breezy

I would let the cover you're fishing dictate how you rig it. Texas rig if there's heavy cover (but a CRig may not be the best choice here anyway), nose hook or wacky rig when it's more of an open water situation. I think with such a small bait you may lose some action texas rigging; I would let the fish decide on nose hook vs wacky rig. That being said I still texas rig 90% of my plastics on a c rig. It's just the way I was taught and old habits die hard. ;D

You're just now cleaning them? ;D

The Patriarch and Carbonlite both have handles with EVA knobs, I think you can get the handle assembly for $30-$40. I believe these would fit the Revos and PQ although I'm not 100% sure. As for the knobs themselves, I like the EVA. I can understand the 'sandpaper' comment but like the grip and feel myself. Only concern is durability.

I typically use 10lb mono as we have virtually no grass or thick cover nearby. Like you several rods pull multiple uses and I've used braid (with a fluoro leader) to throw lipless cranks without any issues. I prefer the mono for some stretch and found the braid will foul the lure easily without a leader. Personally I would choose what setup to use based more on the rod than line. Sure there is probably an optimum line to use for each application, but realistically most will work.

Although braid may be slightly more expensive at first it's going to last a long time. I find myself changing fluoro a few times per season when it gets too much memory, however I have some braid going on 2yrs old. If you fill a lot of the spool with cheaper line (or just leave what you have on) then put the braid on top you can easily spool 2 maybe even 3 reels with 150yds. If you have a BPS local to you they have Sufix Performance Braid on sale for $12. I haven't had a chance to use the new Sufix 832 but the performance braid is my first choice.

The SX had a pretty big overhaul on the braking system for the 2010 model. I don't have any personal experience with the 09 SX but from reviews I've seen people much prefer the 2010. I believe you can also purchase the new parts from Abu and install them yourself for relatively cheap.

Again I wasn't trying to say Quantum products are inferior, just that I felt many anglers perceived they are. IMO lots of reels anymore are very similar quality and the biggest factor comes down to personal opinion/preference. I think the results of a large scale poll regarding regarding brand preference would definitely be interesting. Wonder if it would be divided by region, tournament vs recreational fishing, age, etc? Edit- Funny it was brought up because I have had the chance to use that entry level KVD BC (it's black with red highlights) several times. I didn't think it was awful, maybe a little on the heavy side, but I would probably choose something else in that price range.

+1 this was going to be my suggestion. If you're going to take the entire skirt off the spinnerbait, why not buy a swarming hornet fish head spin? I guess you may have more flash and blade variety with the spinnerbaits...but I love the swarming hornets.

A step down but used by the all-time money winner on the Bassmaster Tournament trail, who has earned more than $5 million beginning 2011, captured four Bassmaster Classic titles (2001,2005, 2010, and 2011) and six Toyota Tundra Angler of Year titles (1992, 96, 99, 08, '09 and 10). He has earned berths in 21 consecutive Classics since he turned full-time pro in 1992, the longest running Classic qualification streak of any active pro. In 222 career Bassmaster events, he's won 20, finished second 11 times and landed in the top 10 an amazing 91 times! After all that, how does one have a perception that this tackle is in any way inferior to anything ? :-? A-Jay By no means was I trying to imply Quantum products were of an inferior quality. It was meant as a joke more than anything, hence the . Still, I would bet that if you were to poll a random selection of anglers the majority would rank Quantum below Shimano, Daiwa and (probably) Abu. Does that mean they truly are inferior? No, of course not. That's just an opinion and I have 0 data to back it up so who knows, I could be way off base. Maybe it is just the group of fishermen I'm around--I'm not sure. As far as KVD goes, I doubt Quantum products are the contributing factor to his success. I think you would see him performing the same if he used any other company's products. Who knows, maybe he could still dominate with an Ugly Stik...you may even see him fishing the Classic with one if they paid him enough ;D

I've been thinking about purchasing some of these jigs for a while now, the sale just gives me a great reason to go ahead and pull the trigger ;D

Most stores with a good fishing selection should have them. If not, I wouldn't worry about it. I've used split shots or whatever random weight I can find plenty of times. Most dropshot weights I've seen only have two things going for them: a swivel to reduce line twist, and a clip you slide the line through so it will pull off easy in case of a snag. You could tie a swivel on if you're worried about line twist--in the end it's just weight at the end of the line.

Agreed on the comments about the leader. I use one 100% of the time while fishing braid, but not because of visibility. My main concern is being able to break off at the leader; the increase abrasion resistance of mono/fluoro is just a plus.

I've always had a perception that Quantum is a step down from the big name brands. I have barely used any though so it's probably marketing getting to me I think 1-2oz can make a big difference depending on the setup. With some rods I may even prefer a slightly heavier reel, but on my lightweight combos you can definitely feel a difference with a 7 vs 9 oz reel.

I use the offset round bend 3/0-5/0 for texas rigging pretty much all plastics. I prefer the RB hooks and how the point is lined up after TX rigging...no idea if it really makes a difference though. If you're texposing the hook I can see how an EWG hook may work even better.

3/8 and 1/2 probably compromise 90% of my jig fishing. It never hurts to have as many weights as possible though, sometimes the fish will prefer a much slower or faster fall. As someone else stated, the trailer used also affects fall rate. You could add on a bulkier trailer and achieve a slower rate of fall with the same jig.

I have a BPS Carbonlite that is a great rod at its price point. Very light, sensitive and extremely comfortable. In the $100 range it may even be my favorite rod. That being said, I purchased a Dobyns SS734 a few weeks ago and have been very impressed with it. The tip action and balance on the rod are 'just right' IMO. Kind of hard to say if it's "worth the money" to buy the more expensive rods. That's really something you will have to decide for yourself and will depend on your situation. If I could afford another Dobyns I don't think I would step down to the CLite just to save some money though...

IMO the Veritas feels much more powerful than rated. I have a 7' MH I use for jigs and it works great, but it is definitely a really powerful 'medium'-heavy. I think you could also use this for frogs, although if you're fishing heavy cover you may want to look into the heavy rod. For cranks I think the only option would be the 7' M Mod-Fast. I haven't fished this rod but if it's similar to the others I would be concerned about it being too heavy with too fast a tip for cranks. BTW, try and get your hands on a Veritas first if possible. Although I love the sensitivity, balance and weight on mine I find the reel seat very aggravating in colder weather. I actually prefer the BPS Carbonlite rods just because of this, but I would not consider it a deal breaker...especially at 50% off.

Although I really like my Veritas I would have to agree, I think the Carbonlite is much more comfortable. It's a close call on sensitivity, but I find the CL to feel so much better it would also be my recommendation.

Unfortunately no idea how they compare to the zillion but I own a few rods on the list: 7' MH Veritas, 7' M Carbonlite, 7'3 H Savvy. I could type a detailed description of each but they are all similar IMO. All the rods balance fairly well, the Dobyns does feel a bit heavier but still feels great. Sensitivity is too subjective for me to comment on. The Veritas reel seat can be slightly uncomfortable at times (not bad by any means) and I find the Savvy/Carbonlite more comfortable. I haven't had the SS734 long but it's one of my favorites, the action is almost perfect IMO. With that list I don't think you can go wrong though, just make sure whatever you're buying is comfortable for you (if you can at least).

I own a Carbonlite and love the reel. IMO drag is not that big of a deal fishing bass. Carbonlite casts small baits well and pitching is OK. It really depends on what's important to you. Need a ratio other than 6.4:1? Pro Qualifier. Need the extra drag for some reason? PQ. Want a light reel to go with a light setup? Carbonlite. I say take your rod to the store, try both on and go with whichever feels the best. I wouldn't let the slightly lower drag keep you away unless it is some EXTREME heavy cover. In that case though I'd be looking at a Revo (such as a Revo S), which almost doubles the PQ drag.

I used PowerPro for a couple years but kept experiencing unexplained breakoffs. Switched to Sufix Performance Braid about a year ago and they've pretty much disappeared. Overall I've been very happy with the Sufix using everything from 30-50lbs. I'm pretty sure that 30lb+ all has 8 strands whereas <30lb only has 4. Haven't got a chance to use the new 832 but I've heard good things. Probably won't get a chance to try it anytime soon, plan on picking up a few spools for $12 from BPS. ;D

I've seen a few reviews slowly start to trickle in on various forums, if you just do a google search you should be able to find some posts. I really like the way they look but would like to hear some more opinions from owners before I'm ready to jump in. The Tourn Speed Spool looks like a nice reel for $140 with its dual brakes. Really like the flat black on the Tourn Pro also.

Definitely a good read, thanks. It would definitely be interesting to know which companies may be distributing line from the same factories. Doubt we'll ever see it, just like the BPS/Pfleuger/Abu reels the companies aren't really open to give out the info.

KY $20 resident + $10 trout license TN ~$40 non-resident

To attach terminal tackle I use a palomar knot whether it is mono or fluoro. For braid > leader I use a uni to uni knot the majority of the time. I've heard the strength is fairly low (maybe 50-60% knot strength?), but if I'm using 30lb+ braid and a 14-16lb leader it's something I can live with. The main reason I tie the uni to uni is simply because it's easy and takes very little time to retie if I have to. I've heard of people tying an albright knot for braid > leader and tried it a few times. It's supposed to have higher knot strength but was a pain for me to tie. Granted I didn't practice tying it a lot, I just find the uni to uni works well enough for my purpose.