Primus

I would suggest you get a 3000 or 4000 size spool, especially if you are going to fish florocarbon line. I picked up this tip from Kevin Van Dam and I've met other pros who have made similiar reccomendations. What I do with mine is use an inexpensive backing line, then stick on app 100 yds of the featured line. If you are using 6# line for tubes etc my guess is your fishing clear water where long cast are often critical, the large spool will easily outcast the 1000 size spool. This year I pickep up the Shimano 3000 Stradic and it's a great reel, the nice thing about it is that it has a relatively small frame, it's lightweight not at all bulky or cumbersome yet has the oversize spool. They've also redesigned the lip on the newer models and the line just flies off the spool, the large spool will allow the line to come off in larger coils minimizing line twist & maximizing casting distance. In my opinion I wouldn't get a 1000 spool unless you want to use it for panfish with say 2-4 lb line and a float. After picking up this reel I will not go back to smaller spool reels.

I'm curious to some of everyone's favorite little finnesse plastics that you liked to use, also if you can be specific as to brand and how you like to rig it and suggested retrieves. I'm curious about slider grubs as an example, all these years I've never got around to trying them. I'll start of with a few... 3" Dinger/ Senko with a 1/16 oz Gopher Tackle Mushroom jighead. The majority of the hits are on the fall, sometimes I'll twitch it or do the traditional short hops. 4" Zoom Ringworm on 3/16" mojo rig ( app. 12" leader), just drag it on the bottom like a finnesse C-rig. 1/8 oz texas rig with a Reaction Innovations Smallie Beaver or on a 1/8 oz jighead if there is not a lot cover. Looking forward to your ideas, Thanks.

Bird Dog I bought 3 of the Chronarch 100b reels from that same sale, I've been very pleased it's a fantastic reel.

Rooster to add my 2 cents, if you have the room for it and your budget allows I would get the extra rod. As others have pointed out consider a 7' rod and use it for worm/ jig fishing. The 6'6" combo is great for shallow running cranks/ spinnerbaits and 6'6" rod is a great length for roll cast when fishing around docks and heavy cover. I used to use a 6'6" MH rod for worm fishing but in my opinion a 7' rod is ideal for pitching soft plastics into cover or if casting along a weedline in clear water it well help when long cast are neccesary to aviod spooking the fish, I think you'll see the differnce if you get to fish it for a while. Regarding tip, it will vary by manufacturer but though it's important to have a fast action rod that loads up on the hookset, I would be wary of getting a rod with an overly stiff tip because in my opinion it will compromise sensitivity if their isn't a little give in the last 9" -12" along the rod tip. If your budget allows consider the Loomis IMX 7' MH model MBR 843C or a Setyr 7' MH model BNW184MH which is a little less in cost than the Loomis but is also an excellent choice.

BlueStreak I think it's about the latest greatest syndrome, I'm sometimes guilty as charged. I haven't thrown a single tail grub at all the last few years, though they have always been a productive bait in the past. Next year I'm going to back to my roots a bit and fish more of the old school lures.

The two best I've tried so far are the Skinny Dippers and the Pro Swimbaits hollow belly.

Try the Sebile Flat Shad, this bait has been a productive part of my lipless crank arsenal.

Here's a few... 4" ringworm, I like this on a Mojo rig great way to get a quick limit. Ima Flit is in my opinion one of the best suspended jerkbaits out there, another good weapon to add to your arsenal for fans of the Pointer & X Rap. A nice niche bait for me has been the Sebile Flat shad, a quiet lipless crankbait which is sometimes more effective than the rattling varieties in clear water. I will also agree with those who brought up prerigged worms, simple but effective. This is a good option for new fisherman. 3" Senko's & Dinger worms impaled on a small 1/16 oz Gopher Tackle mushroom head. This one will bail you out on tough days, great numbers bait and with a small hook more weedless than you would think.

I have thrown it a little over an hour, I haven't caught anything on it yet. That said 1-2 hours is not enough time to judge the fish catching ability of this bait. The one issue I have had is it seems that on every 3rd cast the line seems to tangle on the hook due to the bait tumbling in the air, probably because I was frustrated this discouraged me from throwing it more than I have. I'll probably give it another try or 2 next season, though I have a feeling it will end up taking up space in the garage when all is said and done. I think the idea has potential, maybe there is a learning curve on my part, but when you count 20-30 seconds to get the bait down and then turn the reel handle and discover the bait doesn't feel right because the line wrapped around the hook it gets old after this happens to you a few times. I think if someone took the basic premise of their design and add a weight transfer system maybe that would minimize the tumbling problem and make it a little more user friendly.

Like all of the major manufacturers they have some great baits and some duds. I would reccomend most of their jerkbaits especially the Pointer. The Sammy is one of the better walking style baits out there, a great addition for anyone that likes topwater. Almost forgot about the Gunfish which is another cool topwater bait. The one Lucky Craft product that I can't do without would be their silent version of the RC cranks that are available at Bass Pro shops. The 1.5 size is the best all around size but the 0.5 & 2.5 size have also been a key part of my cranking arsenal the past few seasons. This is easily my favorite product and they have stuck a lot of fish for me the past few years. They typically run app $ 15, but Bass Pro usually offers them on sale a couple of times per year at $ 9.99 ea., this is when I load up on these baits.

Overall, soft plastics have put the most fish in the boat for me throughout the years. This year crankbaits have overtaken soft plastics in my arsenal though jigs still play a prominent role as well. Though there are seasonal considerations etc. that play into lure selection as a general rule I choose baits that I can fish aggresively, cover water and try to generate reaction strikes. The crankbait excels in those categories. The last couple of years I have spent a lot of time on the water learning different brands/ models of cranks to get a feel for when to use a certain type of crank. I tend to use the 2 extremes the most, that is shallow runners over and ripping through weed flats and deep divers like a Norman DD 22 on deep points and outside weedlines. I have become a crank addict (is there a cure for this ? ) and I have a feeling there is no turning back.

I have a few Loomis rods, 1 GLX dropshot rod and the others are a combination of IMX & Mossyback, all I can say is that I've been very satisfied with all them. The IMX & Mossyback are very comparable, use the length & action that you feel is best for the application whether it's one or the other, on the other hand the GLX is their top of the line and a step up but you have to be willing to part with the extra coin.

I don't think their is a best jig trailer for all situations, I will vary my trailers depending on the type of look and action that I'm seeking out of the jig. I've done well with the Poor Boys Craw Daddy which is a craw imitator that gives the jig a realistic profile and when I'm not looking for a lot of action out of the jig, this attribute allows it to fall a little faster as well. As others have mentioned you can't go wrong with the Paca Chunk or a Yamamoto Twin tail if you want to add a lot of action to your jig. On a swim jig I like to go with a Yamamoto 5" single tail Super Grub, this has been a great producer impaling this on a 1/4 oz Outkast swim jig and swimming it through lily pad stems and shallow grass in the spring. When I'm using small compact Kietech jigs I've favored the 2-3/4" Yum Craw Papi, nipping off app 3/16" for a nice compact combo, this has been very productive for me this season. I also like to use Pork tailers on Bear Hair jigs when the water temp is in the 40's.

BDub I've caught fish in over 50' of water on topwater baits and regularly. fish them in the summer in depths up to 20', that said the majority of lakes I fish have clear water. I usually do best with topwaters during low light conditions such as early in the morning or early evening but don't rule out the middle of the day in deep water especially if you are seeing the bass attacking forage in the upper part of the water column. The time of year to throw topwaters for me would be late spring through mid fall, it's seems to slow down when the water temp drops below the mid 50's which where I'm at in Michigan the lakes I'm fishing are already in the 40's. As to tackle if you are fishing clear water I would reccomend baits that have a white belly for overcast days and a tranluscent Ghost type of color for clear days. I would reccomend you start with popper baits such as Pop R or an Excalibur Zell Pop and when you catch a few fish and you want to expand you arsenal add a few topwater walking baits like a Super Spook Jr or a Lucky Craft Sammy. These type of baits I like to fish on a Med power 6'6" casting rod with 12-14 lb mono. When fishing shallow water and especially heavy cover it 's tough to beat Frog baits like a Snag Proof Bobby's Perfect Frog, crawl it around lilly pads and be ready! Also, there are soft plastic buzz type Frogs like the Zoom Horney toad or Stanley Ribbit, these usually work on a slow steady retrieve. For my Frog fishing I like to use a 7' Heavy or Med Heavy Action casting combo with about 50-65 lb braid so you can winch them out of the grass. If you are fishing stained water a classic bait to try would be a 3/8 oz buzzbait, I usually use White, Chartreuse/ White and sometimes Black. I usually throw it on my spinnerbait rod. Another classic especially during post spawn in clear water is to twitch a floating rapala, I typically throw this on a spinning rod with 8 lb mono, in addition to the natural colors sometimes the firetiger has done well for me. These are some of the basic topwaters that you can throw, eventually you may want to expand your selection by adding prop baits, wake cranks/ swimbaits. Don't let all these choices overwhelm you, if you can only go with one I would pick up a couple of poppers and go from there. Good Luck, check back and let us know how you do.

The Baby Ring Fry has caught me some good ones on a C-rig, their Twitch worm is also a productive bait.

In response to Pantera61, Loomis is not a company that emphasizes gimmick over substance. I'm glad they put their emphasis on great blanks like the GLX & IMX with the right action, I personally like the old school cork that they still use. Loomis in my opinion don't need to change a thing, and to the best of my knowledge they are still made in the USA.

I 've had the same expirience as Roadwarrior, it looks great in water and I'm amazed that it hasn't produced. I keep thinking that it's been a timing issue and I admit I probably haven't given it enough time on the water to give it a fair evaluation, could I be doing something wrong? I will say that the SK King Shad has produced, and a very nice ratio of larger 4 lb plus fish, I've thrown this bait primarliy in lowlight conditions sometimes as alternative to a topwater bait. That said others have used it and don't share my enthusiasm for this bait. I also have 1 Tru Tungsten but I've only made a handful of cast with it.

Where I live in SW Michigan the majority of lakes that I fish do not have shad available as part of the forage base, that said shad patterns still will produce here because some of the minnows & shiners in our waters are similiar in color. I definetely mix it up with trap baits, this spring the Koppers Live Target Crawfish Trap in the Red Black color produced very well for me. During the summer & especially during this fall I have had success with the following baits & calors this season. The Strike King Red Eye Shad in the Mojarra, Japanese Shad, Sexy Shad, Sexy Chrome Shad & Firetiger have been productive for me. The Japenese Shad especially has been a standout in clear water, I'm hoping they add other sizes & baits in this color the fish have been choking on it in one particular lake (maybe I shouldn't have shared that). I started throwing the Spro this year and I've been impressed, I especially like their Old Glory color, it looks almost too pretty to fish, that said I do anyway and it's stuck some good ones for me. The Xcalibur is available in rattling and also a one knocker version, for some reason the rattling version has been more productive for me, this bait seems to have a louder sound than the Strike King, I've done well with their Bone & Ghost color. The Jackall TN 60 is also an excellent bait, it seems to have a little tighter wiggle than the others, I like their Ghost color along with the HL Blueback chrome which is a little more muted color than a typical Chrome Blue, I like this color when I want a little less flash but a similiar look. The Yozuri Rattlin' Vibe is an old favorite I like their Baby Bass & Ghost Shad colors. The wildcard has been the Sebile Flat Shad in the Hollow Mullet color, no rattles & tranluscent at times will fool the fish when a regular trap bait might be too much at times in clear water. I used to throw regular Rattle Traps and I know they are still effective but I've been so impressed with these newer baits that they have been put in retirement or I save them for lakes that have a lot of Northern Pike.

I haven't used the Super Speed Craws but the regular speed craw has put a lot of nice fish in the boat for me, I like pegging it with a Tungsten weight and fishing heavy grass. The nice thing about this style of bait is that the fighting action of the craws will slow the fall of the bait a little which can be a plus at times when using a heavy sinker. I also use the Baby Paca craws as well which are another great bait, I seem to prefer the Zoom in heavier cover and the Paca in more sparse cover or weed edges. I'm sure either will work for both applications, just a personal preference. I haven't tried the Strike King yet because I have a lot of bags of the Paca & Zooms to use up before I consider buying more of this bait style. That said I believe you can be confident in any of 3 as terrific options when you need an action craw type of bait.

The next order I'm going to get a few of the WEC cranks because they seem to be well regarded, the main reason I went with Brian's on this order despite the price was that I wanted a few cranks that closely matched a Bluegill and it didn't look like I could get the WEC in this color. Also, custom style wood cranks are relatively new for me and I want to try a sampling of a few next year to see what works for me, one that has done well this fall on a couple of outings has been the Strike King Flat Shad which has opened my eyes as to the effectiveness that wood cranks can have.

Hey guys I ordered 3 all in the Baby Bream finish because I was really looking for something to closely match Bluegill/ Sunfish that swim in my area. I wanted to stick to shallow running baits in the 3'-4' range on this order, that said next time I can scrape a few extra bucks together for custom cranks I'm going to try the B18 & the Vee Bee. On this order I selected 1 each of the Little Bee, Flat Bee & Skinny Bee #2 after talking to Brian and describing the types of lakes I typically fish and what I was looking for, the good news is that because they are using the regular mail the shipping is only $ 4.80 for all 3 which I can live with. I realize these baits are expensive and there are other good wood cranks out there that I plan on trying but none of the others that I looked at seemed to have a finish that matched the Bluegill as closely as Brian's baits do which was the overiding factor that made me select his cranks on this order. I already have more cranks that I'll ever need, I'm hoping these baits will show the fish something a little different and give me an edge when I'm fishing some of the more pressured lakes. I think of the 3 selections the Flat Bee has me particulaly excited because it sounds like the type of subtle non rattling bait that you sometimes need to sneak up on fish. I appreciate your input and I'll be sure to follow-up when I've had a chance to fish them enough to form an impression.

If so, which models have you tried and would you reccomend them? If you can please describe action of the baits that you've tried. Thanks

Both are excellent jerkbaits, the one advantage LC has is a larger selection of colors. I expieriment a lot with jerkbaits, it's one bait category where in the spring the hot bait can change on each outing which is why I like to have a variety jerkbaits in various colors & sizes to choose from, that is why I have 2 plano boxes stuffed with them when I go fishing. Two others that have made a real good impression are the Ima Flit & Megabass Trick Darter.

Zoom for me as well. My 3 favorite colors are any dark color like Junebug, Watermelon Red & Smoke Purple.

They will be on my winter shopping list, thanks for sharing.