ChrisD46

I have considered buying the BPS Pro Qualifier baitcast reel for a while now ...Howver the 6/18/14 Tackle Tour review was less than favorable (i.e. rough , bumpy drag) . My intended application would be dragging a C-Rig , dragging a football jig and occasional pitching / flipping , so the 7:1 ratio retrieve seemed about right if you are mostly looking to retrive line in a hurry (C-Rig , Football jig dragging ) . Lastly - a BPS employee said to expect the Pro Qualifier to go on sale at season end for $79.99 . * So , for $79.99 would YOU buy a BPS Pro Qualifier 7:1 ratio (warts and all) mainly for C-Rig and Football Jig dragging - or would you save your money and look for something else ? Lastly , I would be especially interested to hear experiences / opinions from those who have bought recent or new Pro Qualifiers ? The fact that Edwin Evers has had such a great run with the Pro Qualifier may be attributed to his reels being several years old and were made to a higher quality level back then ? ...Thanks in advance for the replies .

Question : Can you C-Rig or T-Rig a 4" ~ 6" lizzard any other time of the year beyond the spawn ? I always hear about the lizzard success during the spawn (i.e. nest robber) but I hear little AFTER the spawn ...Your thoughts ?

Besides throwing a frog / topwater - are there other applications you use braid on a baitcast reel that you find better than using fluorocarbon ?

Nose hooked roboworms and draw the line tight enough so the worm is not laying on the bottom - let your subtle rod tip movements / water current move the worm ...Google how KVD fishes a drop shot in a pool with a snappy horizontal retrieve (different take on a drop shot for sure as an option) ...Aaron Martins has good advice as well ...Amart IS a drop shot bait !!

A lot of good replies ... Here are a few more : * Small Grub + 1/16oz jig head (if weeds then a 1/0 EWG hook Texposed with a 1/16oz bullet weight) * In line spinner with / without a single hook (my first lure had a white feather tail and white black spots ...I fished it with success day & night !) * Zoom UTail worm with a 1/0 EWG hook and 1/16th oz. bullet weight (just snake it around the water column) * 1/16th oz. Road Runner with a small grub * Small Rebel Grasshopper topwater bait (WM has them - retrieve ...pause...retrieve ...pause)

Although Summer does not officially arrive until Sun Jun 21st , many areas are experiencing temps hovering in the low 90's now ...What are your go -to tactics for bass in hot weather conditions ?

Big Game good on a baitcast reel - for spinning try Sufix first or Stren if you need a less expensive mono offering .

Gambler Giggy Head 3/32nd oz. or 1/8th oz. ...Heat up the round worm barb then slide into a Elaztech GP color 4.5 inch worm soaked in Bang garlic scent ...It just isn't fair to spotted bass !

I still see old timers use a 5'6" style pistol grip baitcaster to work jerkbaits , top water and walk-the-dog baits ...you can keep a bait in a small area while working it with this set up ...Not a retrieve so much as inducing a seizure to the lure !!

I appreciate the replies - Spring perhaps is the best time to throw a spinnerbait however there is something about a 3/8th oz. Colorado / Willow Leaf / White and Chartreause spinnerbait that inspires confidence due to it's versatility . Even if I don't catch anything - just throwing one working an area of water is nice , relaxing and just the right pace to always be fun to work !

Not sure about 2014 models - but up through 2013 I believe Shimano quality versus price took quite a dive thus Lews picked up quite a bit of market share (deservedly so) ! I have not checked out the 2014 Curado - but my guess is Shimano knows they cut corners on quality in 2013 and people answered with their wallets (Lews) , so if the new 2014 Curado is of better quality - then more power to them ...In the mean time I strongly recommend Lews without reservation !

For those of you with a little "Jimmy Houston inside" - describe your spinnerbait styles , colors and tactics you use for summer time bass ? ...Slow roll a big single blade thumper over the bottom at night ? Lift and drop over grass ? Or just chunk and wind hoping to locate bass ? Let's hear from you !

Great soft plastics plus A+ scent ... T-Macs , Paca Chunks are a staple in my tacklebox ...Don't mess with the success !!

Interesting comments regarding suppliers I am not so familiar with - I plan to search them out shortly and start learning what makes a good bladed swim jig .

Beyond the original Z-Man Chatterbait - what is your favorite size , make and trailer combo of bladed swim jig ? I find this an interesting lure category to explore as the water heats up and bass respond more to a lure with a lot of action !

Thanks Tom - what weight mojo sinkers with your slip shot set up ?

Netbait T-Mac 7 inch straight tail worm in Green Pumpkin or Bama Bug (depending on water clarity) ... Good anis scent and quite versatile - bass hit and hold on !

According to Jeff Kreit & Aaron Martins - this is one technique where having a dedicated shakey head outfit with fluorocarbon line (7lb. - 8lb.) just simply works better ...

WRB : What do you think of a "slip shot" rig comprised of a small 1/8oz ~ 1/4oz stainless steel egg sinker , bead and swivel used on 8lb. line spinning tackle ? More like a ultralight C- Rig ...how would you use or modify above ?

At a minimum , I would plan to use the 12lb ~ 15lb. Fluoroclear as a C-Rig leader ...Might be the best of both worlds (fluoro / mono) in that application .

Daiwa Exceller in the $60.00 range is decent as well as above mentioned.

I want to try a V&M Mud Bug Trailer on a jig and am perplexed over which length to try - the 3 inch (Baby) or 4 inch (Standard) ? The reason I am undecided in length is the V&M Mud Bug has a short body and long claws which indicates they may be better used as a chunk (simply hook through the end) versus a Chigger Craw (or similar) where you run the body of the trailer up the jig hook through the barbed soft plastic holder . * Anybody with experience in using either the Baby (3 inch) or Standard (4 inch V&M Mud Bug Trailer ? ... They feature floating , stand up claws and are pre-scented , so I am very curious to try them on a 3/8oz. ~ 1/2oz. Archy Head or Football jig ... Thanks in advance for replies - hope to hit the TW sale today !

I'm looking for recomendations for a (non - braid) C-Rig mainline in the #15lb. to #20lb. range . My conditions are southern highland resevoirs with moderate to sparse bottom cover . To date , I've narrowed it down to either Seaguar AbrazX #15lb. or P-Line CXX #15lb. as a C-Rig mainline . My two main questions : 1 ) Would you go with #15lb. or #20lb. co-poly or fluorocarbon as a C-Rig mainline ? 2 ) Any other brands of non - braid co-poly or fluorocarbon C-Rig main line to consider ?

I use it as a : "window of tendencies" ... I will try to fish when the graph shows activity is on the upswing through the peak (confidence thing) . Then again , lots of variables in fishing - just go when you can

BPS PQ now only $89.00 ...Just ask Edwin Evers how he likes them ! In the $150+ range - Daiwa Tatula or Lew's offer much better quality build and performance now than Shimano .