iceintheveins

The PQ is the best reel for the price unless you can find the Tatula on sale for the same price. I have four PQ's. Also have two crankin' sticks (the old models) and they are real awesome rods for the price. Sure you will get better rods for more money but for something under 80 bucks you can't beat them.

I prefer Gitzits and Strike King tubes.

X2

Curado I or Tatula in the 5 ratio.

The Chronarch CI4 doesn't come in a 5 ratio reel I don't think, so go with the Curado. If you could still find a Chronarch 200e5, I've heard it's more foolproof.

I've always ordered them direct from lunkercity.

KVD L and L is awesome and I apply it liberally on mono or fluoro.

I just ordered some 10 pound Tatsu for deep cranking. Hopefully it holds up to cranking the deep rip rap well. I filled my new Curado I that it's destined for halfway with 10 pound mono so I can get four spool ups with one spool instead of two.

I use a 3/8 ounce most often, but a 1/4 ounce in shallower water or over grass, and a 1/2 ouncer deep. You need all three IMO.

Shallow - Rapala DT4, Bomber Square A, KVD 1.5, Norman Mad N, Norman Fat Boy Medium - Rapala DT6, Bandit 200, Bomber 6A, Excalibur Fat Free Fry Deep - Rapala DT10 and DT20, SK 3xd and 5XD, Bandit 300, Spro Little John Baby DD and regular DD, Excalibur Fat Free Shad Jr. And Fat Free Shad For colors I like bluegill, red craw, brown craw, chartreuse craw, shad, fire tiger, ect

I use the Bomber Square A and KVD 1.5 more than any others. Don't overlook the Excaliburs, and also the Norman Mad N's and Fat Boys.

Blue bug, Black/Blue, and junebug for dingy or murky water.

Topwater usually starts here (Western Colorado) in the upper 50s, generally mid to late april on lower elevation lakes.

I have four PQ's and don't have this issue.

I use 10 - 12 pound test and cast them fine with my Curado and a 7' M BPS Crankin' Stick.

The BPS Extreme and Bionic Blade rods are good options, as are the Abu Veritas Series. For reels, all I use are pflueger presidents. They are better than many reels that cost twice as much.

BINGO! Parasite clips and weights are the best of the best. I don't use any plastics without a clip.

Carolina rigs and lizards still catch plenty of fish. I bed fish or texas rig a lizard more often, but all three approaches work.

Just about all lakes are drinking water lakes in that they end up feeding others used primarily for that reason. We have modern treatment plants, and anglers aren't the ones that cause contamination. In fact, it really isn't human activity in a watershed anyway that contaminates. There is no need to close or heavily restrict because most are open to the public that owns them. The invasive species angle are the perfect excuse that water utilities have been hoping for in order to restrict or ban access, because they never wanted them open in the first place. LA metro drinks treated sewage from the cities of Las Vegas, Grand Junction, St. George, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, and Laughlin.

Bluegill for clear, fire tiger for stained/murky.

One bait I really like is a Hula Grub, fished in place of a bigger jig or creature bait. Don't overlook tubes, finesse jigs, finesse worms, centipedes, and subtle action baits. Senkos, fat ikas, and soft jerkbaits fished slow are always worth throwing in tough conditions.

I use a crankbait type rod, meaning a glass or composite rod with a moderate or moderate fast action for all topwaters except frogs, which call for a heavy, fast action graphite rod for hooksetting and horsing power.

Lower light conditions, even if very calm, are good for buzzbaits. Sometimes though a rage shad or ribbit frog type bait will get more strikes than a buzzbait in dead calm conditions.

My new Curado I came with really greasy bearings. I flushed them and oiled them, and I also ran a q tip around the break drum with the oil. It's strictly going to be a deep cranking reel, so we will see how it performs.

I always look forward to using topwaters more than just about any other lure.