Hooligan

I have a couple of the rods; 7-1 Compile-X, and the 7-4 SVF. I'm fond enough of them that they've not made their way out of my arsenal.

I typically have five colors in most of my baits. Very rarely do I venture outside those unless it's a very specific lake or condition. In many cases, I fish only two colors on local waters.

The flip swim is one of the best jigs I've ever fished in grass and heavy vegetation. Like Chris said, a 5" swimbait is fine on the 1/2 oz.

I love back-seating. It's given me more opportunity to up my game than any other thing. I've won many, many checks from the back, even while I own my own rig. If you think you're not going to get the prime spots, you're not. If you think you can't get fish from where the boater has, or hasn't you're not. I've made many boaters angry because I will catch a 20lb sack out of their "trash." I'll fish behind anyone, I don't care if it's KVD. He's not going to hit everything the same way I will, he's not going to catch every fish off of every piece of cover or structure. It's partly about the belief in your ability, and it's partly in having the versatility to do so. If you cannot pinpoint a jig from the 20' mark, start practicing. If you can't skip a tube under a dock that your boater may not have, start practicing. If you can't read transitions and pick apart a piece of cover or structure and see which angles have been missed- learn. I'm not saying it to be cocky, but I'm very confident in my abilities to do so. If I weren't, I wouldn't do it. In terms of angler and co "sharing" water? That's bunk. It's something you live with being a back seater. Adapt and overcome, don't try to compromise in the situation or make some sort of excuse about it. It's got nothing to do with mutual respect unless you're friends fun-fishing. In which case, I'd be planting myself on the front deck right beside anyone I fish with.

Far and away my top producer on it is the LFT LIve Magic Shad. Second is the Super Swimming Fluke Jr. Third is...well, I haven't found any reason to fish anything else on it. Want a real treat with it- Put 3 1/4 ounce scroungers on the bottom three. When they want action...Katie bar the door!

I debate that the early spawn is occuring in sweeping fashion. I've been fishing a lot of water, and I've been on only one body of water that has had anything early, in relation to prior years. It may happen in some places, but it isn't going to be across the board.

It's classified as hyperpigmented melanosis. It can be environmental or related to catch and release, or just "is". There's no real research that's been conclusive as to the cause. There's also not a lot of data that suggests they are permanent, in fact, most smallmouth seem not to hold the patterns for more than a year or two. From what they do know of it, it isn't a genetic occurrence.

Nah, they won't be on summer patterns. They'll be on a normal pattern late post-spawn just like they always are. They're so influenced by photo-period on the Rock that the spawn rarely varies by date much more than a few days. You'll have fish spawn in waves all the way through May, but most will be April. I haven't really seen any changes in patterns for the most part. Some things are slightly advanced, but not drastically. I'm still catching lots and lots of jerkbait fish, and that's my indicator on some of those Highland reservoirs. It's not as advanced as some would make it out to be. Like Quill said, that other place is an excellent read on the Rock.

I believe you're on the same pool. It should be Lock and Dam #2, or Mills Pool. I think the reason it sometimes is called Dumas is because the town of Dumas is just south of there. That portion of the system is where the White and Arkansas come together, and it can be really, really good. We've had a number of tournaments down there, and I'd have to say that's a pretty good call.

Totally different. Completely and totally. I will guarantee you that you cannot put that bucktail where I can put a tube back under a dock and lift set with a 6-3 rod, it just doesn't work. I can skip a bait 20' in and into a shorestation by another 10 feet, where with a 7 foot rod, I can get it just to where I need the bait to roll out and skip the remainder of the way. The rod I use is actually in St Croix's Legend Walleye run. 6-3 Medium Xfast. It's a stout rod with plenty of power and yet soft enough to get trajectory right to skip back in. In those situations I can't skip it on my Pixy/6-2 Evergreen- The St Croix comes in to play.

I fish a different blade, based on the old Worden's lure. They vibrate more than any other I've ever fished. I've caught fish ten to one beside a good friend fishing a Silver buddy side by side.

The 705 glass is a great rod, as is the 705. Both rods will do what you're asking with no issue. The 705CB is a super rod for rattle baits and deep jerkbaits, too. The RM rod wouldn't be what you want for anything other than the deep cranks and big squarebills, imo.

And I, on the other hand, have had better Luck with the Kelly J. It makes more noise and leaves a heavier bubble trail than the Brians Bees, it's also a LOT easier to cast a distance in clear water. for a bait of roughly the same size. I like Brian's fine, they're a good bait, no doubt about it, but I've had better luck with the Kelly J.

What's personal time? I've never been in a career that I wasn't available to either my clients, the government, my co-workers, or someone every hour of every day. I have days off, I still get called. That's part of doing business, I mean, really. Even if you're in the lowest class of blue collar, you're going to get those calls from time to time in today's environment.

I'd have to go with the Fast, it's definitely more versatile.

There are only a few dropshot rods that you can double up with like that. It's sure not every one. The CUCX68M is one, as is the 7-2 dropshot. The 7-2 will fish a 1/8 ounce grub better than any other rod I own, with the exception of the 803S NRX, but the difference is so minute that I would buy the Cumara over it. The 6-8 Cumara dropshot rod is one of my most favorite all around "finesse" rods in my arsenal. I would add, too, that the Cumulus is a SUPER rod for it, but I'm not particularly fond of it as a dropshot rod.

Bull is rough right now. It's off, to say the least. I got stomped there a week ago, when in practice I had several 5lb fish. Not one of my best finishes. It's as though there's no real pattern, nothing moves from one day to the next, it starts over at sunrise. The other area lakes are on fire, however.

Any of the baits that I buy by 1000 count, I'll go through in less than a 12 month calendar year. I save approximately $150 buying them that way, too.

I have several styles of baits, and several colors in those several styles. There are some venues that specific baits in specific colors are on tap, there are a handful of baits that I have wherever I go. Take some of my jig trailers, for instance, I have at least five packs of six colors of Rage Craw and five and five of Lobster at all times, that's usually an absolute minimum. My dropshot worm, I buy by the 1,000. I have three colors in two sizes that I will fish anywhere in the US, usually there are 500 of each in the boat. In short, I'm very much the same. I have the standards that I live and die by, but I have a lot of them. I don't typically stray from those standards unless it is an odd situation, or there's a specific bait for a specific lake...

Oh there was a lot of other stuff in there, too. The majority was just that, though. Plastics and hooks. Probably around $1400 worth- I buy as much of my annual stock as I can at once, keep track of my inventory, and fill when necessary.

Nah. There are machined billet frame reels in the freshwater market, too. I know that Shimano has a few, Dawia has some. I believe all of the Cold Forged Metal series from Shimano are billet reels.

While I respect your stanpoint, Jeb, I'm sorry that I cannot agree with it. There are too many things that I've seen firsthand, in terms of the real rates of return, and in terms of their handling of it. Gary Loomis was recently quoted as saying that, even though he has nothing to do with the company, the vast majority of issues that he's seen and read about in terms of breakage have been pliot error. The reel seat issue is a different story, and I don't deny that it's a pain to deal with. In terms of fit and finish, I've not had that personally, and I've seen it on only one or two rods out of what must be several hundred I've had in my hands. I just have a hard time accepting that it is on a scale that has been presented here. My primary reason for moving away from purchase of further NRX, as stated previously, is the advancements that are now available in the custom lineup that will better fit the gaps I'm in need of. As stated previously I respect your opinion, but will politely disagree.

I guess I don't know how much more a public admission you get in today's day and age than having very highly placed employees of the company explaining the issues on a public forum and in other industry specific media. Should they broadcast it on every newscast world wide? In terms of "reps" there are a HUGE number of sales representatives across the United States that don't work for Shimano American or Loomis. If they don't work for either of those companies they're going to tell you want they want you to hear, as well as what you want to hear. If you think otherwise you're 100% wrong. I trust no sales rep from any agency with the exception of a few folks like Everett Childs and John Lud, exceptional industry representatives that have huge names at stake if they're passing incorrect information. If Dan Thorburn tells me something, you're damned straight I'm going to believe him. He has NO reason to lie to me about it. None. If you're reading between the lines of things ike that, then it's just sad and silly, because at that point you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. It's pretty easy to know who to believe in the fishing industry, you look to those that have nothing to gain, rather than nothing to lose. Those people I've listed are those that have made statements about NRX issues, and one has nothing to gain from it because he has nothing to do with it other than he likes the rods.

No, they've admitted some flawed finishes, bad guide wraps and the like. That was one of the first things said. I'm not out and out defending, just stating that I've seen as much. I've heard as much from people at the manufacturing and distribution levels as well as from people high enough in the company to never need to say it. In truth, I think that's one of the driving forces behind the green rod, too. Eliminate some of the bad feelings of the blues by not having those same issues with the green. I know I'm completely wrong about it, but the psychology of it does say a lot.

Stren Fluorocast says it all. It's not a particularly shock absorbing line. It develops hard, brittle spots and has a bad habit of popping for no apparent reason.