Spankey

if you've handled both great, if not go do it. than go with your feeling. they might not be that far apart for your use. what you decide on will be right.

I'd like to try a bait ball crank version and maybe the jerk version as well. It's not the price that will keep me from buying it. It looks sort of neat but I just don't feel it. At least not for now. I've not been that impressed with their crawfish crankbaits. They work but not all that and a bag of chips. I have Rapalas, Bandits and Bombers that don't look life like that produce well. Im a Rapala junkie. In all honesty their live look patterns are not that great. I got hung up buying them by being a junkie. In my opinion they are far less productive then Rapala original color patterns. To me a live look is not necessary to my fishing. My birthday is in May. Maybe I'll ask for a couple bait ball patterns to try.

Being a river rat its just part of my arsenal. I have to agree with the above post. They have made slow bite and no bite days into something. I'm partial to the 1/4 oz. Mepps. Seems to be the size for those smallies.

I guess if you're fishing a tournament you might run a gun to move on. But if a Saturday am and you feel good about that location. You know they are there by sight, activity, by graph, I'm staying I'm switching up.

I my pretty old school with my spinning set ups. I buy my mono in Trilene in the Jumbo Spools. I'm anal as heck I'm always replacing line on spinning set up. Go through a lot of line in a years time. There was a time quite a few years back that the BPS Excel was as good as the Berkley Trilene. Not any more for a long time now. Some of you old school guys may remember this.

If I'm pretty sure or know fish are there I will switch up baits. I'm alone for the most part while fishing and really don't hammer the heck out of a spot anyway. Some time I'll troll out of that immediate area let things die down a bit while throwing baits above or below that area. Than after a bit I'll stealth my way back in. A typical scenario would be where I would throw a topwater, maybe catch a few or not and switch up to couple different cranks. Maybe all will go well, than again maybe not. At that point I'm pulling back for a bit. Letting things settle out. I probably just chilling a bit myself going over my tackle, listening to the radio a bit, getting ready to go at them with soft plastics. Then I move back in. A grub is ready, something set up with a senko, drop shot w/ a Roboworm, split shot rig w/ power worm and a texas rig w/ a craw of some type. I'll fish slow, real slow and try to make something happen. Usually I can make this happen. If not, well maybe its time to move on. Like Ike "never give up".

Giving opinions on rods is tough and my post are what works for me. I wouldn't want you to go buy rod until you pick it up at least at the shop Series and touch it and bring your reel to see how things balance for you. I fish the majority of my crankbaits on two St. Croix Premier Series Crankbait Casting Rods. A bit softer in the tip, moderate and moderate/fast. No braid for me. Some lighter baits like Rapala Shad Raps and Original Floater types I throw on spinning set ups. Have fun in your search for that crankbait rod.

Do they prefer catfish?

What makes on line different than MLF on the WFN networ? Is it formatted differently? Thanks.

I would like to think for $5.00 you could go to a fish market and pick up dinner and most likely be better table fare than a bass. I think it is fine, No need to smell it or anything just clean it and eat it. Don't give the dog any. Let us know how it was.

I'm pretty much a mono type of guy. I just can not seem to make a switch to braid. I have a couple of fluoro set ups. My thought on mono and not going to braids. For the most part my rods are fast and x-fast. Not a lot of give in the rods. I figure mono has to help in being a bit of a shock absorber. I use quality mono and I know that I change my line more than necessary. Just an anal type of guy. No problems using it. No regrets using it. I use fluoro on two St. Croix premier crankbaits rod set ups. All I use these rod for are crankbaits. FC seems to be the ticket for them.

My biggest obstacle I had to overcome was the head game I had rolling around between my shoulder blades with topwater fishing. 2014 and 2015 seasons i could not get it together don't know what it was, what i was or was not doing but my confidence was shot fishing a way that i enjoy so much. I by no means am a topwater master but I pulled it together for this past season got that confidence back like that problem never existed. Over thinking it did not help. Putting an unnecessary stress to fishing didn't help. It was something that just came together for me on its own. Hope I don't run into this again and if I do I'll take it in stride. I did not jerkbait fish as much as I like to, fish salamanders and jig & pig fish the amount as I normally would. Got hung up on fishing a few new colors of good baits patterns and wormed fish a bit more then in the past few years. Nothing all that new just just a different cycle.

Can't kick about any of my Symetres either. Not bottom end not top end Shimano. Perfect for my needs.

I left hand spinning reesl and right hand a baitcaster. Don't have issues doing that. I've been kicking around picking up a LH baitcaster and see how I take to it. I don't think it would be too big of a deal.

Don't know if you're buying the rod sight unseen or not but I try to get to a decent shop that has them all even if you have to drive a little out of your way and at least get a idea how the rod feels to you at the shop. Try to bring your reel with you also for balance that you are trying to achieve. At least at the shop you'll have a pretty good idea how the rod will perform. On the water will be some what different but at least you will be able to make a conscious decision. Maybe you are leaning one way now but after you pick a few up it will send you in the direction you really want to go. Just a thought. Some winter shows are coming soon and full line St. Croix dealers and SC mfg's will most likely be there. Have fun. I have another SC rod in mind also but I want to hold out for show time to feel it and the 10-20% off.

I'm a st Croix addict. I would not sweat it too much but the factory will correct it if you want it done. What I would do is register the rod. Use It have a good time with it. Call the factory and ask for Dan in CS and they'll note it and there won't be a problem if a problem comes up in the future. They have one hell of a warranty and in my opinion the best rods out there. Enjoy it and a phone call will eliminate any unrest and make you feel better. Over all my years with using St. Croix rods I had only a couple of issues and everything was taken care of. Repaired or replaced.

I've been in electro/mechanical heavy industrial equipment repair my whole life. I also have that nasty habit of liking to fish. I use my hands all day every day. For years, many years I've know I've had Carpol Tunnel. Had that electrical test done on both arms back in the early 90's. I ignored getting anything done about it for all those years because I, I'll be honest I pussed out on surgery. The dumbness and pain that was local to my hand gravitated to my elbow, bicep, shoulder in a few spots over time. Anyway last holiday season I couldn't take it anymore. I felt my quality of life. Pain you would not wish on anyone. Not really sleeping right for many years I decided to get the surgery. My life now is bact to a time I can not remember. My left hand by test results is as bad as my right but I don't really have the symptoms as bad. This February I'm gonna get that hand done. I realize our situations are different but to continue with constant pain try to eliminate it. If there is even a way to get a long term relief go for it. It took me to being 57 years old to figure the quality of life thing. Knowing now I could have been better years ago. I was very dumb. Just get yourself taken care of before pain and discomfort become the norm. You'll just try to live with it from day to day, next thing it will be years. Take care of yourself.

If these places were full line dealers for manufacturers it would be great. But they are not. Some corporate college educated nit wit is the buyer. I live in an area where fishing and hunting is not looked down on by any means but by no means a meca either. I'm lucky in my area that if you're into fly fishing there is a mom&pop and Orvis that is close. Bass and trout needs there are 3 mom&pops fairly close that do a great job considering things are not what they were 25-30 years ago and will go out of their way to get you what you want or need if they are out. TW is great for internet sale. Susquehanna Tackle is a bit of a road trip but worth it when fishing out that way. They do internet as well. Dicks and Wally World have a lot to be desired out my way. I guess I'm just anal. Been told that. I just get what I want or need whatever way is the easiest these days. Internet seems to be the best way. Not into going shopping very much unless I have to go to hardware or building supply store.

I've only been to 3 different Cabelas. The overall size and magnitude may have it over BPS but I'll take Bass Pro Shops any day. I seem to leave there more satisfied. Cabelas seems to be full of cheap knock offs of brand name items. But I will say if you are not satisfied you can bring it back. I don't trust their reviews on items. My most recent was a hard take down case for an over under shotgun. To compare it to a Browning, was a p.o.s. and no comparison to a Browning. But these things can happen at any retailer I guess.

I like messing with some trout during the winter. I hunt. I love to shoot trap, skeet, and sporting clays. I tend to shoot clays during the winter a lot because I won't let it interfere with my fishing. During summer months I shoot in a trap league just to keep shooting. My mental relief comes from fishing. Just something about it. I'll always have something to do at home though.

Thanks for posting the pics. I'd like to have that sucker pattern in the worst way. The largemouth I picked up is a DT 6 thats what caught my eye along with that "live series" band w/ bass on it. But I've mentioned in other posts as much of a Rapala fan that I am, I'm not all that thrilled with my results with the live pattern baits. Yes they work but I mean in result ratio compared to the original patterns of DT's and Shad Raps. And it seems that when the river get gin clear I almost expect to catch channel cats on the live series. The catties seem to want to hit the live look shad raps. A clear example for me. In my case. Not speaking for others. Take the bluegill patterns. They probably have 3 or 4 variations between original and all the live looks. Hands down the original look out fishes the live look patterns. For me. Being a Rapala junkie I had to try the lives because they look so real. Looks are one thing but the original pattern worked for me better. I know some post that they are not too big of Ike fans but I have to say a few Ike patterns and a few original patterns are my go to colors. I just believe that strongly, just something about them. Pattern favorites and productiveness we can do later. I believe a lot of that has to do with water clarity you are in.

I'll get the wife to help me post a pic. Maybe I can take it on my phone and post it from that. Her and my daughters are pretty Savy with that stuff. I'll get r done.

Yesterday I stopped a Wally World to pick up some fishing stuff for my grandsons. Over the winter months I build up a care package up for them with Items they can use all spring and summer. When they come over we go over the items. Anyway, I'm a Rapala fanatic, love to fish them and don't think I have a Rapala that has not caught fish. I saw in the $2.96 bin a DT-6 that caught my eye, packaged slightly different, had a pattern that was a bit different. I'm not a DT guru but know them pretty well. It was a live look largemouth pattern. Unlike the ones I use and know. At first sight I know it's a fish catcher and I was taking (buying) it. When home I had to do some digging, only to find that it is one made for the Canadian market. It appears that some patterns for a few different models were sucker, smelt, sunfish etc. that were clearly different than what we have available to us down here. Sorry for being so long winded but it was a real freak finding that there. Have never seen that there. Only one I've ever seen. Tried to do a search to buy Canadian versions but came up empty.

On a normal outing on a stretch of the river I generally call my home spot, home stretch. There are point and ditches, riprap and lay downs I want to hit so there is a bit of running around to my time out. After I cover these area in sort of get into a float / troll mode. I cover about 6 miles.

Pretty good people at BPS. Never had too many problems. Their shipping time sort of sucks these days. Back in the 80's and 90's they seemed a lot faster. You get stuff on two day delivery and never even ask for that. The xl mono is half decent but not what it use to be 20 years ago. Curious is some of you guys agree with that. But I still buy the jumbo spools I change my line out like a maniac.