scbassin

Fish the ditch that goes around the hatchery. I fish it with a weightless Senko. Make sure to try the dike between the hatchery & trash dump landing also. I have only fished the reservoir 1 time & that was in the earlier to mid 70's & have not fished the river in 25 years. You might try the rice field on the left as you come out of Durham Creek into the river. I use to get well there.

Where have you been fishing? Early last week I was catching them shallow. Water temp was 88 to 90. I have not been out since last Tuesday because of my knee but that is going to change in a day or two.

Go over an ask at Grady's they will be able to help you with what you need for the lakes around you. I know several people from up in that area that swear by them.

Sure you can. I use Yo-Zuri co-polymer for about everything & don't have a problem. Sometimes I have to go get the fish if it gets wrapped up in the pads. If you are using a 5 or 6 power rod and a 7:1to 1 or better reel it does not happen often.

Mo Bass, I received a lot of feed back on the Chronarch D7 before I went for it. In fact I was leaning toward a Scorpion XT. I think this reel is going to do what we want it for. Good luck with it.

I was looking to get a new real too & had thought about waiting until after I-cast. I contacted Bantam-1 & asked about the availability of the new reels after the show. He told me 1 to 2 months depending on the store orders. I did not want to wait that long so I picked up a NIB Chronarch 101 D7 for less than $250 shipped. Look on e-bay.

Wayne, I guess I should have said that I backed off on the drag when using braid but my point to RW was I like Yo-Zuri better, it's my choice. I drop every bass I catch back in after I get the hook out so it's no big deal if one comes unbuttoned during the fight. Randy, Osama must have wrapped the rod counter clockwise instead of clockwise. My buddy was in the back of my boat when it happened you should have heard it. The rod broke in 3 pieces & the look on his face was priceless. He had his drag as tight as he could get it & gave it the old cross his eyes hook set, you had to be there. I did replace his rod. For your info I have been fishing for over 60 years & have not yet forgotten everything that I have learned.

I tried it but I ended up throwing it out. All my rods are built on Shikari SHX blanks which are sensitive. So with the exposed blank real seat & the Yo-Zuri line I'm good. In clear water I will use Seaguar AbrazX. Braid has no stretch & I do like some for a little more protection for my rod. I have seen rods explode on a hook set that had braid on the reel. Good luck with it, I know many people like it.

a lot of the cost is caused by the value of the dollar vs yen. How do you like the change now.

I had one on a MK-74. It's a 12-24 v model. It was great for about 6 t0 8 weeks. It was in the spring a couple of years ago( when ever they 1st. came out). I fish at least part of the day every in the spring so it was used a lot in heavy grass. It started to cause a bad vibration in the T/M so I took it off & have not had the vibration since. Before removing it I did check it out in clean deep water.

From a post by R/W Much of the confusion has to do with terminology. Let's define "power" and "action" first. Power The power of a rod is simply a rating, which describes the overall stiffness of the blank. Power categories include Ultra-Light (UL), Light(L), Medium-Light(ML), Medium(M), Medium-Heavy(MH) , Heavy(H) and Extra Heavy(XH) Action The action of a rod is a rating, which describes the amount of curvature that occurs in the blank due to loading with weight. The faster the action, the further towards the tip the rod bends. The slower the action, the further towards the middle of the rod and so on. Action categories include: Extra-Fast: Bend very near the top of the blank. Fast: Bend in the upper 25-30%. Moderate: Bend near the middle. Slow: Parabolic curvature throughout the entire length of the rod. Action is important because it determines, in part, how much control you have over the fish. The faster the action, the more pressure you can put on the fish (and vice-versa). Many crankbait anglers want more moderate action so that the fish cannot shake free as easily. Another important consideration of rod action is casting distance. The slower the action the better the rod will cast. Rods that have a slower action have a wider curve on their parabolic bend, and therefore can store more potential energy when casting. This is called "rod loading." In effect, the more the rod loads, the more of the rod you use to cast. Fast action rods bend closer to the tip, using less of the rod to cast. Other rod characteristics to note are recovery, sensitivity and brittleness. Recovery is a measure of the time it takes the rod to recover after a cast. When you impart energy to a rod upon casting, it vibrates. You can see the tip shaking. That shaking bats the line as it leaves the top guide, causing friction. That friction reduces casting distance. Faster action rods tend to recover faster, but do not load up as well. More moderate action rods tend to recover poorly, but load up better. If you can find a moderate action rod with fast recovery, it will outcast everything else if the rest of the playing field is equal. Sensitivity is obviously important. You want a rod to be able to transmit the feelings you experience when your lure moves underwater, where you can't see it. Higher modulus graphite is more sensitive, although it may be a case of diminishing returns as you get higher and higher up the modulus rating scale. Brittleness is how easily the rod will break. Most high end rods are brittle, as brittleness and sensitivity tend to be indirectly proportional. That's where a lifetime warranty comes into play! So, all things are not created equal and if you think a $50 rod is just as good as a $300 rod, you're wrong! Buy the best equipment you can afford and focus on quality, not quantity. For an all around rod I recommend 6 1/2' or 7' Medium Power/ Fast Action. More than 90% of all the bass fishing you will ever do can be done with this rod. Rod power is more about the weight of the lures you use than the fish you might catch. A Medium Power rod will handle most of the lures you will fish and the fight will be much more fun. Now for the details. I'll list the Power and Action and a specific rod: If I were to fish one rod only: 7" M/F spinning. G.Loomis GLX PR844S If I can fish two, my other rod would be: 7' H/F baitcasting. G.Loomis GLX MBR844C For technique specific applications: Light fishing: 6 1/2' ML/F spinning Soft plastics: 7' M/F spinning Crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater: 7' M or MH/M baitcasting Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits: 7' M or MH/F baitcasting Jigs, C-rigs and heavy and/or deep running lures: 7' H/F baitcasting And to break it down just a little further, I fish a Heavy Power/ Slow Action glass rod for big, treble hook lures. From me The tape is changing the point where the blank is flexing under load therefore changing the action. Remember that you have rod that the guides were placed on the blank according design so the blank will flex properly. Changing that could mean a change in guide location. Be Careful

Thank you for all the replies. The bidding is higher then I am willing to pay for the reel so it's time to regroup. I am thinking of the Shimano Aldebaran with a 5.8:1 gear ratio. The problem is it is probley to light for the rod as it's a 6 1/2' with 10 guides plus tip. I am afraid the rod might become to tip heavy. The Scorpion xt might work but the value of the dollar vs the yen sucks. Another choice is to use the rod for top water & go with a Chronarch 101 D7. The finial choice would be to find a larger handle for one of my Bantam Magnumlite plus reels in which I have had no luck doing so far. Thanks again for the replies.

I don't remember the D series being around for a long period of time, if I recall it had some problems. I am thinking of picking up the 100 size but am wondering if I should look at different Shimano. I need some idea's please. I want to keep the weight down & the IPT at 26. I am going to use it on a 6 1/2' casting rod with a 12 - 20 lb line weight. I'll be casting weightless stick baits & small spinner baits in heavy cover. Thanks

Use clear pcv glue, get a small brush to put it on with & it is easier to add acetone if needed. I carry a pair of water pump pliers to tighten & loosen the top. It works for me.

I read where Texas got it's TV deal & is staying put.

Boze Sumo is a good one.

I use a Shimano bait casting reel for everything.

I use them all the time. They will get some water in them but I just squeeze it out after 3 or 4 casts. They are soft so when a fish hits it the air goes out an you get a good hook set if you are not to fast. ;D

I have fished them for a couple of years. I have had some success but not what I had hoped for. They do tear & I use clear PVC glue to repair them when I return to camp. Use a small brush instead of the dobber that comes in the glue. They are 7" long so you need some heavy gear. I use a 7 1/2', 6 power rod with a fast tip & a Shimano Calais DC reel spooled with Yo-Zuri 30lb Hybrid. I do catch bigger fish on them, but I tend to use the Boze frog more as I catch more fish on them & the bigger gators tend not to mess with them.

I fish the War Eagle baits a lot. This week-end I fish the 1/4 oz. d/w most of the time. While bass fishing I also caught several jack fish which normally tear up a spinner bait but I had no problems. I have never had a blade bend & I throw them under docks & in the hucklebuck without a problem. Does this happen to you all the time?

I use Yo-Zuri Hybrid 12 to 20 lb test line depending on how heavy the grass or lilies are. I use a 15 to 25 or 30 lb line weight rod with a 6.1:1 or a 7.1:1 reel. Those combo's work just fine

I use a Gammie Wide Gap 4/0 or 5/0

I use one if the fish is to heavy to lift with the rod I am using at the time.

Are you using braid?

War Eagle makes one also as I have a couple.