Evan K

Thanks for the feedback. It appears that testing the speed of fall is the best answer. I'm curious though, how much my rod and line affect the lure's depth as I'm reeling it in. Does a floating line like braid prevent a lure from sinking as deep or fast? Does the fact that I'm pulling it up slowly make a big difference?

I've heard a lot of good things about Number 8 rods. Let us know how you like them!

I freely admit to still being a beginner bass fisherman, or at least a beginner serious bass fisherman, and I have a question that's bugged me but I haven't been able to find much on. With crankbaits it's pretty obvious how deep your lure is running. If you crank it good you can get it down to its advertised depth. But what about other lures such as jigs, spinnerbaits, T-rigs, C-rigs, dropshot rigs, swimbaits, etc.? How can you get an idea how deep the lure is as you're cranking it in? Does it depend more on lure weight or retrieval speed? I'm pretty sure I want to be targeting bass in certain depths, but I'm not sure if my bait is actually at that depth. Note also that I am a bank fisherman who also fishes from a kayak whenever possible. It's probably about 50/50. Thanks for your patience and answers!

I should be good to go then, got a TH Kustoms wakebait and a lure retriever on the way in my latest TW order.

I'm jealous of all the hard baits! This showed up today. The Lady President is for my wife. Lews MB Tournament baitcaster (5.6:1), Pfleuger President (25 size), Pfleuger Lady President (30 size), St. Croix Premier Ultralight spinning rod, 6' F. Funny story on the UL rod; bought it on eBay from a seller with only 32 feedback. Was a little hesitant but all the feedback was positive, so I went with it. Rod was only $90. Turns out the package shipped from Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, and inside with the rod was a BPS packing slip and returns paper. Not sure how the seller is affiliated with BPS but whatever, looks like a great rod.

Thanks all! And @ all my fellow Missourians- good to see ya!

Thanks for the help, all! Thanks for confirming that. I thought the design of those Fuji ones looked nice but didn't know if they worked that way.

I have a St. Croix Premier spinning rod. Love it. I also have a St. Croix Triumph 8-weight fly rod, and really like it as well. Hard to beat St. Croix.

I fish from a yak almost exclusively, and if I'm out on water deeper than 5' (i.e., anything but a small shallow creek) I'm wearing my PFD. All the time. No exceptions. I can swim, but I have a serious fear of deep water. To be honest, I really can't feel comfortable at all unless I'm wearing one.

I love the 3601 boxes, can fit 33% more in my tackle backpack.

Yeah, my first serious venture into baitcasters was with a Lews LFS Speed Spool, and I couldn't be happier with it. I think Lew's has a dedicated customer in me already.

I'm looking for a hook keeper I can add to my rods to hold Texas rigs. I don't want to pull the hook out of the plastic and tear it up, so I need a keeper that's more of a "hook" than a "loop", if you see what I mean. I saw these, but I've only seen them extended towards the rod tip with the hook in the small hole in the plastic. Do these work for Texas rigs, and if not can someone recommend a keeper to me? Thanks!

Long time reader of these forums, new member. I enjoy fishing for bass the most, but also like panfish and surf fishing. Not a lot of experience, been fishing off and on since I was 6-7 but only just recently starting to seriously learn and pay attention to improving my fishing. I'm an admitted gear nut/tackle junky, and will probably be seeking support frequently in the bait monkey thread.

Just sold a few beef calves so I have a little extra spending money. Picked up a Pfleuger President (25 size) and a St. Croix Premier ultralight rod. I've wanted an ultralight setup for a while, I like fishing for panfish and playing bass on light tackle. Also splurged and got a Lews Tournament MB baitcaster, the 5.6:1 high capacity spool version. Going to be my new crankbait reel. First time I'm branching out into more technique specific setups.