chelboed

Team Lite is readily available on popular sites for $189. It's worth it. Lew's customer service is as good as Ruger. It's the best I've had.

I caught 48 last weekend and returned 48 to the water. I've actually only kept 4 bass this season though I've caught hundreds. I'd say that's ample selective harvest. (Thumbs up) I'm only allowed to keep 15"+. That one was on the bigger side of what I'd usually keep, but it wasn't even 4#. I get it though.

Moaning because some people eat their catch?

Alright, so I'll have to admit...I'm huge on Senko style worms. Loving the Fat Ika now too. Traditional spinners? Check! Inline spinners? Roger! Toppy frogs? Indeed! Lipless cranks? Hoo-rah! Beetlespins, chatterbaits, wobble worms, jitterbugs? Check! Check! Check! Jigs? Jigs? Bueller? I just don't have jigs on my confidence-bait list yet. Generally, when I see lots of grass, I head straight for a Texas rigged plastic. Heavy cover....limbs? Same deal. Open water will get a bladed or rattling bait. As a boat fisherman...trolling a weed line flipping into weeds just makes sense. As a bank fisherman...help me boost my confidence in arguably one of the most productive baits on the racks. I've caught one bass on a jig.

Still hitting stick worms pretty hard!

Got 46 Largemouth and 2 blue gill Saturday and Sunday. They were hitting pretty hard on Yum Dinger's, Stick-O's, and Senko's. A couple on a chatter beetle that I made up, several on Mepps Gold #4, and a few frogs.

Sweet...you got a new picture of a Japanese guy.

For a second, I thought this was a troll.

Yeah...I never hold them weird. I just kid. Serious about keeping bass though. I hate it when people get down on others about keeping bass.

I handle them how I want because I eat the daggum things. I was approached by an idiot the other day that said: "I just don't understand why people eat bass. Go eat a catfish, they're better anyway. Throw your bass back t to grow and have fun catching." Hehehe... 1. I prefer the taste of bass over any Midwest fresh water fish. 2. There was an article recently about how people are over releasing bass, so the small and mid size fish are eating more of the hawg sized bass's footage. Comparing it to a silly spiritual experience...and saying "Hey, keep a few". Small to miss sized fish eat more per their size than a toad.

LFS is just the smaller frame platform.

Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn't. The TP is old news. It's been what it is for a long time now. With the trickle-down effect of technology...yesterday's $150 is today's $115. That said...I suspect the TP to be a better quality reel...but time will tell. Either way you look at it...the TP is probably the best bang-for-your-buck Superman reel on the planet. I suspect that if the Tournament MB was the same quality of the Pro, they would have called it the Tournament Pro LFS and phased the Pro out. Add it sits...they came out with 3 LFS reels and only 1 of them replaced anything...the $99 Speed Spool. The MB and Team Lite are new stand-alone models. Still hope they come out with a Team Pro LFS.

Agreed...love mine.

AAAAAARGH!! Love!

Thinking minimally: 6'10" Medium Heavy fast, 14# mono I don't drop shot. I prefer my heavy rod with heavier line for frogs and stout plastics for the hook set, but I've frog fished with a medium-light rod before and been successful.

That's the cranking model. There are 3 versions of this HM85 rod. Spinning, cranking, and the normal casting setup. The cranking model has the set back trigger, the casting doesn't. ..

I've got a Falcon Bucoo Micro Pitchin Stick. (6'10" H Fast) Love it for frogs.

Nope. The Tournament lite is an upper end reel. Very nice. Made at Doyo Engineering/manufacturing in Korea. Very nice reel. The cheaper LFS and American Hero reels are made in China.

If it's the crankbait rod...that's an easy answer. BB1 Pro multi stop

I wonder if the actual internal components are as good as the TP. The TP had a proven history of handling long term abuse. Will be interesting to see what the MB is like in a couple seasons. New MB owners keep in mind and come back next year for a 1 year review please? My opinion of the LFS platform is very good. Almost too small to palm, hehehe. Can't wait to see if there's going to be a Team Pro LFS in the works.

One more morning at the farm pond. ....

Rob: mine is the one reviewed by wired. 6'10" MH fast I am a shore guy, so I generally lean toward the most "all purpose" rig that I can. They stated that there wasn't anything that it couldn't do...and do well. I agree.

Ya know guys...with the new rod builder introducing the custom series rods...(and the fact that the Lew's staff are completely in love with them) I'll bet the HM85's are going to be phased out. Wonder what's in store at the next iCast for the Team line? This could be your last chance to get these...keep that in mind if you're holding back reading this. Mine is the finest rod I've ever owned.

Another trip to SE Kansas...16 this morning. Biggest was only about 18".

Depends on the application IMO. BB1 is good for some things...TP good for everything else. TP would be a great multi purpose/multi condition setup. My Team Reels are basically the TP + cosmetics...and they make the Chinese Speed Spools seem inadequate.