Lightninrod

Welcome to BR KIF! Betcha you end up catching bigger Bass with ypur articials. I'd add a pack or two of 5" Senkos(color #222 or 196) to your arsenal. Rig the weithgless with just a 4/0 EWG hook and catch some bigguns! Dan

WTG Sirmo!!! Beautiful BIG BASS! 8-)

Very nice 7-9(?) lb Bass and welcome to BR from a sixth generation Floridian. Dan

IMO, the splash isn't a problem but the shadow the bait casts over the water before it lands may spook a Bass as "death comes from above" in the Bass's brain. Dan

Avid: Mine has a dark blue banner at the very top of each page that says "Internet Explorer 7". Dan

I've caught several Bass with a crankbait tied onto my 7' Kistler Medium Caster LTA rod. It's very sensitive but also forgiving even though it's a graphite rod. It even allowed me to snag and land two different 5 lbers in their face(instead of inside their mouth or lips) but didn't rip the hooks away. It weighs about 4 ounces and I can cast it for hours and not get tired and I'm no 'spring chicken' Here's a pic of a recent crankbait 6 lber and my LTA Helium: It costs slightly more than your budgeted $200 but you will be very satisifed with one . Dan

I surely will Al though the topwater bite has been hard to come by here lately. Dan

No, I've never held or used an Evergreen rod. I like the last half of their name though . Dan

I've caught a few with them; the biggest Bass came with it T-rigged on the bottom. Dan

I have two packs on order. Dan

Congratulations on the new PB!!! Gorgeous Bass! Dan

What he said except for some quirks that I don't appreciate but no "problems". Dan

Excellent catching young man!!! Now that your son's interested, get him started with a rig and baits Dan

I'm sorry but you don't need a "gearhead". You need someone that can search for the drawings, schematics, exploded views, etc. and I tried but didn't come up with anything useful. :-/ You need to give more details about your specific Honda too. Dan

I don't care for the reel grips. The one pair that I had given to me make the knobs feel too 'large; kinda swollen.... Dan

Man, she is gorgeous.......................er, the Bass, the Bass !!! Very nice catches but especially the young Lady! 8-) Dan

LOAD the boat with Alabama HAWGS young man!!! 8-) Dan

Yes, it's a MB Diablo: F5 ½-68XFti Diablo (Medium Fast, ¼-1 oz., 12-25 lbs.) Dan

What RW said! Dan

We are not worthy!!! What a GREAT PICTURE!!! Thanks for sharing it with us and, they'll have to show it. Dan

Yes, as a matter-of-fact, he is 8-)! Avid: As you determined, I havn't been swimming it per-se. T-rigged, I just hop, pause it back to the boat or the bank in the case of that 6 and that 3 lber. Dan

I too am in the dark but man, we need more "Lady Bassers" so just post on young Lady. If a mistake was made, we've all done it too so just keep on catchin' Bass and talkin'. I for one, love to hear/see about Ladies catchin' Bass. Dan

GMAN: I agree that the 'old' fiberglass rods are out of date compared to graphite rods(see my reference to my graphite Heliums) but there are new fiberglass technologies available. Here is the description of my fiberglass Shiryu-Tomahawk series rod: "What make the Tomahawk Series so unique are their blanks themselves. Instead of using the conventional glass fiber film, which consists of vertical and horizontal fiber mesh, we have eliminated most of the horizontal fibers and reinforced the vertical ones instead. This gives the Tomahawk two distinct characteristics: unadulterated bending and unbelievable lightness unlike any other glass rod. Even though the Tomahawk Series has received a complete overhaul for 2005, the basic concept has not changed. But, if the original Tomahawk series rods are the WW II fighter planes, then the new GT3 series rods are much more sophisticated modern planes. If you know nothing about the original Tomahawk rods, you may not realize that they are related. The new GT3 Series is completely armed. With 180 degree spiral guide system, the new TX fiber blanks, the new reel seat with exposed blank, the heavy duty Titanium-IC guides and finally ITO Head Locking System (PAT), the new GT3 series elevates Tomahawk rods a few steps closer to its unknown potential." The English translation from Japanese leaves a little to be desired........ I 'crank' with both . Dan

Al: That link doesn't work. I found her rods here though. The only rods I use are Kistler's LTA Heliums, Megabass, and one Okuma(for the 5 ounce swimbaits). Dan

Sirmo: I'm still not convinced they're any better than the originals :-? I do think they're made of a slightly different formula of soft-plastic as I find them a lttle hardier than the originals but they're still just 5"s in length and not a real 'swimbait' IMO. They cost a little more than the originals and just aren't that much different or more effective as far as I can tell. Now if I catch a new PB on one, my mind 'may' change . Dan