BASSclary

My gander has Yo-Zuri lures frequently in those hidden "Sale" endcaps, where you can barely see them. Usually atound 2.97 a pop.

I guess they ran out, because last night/early this morning they still had the old color scheme in the sale section :-/ Why in the world did they change to that ugly color scheme anyway?

So I have another sorta noobish question for rod building. I hit the logo are of the ugly stick with a heat gun and scraped the epoxy/logo off with a razor, an then sanded with 100 or so grit. Now after wiping down it still looks like its been sanded, im assuming this is just because of rougher sandpaper? I plan on putting my own logo there.

I'd say call up Daiwa and see what they can do. I personally am very careful with my rods, I once bought a St.Croix Premier and upon getting in the car noticed basically the same type of scrape you did. I walked right into BPS and got a Crucial instead (They didn't have the same Premier)

I actually included that info, but wasn't so specific in the Value/Durability section. And I suppose I couldv'e broken the pictures up into segments, and waited until it was sunny outside for better lighting, but other than that the pictures were took with a Kodak Zi8 (A video camera) so the pictures weren't to great :-/

Just removed all the foam, removed the glue, and sanded down with 120 grit sand-paper, need to hit it with some uber-fine sandpaper though, then wipe with denatured alchohol. The problem I'm having is getting the reel seat off :-/

Nate, its a great bag I cant say enough about it. They're actually on sale online for $32 i'll be picking another. They're on sale because the color scheme has changed to blue/orange instead of red/black.

I bought the bag in early late July, after my birthday. And its probably been on 50 shore trips over 4 hours. And if your talking about the blue aerosol can in the beverage holder, that just some Jack's Juice Garlic Scent. It was free at an expo so I keep it just incase. And as for the bag looking brand new, it did have some stains etc, call me looks-conscious but I did throw it in the washer :

Well its Winter Break and I officially joined the insomnia crew, so here comes another review right at 'cha. Here it goes! The story starts off with a young boy, and a tackle bag that was too small, So he ventured off too BPS for something that was practical (as he only shore fished), yet had the capacity to store his ever-growing tackle, which was growing faster than the universe. He then settled on the Bass Pro Shops XPS Stalker Bag, and here's how he likes it... Looks 8/10 - To say the least, this bag reminds me of Dale Earnhardt and his car. Imtimidating. The Black and red color scheme is definitely a cool one, and would certainly look good one whom ever was to wear (or carry) it. Functionality/Convenience/Capacity 10/10 - With all the specialized pockets, storage room and the Back-pack style to this back, it definitely hit my mark. Lets begin with the Back-pack straps. For me this was a great feature of this bag, because being stuck to shore, Walking becomes a great deal of beating the banks. Once a spot doesn't produce, your off on foot. However a problem with traditional tackle bags and their shoulder straps is that there is alot of pressure on one spot or a shoulder, and its uncomfortable. It sucks enough to walk a straight line with it, let alone walk a river cliff trail along the Rappahannock River. With the bag being carried like a back-pack, you can barely tell your wearing it (even at 17#'s!), while a traditional shoulder strap bag at 13#'s was enough to make you uncomfortable. But lets say your a boater and dont want backpack straps? Then all you have to do is tighten down the adjustable straps, put then together and enclose them in the Velcro handle attached. Another big thing for me was the specialized pockets, considering all the accessories and essentials I bring with me. The Stalker has two line spool pockets, each pocket capable of fitting two standard sized spools, or one Sufix sized spool. They also have small slits in the pocket for spooling up a casting reel, or pulling out a length of leader material. The molded hard sunglasses case was also another nice advantage. I don't always like to wear mine, and dont like them hanging from lanyards around my neck, so this is a nice feature for me, and most likely the average angler. It also has two "cigar" sleeves as I call them, because they seem to be the perfect size for one, but cant seem to find a use for the small pocket. Although if you enjoy cigars while fishing, its a plus! It also has two beverage holders, which is nice because I can put my water in one, and my scent/attractant in the other. Another feature that's pretty sweet, is that the bag comes with a built in poncho so your bag doesnt get soaked in that random storm of the day! Hidden in a zipper near the bottom of the bag there lies the attached poncho out of the way, but ready to go when you need it, and it has a drawstring on it too to get a secure fit. Another interesting part of the back is the main flap, and how they utilized it for space, which is a premium in the tackle bag world. On the top of the flap, there is a main pocket the size of the flat, which is secured by a small patch of velcro, and then a smaller pocket on top of that. I use the larger of the two pockets for encased plastics( like RageTails) and I use the smaller one for a small 3x5 notebook to log my catches and take notes. On the under-side of the flap there is nothing to special, but they did put two mesh zippered sections where I store soft packs of plastics. The box also has a medium/large sized regular pocket, and four more all-purpose small/medium pockets. Also I believe the backpack straps are removable, and can fit in the large pocket in the flap, and then you'll be left with two handles on the side of the bag. This Bag also has the ability to hold 8 360 sized boxes, or 5 370 sized boxes, so with the Stalker, you'll have everything you need for a day of bank fishing. Value/Durability 9.5/10 - The MSRP of this bag alone, without boxes is $55. That is a somewhat hefty price for just the bag, and depending in your local store $70 with 5 370 series boxes inside. But is it worth the price? I have to say yes. This bag has so many pros, and no cons I can think of, I would buy this bag over and over and over again. And this bag isn't just some crap material with a little make-up, its good stuff made from 600 denier nylon (if I remember correctly) and has held up fantastic since I bought it in mid/late summer. That says something because during summer break I fish everyday, in all conditions, rain or shine. However, one of my only complaints is that when you have your bag stuffed to the max (Like me) and the zippers are a little hard to zip, occasionally around bend in the zipper two tabs will go between the other two, instead of just one. Thats not a hug deal though, because my zippers are still holding up fine! Conclusion/Overall Rating - 9+(1/6) out of 10 This bag can hold everything, look stylish, and still be extremely functional. From its specialized pockets, to its B.A color scheme, the Stalker has it all. Although its a little on the pricey side, I'd say this bag is well worth the purchase. It should continue to serve for many many years, and has every thing a fisherman will need for beating the banks. Bottom line, awesome bag, and probably one of, if not, the best bag out there. Pics: This has been a BASSclary review. Please note the views expressed in this review are solely those of the author's, and may not reflect those of BassResource.com and it's members.

A good simple dip: Ranch and Buffalo Sauce. My ratio is about 1 Ranch : 3-4 Buffalo. than a little cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. Its pretty good, only two ingredients and just killer to dip pretzel sticks in. 8-) Im eating it as I type NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

Aren't Pure Fishing Products the only products with Dual Braking? And I know he mentioned he wanted Dual Braking, but from personal experience any quality braking system can work, mag, cent. or dual.

Thats cool! Also I couldn't help but notice the Va in your name, are you a builder in Virginia? Im starting as my first rod by transforming an Ugly Stik into a pretty stick!

I bet you all thought I forgot about this didn't you? Haha I have been slacking, but here are some Pics!! How are my wraps? I think I did pretty good for a first time. Also, since its two piece, I have to undo the first guide to re-align the reel seat to the spline, and during the process I will change the grip to Cork, not foam, and it will be split grip. Im practicing splitting the grip on the foam now though. Enjoy the pics!

Throwing baits 1/8 ounce +/- of your rods rating certainly will be fine. The distance will be miniscule at best. 1/4 ounce would be the most +/- I would go, but you will see the casting distance drop. Anything over 1/4 ounce is a no-no IMO.

For your price range, I'll have to recommend the SHIMANO Curado E7, which comes in both Lefty and right to suit you. However if you can bump it up to about $269, I HIGHLY recommend the Daiwa Zillion(also come in left and right, and available in 7.3, 7.1, 6.3, and 4.9). They are very smooth, cast very far, and Im in love with the Magforce-Z Braking system.

Sounds exactly like what I would've done

I would put one of your Citicas on the Flippin Stick to see how it handles your variety of lures. I'd think if you have enough line capacity for swimbaits then I would stick with a Citica, unless you really want a Cardiff for saltwater purposes.

As soon as I read flipping and pitching with the cardiff that didn't sound too comfortable, or easy with lightweight lures. I dont know however I've never owned/used one. Have you tried a Citica on your flippin stick?

CXX left a horrible taste in my mouth. See my review http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1289678759

If its the Revo S-L - All-star rod combo, $200 is a rip off. The price at Dick's is 119.

x A billion those things are awesome. And to protect my reels I use a 4 dollar neoprene cover from BPS

The Enigma reel looks like they took the Bionic Plus, aand gave it a few more brakes, and charged alot more. I'm guessing they changed the style of the Bionic Blade to be more of a competitor to the Abbadabbado Vendetta and Veritas, possibly Vengeance.

Here's an entertaining fishing show for you... RLR (The most notorious man in the universe) bass fishing...on his Lambor-bass-a-boat-ghini with all his fancy gear 8-) The show can be called Dos Bass-equis 8-)

From what I understand is that they're both Pure Fishing Brands, so they naturally have almost the same exact design. I think the difference comes down to the materials, and quality and # of bearings

Love those darn convenience products 8-)