fishballer06

I've got a few of them. Yes, they're similar to the shad rap. I have had trouble getting mine to run correctly, but I can say that the hooks on them are super sticky sharp.

If you've never fished tournaments before, it may not hurt to look into local clubs to you as well. I grew up south of State College in Bedford. I know the TMO series fishes around Bedford/Somerset area. Jim's Achorage holds tournaments on Raystown. There may be more clubs around State College, but I am not familiar with them. We are!

Go Indians!

Welcome! What part of Pennsyltucky?

Does 5.46 inches of crank make a difference? Well, 30 IPT is around what a standard 7:1 reel recovers per turn. 24.54 IPT is around what a standard 5:1 reel recovers. Going one step further, a 120 foot cast with 30 IPT would take 48 cranks to retrieve. That same 120 foot cast with 24.54 IPT would take around 59 cranks to retrieve.

Those guys are probably currently in what you consider "winter" conditions, and it's only late October. Being one of those guys, my favorites are shad raps, jerkbaits, Silver Buddy style blade baits, and fish head spins.

Glenn, I'm not sure you read the full title of this topic. He asked for spinning gear. Are you really using 12# FC on a spinning reel?

I'm with you Raul. Shad aren't common up north here, but sometimes it's more about what gives you confidence and not what the fish will bite.

I want to see pictures of this Gatorade green water...

Like stated previously, Fluroclear is a hybrid mix line. The 100% Fluorocarbon is good stuff as well. I have yet to be disappointed by any line that P-Line makes.

You can always buy bluegill colored skirts and replace your favorite brand. Seibert makes good one's as well. I throw the Lucky Craft Skeet Reese one's in the bluegill pattern as well. A green pumpkin works as a good imitator as well, which I'm sure you have from sold old jigs.

Debating what tackle to get rid of? Toss each lure up in the air, if it hits the ground, keep it. If it doesn't hit the ground, sell it.

Treat yourself to a Metanium. But be warned, once you use one, you'll be wanting to replace all your reels with one.

It's a little over $200, but the Quantum Tour MG is a nice little reel too. The Abu Revo's are decent and similar to your Lews reels.

If these work well, I'd be interested in buying a few.

I've only been tournament fishing for two years, but I have yet to ever lose a fish. I just run a stock livewell. During the summer months, I may put in a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. If a fish is bleeding from a deep hook, the mountain dew trick has worked for me numerous times.

Sounds like a high capacity cooler (aka. Assault cooler). Those have to be illegal in California by now...

Trust me, the 684CB is much too soft for jerkbaits. I bought one for jerkbaits, it's now a small squarebill/shad rap rod. I use two rods for my jerkbait needs. GLoomis TWR773 - 6'5" MH fast action St. Croix Avid AV70MF - 7'0" M fast action

Lucky Craft 78's

We're all friends here. You should share with us where you got such a deal... PM me if you prefer.

I would ballpark 5.5 to 7 pounds.

I'm a huge fan of the DT lineup and they're my favorite line of crankbaits. I'm a big cranking guy, so I think this says something for them. I probably own every color in every size and multiples of many of the producing colors, along with a bunch that I've had custom painted. I have never had one just "fall apart" on me like many people claim. I had one split in half whenever I first started using them because I was slapping the water to clear weeds, which is a no-no with balsa baits. And then I had another one that I snapped the bill off the body whenever I casted and hit a concrete bridge piling. So again, my fault totally. Overall, I highly recommend picking some up. Everybody has their own personal preference for baits, but the DT series is one of those baits that is definitely well respected. You can't go wrong for a $6 bait, whenever some crankbaits are getting up in the $10-15 range.

Keitech Swing Fat SK Rage Swimmer Jackall Rhthym Wave Doyle's Custom Zipper

Braid is braid. It's never going to have the stealthy-ness that fluoro has. If you need braid, use braid. If you need invisibility, use fluoro.

Most of the above guys have stated some useful information. Additional factors to consider in the summer time can be dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and shade.