cabela10

Sound good. To bad that won't happen for another 9 months. ha ha. I hate winter sometimes.

I just got my second Falcon Cara Reaction rod for xmas today and Falcon has a Lifetime Warranty, plus, even if you abuse the rod, they will replace it for a discount. Which works for me. Aren't the St. Croix Rods 5 year warranties, use to be 3 year.

ReelMech only works on Shimano, Daiwa, Garcia and Quantum, I have the list right in front of me because I'm sending my reels to him this week.

I'd say go with a 6'6" medium or Medium-Heavy Fast Action for plastics. I'd recommend the St. Croix Premiers or the Falcon Cara's. Both great rods in my book.

When has Mark Zona ever fished above the Stren Series? He isn't that freaking great.

Fish Chris, I know there is a difference between the tournament guys and the big fish fishermen. All the tackle is pretty much different than what tournament guys would use. I understand what your saying, I wasn't really arguing the point of the big fish hunters compared to tournament guys. Also, I rarely see the FLW Tour guys flipping the fish in the boat, most of them use the nets. The only guys I see flipping the fish in the boat on the FLW Tour are the guys that still fish the BASS events. I'm not singling them out, but even guys like Larry Nixon and George Cochran use the nets on pretty much ever fish caught in the FLW events they fish. Only time I feel bad for an FLW fish is when I see Art Berry kissing them, I know those fish die a few hours after that kiss. ;D

Pimping a sponsors product, how fitting. ;D

You coming up to the early one on Mississippi Pool 4? I think it's the first weekend in May. Check the Minnesota districts, it's the one run by Jeff Dixon. It's the regular ABA and not the BASS Weekend Series.

I'd go with a Shimano Stradic 1000FH or 2500FH for finesse with the 6lb test you want to use. That 1000 size reel should be perfect, it's small, yet big enough to handle big fish. I've used St. Croix Premier Rods and they have worked great with my finesse fishing. I've teamed my stradic 1000 up with a 6'6" medium power/fast action. If you are going to use 8lb test, purchase the 2500FH series Stradic. It will hold more 8lb line. That's how I would do it, everyone will pick different setups. I am however switching over to Quantum Energy baitcasters and spinning gear, and switching my rods over to Falcon Rods. Won a Falcon Cara Rod in a B.A.S.S. fantasy fishing contest and I loved everything about the rod.

Avid, I like the "HOIST & SLAM" slogan. It is very disgusting. I love seeing the Elite guys catching the fish up until I see them move there hand down the shaft of the rod and begin the hoist. I just wonder what the first thing that fish is going to slam it's head against.

Fish Chris, Where are you from though? California? Kevin Van Dam grew up fishing in Michigan, you can't really expect him to catch many fish over 10lbs. I've never even caught a fish over 6lbs, because I fish in Minnesota and it's rare to get anything over 6lbs. You can't compare regions. I bet KVD caught a lot of 6-8lbs in Michigan which is pretty much 10-15lbs in California or any other place in the south like Texas and Florida. It sucks living up here in Minnesota with the short growing season. But I love winter for snowmobiling.

You're kidding right? They target the smaller to medium sized fish for limits to weigh-in but your kidding yourself if you think they only catch a "few" big fish. I'm willing to bet that when the Pro's overtake a lake, that they catch the majority of the bigger sized fish in that lake. It all has to do with the time of the year also, which nowadays is geared for catching those bigger fish. So I'm guessing you should be worried about those bigger fish being taking from your waters. Atleast tournament fishermen release the fish, where has recreational anglers will catch 5 monsters by chance and take them home to eat. What would you rather have? Once those bass are in those livewells, they are served up with the best aerating money can buy plus all the formulas to make them breath better with better oxygen levels in livewell water than in the actual lake.

You fish the ABA? I will hopefully be fishing in that regional tournament on the Mississippi.

Yeah, I don't know. Just seems like when a bass is netted, it isn't allowed to flop around in the boat. Usually they sit motionless until you grab them out. Ya know? I agree that fishermen beyond just B.A.S.S. anglers mistreat/abuse the fish. I personally net all fish and try to get them back in the lake or cull the fish asap. Sometimes people just hold and play with the fish way to much. To many camara fish.

Also you can promote fisheries conservation and the safe handling of bass and their return to their home waters, but lets actually put that promotion into affect, because I don't see it happening with what they are promoting. These fish are getting abused. I'm not a PETA member either, I'm just calling it, how I see it.

This isn't a bashing about BASS. It's simply a discussion. Don't dig deeper. This topic pretty much involves all circuits that don't use nets and allow there fish to get smacked around in the boats. I realize all that B.A.S.S. has done, but remember, they did start out by killing all these fish until non-tournament people starting to b*tch and complain about tournaments coming to their waters to murder fish. So it wasn't a pretty start. Also, if B.A.S.S. is all about taking care of fish, why do they allow THEIR fishermen to mistreat them so badly? Answer that please. Also, again, this isn't bashing B.A.S.S.

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Agree. Hoisting a fish into a boat so it can flop around on the carpet, slamming into things until the Pro pounces on it is ridiculous. It's a black eye on the sport IMO and does more harm than good coming from an organization that supposedly is so concerned about not killing it's catch. Do you think maybe this is causing the LMBV??? With a single fish possibly getting caught multiple times and losing it's protective slim coating, which makes it vulnerable for diseases. I don't know, my mind is actually thinking for once so I'm typing it in here for all the experts to comment.

Yeah, I think that's about right. I think high 50's the males are making the beds and the females are on points, then they move in with in around 3-5 days when the temps warm to the low 60's. I think smallmouth bass spawn at different times than do the Largies.

I think I heard someplace that BASS doesn't use nets because they think it involves more skill to actually lip or flip the fish in the boat. I also think it causes more harm to the fish by flipping in the boat and having it flop around on the carpet, while it's smashing it's skull against the console. I thought the whole process of trying to keep bass healthy and alive was to not take the slim coating off there scales, just seems to me with all the rubbing and flopping on the carpet that this slim wears off. I feel sorry for BASS fish. Any thoughts?

Eliminate the Solstice from your options. They are junk. I had one about 4 years ago, and the thing always acted up on me. The drag system sucked, the bail sucked, everything sucked about it. That's probably why you don't see anybody recommending that reel to you, cuz it SUCKS!

Hinkle, how old are you? I think you need to be over 18 without parental permission. ABA isn't sponsoring it, they are the organizers of the event. The sponsors are a long list starting with Triton Boats and ending with Kevin VanDam's Line and Lure Conditioner.

I think these units are slowly being illegal to use in tournaments, so check into that also. I believe they are illegal in the Elite Series.

First off, lets start to spell "TOURNAMENTS" correct.

I was wonder the same thing about Velvick. Maybe BASS felt sorry for him this past season and let him join again since they are heading West to his home waters.