aavery2

From what I have read, IM is not a even a standard to which carbon fiber is measured. The U.S. standard for carbon fiber is Million Modulus and the World standard is Tonnage. IM is a term used within the fishing industry and varies widely from company to company.

The concaved side goes down.

Gunfish - American Shad, Ghost Minnow, Pointer SP 100 - Aurora Black - Misty Shad- LVR D10 Bluegill

All of them....

Just added them to my trailer, makes launching and recovery much faster.

Drag upgrade and handle/knobs are a great place to start with these, if you want to do more there are custom drag stars, spool tension caps, bearings, and spools.

I like it a lot, kind of a poor man's 226.

A few of mine... Sig P2022 9MM Glock 19 9MM Springfield XDs .45

I use the Trokar hooks almost exclusively, I was skeptical at first and had good success with Gamakatsu and Owner. Since I switched I have seen a greater amount of my hooksets through the roof of the mouth and gill plates. My advice is buy a pack, try them out and see if they work for your fishing.

Normal

The E series was considered by many to be the best of Shimano's entry level reels, so they hold their value well. You might take a look at the Bantam series Chronarch and Curado, they were good reels and can usually be found for a little less.

Good looking reels

I'll takea stab at this. The Chronarch E is basically the same reel as the Curado E from the previous year, there are a couple of small changes but essentially they are the same reel. You can find a used Curado E7 for a little less than a new Chronarch E and save a little money if you don't mind the green color on the Curado as opposed to the White on Chronarch. The G series reels are new reels and are based on a different platform than the E series reels, there are many a different thought on if they are better or worse than the previous E series reels, but most agree that they are a good reel in their respective price range. Can of worms now open............

A Gen2 Revo Premier would be my choice of those listed.

I have a handful of the old Poes cedar cranks that I use from time to time, they still catch fish.

Or someone who is just foolish enough to overspend.

I heard he received the sporting exemption from the ATF based on the limited production of the weapon, the weight of the gun, around 100lbs, and the cost associated with operating the gun. It was determined to be a range queen for enthusiast.

JD Jones designed the gun to prove a point about 2nd amendment rights. There is no practical application for the gun.

Looks like a good list going so far, I would add the 6th Sense Crush 300DD

I have had a little luck fishing around the boat dock and on the back side of it. Most of it should be accessible from shore. The other area of the lake that many people fish from shore is referred to as the fingers, they are the rock jetties on the SW corner of the dam. I don't care for the fishing at El Dorado, but wish you the best of luck.

Sweeping is almost always the recommended hookset for cranks, sounds like you have found what works well for your style of fishing.

Might take a look at the Norman Deep Little N. Smaller profile and gets down around 12-15 feet.

Hard to beat a day like that, it never gets old watching a big bass explode on a top water bait.

The Zara Spook is a bait that can be cast a good distance so you need a rod with enough length and fast enough action to get a good hookset at 30 plus yards out. I like to use a rod of at least 7' length to help move line, and a mod fast action, you have to be careful with the treble hooks that you don't rip a hole on the hookset but need enough tip to work the bait properly and to pull the hooks through a gill plate or roof of the mouth. Reels are a personal choice but I prefer a reel that moves around 26 IPT faster than that and I find it hard to keep a good rhythm while working the bait and keeping slack line reeled in. Line, I prefer a copolymer line, one with just a little stretch but no too much because of the distance that you have to make a hookset once in a while. This is what works for me, it may not for you, but it will give you some info to consider when making your choice.

Lip Rippin, as you call it, is poor technique when fishing crankbaits, and will cost you lost fish regardless the material your rod. Glass, Composite, Graphite, all work fine, you just have to find the one that suits your needs and style of fishing.