Robert Riley

I'll just restate what everyone else is saying. For frog rods, you usually want a heavier rod (MH to H depending on the cover) with an extra fast action to get a strong hookset. For topwaters, you still want a faster rod, but not too fast, you want enough to work the bait and set the hook, but slow enough that the fish takes the bait. And you usually want a medium to medium heavy, again depending on the cover and lure selection.

You might be able to find a NaCl for sale, they stopped making them, so they were on clearance everywhere about a year ago.

I'll throw a rage craw or a Z-craw on a shakeyhead if I haven't been having much luck on a jig.

I like the Zoom Z-craw and the always great rage craws.

I've heard of plenty of people using the 684/5cb or the new 705cb... Even dobyns claims that it's 685cb is the perfect jerkbait rod. I figured I'd give it a go. I've found that it is a perfect squarebill rod though.

I use a Dobyn's Champion 685cb for jerkbaits, wish I got a 684cb. Still on the fence about the moderate fast action though.

Hm. Interesting, I actually follow his stuff on facebook.

How permanent is JJs? I thought about that, but I'd hate to spill that in my bag.

I'm looking for some jig trailers that are darker colors, but with very bright neon claws. My friend says we should make them, but that's a big investment for two broke, just out of college kids.

Anyone tried this new reel out? I'm probably going to get one around xmas for my spinnerbait setup (6.8:1) to replace my OG SpeedSpool. The SLP is the white one with those cool Winn grips. On a side note, this just pretty much looks like the Lew's TMB, in white with new handles lol.

So I cant for the life of me figure out what is wrong with my old BB1, so I guess I'll send it in to DVT and get it fixed. I saw that they'll add ABEC5/7 bearings for about $10 each. So I've got 10 bearings on my BB1... That's a lot of money for a bit longer of a cast lol. Is it really that much better? Considering that this BB1 is a few years old, and only costs me $110 for a new one, I'm questioning if it's even worth fixing in the first place too.

Yeah, those ones. I'm gonna throw it today and see how it works

Yeah, he said it pretty well.

I saw the Poor Boys at F&S earlier, 20 pack for like 8 bucks, that aint bad.

I've been using the Keitech Fats and Lake Fork Magic Shads recently. I used to use Reaction's Skinny Dippers. I also use the big chartreuse Powerbait ones on a naked chatterbait.

I'll throw a chatterbait in muddier/choppier water. If I'm fishing with someone else, I'll never through what they're throwing.

I pretty much just bought all the War Eagles at work this week. Really big fan of the coleslaw color too. I picked up a black/brown, brown, and chart/brown. When would you guys use the brown colors? I can see using the black one at night or in choppy muddy water.

It's awful, I black out at work and somehow have a drawer full of lures. I'm gonna have to stop bringing my wallet to work.

Just bought some War Eagles with painted blades. Anyone use painted blades? And when do you use them?

That's what I've heard. I trust my source. I feel a big difference between the two despite the same origins.

That would make sense, I like this explanation.

So much does come down to the feel. I've got mostly Lew's and Abu's, and the Abu's just feel much cheaper in hand. Which I find especially weird considering they're made in the same factory. And those big green Curados are something else haha.

I generally stick to baitfish colors in clear, add some chartreuse for stained and then get those high contrast patterns (Old Glory, Chart Black Back are my two). I only use the craw patterns if I see crawfish, and if I do, I match the colors as best I can. But like most have said, moving baits are often taken by purely instinctual reactions, so color is only as important as you want it to be. Interestingly enough, our academic sponsor at the University of Illinois is actually working on a project about reactions to different color groups (the fishies reaction, not ours haha).

Yo, So I was just reorganizing all my tackle today and a few questions popped up in my head. I've got about a dozen 10XDs, and only two of them are not in baitfish colors. I know colors tend to be a debatable topic, but do colors matter as much for deep diving cranks? I'd assume that in 20ft of water, the colors become rather muted due to the lack of light penetration.

I've used a handful of Abus, the higher end ones are much nicer that the sub $200 Revos. I've got a STX currently (also have some NaCls and a Toro Beast), and I'd rather use a Lew's Speed Spool instead in all honestly. I can't say much about Daiwa or Quantum, I have used some cheaper Quantums and the Smoke. Smokes are solid.