JunkYard814

I tell you what, if you mounted it on a Carrot Stix or Boyd Duckett rod, it would probably lighter than some of the crankbaits I throw.

I had this same question last week. The STX was on sale, at Cabela's, but when I got there and actually held both, the Lew's Tournament Speed Spool was much lighter and I found it had a smoother retrieve. I bought the Lew's this morning. I haven't gotten to try it out yet but I'll let you know how it is as soon as I do.

Ended up going with the Lew's Tournament Speed Spool. It was much lighter than the Revo's and it felt much smoother than the Citica and Kinetic. Also, the guy working at Cabela's said the Lew's are his favorite and they cast miles. I'm excited to try it out. It looks like rain all week so maybe I'll be able to give it a run next weekend.

I always start out with my B/C on my trips, but I never go out without a spinning set up and I usually use it when the bite gets tough. I'm actually more accurate with my spinning gear, and I seem to catch most of my fish on it. Maybe it's because I use it as my worm set-up, but I do know I should probably use it more because most of my success comes on it.

What's the reason for using straight shank hooks?

I have the Mojo graphite crankbait rod and really like it.

With summer rolling around, a lot of our local ponds and lakes are becoming matted with vegetation. I know there are bass under there, but I'm not having the success I would like dragging a frog across the top or playing around the edges. I've heard about punching mats, but I don't know enough to confidently try it. Here's what I do know. I need a MH or H power rod and a reel lined with 60lb test or higher. What I would like to know is what type of hooks should I use, what types of baits are best for punching mats, should I be throwing jigs, or texas rigged baits. Also, if I get hung up in the weeds, should I be worried about burying the braided line into itself on the spool. I'd like to hear what you guys use for punching mats from top to bottom, and extra tips you might have. I appreciate your help.

I use the Berkley Fluorcarbon and haven't had a problem yet with it. What knot were you using if you don't mind me asking?

I have a pair of Gerbers with a knife on em.

I don't think they actually call it a crankin rod, but under the description thats what they say its best used for. Hands down one of my favorite rods.

Fluoro has more stretch than braided line but less than mono. Fluorocarbon line is pretty abrasion resistant and it also sinks where as mono and braid float. Fluoro is nearly invisible under water which is really important if you're fishing clear water. A lot of people don't spool their entire real with fluoro and use leaders because it is pretty expensive. I don't because I'm not confident enough in my knot tying to connect lines. I've also heard higher test fluoro doesn't do well on spinning gear. I have one real lined with fluoro for deep cranking.

Hello everyone. I've already made a few posts before really looking around, but I'd figure I would introduce myself. My name is Chris. I'm 22 years old and from northern New Jersey. I graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts this past May. I'll be around Jersey for the summer before I start graduate school at Penn St in August. While I've been fishing here and there since I was around 8, I have become much more passionate about it over the last three years. I do mostly bass fishing, but sometimes I'll fish for pike or other fresh water species. I don't do too much saltwater fishing. My favorite type of fishing is deep cranking. In addition to fishing, I'm a big football, hockey and baseball fan. I look forward to reading everyone's posts and learning from other anglers while trying to contribute where I can.

The Berkley Amp is a great value rod. If you were looking at a spinning set up for under $100, I would recommend the Pflueger President paired with an Amp.

I have the St. Croix Mojo Crankin rod and love it. I think its around the $100 range.

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum so I'm sorry if I break any etiquette with my first post here. I recently got a few gift cards from Cabela's, so I'm looking to buy a new reel sometime in the next week. I'm looking for something with a higher gear ratio, as I will most likely use this rod for frogging and may double it up with pitching and flipping depending on how I feel with it. So far I've narrowed it down to a couple reels: the Shimano Citica (new model), the Quantum Kinetic PT, the Abu Garcia Revo SX, and possibly the Revo STX. I'm not really sure what the differences in the Revo's are but they both offer the speed I want and are also on sale. Any experiences you guys have with any of these reels I would like to hear about if it's not too much trouble. Also if you guys know of other reels in this $100-200 price range that I missed feel free to share them. I know the Shimano Curado is a popular choice among the bass fishing world, but I already have one and I'm not interested in getting another one. I appreciate your help.