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For 65 bucks, that a lot of bang for the buck. Go for it. Cheers, GK

This is absolutely one of the "great taste, less filling" discussions. Good point New_Bass_Man. I'm totally on board with the idea that rod is more important. It's what we use to place our casts precisely where we wnat them. It's what we "feel" with. It's what we fight the fish with. It's what we work the baits with. The rod has to be the most important, right? Me, I'll take a great reel over a great rod any day. A smooth casting, smooth cranking, problem free reel is what floats my boat. I think I have two setups in which the rod was more money than the reel. I got those reels on clearance, so that skews the curve. I'm a light line, finesse type guy most of the time, and to me that says get a good reel first. I may be ***-backwards about this, but that's where the fun is. Cheers, GK

Quote "Can I ask why you prefer the 6wt to the 8wt?" I found the 8wt to be overkill for the bass in my part of the world. A five pounder is a really good bass, and an 8 is a giant. Two's and three's are a lot more common, and an 8wt is just too much rod for that size bass. It takes a lot of the fun out of it. If I were fishing an area that had a lot of 8's and 10's, I'd probably use the 8wt rod more often. Cheers, GK

As you go up the money scale, you'll get lighter weight and increased sensitivity with rods, and smoother casting, lighter weight and better drags with reels. All of this points to one thing; just as RoLo suggested, soft plastics, finesse style. Cheers, GK

The ones Cajun posted look perfect for the conditions. If you use double blades, add some weight, by clamping on a rubber core sinker to the arm, or go up to at least 1/2oz to get deeper. Single blades will run deeper. If the spinnerbait doesn't produce, it sounds like a good place to throw an X-Rap, or the suspending bait of your choice. Cheers, GK

I'll occasionally use snaps, but not swivels. I think it's a good idea to check your line and re-tie often, so snaps really don't save that much time. I use lighter line than most people, so I have to check the line often. With practice, you can tie a good knot almost as fast as you can change out baits using a snap. Cheers, GK

I have the same trouble finding single willow spinnerbaits, so I buy tandems, and cut off the small blade. No problems. Cheers, GK

Who? All I've got to say

I have one of the Johnny Morris rods; a 7' MH, and I like it a lot, but I think it would not make a very good rod for cranks, or any other reaction type baits. It's a darned good worm/jig rod though. I'd call it a very fast action rod. That's what you want for plastics fishing. You want a slower, more moderate action rod for reaction baits. It's a matter of having a rod with some give to keep from pulling the baits away from the fish. The slower action will let the fish get the bait in it's mouth. I think all of the Johnny Morris rods are fast action. With that in mind, and having used one myself, I'd go with the 7' Medium, if your heart is set on the combo. I think it's a good choice. I have two of the reels also. Very nice. Cheers, GK

Everything I'd read indicated an 8wt for bass, so that's what I got. I don't use it much anymore. I have a lot more fun with a 6wt. It's also a lot less work. I have little or no success with any kind of popper, in my waters. Poppers tend to be dink magnets here in the middle of Illinois. I catch much larger fish with bunny strips and wooly buggers. Temple Fork Outfitters makes a really nice rod for right around 100 bucks. BPS has them. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_57734_175001002_175000000_175001000_175-1-2 BPS's Hobbs Creek reel is maybe the best bang for the buck in fly reels. Large arbor design and a decent drag for around 40 bucks on sale, and they're on sale a lot. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_44558_175001001_175000000_175001000_175-1-1 Do yourself a favor and don't buy a cheap fly line. Get the best you can afford, clean and dress it every outing, and it will last for years. One thing I can't reccomend highly enough is a braided leader. For fly fishing, they're the best thing to come along since graphite rods. http://www.feather-craft.com/2007MAster/fcpage.asp?page=22 For discount flies, until you decide to start rolling your own, try this place. http://www.flyshack.com/DisplayCategory.aspx?CatID=15 The best prices I've found, and free shipping. They have an ever changing selection so look back often. If they don't have in stock, ready to ship, it's not on their website. Be careful. This is addictive, but it's it's a blast. And sometimes the best way to coax out bite in tough times. Cheers, GK

Berkley Power worms, both 7" and 10", and GYCB Cuttail worms are my favorites. Weights from 1/8oz up to 3/8oz depending on depth and wind. Mostly unpegged, but I'll "peg" the weight with a bobber stopper If I'm tossing the worm into wood. it wil hang up less that way. Same retrieve as Alpster most of the time, except I'm bringing the worm up off the bottom a bit, instead of dragging it. Add a few short, hard twitches to the mix. Also, add a big hop at least once during the retrieve. Pop it up off the bottom 3 or 4 feet, and watch your line as it falls. Sometimes the drop is the trigger. Cheers, GK

Buzzbaits, spooks, frogs, any big topwaters would be good choices. If there's too much chop on the water, a minus-1 run just under the surface is even better. Pay attention to the weather. Lightning will kill you. If it's close, do as the sheepherders do, and get the flock outa there. Cheers, GK

I've never caught one. A couple of 8's are my biggest. I've caught a lot of 5+ bass, which is pretty good for my area, but no DD's. I'm not a "big fish" fisherman. A typical trip for me is three or four hours after work. A half a dozen two pounders makes me a very happy camper. A 5, and I'm hootin "n hollerin. I haven't made the commitment to that totally different game. I could see myself doing that if I lived in an area that grew big bass. Central Illinois ain't the place. An 8 is a true giant here. I admire you guys who do play that game, and I love to see your pictures, so keep putting up. Cheers, GK RW, I'd guess the number around here at 1/1000, if you could get the truth out of "em.

Flechero, I like your style. If I fished tournaments, I'd probably have to get one together. It makes some sense. I do have a few go-to baits, but no formal organization of tough times gear. Go-to baits: #1 t-rigged tube with the weight inside. #2 4" Senko #3 Power worm on a jighead. #4 my "secret" weapon, a bunny strip fly on a dropshot rig. ( if you tell anybody about this, I'll have to kill ya ) Cheers, GK

Do just as Catt suggests. Also try mixing in a few very short twitches, moving the bait only an inch or two at a time. Every now and then pop it up off the bottom three or four feet, and let it fall while you watch the line. Most of the time, Catt's system will do the trick. Every now and then they want something a little different. Swimming it a foot above the bottom can be deadly at times, but is very difficult to do. It is easy to loose track of where in the water column you're at. Swim it too fast, and you're way above the bottom. Just experiment and have fun with it. Use a t-rig in places where you can't fish a c-rig without getting it hung up. Cheers, GK

A texas rigged tube falls fairly straight, and when fished on the bottom, is a good craw imitation. A tube rigged with a jighead inside will spiral on the fall, imitating a dying baitfish. I use a texas rigging for the hook, with Owner riggin hooks, but I put the weight inside the tube instead of on the line in front of the tube. I get the spiral on the drop, and still have a bait that will not get hung up, like the jighead will. It's the best of both worlds. The only problem is that the weight will end up at the back of the tube unless you put something else inside it the keep the weight in place. I've been using pieces of nylon rope. They will hold the weight in place, add a bit of bouyancy so the spiral is better, and will soak up and help retain the scent I add. This is my go to rig for tough times. I cast, let it drop, and let it soak for a while. Inch it or hop it on the bottom. Sometimes one works, sometimes the other. Every third or fourth hop, I'll crank it up 3 to 4 feet or so, and let it drop back. Sometimes they want it on the bottom, sometimes the spiralling drop is the trigger. I keep the color game simple. Natural, baitfish looking colors for clearer water, and dark colors for dirtier water. Cheers, GK

BPS is very good about replacing broken rods. If it's one of theirs, they will replace it, no questions asked. If it's not their brand, you'd best have a reciept. Cheers, GK

I heard a lot of different answers to what a buzzbait looks like toa bass, but, Brian, yours is the absolute best. A mini-bass boat. LOL Cheers, GK

Spinnerbait, square-billed crankbait, texas rigged worm, jig, senko, Ika Not necessarily in that order. Cheers, GK

Nathan, kudos for pulling off a safe and successful outing. Wish I could have been there. Cheers, GK

I like finding fish on the spawning beds. It means I can go to deeper water adjacent to the bedding area, and find very active fish. I leave the ones on the beds alone. That's just my preference. Targeting bedding fish has never been a high percentage game for me. I do much better out just a bit deeper. The first good drop next to the beds is a great first place to try. Not all the fish are spawning at the same time. The pre-spawners are very active, and will chase down just about anything you can get down to 8 or 10 feet, and put in front of them. Cheers, GK

For me they both solve the same problem; fishing a slow moving bait, on or near the bottom, in cover.

Dodgeguy, two things. One; you're not wrong, you just had a preference. There isn't any wrong answer to the line question. Just personal preference. Two; with your preference for Sufix products, I'm surprised you didn't try Elite for cranking. I gave it a shot this year, and have been impressed so far. It handles very well, and is very hard to see in the water. I haven't had it on long enough to bee 100% sold, but the results are good so far. What I found most interesting was your take on the number of bites comparing braid to something less visible. That was precisely my observation. I used to use braid for everything. After having my hat handed to me on several occasions, I switched back to mono, and noticed an immediate improvement in numbers. I do not keep a log, but the difference did not require records to be apparent. Lighter, less visible line equals more bites, at least for me. I haven't tried Seaguar yet. It's on my list to try this year. This is going to be the year I experiment more with lines. I've been on a rod and reel buying spree the last two years, and that is coming to a halt. Now it's a matter of determining the right rod/reel/line combos for each application. So far flouro has the edge for plastics, jigs and jerkbaits, mono is the one for topwaters, and cranking and spinnerbaiting are up for grabs. I do think flouro outlasts mono. One of the experiments is to determine by how much. I have the same flouro (Transition) on my Senko rod that was on it last year when I put it away for the winter. After about four casts, it seemed to handle just as well this year as it did last year. It's been on the reel since last spring. This weekend will be the test. We have a trip planned, and hopefully I'll catch a few fish to see if the line will hold up. Good luck with your experimenting. Cheers, GK

RW, lightbulbs?? I have a hard to believing you're that mechanically challenged. Cleaning your gear is a good way to help with cabin fever. It's almost as good as going online and buying more stuff. Almost. For me, spinning reels are easier than baitcasters. Here's the ticket. Tear off a piece of paper towel about three feet long. Tape it down to your bench, table, or whatever you're working on. This is important. Nothing worse than having the reel all in pieces, then dragging the paper off the bench. Been there, done that, had to order new parts. Place all the pieces you've removed on the towel in order of removal. After you're cleaned and re-lubed everything, put it back in reverse order. Simple Green, and an old toothbrush will clean anything in your reels, except the bearings. Soak them in lighter fluid to remove the old oil. Don't use too much lube. I've been guilty of that. It's easy to do. In my opinion, the trickiest part is the ARB, the anti-reverse bearing. Too much lube in that thing will cause it to become an IRB, an intermittent reversing bearing. Give it a shot. What else you gonna do when the water's hard? Cheers, GK

It's hard to beat XL on spinning gear. I 've tried a lot of others, and keep going back to XL. I'm seriously considering going back to XL for all my baitcasters this year. My plastics rods have Transition. One crankbait rod has Sufix Elite and one has Vanish. My spinnerbait rod has Elite. My jerkbait rod has Gamma Flourocarbon. My muskie rods have braid, one Spiderwire and one Powerpro. My frog rod, which I occasionally use for c-rigs, has Silver Thread. My topwater rod has XL, and I have the fewest backlashes and line problems with that setup. For easy handling, low memory and smooth casting, XL is hard to beat. Just my fifth of a dimes worth Cheers, GK