.ghoti.

I fish with a "fairy wand" with weightless soft plastics and live bait. The fish in my avatar were both caught using a "wand". I know what you use, my friend. I was just jerkin yer chain. I have two spinning rods; one of which I bought this year, and have been using them more this season than the last few. Been getting re-acquainted, as it were. I'm starting to like them, but still truly prefer baicasting gear for almost everything.

I use this setup. St Croix LT 6'9" ML-Xfast rod, Daiwa R type Alphas reel #8 trilene XL I throw a 1/32oz Gammy Wacky jig / zoom finesse worm rig with this combo, with no problems. I can actually throw it farther than I can set the hook. However, if I have some serious wind to contend with, I pick up the fairy wand for baits this light.

Pointers tend to run true and suspend properly right out of the box. I haven't used a thuderstick in years. But, if you don't mind doing a little tweaking, they will do the job. You'll need to bend the eye of the bait to get them to run true, and add some suspend dots to get them to suspend properly. Ditto for most other cheaper jerkbaits. I've had good luck with X-Raps. About 70% of them work right out of the box. That's a much better percentage than any other non-Pointer jerkbait.

I've put ABEC 7 stainless bearings in 6 reels; four fairly new Fuegos and two older Millionaires. A marginal, at best, improvement. The reels all cast just a bit better. Certainly not worth the cost. Wish I had just done one. I would not have done a second. Earlier, I bought a pair of ceramics. Installed them, and immediately took them out and sold them to a buddy. I hate those things. WAY TOO NOISY. I like my reels to be seen and NOT heard. As far as bearings go, proper cleaning and lubing, at regular intervals, will keep your stock bearings working for a long time. A drag upgrade is a different story. That is well worth the cost. Carbontex drag washers are a very nice upgrade; cheap and easy to do. My advice would be the skip the bearings and buy the polished metal washers to go with the carbontex washers. Don't want to buy the polished metal washers? Make your own. I've polished all the metal drag washers in a couple of reels, using a Dremel, felt wheel and ultra fine polishing compound. I will be doing this for all of my reels. It's another step up from carbontex. And, simple to do. Wrap some duct tape, sticky side out around a flat piece of stock. Stick all the metal washers to the duct tape and polish away. When done on one side, remove, clean, dry, stick "em back on to do the other sides. I work inside a large ziplock bag. The polishing compound tends to fly about, and makes a mess. Make sure to clean them. Them clean "em again. When all the washers are polished, clean and dry, put the drag stack back together, applying a good silicone based grease to all surfaces in the stack. The advice I've been given was to use just enough grease to barely coat the washers. If you can leave a good fingerprint, you've gotten it right. I use a soft, kids toothbrush to apply the drag grease. Seems to work out nicely. The combination of carbontex, polished metal washers and a good grease makes for a very smooth drag, with a start-up torque only slightly higher than running torque. If you want to upgrade your reels, the drag upgrade would be the first thing I'd recommend. Unless you're one those who uses XH rods, braid, and cranks your drag down with a pair of pliers. Carbontex drag washers and polished metal washers are going to do nothing for you. The upgrade you need is to weld the drag stack and main gear together and be done with it.

Tru-Tungsten Ike's Spike jighead and 3X worm. or Gamakatsu Wacky Jig and any small finesse worm Target any deep, green weeds, typically the outside edges. Don't forget the Megastrike.

I bought one of these earlier this year after TW dropped the price from $350 to $150. After I got mine they dropped the price to $125. Timing is everything, ain't it? I got the 6'10" ML XXF version with the titanium tip. The last 9 or 10 inches of the rod is titanium, not graphite. First off, the rod is very, very light in weight. I've heard people say that the blank is the same as the Steez rods. Don't know about that. These rods were on the market well before the Steez. It says it's made with a SVF (super volume fiber) graphite, as are some of the Steez rods. I would speculate that this is an earlier version of this technology, and that the Steez rods are a refinement of that process. Who knows? I don't.Don't really care either. I know this one is light and super sensitive. The grip and handle are comfortable, but just a bit on the small side for my hands. Not as bad as the Avid spinning rods I have. I don't even use those things anymore. The grip is just too small. The Cielo grip is better, for me. The back of the reel seat, where the palm hits the handle, is cork covered. Much better than the open style. The cork is very good. Smooth with no pitting in evidence. It has SiC guides and an odd finish that appears to change color depending on how the light hits it. Kind of neat, but not truly significant. The tip is strange. Solid titanium, fused to the graphite blank. The transition from titanium to graphite as the rods flexes is seamless. I can't feel it, and I can see no kink in the curve when the rod is being loaded or unloaded. I wonder how may they broke during R&D, trying to get the transition right? Probably a bunch of "em, but they did get it right. It is seamless. The tip is the softest I've ever seen on a rod. I have a 3wt fly rod that has a stiffer tip that this thing. It takes some getting used to. I've bent it almost in a circle. I think that if I weren't worried about damaging some guide wraps, I could almost tie the tip section in a knot. This unique tip bonded to the SVF blank makes for a very odd rod. The tip transitions into a fairly stiff graphite mid-section, with surprising backbone for a rod this light. So, what's it good for? I have a Pfleuger Supreme 8030 reel mounted on this rod. 6lb test mono on one spool and #8 on the other. I mostly use the #6. I made two trips this to the White River, fishing for native browns, cutthroats and stocker rainbow. We went with top guide Tim 'Hotdawg" Curtis. If you want a truly outstanding guided experience, Hotdawg is da man. The fishing is easy. We run upstream, stop, wait until Tim gets the boat positioned and drifting right, then cast out to the side of the boat. Using a three-way rig with dropper weight and a "carpet" fly, we drift the bait along the bottom. Trout are light biters. The super fast tip on this rod allows the fish to take the bait without feeling the fisherman on the other end of the line. Once I got used to the feel of it, I missed very few fish. The Cielo is the perfect rod for this application. I also use this rod for wacky jigging. I use a Gamakatsu wacky jig, 1/32oz and 1/16oz sizes with a variety a small plastics. Zoom finesse worms, GYCB shad shaped worms, centipedes, flukes, etc. The rod is pretty good for this app. Casting is weird. The super fast, very soft tip takes some getting used to. But once I got past the idea that I was over-powering the rod, I relaxed and forgot about it. It does take a little different stroke to be accurate, but that's an easy adjustment to make. I've tried a few other apps with this rod, but I have a setup I like better for tubes. I have another setup I like better for flukes. Ditto shakey heads. Now the drop-shot. That's what this rod is supposed to be for. It is a sweet drop-shot rod. Once again, the tip makes it easy to see, and feel the bite before the fish knows you're there. It also makes it easy to impart a very subtle action to the bait. If light line, small light wire hooks, small baits and light weights are your idea of a drop-shot rig; this is your rod. I tried an upsized drop-shot rig, with 3/0 hook, power worm, 1/2oz weight and 10lb test once. All the advantages of the titanium tip were lost using heavier gear. This ain't the rod for that. So, what I got was a very nice, very light, super sensitive rod, of limited application. These disappeared fairly quickly once they went on sale. I'm going to guess that a lot of folks bought these rods thinking they just might get an excellent all around finesse stick. And, it just ain't that. I'm betting we're going to start seeing these up for sale soon as people discover that. If you see one in the flea market, and you need a light weight drop-shot or drift rod, jump on it. Other wise, I'd suggest passing on one. Cheers, GK

Exactly right. Couldn't have said it better my myself. Walking the dog with a Pop-R takes some practice. But, sometimes that's just what they want. Adding a split ring to the eye of the bait helps.

That will work, sometimes. What works more often is instead of a jerk on the rod to pop it, try a fast pull. You want to make the bait "spit" water in front of itself. Do it correctly, and you can make a Pop-R spit water a foot or more. It just takes a few minutes of practice to get the hang of it.

take a look at these. http://www.setyrrods.com/ I have five of "em. I broke one, being stupid, and explained to them how I had broken it. I wanted them to send me a new tip guide. They sent me a new rod, and charged me $20. Excellent rods, and excellent customer service.

I installed it on one of my laptops. No problems so far.

C'mon fourbizz. don't hold back. tell us what you really think. ;D

Thanks for the replies, gents. You're saying some of the same things I've said to myself. An iPad is NOT in my future. I don't play any kind of games, and when I want to use a computer I prefer a mouse, a real keyboard and a big monitor. I have two laptops, and rarely use one. If I want to watch movies, I have a very nice, large HD tv at home with a Bose Lifestyle sound system. Why would I want to see a movie on a little screen? With lousy sounding earbuds? What I want is a portable book. I read a lot. I estimate that in a typical year, I will read 150 books. When we go a vacation, I take one book for each day. I sometimes end up buying more while on vacation because I ran out. One of these devices would solve that problem. And save me quite a nice piece of change. ebooks are cheaper than print versions. The iPad is cool, I'll admit. But I don't feel like paying a lot more for features I will almost never use. I'm hoping to hear from somebody who has one or the other. I'm leaning toward the Kindle because it's smaller and lighter. Both are WiFi capable, and both get online. Not an important point for me. The Kindle has better screen contrast and more memory, at this point. It's also based on a Droid OS. The Nook has an actual book store behind it, with more titles available.

Anybody have one or the other? What do you think? I'm gonna get one, just can't make up my mind which.

kllrbee, now that we've all screwed with you, I'll try to help. I had a couple of JM reels, and one of them did just what you described. All was fine at first, and then the rubbing noise started. What happened with mine was the shim washer under the bearing in the brake side plate was dented. I did it by over-tightening the spool tension. Once the dent became too deep, the spool shifted slightly to the brake side of the reel. I don't know if your reel has the same problem, but it's an easy fixed, once. Remove the side plate, remove the spool bearing, take out the plastic shim and flip it over. Replace the bearing and side plate, and go fishing. If this is the problem, don't over-tighten the spool tension. You can get, or make, new shims. If you make your own, they HAVE to be the exact thickness of the original part. Also, if this is the problem, you may need to use more centrifugal braking, or more magnetic braking, or both. Just don't use too much spool tension. Cheers, GK

georges are beneath the splurthing bearing, and freds are on top. jacks should be left to a qualified reel service specialist

Nobod :Dy really answered the question, "what do deep fish do in the morning?" Well, they get up, start the coffee pot, turn on the TV, and tune in to the weather channel. Then they know where they're supposed be, and what they're supposed to be doing.

I lasted 40 seconds before the gay gag reflex kicked in

Yeah. Yer the kind of guy I'd like to b***h slap then have a beer with. Rowland, Kent is a great guy to have a beer with. I've never tried it proceeded by the biatch slap ;D ;D ;D

Big-O, you've let the cat out of the bag. My #1 bait in 2009 was a Space Monkey on a Shakey2 jighead, rigged like a grub with the hook exposed. Been doing the same thing this year with the Rage Shad, Smokin Rooster and the Eeliminator. Deadly! The real secret rig, if you can call any rig a secret; a GYCB Swim Senko on a Fin-Tech Skip Jighead. I've been fishing more jighead/plastics combinations than any other rig for the last two years. My best jigheads, in no particular order: Shakey2 Fin-Tech Titleshot Fin-Tech Skip Jig Tru Tungsten Iaconelli jigheads

Kent was fishing a T-rig. I had mine rigged on a jighead. I was fishing fairly deep, popping it off the bottom, while Kent was fishing his quite a bit slower. Water clarity was in the 18" range; maybe a bit less. These baits will move some water on the drop, if you use enough weight. I did not try one weightless. Following Speedy's advice, I was fishing between 15 and 25 feet deep. As far as a comparison, I would say look at two other baits. The Zoom brush hog and a Rage Tail smokin rooster. The brush hog has a very subtle action. Not a lot of movement from the appendages. The rooster, or space monkey, have a lot of movement from their various limbs. Bobby's new bait falls in between these two. I tend to classify my plastics as either aggressive; ie. Rage Tail baits; or as subtle, ie. Zoom super fluke. This new bait is right in the middle. I make bait choices based on action more often than color. I think it helps to change baits based on action rather than color when looking for what will get bit on any given day. Color change is for fine tuning. I tend to start aggressive, and then work my way down the scale towards no action. Bobby's new bait gives me another intermediate step in the search.

I've broken several over the years being stewpid. Only one on the hookset. Using braid, snappin a jig up off the bottom. I set the hook with the braid wrapped around the rod tip. Snapped it right off. And that was the end of my story with braid. Got rid of it, and will never use it again.

It really pained me to have to tell Glenn that I no longer had time to do this work for him. The economic downturn, recession, depression, or whatever you want to call this mess, has had an opposite effect on me. I have been busier than I've ever been. It looks as if this will be the case, in the near future, and beyond. I just do not know how busy I will be, going forward. My lack of a crystal ball has forced me to resign my post here. I enjoyed my time on the staff of Bass Resource. I learned a few new things, and made some new friends. Can't ask for much more than that. If you are considering this position, here are a few things you should know. Glenn is a talented guy, who will help you all the way. This is NOT rocket science. To do this properly will require 4-6 hours per week. Most of the people you notify will respond nicely. You may even make a few new buddies. I know I did. A few will be arseholes. Shutting down those are the most satisfying. Everybody on the staff will make you welcome. They will make you feel like part of the team. The members will not notice you. So, if you have some free time each week, and are reasonably competent, I would urge you to contact Glenn, and jump on board. I do not, in any way, regret my time in the saddle. Cheers, GK

On the day RW described, the TVA shut off power generation, completely screwing up fishing on the river. It was a tough day, to say the least. Kent and I both put fish in the boat using this new bait. A better testimonial would be hard to imagine. I know I'll be adding some to my selection of plastics. Cheers, GK

6'8" of twisted steel and sex appeal. I believe the 6'8" and the twisted part. Don't believe the rest of it at all. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Had a great trip the weekend before last, fishing with Kent and Speedy Madewell. Long story, but Kent was using some of my gear Saturday. We were fishing a bluff wall, looking for a little action from the brown fish. After seeing Kent drop his bait right on target several casts in a row, I remarked that he had really gotten dialed in with that unfamiliar rig. He said, I really like this reel, what is it? I have to repeat; he said, I really like this reel, what is it? IT WAS A DAIWA! If I hadn't been seated, I may well have fallen out of the boat. Just thought you members of the Shimano Posse needed to know what your Sheriff is saying in more refined company. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D On a different note; this was my second trip with Speedy Madewell. If you're ever looking for a guide in the Pickwick area, be sure to call him. Reasonable rates, awesome boat and tackle, a top notch guide with intimate knowledge of the river, and a great guy to ride around in the boat with. In the two trips I made with him, he put us on fish when a lot of other people on the river were getting skunked.