PennBass

Been looking for a new casting rod for a while now, and thought I would take advantage of the upcoming TW sale to buy one. The Daiwa Tatula and *** *** Black 2 caught my eye, but I'm leaning more towards the Tatula because of its wider weight ratings. I plan to use the rod as an all-arounder: some frogs in light cover, spinnerbaits, squarebills, soft plastics, jigs, and topwaters. Most of my gear is in the 3/8 oz. range. I was wondering, would a Medium or Medium-Heavy Tatula be better suited for these applications? Is there a significant weight difference? PennBass

St. Croix

I used the 18 lbs. test on a spinning reel for two months. Here's my analysis: 1. Increased casting distance is obvious. 10+ yards compared to Sufix 832 or mono. 2. Line is sensitive, just like a braid. However, the line has one fatal flaw: abrasion resistance. If you accidentally rub the line over a rock, cast your line over a tree branch, try to bring it through heavy cover, look at it the wrong way, etc, the line frays BAD. It looks like the fibers are breaking apart, and if you don't see it and retie, you'll lose your next fish. Basically, the line would be best suited for waters devoid of structure where extra casting distance is essential. However, if you are planning on using it near anything that could rub against the line, be sure to use a mono/fluoro leader, and to check your line every time you bring a fish in or hit some structure. PennBass

I have the St. Croix Avid X Spinning Rod (7 Ft, Medium Fast). It's great for pretty much anything you can think of (jigs, topwater, flukes, frogs, etc.). In my opinion, if you're using things 1/2 ounces or less, the Medium is perfect, but if you want to be a little safe then the Medium Heavy would work too.

Hey guys, In your opinions, would Sufix Elite or Yo-Zuri Hybrid be a better line choice for cranking, topwater, and spinnerbaits? I plan to buy ~10 lbs. test, and would like to know how the two lines perform in terms of abrasion resistance, castability, stretch, etc. PennBass

Hey guys, Do any of you have experience fishing tubes for Largemouth Bass? I fish two spots: one is a ~2 acre pond with a soft mud bottom and lots of sub-surface weeds. The second is a ~30 acre reservoir with some riprap and also a soft mud bottom. Would tubes be effective in these situations? Average visibility is around 3 feet, and other soft plastics like flukes and worms have worked well. What techniques should I use while fishing a tube, and what are your favorite colors/brands? PennBass

I'm placing an order on Tackle Warehouse, and I want to experiment with some new hook companies. Anyone have any experience with the OMTD/Skinny Bear/Decoy Worm Hooks (Offset and EWG)? PennBass

I'm not sure about the Sufix line of fluorocarbon, but I've used the Sunline FC Sniper with great success. The higher price is definitely worth it.

The Pfleuger President can't be beat for the price range, but I'm not sure how it would hold up against saltwater. You might need to rinse it off after every outing for it to keep performing properly.

I've owned the Avid X for several months now. I have the 7 foot Medium model: it's light and balances well with any reel basically. Sensitivity is amazing, and you can't beat St. Croix's warranty service if you ever need it. Regarding the micro guides, casting is no problem (in fact, I feel that casting feels smoother than if you used standard guides), and an FG Knot can easily fit through the guides. The power rating is on point. With the medium model, the rod loads comfortably on 3/16 oz. to 5/8 oz. lures. PennBass

Hey guys, I saw that Tackle Warehouse has the Reaction Innovations Swamp Donkeys in stock today, and I previously heard many good things about it. From your experience, do you think the Swamp Donkey is as good as everyone makes it to be? PennBass

Two years ago I bought a St. Croix premier (Medium Light, 6 foot, fast action, 2 pieces). While it was very sensitive and great for casting, it broke once every few months. Whether it be casting a 1/4 oz. buzzbait, setting the hook on a tiny fish, or some other normal action, the rod would snap in the top half of the rod. Granted, St. Croix's warranty was great and provided me with a new rod tip for each time it broke, but it's too much of a hassle to replace. I'm still not quite sure what was causing all the breaks. Others also seem to have this problem, but maybe it was just a bad batch. I own a St. Croix Avid X and it's the perfect rod and I've never had any problems with it.

This is the part of the waterbottle I was talking about. Finished project

Yesterday I was browsing TW when I saw a product called the "finger saver": it's basically a metal ring with a loop of rubber, used to cinch knots. It looked great, except it costed a whopping $9. Today, I was looking at a plastic water bottle and realized that the hard plastic just below the cap created the same exact shape as the "finger saver". I cut out the hard part and used a bit of electrical tape to provide friction, and it's perfect for cinching knots tight without cutting your fingers. Just wanted to share this idea. PennBass

Hey guys. Today I was looking at some lures on Ebay when I found some really popular and cheap (99 cents) lures that shipped from china with FREE SHIPPING. The seller had lots of positive feedback, but I'm still unsure of if it's legit or not. Do any of you guys have experience on buying lures from Ebay? Thanks, PennBass

Just a tip, the Mojo Bass Rods are for sale on the St. Croix website's Bargain Bin for $89.

The owner twistlock hooks work amazing for senko style baits

After two years of using a cheap drawstring to hold my tackle boxes, the fabric has finly given out and I am looking for a replacement bag. I primarily fish small ponds, so I move around quite a lot. In general, I'd like a bag large enough to fit 4 3600 size boxes and a few bags of soft plastics, while being durable enough to last for several years. I'm considering the Okuma Backpack from TW, but haven't seen many reviews on it. Does anyone have any experience with the Okuma bag? Well anyways, for all of you who also use backpacks when fishing, what backpack could you recommend for carrying fishing tackle?