Mr SwimJig

I have the Crucial CRCX610MH and it is very nice for spinner and buzz baits. SJ

I have fished both of these reels and I prefer the Curado at that price point. Now if your talking about the STX that is a whole different story... SJ

Like what I am hearing about these rods so far. Just have to see if someone can explain their power rating a little bit better. Also does anyone have any experience fishing this rod vs the Mojo Bass rod and if so what are your thoughts? Thanks, SJ

Has anyone tried one of these rods yet? TT gave the rods a very good review, just would like to hear from some people on the forums that have used them. SJ

Nice, very nice. Matt does beautiful work. SJ

Stick with Owner hooks. The Twistlock light with CPS should be perfect for those applications. SJ

Shimano Stradic FI 2500 with a Dobyns Champion 703SF along with 8lbs SeaGuar InvizX. SJ

I like the Buckeye Lure Spot Remover Pro and the Strike King KVD Shakey Head jigs. SJ

I use the rubber pegs as well as bobber stoppers. Here is another question, do you prefer to peg the weight to the bait, or do you put the peg a few inches up the line and let it slide back and forth or do you put on a stopper then the weight then another stopper so you can keep the weight in one place? SJ

I use both, I let the fish dictate which one they want. Most the time it is the Chigger Craw. SJ

Got to fish my Tournament PRO again tonight and it worked perfect all night. Caught several more nice size bass and everything has held up and worked flawlessly. The reel continues to get smoother and cast farther with more and more use. SJ

My son didn't think I had a problem till he walked into the fishing room today and tried to help inventory the soft plastics for the year...3 hours later and he still has 4 boxes left.lol SJ

I use a 6' 8" M/XF with 12 to 14lbs mono. SJ

Oh there is no doubt, the guy is an idiot an has been since the store opened!lol SJ

I agree, my swim jig setup is spooled with 30lbs braid, no backing and it does not dig into itself at all. SJ

The guy behind the counter at BPS in Independence is trying to tell me that the new BPS reels are now made by Shimano and yes some do come from Korea and some from China. So who really knows...I just want to fish!! SJ

Either reel will work fine, I have not really had a chance to throw lighter baits with my Tournament Pro yet but I have used the Curado 50 to throw lighter baits and it is excellent at it. But if the Tournament Pro fishes anything like my Premier it will be just as good as the Curado 50 at it. The lightest I have gone so far is a 1/4oz swim jig and it handled it just fine. SJ

I like the Owner Wacky hooks and I also the Lake Fork hook and weight system. SJ

I use 15lbs SeaGuar AbrazX SJ

Love Chompers baits, but man they are smelly!! I use the single tail, the double tail, the twin tail spider grub, the shakey head worm etc... I fish the twin tail grub on swim jigs, finesse jigs and jig heads, they work very well. SJ

I use a 6' 7" MH/XF Cara T7 rod SJ

Not sure if it really makes a difference or not, but I always use Kinami single tail grubs. The bass just kill these. I have tried other brands and always come back to these. Berkley grubs also work fairly well, but not quite as well as the Kinami singe tail grubs do. At least for me. SJ

Time to set the alarm a little early and do a little shopping before work tomorrow!! SJ

Better line, YES... Cheaper line, NO... SJ

x2 What is it about them that makes them so appealing? :-/ If my suspicions are correct, they're built in the same factory as many of BPS' reels, most likely using many of the same parts...yet people on every forum are talking about them like they're something special. I don't get it. They may actually be nice reels, but I believe they may be no better than any of the BPS reels...at a much higher price. I have to agree and disagree with you. It more then likely does come out of the same factory but I would be pretty sure it comes off of a completely different production line. Which basically means it is probably getting better grade aluminum, better bearings, better gears etc... It may be similar to all the other reels but we really have no way of knowing. All I know is that a reel under 7oz and at the $180 price point is pretty impressive. Is it any better then a BPS reel, or a Revo or a Patriarch... Only time will tell. I have got to use mine quite a bit so far and it has been very impressive. It will cast just as far as my Premier, it is just as smooth on the retrieve and the drag is just as smooth and as powerful. It is just as smooth as my Fuego and my Sol and the drag is every bit as smooth as the Daiwa drag. The reel is very nice looking, love the matte black finish and the carbon fiber handle and the knobs are very nice and very comfortable. Something I thought they would not be. The braking system works very nicely, I just wonder why they went with 4 centrifugal pins instead of 6? Know the true test begins, it is warming up and these reels are going to get used 3 to 5 times a week and they are going to be the only reels I use this summer and I am going to see how they hold up. SJ