rangerjockey

That 8:1 is faster than I personally would like for stick baits.. In that price range the Mojo topwater rod works really well. I like the tip better than the actual jerkbait rod.. I'm not a huge Lews fan, but some guys like the stickbait rod in the speed stick series.

I think the best plastic squarebills out there right now are the 6th. sense crush. I also like the old xcalilber if you can find one. The color depends on water color and where you fish. On Table Rock I throw the live Threadfin Shad a lot. If the waters dingy I'd throw chartreuse /black back . Bill Norman used to have a color called Mountain Dew that i Really liked, I know a guy who custom paints it and calls it pizz ice but it looks the same In Balsa, I throw Dave's, Wec, and black Labels... same deal, some kind of shad and something with chartreuse or Orange. Bass craft is another good balsa and they are reasonably priced. Daves are basically a Bagley copy and will set you back about 50 bucks but they run perfect and each bait is hand painted and he personally runs every bait. The golden bream is a great color.

I got mine from Okeechobee fishing HQ ,they will ship.. I believe Roland Martin's marina has them also. I've only fished the Invoker and I would say they are priced about where they need to be. Kind of a JDM look. Louie , The owner was involved with Halo before if memory serves. I doubt you will see them in Bass Pro any time soon.

I own a 7'3 mag MH Ark Invoker. It makes a good spinnerbait rod for 3/8 or 1/2oz. Also would be ok for buzzbaits but it's a bit out of your budget. One of the best Buzzbait rods I've ever owned is the Denali Attax in the 7ft. heavy. It also makes a great spinnerbait rod and it's right in your budget. Great tip for throwing a buzzbait. I wouldn't hesitate to throw the Plopper or a bigger walking bait like a spook, repo man ect. on it.

I don't think there's a huge advantage to be had, if any. I'm lucky and get a discount on rods,reels baits ect. I fish to try to put a couple bucks in my pocket as well as for fun.. I used to have a boat full of NRX'S but I catch just as many, and do as well with a solid $200 rod. Heck, there's guys making a living fishing rods I personally would't use for a tomato stake but I guess it's the Indian not the arrow. If someone has confidence in a certain brand or model then that's what they should fish but a rod isn't going to make a average fisherman a stick. As far as pro's using rods that are different than what you can buy off the shelf, I've never seen that. I have a couple that were used this past season by a Elite series pro and other than being more beat up than mine they fish the same as my factory rods.

Some like to fish them on a CB rod, I don't. The Falcon weightless worm rod makes a great stickbait rod, The McClelland signature rod in the Cara series is real close to the same rod. The jerkbait special is good but it feels a touch soft to me for vision 110's and Mcsticks, I can throw a pointer 78 on it. I also really like the Denali Michael Murphy rod . It was made in the rosewood series which is now the Lithium series. Either are great. I also like the N2 finesse jig rod for stickbaits. Some rod makers understand what it takes to make a good stickbait rod, some not so much.

It's easier if you register with a co angler. That way you both are assured of getting a spot. Depending on what division you fish there could be more boaters than co anglers, I register with a buddy who is a boater and we have both always gotten in.

Get all the boat you an afford. Something along the lines of a z119 would be about the minimum I would go at that level. Also , if you dont have a lot of co angler experience when it comes to opens and the costa you may be way over your head as a boater.

Some like it. I don't , Only mono for me. For the Plopper I could see the advantage to braid, but not enough to make me switch.

I seldom throw lipless baits . But for Squarebills to wiggle warts to DD22'S I use 8 or 10 lb, Invisx. It handles great and has just the right amount of stretch.

I live amongst some of the best stickbait fisherman in the country. The Falcon weightless worm rod is very popular along with the McClelland signature. I fish both. Along with the Denali murphy rod which I believe is now in the lithium series and just called the jerkbait rod, buts its the same blank.

For the vision 110 , Mcstick and pointer I always liked the IMX 802 topwater rod. The length and action are good for stickbaits. Also makes a nice yellow magic rod. Personally I think there are better stickbait rods out there than Loomis but if that's the route you want to go that would be a good choice.

Yeah well, like I said they all take a nose dive.. Some brands worse than others.. I would think the market for that boat would be pretty limited on the resale side. But if you fish small lakes 10k won't buy much these days.

If you finance that boat for 10 or 12 years your going to be upside down on it before it ever gets wet. If you make a sizable down payment it helps of course , but they all depreciate .

In my case the dealer installed the additional units for free so it was about a wash. If you install them yourself no doubt you could save a few bucks by buying online.

If your talking about a new boat I don't think I'd worry about financing the electronics. Your going to be financing and paying interest on a bunch of other stuff that's going to wear out or become obsolete like batteries, trailer tires, trolling motor, charger ect. Get what you really want and can afford.

I don't care for them but for different reasons. I fish some BFL'S, Opens ect . Usually the boater will give you the compartment behind your seat. I just leave the top unzipped and I can open the lid and grab what ever plano I need without pulling the bag out. If I'm in my boat I just put the bag in the front deck storage unzipped and do the same thing.

I had a xr6 on a Ranger years ago. The procedure was prime the bulb, Make sure it's trimmed level, hold the enricher in for a count of 10 and hit the starter. Once it spits give it some hand throttle and spin it again. That usually works . If you have a hot foot it's easier to catch it with the throttle when it spits. Once it's warm you won't hear the starter the rest of the day. Everybody has a trick to start them, Mine was always a pain.. with that said it was a great running motor and outside of routine maintenance I never spent a lot on it.. Would I own another one after years of EFI and injection ? No chance.

I've either fished with, or met all of the guys on your list. All of them are great sticks and will teach you something and you'll have a great time. Cant go wrong with any of them. As far as the map marking, the way fish move around on Table Rock I don't think I'd spend the money. What part of the lake are you wanting to fish ?

The Charger/Champ 210 has sold great , just as awesome boat. The 198 has not been released yet but it's in the works. Hopefully it will be available for the boat show season.

First, there's no need for a leader with a A rig. A couple things you can do ... First when it gets hung up get on top of it or past it with the trolling motor and pull it back from the direction it was coming from. I always use a head with a light enough wire hook that I can straighten if all else fails. I use the retriever with the chains also, they work really well.

The expride has been around for while. To me it looks the a U.S. version of the JDM Final Dimension.

I used to throw them more as a deeper alternative to the wiggle wart . Now with the RK crawler diving about the same I tend to use them more. Still like the size of the 3xd, use the green and red craw.

CXX is tough stuff but it won't be confused for a great handling line, especially on a spinning reel. The Suline defier armilo that was mentioned or even the super natural would be worth a look. In the 6lb., I've probably caught as many fish on a ned rig and shaky head on the BPS excel as any. Not sure who makes it for them buts its good stuff and cheap.

Why would you use a leader on a A rig ?