "I need my man-time away from the wife for a day" kinda vibe. Those can be fun but it may be more difficult to really learn the ins and outs of tournament fishing if that's what your ultimate goal is. You just have to find the right one for you. Good Luck!

My father and I have the same problem. We fish our jigs "aggressively" most of the time. This happens when the braid gets twisted (like what your line will do if you throw a spinner with a spinning rod w/o using a ball bearing swivel, yuck). My jig rods have the kigan tangle free top guides which help a little. Your best bet is to try and get the twist out of your line. I do two things: 1) I'll cut my bait off and let all of my line out (drag behind the boat as I go forward with the trolling motor). Then I reel it back in slow, holding the line super tight in my fingers. 2) I'll reverse the braid on my spool. These are obviously only temporary fixes and you'll have to repeat every few trips, but they should help. They do for me anyway.

I kinda agree but it's still a cool bait. That sound just makes me laugh!

My lady will usually check out my cart when I'm not around. I was pleasantly surprised on my birthday. "How the heck did you know I wanted those green pumpkin, 3/4oz AT jigs?!" Wish I had put more in my cart than $60 worth of tackle!

The plopper craze got to me as well earlier this year. I honestly just wanted to hear the stupid thing plop. I think I made a total of 13 casts with it.

The curado E & I, chronarch E & CI4, and my zillions have all had heavy jig duty....ALL have been great! Right now, my two main jig rods have a 7.3:1 zillion tws with 17lb flouro and a 7:1 curado I with 50lb braid on them.

I have a couple Chronarch CI4s and love them. Never tried a Met. Would love to but I can't justify the price. Have to agree with QUAKEnSHAKE. I'm sure it's awesome but I highly doubt it's $230.00 better than the Chronarch. If you have the cash to throw down on the MGL, I'd say go for it. The Chronarch at $190 is a pretty awesome deal though.

I think it's just the handle for me. It just feels thin. Like I can't get a great grip. I'm just so used to those giant paddles on the Curado.

FX2 is my go to braid. It still fades but it's awesome stuff.

I haven't come across a braid that doesn't fade but I feel that Sunline FX2 isn't quite as bad as most. I love the stuff. It's definitely my go to.

American Legacy Tackle. They also have 10% off gift cards now as well.