Spankey

Sea Trout or FW Trout? If salt water St. Croix has a few lighter inshore rods.

I've found the Norman Baits run the worse out of the package. But you can tune them up which is no big deal. Many others that are more productive in my opinion. They are not made in the USA anymore which was their big selling point at one time. Their prices never dropped when the stuff went to Guaddy to be made.

I agree with the less is more but i like the layout of the wood on #8.

I have to agree with you bigbill. I use to use that brand and the original Fish Formula. Did it work? Didn't hurt that's for sure. Found them impossible to buy and get over the recent years. Fish Formula anis was great stuff. The YUM garlic and Chompers garlic seem to work ok. Smallies seem to like garlic also. Not sure if they work is the question. I'll stick with they don't hurt. Garlic can have a pretty offensive smell.

Split shot, drop shot, Mojo......didn't see the video but, I love fishing worms this way for river bass. I'm pretty sure I fish this lighter than most. Gets the job done.

I'm a river rat that fishes pretty light compared to many of you guys. 6-8-10 lb. fluoro. is all I go. My braid diameter and sizes are small also. It's relative to the surroundings. Sorry about my font size and bold, not screaming, not sure what I've done.

I'm using the Stren fluoro also. Others may well be better. The Stren was easy to get and serves the purpose. I change my leader material often and most times premature.

I agree, I have pop-r versions that I like. 6-8 years old that can't be had anymore. Maybe not my favorites but have gotten good results with them. It it seems that BPS is pushing their line of baits. Name brands hardly on sale. Maybe its just me. I don't deal with them all that much anymore.

I jumped on that bandwagon last year after seeing post from the year before. I bought 3 of the 90's they work fine. They will catch grass on the surface but that's ok. But honestly in my opinion they ain't all that and a bag of chips. I have others that are more productive and really would rather fish. But they work. Maybe they will grow on me more this season.

I've always been a fan of the Shimano Symetre. I have the Nascis. You will not be disappointed. Nothing short of a Symetre. I just purchased a Tatula 2500 for an Avid setup. I really think/thought they are a bit over priced but used BPS reel trade in and card insentives to cut the price pretty well. I'm looking forward to using the Daiwa. The 6.2 : 1 ratio is what I wanted.

I can't get into the science of lipless baits or anatomy of a basses hearing senses very deep. But, I have one of a few color Rat-L-Traps tied on at all time. On on more than one occasion has a Rat-L-Trap caught my first bass of the season over the years. On WAY more than one accession has a Rat-L-Trap basically saved the day or made the day from possibly being skunked. I don't own a Red Eye Shad. Why I don't know? Maybe I should get them in my 3 or 4 most productive Rat-L-Trap patterns and try them. They are very versatile from little to no cover, rocks, lay downs and along grass for me.

That's been my situation also. I have a few things I want to do before a trip to Lake Ontario but I have plenty of time to pick those things up.

Thanks for the replies. Only took three weeks to decide but broke down and bought the Tatula LT. Incentives at BPS made it easy to purchase. Reel trade in, $10 off for spending more than $50 and $10 for using my BPS card. Worked out to be $130. Feel good about my decision. I do like the Abu Revo SX. The chance I take with the Daiwa.

I own a 6'10" ML Fast Spinning. I like it. Use it for Drop Shot, Split Shot, Small T-Rigs, grubs and tubes. I would recommend it. I'm pretty much a St. Croix fan. But feel it was a good purchase. They are never on sale try to buy it with some type of promotion or $$$$ over $100. That what I done at BPS. I have a Nasci on it.

Not really all that much so far. Replenished some Zoom, Roboworm and Charlie Brewer stuff. I have a few jerkbaits coming. I don't really need anything. I want to put a Tatula or Revo on a Avid X I bought late last season. Not pulling the trigger on that until I get some type of discount promo type thing or something. BPS has a reel trade in thing coming up soon I believe. I'm doing a trip to Lake Ontario this year. My current trailer tires are fine but something is telling me to put a set of radials on. More of a piece of mind thing. I fly solo for the most part and getting a bit of pressure to get a manual/auto mustang vest. But my current best is fine but wife and friends know I don't wear it all the time.

Great reply. 100% correct and couldn't be put any better. I love this site and there is a lot of good info. Can ask just about anything. I've fished long enough and will never be posting about fishing for what color is best, is a Rapala better than Bandit. What are your favorite soft baits for River fishing, what are your favorite topwater lures and why? These things are all subjective and a lot of the questions are to fill some guys tackle box to take away trial and error as most of us guys have learned on our own. It's done quite often here. You could fill a tackle box for someone but it means nothing. Does not guarantee fish. Time put into it and confidence will. I realize someone new has to start some where. And you are new to something a short while unless you just don't get out enough. But you can do some of the homework yourself and post it like an opinion. At least try than ask. I could tell what my 3 or 4 favorite baits are for fishing fall clear lower water conditions in the river. Ones that I kick butt with the last few seasons. But will it help??? Probably not??? Most guys would have a different approach. Most might think my color preference is not the same as theirs. There is no right or wrong.

The questions are vague and can be interpreted differently. Everyones fishing conditions differ. There is no right or wrong answer. Confidence level is probably the right answer. Is the question any different than a person asking wether to throw a T-rig or a Carolina Rig?

Vote casted for the Avid X because I own that rod and have fished it. Love it. Fish my versions of DS, split shot, lite T rigs, Ned rig and grubs with it. I fish a similar version of a medium and a med. lite version of the Standard Avid and equally as good of a rod. Have been playing musical reels with it late summer to fall with it. Currently looking for the right 6.2 : 1 reel for it. Thinking the Tutula LT or Abu Revo. Like them both. No dis to a Dobyns. Don't own one or ever touched one. If I touched one and fished it I would probably like one.

I think most if not all house brand stuff has a lifetime guarantee from big boxes like BPS and Cabela's. I couldn't buy a rod sight unseen unless I was ordering a duplicate of the same Rod. From mfg. to mfg. power and ratios are not same. Abu's fast or Xfast may not be equal Daiwa or St. Croix. As someone else had said have the rod with you to pair the reel. If you are not in a big rush take your time and it will come together nice for you.

On average my day out starts at before sun up. Topwater first. Than I throw crankbaits to start to cover some water. Structure fish wood with spinnerbaits. But somewhere along the line soft plastics are mixed in there. I have a tendency to get off course some and get hung up on soft plastics fishing.

I need to pick up a reel for an Avid X I bought late last summer. Have been playing musical reel on it up till the fall. So far I looked at the Abu Revo SX, Daiwa Tutula, a Lews MachII, there are a few Shimanos I like. Fish with many Shimanos already looking for some different and reliable. Do live the Revo. Good luck.

Mining, mineral exploration, gas and oil fracking play a lot worse of an enemy. The recklessness in Washington of deregulation is a huge threat. If someone want to keep a fish or to to eat. Enjoy. Tournament fishing can be worked out or time slotted. These issues are small time. I'm not making this a political rant. It is a real world problem of altering fish habitat that I feel plays a bigger factor.

Yes a few on eBay. Thats were I recently scored on new old stock Bandits in a few old vintage colors. I use the term vintage loosely more like discontinued colors. Price was not out of line. But you could make that yourself if you wanted to very easily. Collector purpose is something different story. Yes a few on eBay. Thats were I recently scored on new old stock Bandits in a few old vintage colors. I use the term vintage loosely more like discontinued colors. Price was not out of line. But you could make that yourself if you wanted to very easily. Collector purpose is something different story.

I have a solo trip to Lake Ontario coming up. I really need nothing to go except a full tank of gas in the truck and but it in "D". But I'm also replacing two trailer tires really only for good measure. My vest is fine but fell I better get an inflatable and I need to put a permenant reel on an Avid X I bought last year. Im a river rat for the most part. Might be a real fish out of water so to speak once I get up there. Not sure how I'll do up there. I'm just gonna apply what I know and go for it. Fell in love with that place salmon fishing and now is time to give bass a go. Worse case will be getting skunked and come home with a tail between my legs.

You're a lucky guy. Wish I didn't have the down time. But I'm not crying I hunt and shoot clays. I think about smallies at least once a day.