dwtaylor

I have both and I prefer a Revo over anything I have tried. I do not like the way the Curado fits in my hand. Out of the box, the Curado will cast lighter lures better, but I have supertuned (just polished surfaces) and now the Revo is hands down better. Shimanos have more parts in the inside, while the Revo is simple and to the point. You just can't beat the toughness of the Revo. Plus it helps that I can get a pretty good discount on them too.

First of all, a baitcaster less than 50 bucks is going to be really hard to handle, at least in most situations. More bearings typically mean a smoother, better quality reel.

Have you tried those reel grips? I have tried them on several of my reels and I like them. http://www.***.com/Reel_Grips_Pro_Series_2pk/descpage-RGPS.html

IMO, the lake has the best population of 3-5 pound bass in the state. The lake has A LOT of timber in it and most of it is deep, actually its a no wake lake because there is so much timber. Its a standard lake as far as seasonal patterns go, but if I were to pick one presentation I would choose a jig. As far as where to fish...I cannot enclose that information lol. Its contour map is on a navionics chip and that gives a pretty good estimate on where to fish. My best advice is to become the most accurate caster you can be. Its very easy to lose dozens of lures in a day if you are not careful. It has that many trees in it.

I typically use braid when I am flipping, but I have tied a 20 lb fluorocarbon leader and I feel that it helps get bites. I have never had a problem with breakoffs. 17 lb would work too, but if you were fishing mostly grass, I would just use braid. It is, however, a little more difficult to tie than other lines.

'>http://www.collegefishing.com/events.cfm?&bTournamentSearch=1&cid=14&t=details&did=27&tid=6728&tyear=2011 This has the map with the gps coordinates of the cutoff line. Thanks for the help guys! I have plenty of time to think and plan for this event, but there are a lot of sales going on now and I could capitalize on them while they last.

I would try a swim jig or spinnerbait. There are many different companies that have great 'gill imitations. Another possibility for an imitator is the Jackall Giron. This bait will turn 180 degrees when you stop it after a jerk. This almost always will catch followers.

I have used a medium action baitcasting crankbait rod for jerkbaits. I feel that it keeps you from over working the bait, which can deter bites sometimes. Sometimes they want that aggresive action. Its all about what the fish want that day. Also, as far as line goes, different jerkbaits suspend differently so some baits like mono and some like flourocarbon. The safe bet is probably with flourocarbon due to its ability to sink.

I will agree with the lipless crankbait. Something about a red lipless bait fires them up really early. I use a retrieve similar to a jig to make sure I am contacting bottom. I will also use a jig to catch these fish. I move my bait as slow as I can as long as the lure has action. Another thing to try is suspending jerkbaits if the water is clear. I just reel them down to depth and give it a jerk or two and let it sit for a while. Sometimes I will let it sit for up to two minutes before I jerk it again. I hope this helps!

I would go on Abu Garcia's website and check for the parts schematics. They have many of the older models listed, hopefully your model will be there. If I were to guess, there would be a gear like piece that fits around the shaft of the main gear. The newer baitcasting reels have a bearing that typically fits between the same gear shaft and the side plate that only allows one direction of handle turn. My best bet is to take it apart again and see if you have all of the parts as shown by a schematic. If you are missing a part, call abu garcia. There were many round reels made back in the day and I am sure that there would be replacement parts.

I bought a Kistler Magnesium in the summer of 09 and It broke while fighting a fish and I did not put my hand above the foregrip or high stick the fish (common angler mistakes). I inspected the break, and it was not like most broken rods that typically "sliver" when they break. This rod broke almost perpendicular to the blank walls. This is obviously a graphite deformity and should be taken care of by the warranty. I had filed a warranty claim over their website and they took over 3 months to get back to me. In their response, they told me that I needed to pay $70 dollars to replace the rod that originally broke due to their construction mistake. The original price of the rod was $159.99. The cost to replace was almost 45% of the new rod. Due to this, I will NEVER buy a Kistler rod again. I did end up taking the rod to a local rod builder and a rod/reel repairman. They both said that it was a graphite failure due to a bad blank. They had also said that most every other manufacturer would replace it at just the cost of shipping. From what I understand, the company has had this problem with blanks in the past. Its just too risky IMO to re-invest in such a company that struggles to find a good blank source. Don't question the BPS rods. The carbonlite rods or whatever they are called are AMAZING. The guides are the only downfall IMO. The blanks are superlight and sensitive. My dad bought one for jigging for walleyes and it is an excellent rod.

I was raised on a farm and my dad is a farmer. Wrestling is a big sport here, but I really don't enjoy it. I would rather be fishing.

I am currently a student at Iowa State University and I am an active member of their fishing club. I have just recently started tournament fishing and I am thoroughly "hooked." My favorite place to fish for bass would be my grandpa's pond. There are many five pound fish there and it is only about 15 miles from my house. I love flipping and pitching jigs into heavy cover, as the pond has hundreds of laydowns.

I use both the spro frogs and the tru tungsten frogs. They are both good frogs, but if i were to choose one it would be the spro. When storing the frog, keep it out of the sunlight. Also, only store them in frog only containers. Another tip, after you are done fishing for the day, dip the legs of the frog in the water to 1. let them cool 2. clean them off. Sometimes scum will effect how the skirt melts. My hookup ratio for frogs is about 80% and all I do is wait about a second and a half to two seconds. I do not change the hooks out of spros. After you catch a bunch of fish on one bait, spros become waterlogged. Thats normal because of normal wear and tear to the bait. Kermit frogs are similar to spros, but the hooks arent as high quality and the bait requires a little more tuning out of the box to walk than the spro. I also think that the bodies are tougher than the spros and the mad-max, so hook up percentages might be lowered.

Nice bait there, very realistic looking!

I came across a similar deal through pure fishing and the problem with some of the veritas rods is that certain lengths and actions are harder to find. I just bought the 7'6" mh rod and had it come within 5 days. My buddy ordered the 7'3" mh in January and it still hasn't arrived. If you watched the Bassmasters Classic, the Fed. Nation Angler Brandon Palanuik was using a veritas rod for crankin. From what I saw, he was using a fast tip rod and he ended up losing a BIG fish within 10 feet from the boat. That fish would've potentially placed him higher. A softer action would have potentially prevented that. I think the 7ft model comes in a mf action, but Im not sure. Either way, the veritas rods have a lot of backbone and are quite stiff for the rating (good for jigs and frogs). Thats why I bought the 7"6" mh rod for flipping. The 7ft heavy rod is a common model and should do quite well for frogs and jigs. If you are talking of the same offer from pure fishing, check out the all star cranking rods. they are really nice for the money and I own two of them. Their actions are just about right.

I will be fishing a FLW College Fishing event at the Detroit River on July 16th. I have never been to this place, what should I expect? What kind of baits work best there? I am a college student just recently exposed to tournament fishing and any help given would be greatly appreciated. PS...We are not allowed to fish Canadian waters, St. Clair, or Erie Thank You!