skey44

I'm with you... have bought Lowrance HDS with SS, two Gloomis including NRX,bout to pull trigger on two new reels (one will def be steez)! And I spend at least $40 everytime I go to a tackle store! Now I am in the market for my first "big investment" (note I didn't say good investment) post college (other than my small business that is still a baby) of my life and I'm looking at bass boats real hard! DOH! Take me to the basspital! Nevermind it is terminal! ps. this is my first "serious" year fishing!

Thanks for the recommendation. The reel order didn't go through bc they would not ship without matching the cc billing address to the shipping address (it has to come to my work)... guess they missed out on a $700 order

what about uploading them on a third party photo hosting site and using the code they supply to show them on the site. I use photbucket for other forums, don't know if this one is the same, but then they photos don't have to be on this server. fished my 893C JWR today too... man this thing kicks butt! now I just have to finalize my reel and line combo to add to it. for now I've got the Curado 200e7 with Stren 14# on it. Works fine, but definitely doesn't do the rod justice!

I think I may try and take my boat now that you have pointed me in the lake Toho direction... I'd love to get more tips and the maps if possible. Thanks so much!

I started paying very close attention to how they hold their rods, the direction they point the tip of the rod, and the pace at which they retrieve. That along with lots of cranking has helped me become a more efficient crank bait fisherman.

We will be taking a trip to a conference in Orlando Sept. 2-6. Fishing will be done all hours we are not at the conference. It has be 15 years since I have been to this lake and remember very little about it. Does/has anyone fished this lake lately and what is a good game plan to start with. I was thinking frogs in the morning and pitching jigs and soft plastics around weed variations and any other cover...? usually works about anywhere! Any other suggestions?

where are you from/fishing if you don't mind me asking.

About to pull the trigger on the steez 100 SHA what line to spool her up with?

I am changing line often because I fish very often and am rough on line as I am new to this sport! Two weeks is about average for now bit I am starting to make it last a little longer! I also like to try new lines:)

Coonedog, where do you live/fish? I grew up a South Carolina fan, but went to Clemson. Pull for both except once a year in football (and a couple other times in other sports when they play the rivalry game!).

Thanks for the info, reposted in the other category and got lots of good info!

When do you need more than a hundred yards of line when bass fishing? (I'm new at this so this is an actual ? not me being a smart A ) I respool very often (at least every two weeks) so break offs and rerigging shouldn't come into play. I have a Revo SX and it is not my favorite reel it takes more tuning to cast perfectly than my shimanos, especially with weightless plastics which I will throw often with this rig. The premier may be different, but it looks very similar. My Black Max from WalMart and the SX perform the same for me

Still have not ordered, though leaning towards Core MgVF7. Now after reading the fluoro shootout on TT I am rethinking my line choice. Probably either CXX or Hybrid. Those have been my two favorites so far, though the CXX has been a little tougher (abrasion resistance) for me. Still looking for comments!

usually bluegill especially on craw for me. fish near the bluegill though and I have caught some of my best bass!

If you are pulling it "out of their mouth" it probably wasn't all the way in to begin with. Small fish such as dink bass, bluegill, white bass, etc. will try to inhale your plastic lure, but the larger (usually 4/0 in my case) hook will stop them from getting the whole lure in their mouth. Don't worry if the bass is big enough and inhales the lure, as they usually do, you won't miss many with an extra fast tip speed. Your hook could also be too small for a big bass ( I sometimes have this problem when fishing finesse tactics and small hooks). Good luck!

I'm with you dood... I will say that I have started to get into baitcasters and find they are very versatile, and definitely help me with certain presentations. Save up and get a good one (my curado is the easiest to cast got it on sale for $150) I have a few bc now and the cheaper models are still a little hard for me to dial in! The YouTube vids definitely helped a ton. The locals and stores here also helped me out with some real world tips. We all get skunked sometimes. Especially when trying new things! Cheers, Scott

Will be ordering core flipping and pitching model from local outdoor store first thing tomorrow!

I am now wavering between the core and the steez

thanks for the recommendation, the core is a strong possibility at this point as I loved the way the rod felt with it on it at the release party. I like my shimanos, but haven't had experience with the daiwas.

Went to the launch party for the loomis NRX last night at my local dealer and had a great time! Couldn't resist the free costa Del Mar glasses and sick rod! Picking up the 7' 5" m/hvy extrafast version soon, now I need to pick out a reel. Between Core, Chronarch, Curado, and Premier. Also would like to put a nice all around for flippin, pitchin, and casting 14# fluoro on there... hook me up, what should I do. They had one there with a castaic on it that seemed a bit bulky for the rod, and one with a Core 100 which was awesome and felt like a feather, but this is going to be my longest/strongest rod in my arsenal for fishing heavy cover and wasn't sure if the Core would hold up to the abuse, I see they have one in a flipping vrsion and this is probably what I would consider. The Wildcard replacement is a one time free replacement deal, no questions asked for the life of the rod! I want lots of comments and recommendations to sift throug... let's get started! Cheers, Scott

O yeah... gear update! put an NRX on layaway last night (only because my girlfriend made me promise not to buy it last night ) now to choose the perfect reel. I picked up the 7'5" extrafast med-hvy version. Should I go with something classy like the Shimano Chronarch or something light and stealthy like a Abu Premier or Shimano Core? I'd like to really match this up right. Probably gonna put 14# fluoro on to do some jig/heavy cover fishing, but still be able to cast those lighter plastics a ways. Lemme know what you think!

sounds fun! when will you be heading this way? I'd love to come to the weigh in! Hope you guys get a good dose of the local hospitality. I will say depending on where the launch is (upper or lower lake) Clemson is a good place to stay because we are used to handling visitors with 80,000 + making their way to town on home game weekends in the fall!

I understand why a strong storm is dangerous in any boat, but why fiberglass in particular? I thought it would be an insulator, and hold up to a beating pretty well. Something that crossed my mind is that my Gloomis IMX rod has two little warnings about electricity stamped on it... I guess that is not the rod you want in your hand if you are fishing anywhere close to lightning!

a portion of lake Hartwell that can't be fished in a boat, I fish around a couple of trees and pipes from the bank.

What type of jigs are those? Nice fish too! Looks like the big one was laying in the Tree? INside near trunk or outside in branches near deeper water?