Christian M

I own the, Smoke, Code, HPT TE (the KVD signature reel before he endorsed it), and the Nitrous. All casting reels that I cant say enough good about. The ONLY quantum reel I've ever owned that I wouldn't recommend is the Nitrous spinning reel. The one I owned had a gap between the bail wire and the line roller that the line would get caught in, resulting in expensive flouro being chewed up. I took it off my rod and just returned it. I haven't used a kinetic, but what I have noticed about Quantum is that you really feel the difference when you spend money on their higher end reels. I like my Nitrous for the money, but I would never fish it over my HPT TE or Smoke reels. Just something to keep in mind

Live Target shallow jerkbaits when they're biting, Carolina rigged 3" fluke nose-hooked when they're finicky

Morgan Freeman...If its that good its time to cut a check to the king of the voice over jungle...JAMES EARL JONES aka MOOSTAFAA!!!

I didn't feel any "haterism" in the post, just a little sarcastic humor, nothing wrong with that. As far as CB's dying, maybe the CB industry is on a slight downswing while plastics and jigs are on an upswing. Lets not forget that it is all subjective and relative as far as marketing goes. I think since Trokar hooks have exploded, along with shakey head hooks etc., one industry may just be getting more attention than another. However, on the water, most anglers are going to use the lure, or lures that produce for them throughout the day. IMO, I see a lot of articles/posts/shows lately stressing the importance of being a versitile angler and knowing the right combination of gear to use in the right situation. The rod Industry is increasingly introducing entire collections of Tec-Spec rods, I think if anything is revolutionizing, its the sport of fishing in its entirety.

Thanks for the advice & tips fellas. Last year was tough because when I joined the club I didn't realize that 90% of the lakes we were going to fish were 2-3 hours southwest of where I live. I saw 5 tourneys on lakes that were within 1 hour or less and kinda jumped in head first. I made it to almost every tourney, even if it meant leaving my house at 2:00 am to arrive at 5:00am. That comes from playing sports all of my life. My parents basically burned the idea into my head that "once you commit, you stick it out, because other people are depending on you". I certainly gained a lot of knowledge, I learned a ton from the other members in the club, and was kinda humbled to see that I had knowledge to share with some pretty well versed anglers. All in all it was a great experience. I placed 6th out of 20 and won Lunker Trophy. I also got a glimpse into what it takes to make a living catching bass, and that made me respect and admire the guys going for it ten fold. Jhoffman, I definitely see what you're saying. Its all or nothing for the guys that are going for the bigs. It's scary when you think how much effort, money, and other priceless things like family, friends, home, and time can be lost without gaining anything on the other end. But man what it would be like to actually get there. I plan to continue competing on the local level later on, but I have too many other things on my plate right now. Between teaching full time, working as a server part time, and returning to school for my masters in the fall, what money I spend will be toward classes and restoring my boat, and my hours on the water will be spent with family and friends. I think for me its more about sharing the experience with them, and using the time to clear my mind.

Check out the Abu Garcia Orra, Dicks sells a combo for about $100. I own 2 of the spinning reels and love em both.

This year if renew my membership to my club...I'm gonna go broke! We became B.A.S.S. affiliated after winning the Bass Bowl in NJ last fall. This years tourney schedule includes lakes & rivers in 4 different states, all in addition to the regular season, and open buddies . I'm really proud & happy for the guys htat are taking it to the next level. However, unfortunately, its too much traveling, too many permits, and too much missed work for me. Looks like I'm gonna either have to find a new club or fish open tourneys this year. At least last season I left my mark & took home Lunker of the year, which really was ALL TIME LUNKER, but I was docked 1/2lb for being 35 seconds late to the dock on an electric only lake! LOL & SMH, go figure, I guess rules are rules.

New Jersey is a mandatory $22.50 for a license, optional $10 extra for a trout stamp. Jersey requires a Drivers License or some other form of government photo ID with all your current info, as well as your Social Security #, and if Im not mistaken phone # as well. They catch a lot of guys that owe back child support and alamony by requiring ID & SS.

I actually own the 7'1" MH/F Rage, I use it as my Senko rod. I've roped in some big fish with it and absolutely LOVE it, I never really thought about using it for froggin probably b/c I've gotten so accustomed to using it for Senkos.

I always appreciate and value all the input I can get from BR memebers. I dont mind spending money on a good gear. I have a few combos that were over $400, which I know is nothing compared to others out there. However, I plan on pairing it up with a new rod, and I also plan on buying a new fishfinder and hopefully a new outboard for my boat this season. So if I can get advice on a solid deep crankbait setup for a good price it helps.

Any and all input helps guys, Goose52, the rod on top in the photo is the exact same premier rod I have. BTW I also own a Rage 7'1" MH F, and In comparison, the Premier 7'M F feels a bit more stout than the Rage, and the tip on the Premier is noticeably softer than the Rage. That being said, My St. Criox Rage is arguably my favorite rod.

I'm a lefty and cast with my left hand, but I reel with my right.

I fish a lot of shallow cranks pretty much all year round, currently I have a Skeet Reese 7'MH XF S-Glass Crankin Rod Paired up with the Wright McGill Victory Reel in 6.4:1, I read a lot of good & bad reviews about the reel, but I bought it, lubed it, and IMHO its an excellent combo for the price. The only issue I have is that the reel has a gear ratio that I feel is a bit too fast, especially for medium to deep crankbaits. The only reels Ive seen with the ratio I'm really looking for (5.4:1) are the KVD crankin reel, which is about $150 out of my price range, and the old school style Abu Garcia Ambassadeur reels, which look like they wouldn't be too comfortable after tossing a 1/2 oz crankbait for a few hours. Can you guys suggest any mid range reels that have a slower gear ratio?

Im definitely looking for a casting rod, I'll be using a 7.0:1 ratio reel so that I can skate a bass across the mats if I need to

During the summer I fish lakes that get huge sections of hydrilla mats combined with thick lilly pads. I know from experience that this is where the BIG bass take refuge and gorge themselves on frogs and baitfish. Most of the time i'll bring my Scanoe to these lakes so that I can get as far into the slop as possible without spooking the fish. I'm looking for a good rod for throwing hollow body & soft plastic frogs. I have been using my Veritas 7'6" MH & it has more than enough backbone, but I dont get good hooksets because the rod tip is too stiff. It doesnt allow for me to feel the fishes' weight and load up before setting the hook. So What Im looking for is a lightweight, Medium Heavy to Heavy action rod, with a Fast to Extra Fast tip. My price range is about $100-$150. Any suggestions??

Thanks for all the input fellas, Im gonna give the rod a shot at froggin in moderate to sparse cover, but Im not gonna try to pull lunkers out of the slop with it. That being said, it does feel like a nice multi purpose rod.

You didn't come off as a jerk, and I didnt take offense to your post Whatsoever. When someone makes a bad choice, or a series of bad choices, they eventually have to pay the piper. When that happens to someone where I come from, we just say he "went away" or is on a long "vacation". In this particular case there was only one other way for my buddies life to end up, so he should consider himself lucky. I'm hoping this is a blessing is disguise and he'll come back with a clear head, clean body, and sound spirit. I'm definitely looking forward to having one of my fishing partners back. There's no need for an apology, I appreciate your sincerity though Drew. In the meantime I'm gonna keep hitting the water every chance I get, Tight Lines buddy!

Thanks for the input guys. I have a rod or two for pretty much every fishing technique except froggin. I used my 7'6" MH Veritas last season for flippin/pitchin heavy cover, but I needed something with a softer tip for froggin.

Yea good behavior will definitely benefit him. To be honest I hope the "vacation" will allow him to clear his mind and body. Hopefully he'll be back soon, it stings when a friend goes away.

I saw this same thing happen at one of my favorite lakes. It's a golf course lake and didn't receive much pressure until about 4 years ago. We would go most days and catch 5-20 bass easily, but they were all in the 1-2lb range. Every once in a while we would hook a monster, 5-7lbs, and I even heard stories of guys catching state record fish and releasing them so the lake would stay off the radar. I had a friend catch a 9.14 there, about a pound shy of the state record, and both my PB's came out of this lake 6.5. Yet every one of the lunkers had huge heads, big eyes, with skinny bodies. My buddy called the DNR and suggested that there wasn't enough forage and too many bass. That season they came with a truck stacked with barrels of shiners, fathead minnows, and killies, and have continued to do so. I haven't really fished the lake too much. I've been traveling further to fish bigger bodies of water, but my fishing buddies tell me the fish are looking much more stout and fat. OMHO I've found that the lakes with more predators (musky, hybrid stripers, pickeril, cats, & trout) yield healthier bass populations.

Last season I took a friend fishing and he left a couple rods on my boat. I've been meaning to give them back, but I just ran into his sister and found out he's on "vacation" and wont be back for a couple years. One of the rods seems really nice, It's a casting St. Croix Premier 7'Med Fast, but it feels more like a MH Fast. I was thinking about borrowing it and using it as a froggin rod. I really like the way the tip loads up, but I'm worried about the rod not having enough power to horse a big fish out of some thick cover. My second option is using it as a topwater/crankbait rod. Have any of you ever owned a St. Croix Premier and whats your opinion of them?

Awesome, those are some really cool lures. I would be interested in seeing lures that have sentimental value or stories behind them.

#1- 5" Senko, Texas Rigged, Weightless #2- 3/8 oz black Spinnerbait, #6 gold Indiana, #2 Colorado blade These are my top producers as far as numbers. If we're talking about fishing for Lunkers, Ill take a Craw colored jig w/a watermelon red beaver tail trailer.

I recently was given a bunch of lures by my neighbors. Most of them were soft plastics and spoons, but they gave me a handful of really nice bass baits ( jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and some very cool topwaters). I posted a pic of them and it turns out that because one of them is in perfect condition, it's worth more as a "collectors item" than a "usable lure". So I'm putting this post up to see what the members of Bass Resource might have in their "secret boxes", what the stories behind them are, and what they might be worth.

Thanks guys, I'll definitely give the Snook a shot, I have a buddy that lives in that area and I see pics of MONSTER Snook that he catches on FB all the time.