FishTank

For me the general rule of thumb is I fill the spool to where it is about 1/16 -1/8 inch from the very top of the spool and when it gets down to about 3/16-1/4 of an inch I change it. It seems each reel I have, has its own sweet spot where it will cast perfectly and the backlash is less when it comes to amount of line on the spool.

All the ones you listed are great reels. One of my favorites around your price range is the Shimano Sahara. The 2500 is a great size for the rod you picked.

Stevie Ray Vaughn gets my vote. The guy could make stuff up on the spot and blow people away. If you ever got a chance to see one of his sound checks, it was like going to another full concert. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNgcKoJAYgs Not my type of music but I when watch the video of these guys I have to go, HOW is it possible????? Truly amazing talent.

I think he will follow in the foot steps of Ryan Leaf or he will be the drunk high school football coach everybody loves to hate in some small town where he thinks he is still worshiped.

This is a weird bait....

If you can find one, the Shimano Crucial rods are clearanced out at Dicks.

Power Pro

Drop a bait in there easy that will make them angry, like a zoom lizard or a creature bait. Fish it slow and see what happens.

Spinnerbaits and medium running crankbaits.

I have the same rod paired with a Stradic 2500 FH. It is a great all around set up. It will be great for that purpose.

Thanks for the video. It was pretty cool. I had no idea what went into making one of these handmade baits....

I have a couple of pop max's and they are awesome fun. You should try it out. I can't recall losing a top water popper ever.

Medium running crankbaits seem to be hitting well right now but we have had cool weather here in Indiana.

Do they have sales like this often? They seem like a nice family owned store, that has grown huge. My kind of place.....

I tried some of the old stuff. I got it out of $1 bin at tackle shop. It was not worth the dollar I paid for it. To see it back out again and to be the best of show is quite a surprise. Like RW said, maybe they changed the formula. It could be a completely new and different line with an old name stuck on it.

When I have tried the Scrounger, I tend to set the hook in the same way I set a hook on a crankbait. I tend to pull the trigger a little slower and then rip it to the side.

I use a either a ML Fast St.Croix Avid spinning rod or a G.Loomis M Mod. Fast Crankbait rod. If I want to through something deep and heavy, I use a G. Loomis 844c IMX Heavy Fast.

My two cents.....

If St.Croix changes anything with this rod, they should start by changing the blank.

You might look at these two offerings from St. Croix. http://stcroixrods.com/products/freshwater/trout-series/ http://stcroixrods.com/products/freshwater/panfish-series/ I had 2 Triumphs for a short while. Short version, I did not care for them. There are better rods at around the same price from several makers, even St.Croix.

I have not fished the Dobyns but it looks like a fine rod. Between the GL2 and the Avid, I would pick the Avid.

I like St.Croix rods but the truimph is not one of them. IMHO, there are several other rods out there that are much better in that price range. For example, the St.Croix panfish spinning rods and their Trout series. The Fenwick HMX is also a nice rod.

The fish are probably trolling around away from the bank in non pressured areas. I would use a deeper running crank bait in the 8 to 15 foot area of the lake. The fish also may be more active early in the morning.

Yap. Some of the reservoirs I fish have a lot of rock on the banks and easy to get snagged. I would guess that if you are trying to get a bait unsnagged you are creating noise and motion in the water which will attract fish.

5in Senko in any dark color