buzzed bait

if so you may want the DNR on standby for a new record....

as shown in the before and after photos... the bigger the beard, the bigger the fish

interested to see how it turns out, i work in the home improvement retail business and many companies that stand by their product are often willing to provide free promotional material (decals in this case) as it helps to spread the word. you may not buy something based off one person having a sticker, but if you pull up to a boat ramp and see the same sticker on a dozen trucks and the boats they're putting in you may feel more compelled to at least look into that product. often times companies have funds set aside for promotional/marketing expenses, and just like their products they often update their giveaway materials. you may not get the newest and coolest graphic, but perhaps they will give you last years decal for free....

LOL.... that's why i've been stockpiling for the last few months. i'm getting married in november so I've got to get it now....

Thanks for the input guys! I took it out after work today and was able to cast it a few times before it started raining on me and the mosquitos carried me off. But I have to say the thing is silky smooth. It casts so smooth i could barely feel the line coming off the reel. And contrary to the other spinning reels i have, it pulls in the slack pretty quickly. I spooled it up with 12lb mono and it really felt great. Now I just need to catch a nice fish and see how the drag is!

Anybody out there fish the Chattahoochee near the metro Atlanta area? Thanks!

Fair assessment LC! I was leaning toward the 7' myself because I like the longer rod for casting and to keep the tip up when need be. I like what you're saying about the sensitivity of the rod. I currently have a couple of cheap shimano combos that get the job done, but lack on sensitivity. I've been wanting a good rod that had more feel than i currently have. I feel like my fishing with soft plastics has started to slowly improve, but i feel like a quality rod and reel are my next move in terms of getting better at it. Hopefully I can give the reel a good test this afternoon when I get out of work.

LC I will gladly report back. Thanks for the input, I was eyeing one of those lightning rods. If it were you would you prefer a 6', 6'6" or 7'. And would you prefer medium or medium heavy? Just looking for thoughts on the right rod for the plastics and dock skip/pitch approach. Thanks!

I’ve been in the market to get a nicer spinning setup, but not spending too much money at the same time. Last night I went to the local Dick’s Sporting Goods and found some killer clearance items, the prime one being a Lews Speed Spin SS300A. Now I’m sure in the world of spinning reels I could have done MUCH better, but this reel is nicer than any of the spinning reels I currently own. Also it was on clearance for $29.97 so I figured I really couldn’t go wrong. Last night I put it on my cheap Daiwa Samurai Medium Fast rod and am going to be slinging it after work. What rod would you suggest I start looking for to pair with this new reel? I would really like to make this a good spinning set up that could be an all-around soft plastics combo and allow me to start pitching plastics under docks more in this summer heat. Thanks!

Get on YouTube and watch BassResource (Glenn')s videos on how to throw/setup a baitcaster. VERY Informative.

check out Bass Pro Shop. Look at the Ascend line of kayaks. You can find the Ascend FS12T (sit on top) for $499. i got a FS10 sit in kayak and i really like it. Very well made and thought out for fishing. Honestly if i could do it again i would have probably got the FS12T sit on top, but at the time i wanted the smaller kayak to fit on top of my car. Afterward i realized i could have done the 12 footer, but may have been a little tougher to load considering it's heavier. I'd also check craigslist as you can find some pretty good deals on there. Good luck!

haha that's funny and plenty of supporting evidence to nail that crook!

nice fish, she's swollen up nice!

nicely done! that's a beast

doesn't get any better than a frog fish!

VERY nice! Hope it was a nice sleigh ride in the yak!

Cool, nice article.... helps to get the reminder to pay attention and not just be on the water, but focusing on what's going on around you

all good info, thanks guys!

fine point.... my birthday is next tuesday, so happy birthday to me

yeah i don't see much point in it. caught one on a jerkbait before on an ultra light set up with 4# test and that was fun.... aside from that no fun.

Thanks for all the good info guys! I picked up a couple of them for super cheap at WalMart so I'm ready to give them a try, just wanted to know how/where to start. THANKS!

Seen this from carp. Is it one fish or a school that seem to be doing this? If a school I'd almost definitely say carp.

Yes it is a black max rod as well and you nailed the specs. Thanks to all for all the info. I was so stoked at the price that I just grabbed it, paid and ran to my car before they realized it was WAYYYYYYY off on the price! Not that I needed a new rod/reel combo, but for that price I had to. After a brief explanation, my fiance was even on board!

good advice, thanks guys! i will check the GA DNR site now!

Thanks guys! I couldn't quite believe it myself, but for that price I was running to the register! Let me ask this follow up, would you prefer to use this rod/setup for topwater (buzzbait, poppers, spooks, etc) or perhaps for jerkbait, crankbait, spinnerbait?