WIGuide

I like the Eco Pro Tungsten Pro Stops

I think the St. Croix LTB "Spinnerbait; Jig-n-Worm" rod would be the perfect rod for what you are looking for! You won't be disappointed.

If he's not in the Elites or FLW Tour, there's a pretty good chance he's still paying for his gear. Yes he might get discounts, but those are set so the company is still making money on the deal. Depending on how often he buys new stuff, he can't keep the old stuff forever. I really don't think there's anything wrong with it.

This article might be helpful. http://www.***.com/hydrowave-is-a-game-changer/

I'm guessing this can be taken care of without taking the unit apart. All you need is a ziplock bag big enough to fit the unit in and instant rice. You put the unit in and cover best you can with instant rice and then you change it out ever day or two. The rice will absorb the moisture drying everything out.

There are trade offs on all of them. It's all about finding one with the features that work best for you.

A hollow belly frog like the Booyah Pad Crasher would be a great option. You can also use a texas rigged soft plastic with a heavy weight to punch through to get to the bass.

Fish can become educated over time as well. Yes bigger baits will eliminate some but not all of the smaller bass and appeal to bigger fish. Have you tried a bait with a perch pattern? Being that there's an influx of them the fish may just be keying in on them as forage. Also, try a few different techniques. Something like a spinnerbait or swim jig will work based on water clarity. Another good option is a Yum Dinger.

Flambeau seems to be made a little thinner and slightly more prone to cracking, but offer the zerust dividers which actually do work. It makes it kind of a toss up. I've got some of each and really like them both. I will say I have yet to actually break a box. I've got one with a crack in the bottom but it doesn't affect the functionality.

Sounds like you might want to invest in some sunglasses. If that doesn't allow you to see you need to train your thumb. If you feel the line flaring up under it press down and stop it before it becomes a big backlash. Also, there are very few backlashes that can't be picked out with a little patients.

I'd go with a St. Croix LTB. I've had zero issues with the handle and the way it feels.Never been bruised by it that's for sure...not sure how that would even happen. To each their own though, but all I can say is the LTB's are great sticks with awesome sensitivity and I doubt you'd be disappointed.

St. Croix Mojo Bass 7' H/F and any reel that's got a strong drag will do.

I've got a friend who managed to lose a a fairly pricey rod with a Shimano Chronarch MG on it in a tournament. I'm not 100% sure how it happened but he marked it and tried to get it back to no avail. One time while fishing with my Dad, we were cranking a tree in about 10 feet of water. I caught one and he came back to net it leaving his bait in the water slightly at the end of his retrieve when he dropped it to grab the net. A fish must have followed it up because when he turned around after netting my fish the rod was gone. He got lucky later that day by hooking his line with another crankbait. My dad took a friend fishing once who ended up throwing his rod out into the water. My dad turned around to see him sitting there with a mystified look on his face sitting in the seat without a rod before the guy explained what happened. First tournament I ever fished, I was fishing with a buddy and we tried to cut through a shallow canal to save time. My friend grabbed something off the deck and it flipped my $300 combo right over the side. (most expensive at the time) Luckily the water was only about a foot deep and i reached down and grabbed it. A few weeks ago I went fishing with the same guy who dumped my combo over the side. I grabbed a rod off the deck and the line hooked under another reel handle ($350 combo) and flipped it over the side. Lucky for me the tip caught under the ram mount for my locator and a guide hit the rub rail which held it up enough to just sit there while I bent down and grabbed it. You are not the first or last person to do this type of thing.

1000 will be just fine

You might not want to get your hands on one....it'll make you wish all your rods were LegendXtremes!

I've got the BPS 100 MPH stuff and I don't know that it's beatable. Haven't worn it in anything super warm, but I've worn it in the mid to upper 70's but at that temp you aren't roasting. Keeps you warm on the cold days though. I've fished in a few downpours this year with it as well as all day soaking rains and and it has kept me completely dry.

Fins are usually associated with an under powered or poorly performing boat. Looking at the packaging they'll promise to do just about everything short of turning your boat into a drag racing boat. In certain situations they can help with attributes other than getting on plane quicker, but that's usually about all they're good for.

Every year is a good rule of thumb.

Maybe it's just because it's new and it hasn't had time to grow on me, but I hate the look. I wouldn't foresee myself putting one on the back of my boat.

As far as I'm concerned Ranger is the ONLY way to go! I don't think the other boats are bad, but Rangers are just flat out better. There's a reason they've been the industry leader. The quality of craftsmanship, the fit and finish, and most importantly the fishability of them is second to none.

I've got a few of them and really like them. They aren't as light or as sensitive as the higher end St. Croix sticks, but they are very well built! I've thrown mine some pretty harsh abuse and have had zero issues.

An XF action rod should be driving a hook home quicker than a fast action. I'd check your hook first. Make sure it's sharp and do the fingernail test to check. You will also want to check the barb of the hook. If it's been worn down possibly inadvertently crimped down, you will be having a harder time sticking a fish. If that all checks out, look to your hookset next. Experiment with it either harder or softer. You should know either way within a few fish if it's working. Look at your line too. Is it the same type and lb test as you have been using on your other rods? Lastly, if all that checks out, you might want to consider that the fish might not be eating the bait as well as you think they are. Maybe try switching colors to make them commit better and/or adding scent to help with that too. Give those a shot and come back with the results if you're stumped again.

Aluminum is noisy. You'll probably want to foam underneath it to quiet it down.

It's a message board and there will be off the wall crap posted. There's some of it here just like everyone else. I'd like to tag along with them where 3+ Largemouth is an average fish.I'm not in the north east but I'm in northern Wisconsin and up until this year you could keep bass mid June through March in the "Northern Zone" You could catch and release them in May when fishing season started. We do not however have gigantic Largemouth. If you go to southern WI, the size of a big bass goes up a little, but I really doubt it has anything to do with a season being open or closed. As proof their season starts on opener in May so that pretty much debunks his thought process.

LTB's are sick rods! I love all of mine. I think you're going to like it better than your Avid. As far as techniques that heightened sensitivity is a major benefit, I'd have to say there are 3 : finesse, bottom contact (worms and jigs), and crankbaits. I think it sensitivity is an added benefit in any technique, but these are the 3 that I've noticed the biggest improvements in.