rmcguirk

Sometime, when I'm kayak fishing, I'll throw out a crank bait when I'm moving from spot to spot. I've caught all sorts of fish that way, including LMB, SMB, pike, pickerel, trout, sunfish, and perch. Strikes are usually pretty violent.

Funny that this topic came up now. I've been meaning to ask how they taste. I'm planning on trying this season. I'm assuming that smaller 1-2 lbers would probably be better?

My wife has no real interest in fishing. I go early and she meets me at the dock, generally bringing lunch. Which is nice. Probably just to humor me, she'll make a few casts with a spinning rod generally rigged up with a wacky jig. She'll usually catch a quick bass and be done for a nap and some reading. Good company and she takes pics if I catch a good one.

Of those listed, I have a Curado and a few PQs. I like my Curado much better. I know a lot of people love the older Curados. I've got no experience with them, so I can't comment. At my local Dick's Sporting Goods store, I saw them the other night marked down to $129. I imagine they're going to fall even further once the new model is announced.

Since it is about 5 degrees here right now, all I can do is dream. The bait monkey has bitten me pretty hard so far and I've already placed one substantial order at BPS (with my favorite Xmas present, BPS gift cards), and I've got another slug just waiting to go. First round was primarily plastics I know I'll use. Next round will be hard baits, but I need to weed out those that didn't see any action last year and see what's left. I also happened to stop by my local DSG last night for other stuff and amazingly found myself in the fishing area. They had some nice deals on rage tail craws (one of my favorites), so I stocked up (some more). They also had Curados marked down to $129. I'm betting they fall even further once the new version is announced, so I held off.

I have a MXF spinning. I really like it. Great bang for the buck.

All true answers so far, but one key element is probably missing: you need to have a pretty special set of physical and mental skills, not the least of which appears to be marketing. An example: if you're around my age (late 40s) you no doubt grew up playing baseball. Almost every kid did it for at least a few years; most did it throughout little league, etc. I enjoyed baseball. I wanted to be good at it. I practiced with my dad and my buddies and I played a lot of neighborhood ball. I was ok but I was never a star. Pracitce can make you better. Perhaps even good enough to be the best in your town, the star of your high school team or even play in college. But, to be a baseball pro, you need to be a supreme athlete and also be willing to practice constantly. The same applies to any sport/pass time/profession/job. Practice will make you better. In many cases a lot better (at least that's what I'm hoping with fishing). But it is one thing in going from being average to being a good stick, but to jump to a "pro" is a big step, and you need to have those special abilities.

My favorite is a 7'MF St. Croix Avid. As people always say, it is a little beefier than the M rating and it has plenty of backbone to rip the jig out of the weeds.

This. Like most people, I'm sure, I work hard during the week and all too often on weekends. I'm hyper competitive at work, as my job involves a fair amount of winning and losing (something I try to avoid). On the weekends I do get off, I go fishing to get away from that nonsense. Do I want to catch fish? Of course. Do I practice my casting, etc., to get better? Of course. Do I cry if I don't catch a nice bag or even if I get skunked occasionally? Nope. I'm out to "relax" and enjoy the pastime. Of course I want to catch a PB every time out and I'm working hard to catch fish the whole time I'm on the water. And of course I try new things and new techniques to improve my "luck" (toys are a big part of the fun). But give me a nice day or two on the water and I'm a happy man again come Monday morning.

Seeing as it has been in the single digits here overnight lately, all I can do is think about it... I feel like last season I was too scattered. I'd throw a jig for a cast or two, put it down and throw a crank for a cast or two, put it down, throw a t-rigged plastic, etc. I'm going to try to be more methodical and s l o w down. I'm also going to try to get back to basics, in some ways. Stop chasing the latest fad and go back to what works for me.

Awful year here too. Between working too much, getting kids off to college, some boat issues, and the only type of weather that keeps me off the water (high wind), I didn't fish nearly as much as I wanted. And, when i did go, it was tough fishing for me. I don't know if I was trying too many things, or what, but after spring was done, I don't think I put together a decent day all season. A few fish here or there, but no great numbers and few picture worthy bass. Got a few nice pike and my first tiger, but that's not what I was chasing. What's the old saying? Better luck next year.

For comparison purposes, I have a BPS Extreme (my very first casting rod) and one BPS Carbonlite (spinning rod). Though the Extreme is a nice enough rod, it is pretty heavy. I think the fit, finish, weight and sensitivity of the Carbonlite rod far surpases it. I'd be willing to bet that the Extreme can take some punishment, if that's a concern for you. Also, think about buying used on the flea market here. Some great deals can be had now as people are trading up and selling their slightly used gear.

Not to sound too stupid, but I just learned something new. I've always just rigged them from the fat end and when they got too torn up, they were relegated to being rigged wacky or garbage. Gotta try the skinny end...

As others have said, very subjective. My five for fishing blind would be: 2x MH F or XF baitcasting set ups for jigs, t-rigged plastics, and spinner baits. 1 MHM baitcasting rod for cranks 1 MXF spinning rod for weightless plastics/wacky jig/shakey head 1 ML XF spinning rod for drop shoting. With that spread I could cover just about everything. I might substitute my 7' MF Avid baitcaster for one of the MHs, as it could handle a wide variety of techniques. If anyone is looking for a true multipurpose stick, I'd strongly recommend that rod.

I use them all year. I'll rotate between worm type baits and creature baits until I find what's working. My experience is that creature baits get the more violent (fun) strikes. Generally, the strikes are unmistakable. Instead of a classic t-rig or shakey head, I use a jig head by fin tech called a title shot. I get a much better hookup ratio than with a shakey head and much less weed fouling.

Another suggestion is to keep an eye on the flea market here. You can pick up some great rods at fantastic prices. That way, you can buy up to a nicer rig without going out of pocket any more.

I have the 6'9" Avid ML XF. It is a great rod and a very good drop shot rod. Though it has served some double duty for soft plastics, I much prefer a MF or MXF for those applications. If I were you, I'd consider the Avid in the 6'8" MXF.

That is one fat, healthy looking slob! Nice job. I'm with JF on wishing I was better on that lake -- and probably moreso as that's where I keep my boat. Even taking out the PB, which is an awesome fish, Farmer's day on the water is better than anything I've had there in 2 years for quality/quantity. I'll catch random 4 and 5 lbers, but its rare for me to catch more than one such fish in an outing, and certainly not the multiples Farmer got that day and regularly gets. (Man, I need to do a better job figuring out that lake...) Kudos.

Getting my gear ready the night before is part of the fun!

Love the Rage tails. My only problem is that eveything in the water seems to want to take a peck at them. For bass and pike, that usually means pulling in a fish. But the sunnies seem to want to have a go at them as well, which usually ends up in having a one-clawed lure... I'm pretty sure I caught more fish this year on Rage tails than any other single bait in my arsenal.

I agree that they are quality rods at a great price, particularly when sale priced. I picked up a 6'8" MXF spinning rod when they had the same sale in the spring. It is a fantastic multi-purpose rod. IMHO, much better quality than many other "name" brands similarly priced offerings. For anyone looking for a quality rod on a budget, this is it. Additionally, though I haven't had to use it, BPS customer service is reported to be outstanding on these products. I may have to snag another at this price.

My main lake is pretty heavily pressured, and it is a regular occurence to have to troll around others who are fishing the same stretch of docks/shoreline (I'll almost always be the one to go around). I usually will say good morning or whatever's appropriate, and if I get a positive response, I'll usaully ask whether they're having any luck. Most people are obviously honest, but many try to be cagy. It cracks me up. What, from 30 ft away, you don't think I can see what you're throwing, what you have rigged on your deck, and how you're working it? Personally, I'm always honest. If asked, I'll say what worked and the conditions under which it worked. I've had others do the same for me, and it has saved the day on occasion.

Hehe. Order them online, get home before her and unbox them quick. I stick the tubes in the rafters of the garage. I noticed the wife looking at the tubes the other day and I had to distract her a bit.

After having read this thread, I thought why not. I enjoy jerk bait fishing, why leave it for cold water. Nothing else was working tonight, so I tied on my favorite LC Pointer and went to work along a weed line. Finally got the right cadence down and picked up two in quick succession, one of which was a nice 4lb bass. On my home lake, using that type of lure at this time of year is begging for pike, and I enjoy a good pike fight, but I was pleased to get the two bass. I think I'll be keeping jerk baits in the rotation for the remainder of the year. Thanks for the reminder.

I have the 6'10" MF one-piece Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth. I like it a lot, but mainly for lighter baits. This year, I've used it primarily for jika rigs, lighter spinner baits, soft plastic jerk baits, and other lighter presentations. I've used it for some cranking, and it does a nice job. I would think it fine for lighter jigs in sparse cover. In my opinion it would be a bit underpowered for jigs in heavy cover.