Chris at Tech

http://www.dobynsrods.com/ www.***.com sells them

I agree with just about all of this statement One rod is not likely to do both of these different applications well. My slop fishing (ie Horny Toad) rod is a Dobyns 704c with a Zillion and 50lb braid. On the other hand, my open water topwater rod (ie Super Spooks, Pop-R's, Sammies, etc) is a St Croix Avid 66MF rod.

If only he wasn't wearing that AWFUL hat...

I agree...but now go to the "excess baggage" page here: http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/baggage/baggage_allowance/excess_baggage/index.jsp Here, it clearly says " Over 80 inchestotal of length plus width plus height => not permitted" The most frustrating part is the inconsistencies you see, hear, etc. Not knowing if I'll be hassled, if I'll be charged, what I'll be charged, etc until I get there is ridiculous. Now, I'm back to square one where I'm likely to leave my stuff at home...

I'm preparing for my 30th b-day trip next week...guided trip to Lake Fork As to be expected, I'm seeing conflicting info on the Delta website. I see one mention of packages over 80 inches in length being subject to extra charges. I see one mention of packages up to 80 inches being $150 extra. I see one mention of packages over 80 inches not being allowed. Of course, my rod tube with 7ft rods in it is about 89 inches... I'm planning to call Delta tonight, but I'm wondering if anyone here had any input or recent experiences.

You could throw them on an existing rod you have since they're not particularly heavy. I used to, but then I picked up a 7'6" rod for extra distance. Face it...swimbaits are not subtle when they hit the water. So I think the extra distance a longer rod provides is worth it. I didn't go expensive -- BPS Extreme on sale

Hey all, I've heard that there's a deeper spool available for the Curado 101D. I can't recall the specifics, but perhaps it's from an older Shimano reel? Does anyone know the specifics on this, and where I can get one? Thanks Chris

Anyone happen to know a ballpark weight of the hollow-body swimbaits out there? The Basstrix, Lucky Strike, Shadalicious? I'm most curious about the 5.5 in models.

Kistler APC Mg69APC or Dobyns 683c

I second Randall @ FishAtl. I've been out with him 6+ times now. Even if the fish don't cooperate, you'll learn a TON.

Bought a bunch from *** to try this year. Is there a certain situation where this style of bait excels? Granted lots of this is preference, of course, but I'm just curious...

Dude if you are paying $15 for 300 yds of Floroclear, you're getting ripped off $15 for 300 yds of Pline Florocarbon would be good, but you shouldn't be paying more the $9 for 300 yds of Floroclear. But for the record, I really like Floroclear as well

Another reason I'm glad I drink Ketel One. That, and Absolut tastes like crap

I don't think he'll be an all-star or a primary option on offense, but he can be a valuable glue guy who'll provide great effort and get 8-10 'garbage' points per game.

12-15 lb Pline Floroclear or Premium CX

No reel is immune to backlashing...just gotta take the time to learn the reel and set it correctly.

It's not that a jerkbait is complicated or hard to throw on a baitcaster...it's just the way I hold a baitcaster (palming the reel) and the wrist motion needed to give it the action that's uncomfortable.

One more thing. If you're intending to throw the jerkbait most or all of the day, be prepared for your wrists to hurt I can't throw a jerkbait for a very long time on a baitcasting rod, so spinning gear is MUCH more comfortable for me. Just an FYI.

I just started throwing hard jerkbaits seriously this year, and I've done pretty well so far. But truth be told, I've yet to feel the bite. My fish seems to just be there after I pause the bait. When I get ready to twitch again, I just felt the weight. But yeah, all the work is done with the rod. Jerk the bait when you still have some slack in the line. Jerking it with tight line won't get nearly the action you want. And experiment with the pauses. Try longer pauses, then shorter until you find what the fish want.

So where is this place exactly?

I hate it when I see a few 8lb bass cruising around... And then I get close enough to see they're carp. DOH!

I'm telling you, computers are a fad. Just ride it out for another year, and no one will be using computers anymore ;D

Just get a few Spooks and replace the hooks. You can just about get 3 Spooks + hooks for the price of 1 Sammy.

You won't go wrong with either the Tierra or the old (white) Stradic. I have both, and both are great reels.

Read the manual, as suggested Also, turn off the 'auto' mode and set your setting manually. Stuff like max depth, surface clutter, sensitivity are much more valuable when you adjust them according to the situation you're fishing. I'm still struggling with how to use my depthfinder after a year, but simply going from auto to manual was a big step in the right direction.