Chance_Taker4

You are going to get a lot of people saying Shimano and Daiwa to help you get your answer. For me however I love my Gen 4 Revo Winch for big crankbaits. I used the Gen 2 Winch until I upgraded to the Gen 4. Solid reels, excellent performance.

check under "search by technique" I bought a couple Z-Bone before Christmas when they had their big sale.

One more thing I will say about Kistler rods are they are built on true Gary Loomis custom designed North Fork blanks.

I straight retrieve it just like I do a buzzbait and Whopper Plopper. I don't see why it couldn't be popped but I think it my be difficult to get it to truly walk. It is a really subtle bait. It makes just enough disturbance on the water to be noticed. It's not loud like a buzzbait or make a commotion like a Plopper.

I would add the Kistler Z-Bone with their 20% discount you can pick one up for $400. That would be the best $400 rod you will ever use.

I'm sure it increases sales for the producing company but it completely kills the second hand business. And to me if you want to grow an expensive sport, paintball, bow hunting, bass fishing, you need a strong used market to introduce new people to the gear. I new person isn't going to spend thousands on gear. I think the biggest positive of the increase in technology is it expanded the $80-$100 rod market and that is the market that will help grow the sport. Your starting to see that trickle down to inexpensive reels as well.

I'm in there like swim wear A: J Lee B: R Howell C: F Shryock D: T Horton E: C Lane going with a stacked Alabama Lineup except for my hometown boy Shryock.

I use the Ardent Apex Magnum reel. It is one of my favorite reels because it is based of the Apex Elite platform and IMO that is a very under rated reel.

I do what I think is swimming but other people around me say its not. I guess when you get down to it I can a little in trunks. But probably not a chance fully clothed. I wear my PFD when the outboard is on but once the trolling motor is down and I am fishing the PFD comes off.

Before I got wrapped up in the fishing world I was heavy into the paintball world. It was growing exponentially with the latest and greatest technology being released every year. However the difference was just like in the car industry when the new gun was released last years model was discontinued. Every year I was buying a gun for about $1200 just to sell it for $400 (if I was lucky) to pay another $1200. Finally in about 2009 technology plateaued and sales dropped. In 2011 manufactures decided it wasn't in their best interest to release a new gun every year and now they are released every 3 years. I think the fishing industry is heading in the same direction. There are longer gaps in between latest and greatest releases. An example would be, I know this topic was brought up about rods, the Curado. Shimano released a new Curado every three years however between the I and K there are 5 years. Abu Garcia lengthen the time between updates not only their reels but their rods. I think we are at a time period in the fishing industry where technology has slowed whether its because it hasn't been discovered or materials are just too expensive to use. In the next 5 years there will be another jump start in the market that will push new products faster with better technology.

I agree I was just replying to the post about postponing the event. The launch site and popular areas where not effected by the wind and all the anglers were warned about the potential for unsafe boating conditions to the south. Out of the entire field only two boats chanced it. The boat that didn't crash didn't go all the way to their original spot and turned back. That particular boater was a witnessed that helped point searchers into the right area having see Bill continue to travel south. I fish Lake Erie 95% of my outings and if it is an event I'm fishing normally the TD decides if there is enough calm water to accommodate everyone and the rest of the lake is travel at your own risk. To me that was pretty much how they handled this event.

I was told the north end was were they launched and it was calm. The entire field except for Bill and another boat ventured south even after the TD warmed them about the weather change.

All I use is Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon.

I do the two handed "lever" cast. Growing up playing hockey muscle memory has given me a wicked sidearm cast. I struggle a little with an overhand but I mostly cast sidearm or underhand. I have never experienced elbow pain through my motion.

Seems like not only 13 sponsors are raving but so are unbiased reviewrs. I watched a guy rust normally only uses Shimanos but feel in love with that orange reel. But I also agree that I don't think it's built to last.

Both the Curado and Chronarch come with the "Fine Tune" numbered dial you are speaking of. It is NOT magnetic brakes as you are a customed to. Your centrifugal brakes do the majority of the braking. The dial is to fine to say for into the wind casts or lighter lures.

Go Gators! I hope the new regime at both schools get this rivalry back to where it was in the 90s.

Only thing to add now is searchers are now looking in grass mats because if he got tangled in it, the boaters and helicopters wouldn't see him unless specifically looking in it. Also Bill has an app that locates his car keys and his keys are sitting in the bottom of the lake. The app shows the exact location of where the accident happened so searchers now have a specific area to comb over.

River2Sea Bling in 3/8oz Albino Shad double willow leaf. Bluegill color is a close second.

Actually I have stocked my private pond with freshwater Tilapia just for their diet.

This is exactly what I use for jerkbaits.

Nik and his brother are on the same pro staff as I am. We have been getting updates through the team multiple times a day. It happened on Thursday during a Costa event. They guys never made it back for weigh in. The boat wrecked (still unclear how). Bill was found on the boat disoriented and with hypothermia early Friday morning. He is in the hospital and still isn't able to tell authorities what happened. Nik is still missing. judging from photos of the guys before the event and the wrecked boat authorities believe that the accident happened during the morning launch. while traveling SW. That is all the details I know as of this morning. They are still searching for Nik.

Being on staff with River2Sea I have been fishing the Lane Changer since August. I really enjoy fishing this bait. I throw it when I would normally use a buzzbait and have the same baits but a better hook up ratio. The Lane Changer is a real complement to the Whooper Plopper. I have not tried the other two they are still in their packaging. One takeaway I have is the Lane Changer seems more effective in the evening and less effective early morning (not totally sure why this is).

What happens if you put FLMB in say Ohio and NLMB in Florida? Will they sustain?

I fish Erie a lot and my dedicated drop shot rod is a M with a very soft tip. I normally don't go heavier than 1/2oz and that's only when its windy. Normally 3/8 is the heaviest for me. I built my own rod so I can't help with brand suggestion although if I had to go back to mass produced it would be a Fenwick HMX in ML since it covers my needs perfect.