jb_adams

I would think less than 20ft. depending on water clarity. If it's stained, the noise would be the only thing that would get their attention. I'd rather them see it a bit and hear it if it were me. I'd try it in multiple applications and see which works for you. Main lake points, boat docks, creek feeders, edges of lilly pads, etc.

do not even consider this rod for serious swimbaitig. lowest I would go is the 99.00 okuma's But the question was about the bait. I have the big one and catch decent bass ,mo ,monsters YET!!! I bet you'll catch some big un's this fall with that bait. It works better in stained water where they don't get a really good look at the bait. If they see the action and it's swimming on top of the surface, they can't help but bite it. These things can work like giant topwater baits. Swim them on top kind of like a spook but less jerking action. Here is a nice link to what a pro thinks of them. http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00158/1.php

I wanted to buy one of these just so I could secretly tie it on, and change rods on a fishing trip with my partner. Whip it out and start talking smack about how I was going for the big fish...."I'm using the Big-Daddy so I can catch bigger fish!" You know, just as a joke. Then I saw the price tag. Yep, better get a broom stick for a rod. I would think it would work well. Shaw Grigsby was killing some big bass on them. I've seen where bass that are almost the same size as the King Kong bait would still hit it. It seems like and overkill but I'll bet it catches fish pretty well. I'd say downsize and opt. for a non-jointed swimbait.

If you guys find any online deals like this, please PM me. I have my heart set on a nice St Croix spinning rod. Thanks. You won't find them online I'll bet. You can get a decent price online at this link though. I'd check with local retailers to see if they have marked down their inventory. A deal like this is worth a 1-2 hour drive even with high gas prices.

I plan on investing in a few swimbaits myself. I asked the same questions here not long ago. Try this link and see if you get a better idea on where and when. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1186078444/0 I think a lot of people will resort to swimbaits in the Fall. Might work but I'll stick with craw jigs trailers and jigs because the bass here just love crawfish. Yes, the forage on shad in creeks but everyone keys in on the creeks in the fall. Jay Yellas won the Wal-Mart open here using swimbaits in post-spawn conditions because the shad were spawning. When the shad spawn, that's when you should use nothing but swimbaits. I think a lot of people will resort to swimbaits in the Fall. Might work but I'll stick with craw jigs trailers and jigs because the bass here just love crawfish. Yes, the forage on shad in creeks but everyone keys in on the creeks in the fall. Jay Yellas won the Wal-Mart open here using swimbaits in post-spawn conditions because the shad were spawning. When the shad spawn, that's when you should use nothing but swimbaits.

You got a good deal.....enjoy They are being reduced because St. Croix is redesigning the avid. They should be out this fall or 1st of the year. That sounds about right. I will still be happy with the older series though & especially with the price I paid.

Just joking! I really did think I had a great deal. Now I wish I had a Dick's Sporting Goods close by. We don't have one. I wonder why they are being reduced in price?

OK, some of you may remember my questions about buying some new rods. Thank you again to all who replied with great advice. So, today I had some time off I went by the local Sportsman's Warehouse to check out the Falcon rods vs. St. Croix rods (again). I began comparing rods for feel, weight, sensitivity, guide quality, grips, etc. All based on what others have told me to look for when comparing rods. As I was becoming more and more impressed with the St. Croix Avid series and more impressed with Falcon Lowrider price tag, I noticed a red tag on the St. Croix. "Orginally $180, now only $119!! I was sold on the price to say the least. The Falcon Lowrider was $110 and it felt like a broom stick compared to the same type of rod in both length and action of the St. CroixAvid series. So, I bought two casting rods for $109 (originally $160) and a 7'-6" spinning rod for only $119 (originally $180). With tax, it was like $360 for three AWESOME high quality fishing rods! ;D So tonight, I put my reels on and I can't believe the difference. I can pitch finesse jigs with ease and it seems like the jigs stay closer to the ground and fly further. It might be just the setting on the reel but I've never pitched a jig 1ft off the ground before and it fly over 50-60ft the whole time and land soft. That's something new for me so I know it was the rod and not the user or the reel! The sensitivity is increadible compared to the Abu Conolan I was using. The other casting rod is for all-around plastics, spinnerbaits, cranks, etc. It is a medium fast action tip and it can sling a trick worm with a 1/8oz. bullet weight around 30-40yards or better right now. If I re-spool the reel with better line, I know I can get it futher without backlashing. It's super sensitive also. I have low profile Berber carpet in my living room. I could drag the butt end of the trick worm across the carpet and feel EVERY BUMP! I was amazed! Get this....I have a drop shot rig on my new spinning rod with a 1/2oz. tear drop swivel weight. I put it in my pool (vinyl above ground type) and while I kept tension on the line where the worm was floating, I could feel every 1/4 inch of the pool liner. If there was a bump, it felt like I had a bite in comparison to my old rod. I could feel every wrinkle in the liner with an obvious feeling in the rod handle. I am simply amazed with these rods so far. The best part is, I got them a little over half price. I am now an "official" St. Croix fan and I haven't even fished these rods yet. I can't wait to use them this weekend for a first run. Should be loads of fun.

Now that's good information there....thanks RW! I'm still leary to the whole swimbait craze. Don't know why, just the idea of throwing a bait that looks like 1,000 other baby bass in the lake and hoping a bigger bass will bite. Yellas used a dark brown back and yellow belly paddletail swimbait on this lake. I'll probably try the varying colors first. I see baby bass buy the numbers in this lake. I think if I throw something a little different, my chances at a reaction strike will be better. I like the tip on retrieving and hookup.....that's valuable info.

Thanks RW....that is a sweet deal. I'm still questioning sensitivity between the St. Croix and the Falcon. I've played with them in a local store and it seems the Falcon is a bit more sensitive. Am I wrong or right? You can't tell by playing with one in a store. I'd rather fish with both to see the real difference but that's not much of an option. TWO questions: 1) Does a rod balancer really increase the sensitivity of a rod? I saw a kit that advertised "up to 300% increase in sensitivity". I'm skeptical of that. What is the benefit of a rod balancer? 2) What are these "split grip" rods that I'm seeing? What's the benefit?

OK, but how do you retrieve them and where do you use them? (before someone says on a lake or a pond.....be serious please) :

GLoomis sells rods for under $300. I have seen one around $200 a peice. I through in the name well.....because of the legendary name. If I need to spend a bit more, than I' willing to look at that if there is sufficient justification.

OK, I posted a question not long ago comparing Falcon and St. Croix. I just can't make up my mind. I've only used a Falcon and I love the way you can feel those little nips. I am looking to buy 2-3 rods and I don't want to sacrafice quality if I can. I'm thinking around $100-$150 with $160 being my max. If I can get two really top quality rods for $300 vs. three really good rods for $300, I'd prefer the top quality. I don't like buying a rod without knowing first hand experience. However, if there is not much difference between a $100 rod and a $160 rod, I think I'd rather get three rods. Brands I'm looking at? - St. Croix (everyone here says buy the Avid series) - Falcon (my buddy swears by them) - Gblank (only know what people say here) - GLoomis (name says it all) - Dobyns(?) I don't know much about them other than what people say here. What type of fishing rod am I looking for? Medium to Firm shaft with flexable tip for sensitivity. Baitcaster: Trigger rod, Medium action or maybe a Medium Heavy (if it's really sensitive) I've got a nice BPS baitcaster that I will use for pitching & flipping finesse jigs, larger jigs, crankbaits on occasion, t-rig, and maybe a c-rig. I like the Medium action rod because it's not a broom stick. I like the flex of a Medium rod. I have two MH rods now and they are a bit stiff with little sensitivity. Spinning: Medium action period. I want this rod for my Abu spinning reel for drop-shot, spooks, spoons, senko type baits, shakey head, flukes, etc. Spinning (alternate) If I can afford three rods, the third will be a 6ft spinning rod for my Pfleuger ultralight reel. This reel so far on a 6'-6" rod is VERY nice. It has the finesse of a spinning reel and the compact size of an ultralight. I can throw baby spooks, pop-r, small buzzbaits, flukes, etc. I would want a medium light action for this rod. So which is it, Falcon, St. Croix, G-Blank, GLoomis, or Dobyns? :-/ EDIT: This statement sums up my question in few words! ;D

I know I've asked Brad this before but where is the best place to use these baits? I have two of them and I have only used them once. Should these be used around docks, bluffs for suspended bass, & outside edge of weedbeds? Steady retrieve or yo-yo style retrieve? In other words, how do you fish these things?

OK, I just saw Jay Yellas won FLW Angler of the Year yesterday and I knew he won the Wal-Mart Open using swimbaits on my home lake. So I've been thinking of investing in a few swimbaits and learning to add this techique to my arsenal. My home lake is heavily pressured, full of summer boat traffic (skiers), clear (usually to 8 or 9ft), very green colored water even though it's clear, & a smaller bass population than most. Most of the bass I see never get over 2-3lbs. There are bigger but just not many. Better anglers catch them but not I. The main bait of choice on this lake from what locals tell me seem to be finesse jigs, crankbaits, finesse tactics (dropshot, etc). These tactics work all year round for most of the time. So.... When Yellas won the Open using swimbaits exclusively on this lake, the tournament was during the shad spawn so the fish were really aggressively chasing shad and baitfish. He fished them around docks and other areas. Now you know why I'm interested in swimbaits. What do you recommend for tactics, where to use them, what kind of retrieve styles, etc.?

Man....Senko/Dinger/Tiki/*** bait (senko stick style worms) sure got a bad rep in this thread. Can't see why but hey, there is more to it than the bait itself. Conditions are much more often the results of I should say the lack of results due to various conditions like confidance, technique, color, water clarity, moon phases, postition of the planets, how the fish "feels" that day, if you dropped the trolling motor in the water really loud, if you paid your rent on time, etc. (joke) Seriously, conditions and technique make or break a lure. For you that have voted for the following baits, there is more to it than the bait. See statement above. So far, I've caught my personal best on a buzzbait and I've caught many on a buzzbait. Slow steady retrieve....nothing fancy. I have yet to catch one on the chatterbait but I still throw it on occasion just so I can catch one on it. I have several crankbaits but I've lost more fish than I have caught...(totally an angler issue) Spinnerbaits I like because they very weedless and you can cover a lot of water. I've caught several on them Plastic worms......I mean come on! If you are having trouble catching a fish on a plastic worm, make yourself a personal goal and get past that. It's like FISHING 101...the basics. Yes size, color, presentation, etc. all effects plastic baits success rates. What's the most overrated lure in my opinion? I have to say the chatterbait and that is only because of the hype that follows them. It's not because it's the most un-productive lure, it's the most over-rated. It's reputation and hype exceeds it's productivity for many. There are some who love it, they know something everyone else does not.

I've got a nice pond I can fish on a few times a year. I just went a while back and I caught about 12 bass that day all on the same buzzbait. I didn't get a bite from any other buzzbait in a different color, a senko, etc. I did catch one on a Rat-l-trap but that's only because the bait hit the bass in the head as it hit the water. Lucky cast! As soon as it hit within 2 seconds I had a small one. I'm going back in a few weeks and I am going to try to slow down a bit. I tried some plastics but I didn't get a bite. I didn't have a fish finder so I couldn't see the depths, structure, find fish, etc. I'm pretty much site fishing based on insinct. They didn't hit the senko that day but they sure liked that white buzzbait. The one in my avatar was the biggest that day. He was about 5lbs. and I know there are larger fish in that pond. Can't wait to go back!

Stupid question here but I want to clarify what a split shot rig is? I want to make sure I'm not missing out on something. I haven't used this setup very often and I think it may be good for me to start using it more often. Is this where you rig a plastic bait of choice weightless and tag on a split shot weight on the line about 2-3ft from the bait making it a "mini c-rig"?

I got to use one, and I'll confirm I want one now (Bait Monkey down boy) ;D I am not as impressed with BPS Extreme rods as I am with their reels. For a little bit more money, you could get a Falcon that has tons of sensitivity and good hookset capability. My buddy swears by their Lowrider series with is around $100. BPS is at least $75-85 I think. They are not near as sensitive in my opinion. I use a Abu Conolan (only think I can afford right now) and it has a nice feel to it from an anglers perspective. But after using the same exact bait on my buddy's Falcon, there is a world of difference. My taste in rods have changed this season as far as what I want in a rod and the Falcon is starting to fit the bill pretty well. Each brand has better uses for certain types of baits. The Faclon Lowrider is great for small jigs. If you get a ML action or a M action Faclon, I'll bet you will not be disappointed. I'll give you an example. The local lake is heavily fished. My buddy misses hooksets left and right because the bass will nibble at a 5/16oz. jig all day but not long enough for him to react to it in time. He'll feel a tug-tug and then it's all over. The human brain just can't quite react fast enough for these small 1-3lb bass. Well, his can't anyway! (haha). The point is, I struggle to get a nibble and he's setting the hook left and right and catching fish when I haven't caught one yet on a jig. He can feel the bottom entensely and I can't feel much of anything. The better the quality rod, the better your chances of catching a fish. I've learned that the hard way this season as I become more of a serious angler.

If you spend enough money on a quality rod, you can use a medium and still have the sensitivity. I'm currently in the market for a new rod and I'm looking Falcon and St Croix. I should be able to use a medium action rod and still have enough sensitivity for dropshot and enough backbone to set the hook quickly. So, a good quality medium should be fine. A light action works too, just a personal preference I think.

I just got one of these the other day. It's not like a hula popper or Pop-R, you have to hold the rod a bit high and real it in just quick enough to make it wobble like a crank bait?? After about 3-5ft of this action it dives to the left. It's hard to figure out how to use this thing. Any experience with this bait?

Just to update everyone, this little setup is now one of my favorite rod & reels to use. It's light, very sensitive due to the fast action spinning rod, & the small reel is perfect for small flukes, topwater baits, etc. I can cast a spot remover and finesse worm quite a ways. This has been a great combination. I recommend it to anyone who wants a light weight combo for light tackle.

Couldn't resist...

You should try small jigs like 5/16oz or smaller and trim the skirts a little where they are even with the hook, then apply a Fat Albert twin tail grub as the trailer. The bait acts much like the rig you were using. I prefer Ekins jigs with a spider hook(?). That jig has a wire for the weed guard and it looks more natural in clear water. The little tails on the grubs just drive em' nuts! Flip it, drop it, swim it, or drag it fast. The little tails do the action and if you get a good color combination, they will catch a lot.

OK, the whole son thing was more of a joke at myself. He is a good caster for a 6 yr. old though. Again, I was just wondering if an ultralight reel will be OK on a rod that is not made for ultralights reels. It's made for a "regular" size spinning reel for bass fishing. Not offshore. I really don't feel there will be a problem either. I just wanted to double check. Here is a pic of the little caster... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/jb_adams/Fishing/Jacob1.jpg