SPEEDBEAD.

Someone put their underwear on backwards today and then grew computer muscles.... : You're right, most on here are weekend warriors. What's so bad about that?

Sooooo, in summation.... ;D Matt's baits catch fish. If you dont want to buy one, find a buddy that has one and take it while he isnt looking. When I have the baits in hand (and then fish on the line), I will get pics up. There are a couple more weekends before hunting season starts, so I will have some time to throw them this year. Rubba bubba, it's all good man. 8-)

Hope all is well. Frogtog is a great guy. Two years ago, before the Guntersville trip, he offered to let Alpster and I use his boat for the week. He had never even met either of us....if that isnt generosity of the purest kind, I dont know what is.

What do you get a $20 rebate on? Must be the rod, because the Abu rebate is for reels over $109. Silly Bassboss.... ;D

Wow, some of these responses are almost "heaven-like" : I wont go Iaconelli on stuff in the boat, nor will I scream loud enough for everyone on the lake to hear me.... However, the F-bomb and other choice phrases among fishing partners is commonplace where I come from. I have fished with enough people on this board to know that I'm not all that different with that line of thinking.... Jeepers!!! I lost a fartin' fish!!!!

I know that if I am deadsticking a bait, there really is no action to speak of. Especially in that instance, I want something that is as realistic as a living fish. The bottom line is this....try it or dont. If you do try it and find that the bait is not for you, you can quickly sell it to someone else with little or no loss on your part. Cant beat that IMO.

I think so, but can't be sure. All the Rage stuff comes in the plastic pack now. Shouldnt be any issues with those.

More than 1 lure has looked and behaved beautifully and hasn't worked for squat. More than 1 lure looked and behaved like crap (to us) and works wonderfully. I'm not buying a $50 lure because it looks and moves great, I'm buying it because it's going to catch fish in a manner well exceeding average baits (which are less expensive). By no means am I saying Mattlures swimbaits do NOT work, I'm just saying people should be touting how well they catch fish, not how well they look to us. I haven't used them so I can't speak to that, but so many others here have used them that I would expect the fish stories to just roll in (like they do for the RageTail fans). I am basing my thoughts on the fact of using other products from Matt. I havent purchased a bait of his that hasnt produced. Before purchasing, I asked people I trust if they believed in the bait. Their confidence gave me the confidence to try it. My personal experiences with the baits are why I keep buying from him. Obviously, there is a big difference between a Mattlures swimbait and (using your example) the Rage Tail baits. Admittedly, the price of the swimbait brings some exclusivity with it. Many more people are willing to shell out 6 dollars for something that is small enough to appeal to ANY bass in the lake, large or small. Comparatively, not many people are willing to spend 50 dollars on one bait. Likely that is the reason why you hear so many stories about the Rage products, there are simply that many more people using them. Honestly, for my sake, I hope no one throws swimbaits ever. For Matt and all the other bait makers, I hope the exact opposite.

Yesterday was AWESOME. Three of us had 20 on the ground, weren't able to get the limit. That is some fun shooting though.... Nice to see the kids hunting too.

Did you buy the Rage Shads that were loose in the bag or the ones that came in the hard plastic case? If you purchased the loose ones, it could be that the tail is kinked somewhere.

Toys, lots and lots of cool toys.... ;D

Hell, that's nothing. To me, $50 is practically giving these things away. Hold one and use it. You'll quickly see it's worth the investment.

Hope all is well with you Keith. Let us know if we can help with anything.

Take a look at the newest Mattlure offering..... Let the drooling commence!!!!! http://www.mattlures.com/HardBass.htm

This one is HOT. http://www.hotsauceworld.com/satansblood.html Kinda scary looking too... It doesnt take much to get your mouth going. Eerily similar to getting hit with pepper spray..... ;D I have also been using a 357 Mad Dog sauce used with Bhut peppers. Quite spicy... I dont like to grow really, really hot peppers. The dog seems to think they look tasty.

A little under 2 up to a little over 4 I believe, Dan. Depends on the length, they are all the same sink rate.

The winch would be a good choice. I throw a 301 Curado D or a Cardiff 301 for baits of that size. If the winch holds enough line, I would say it should be a good choice. The Toro would be another reel to look at if you are partial to Garcia reels.

Congratulations David. Well deserved.

LBH = UPS FiveBass = welder (I think) Roadwarrior = Money man Glenn has a job too. Keri's job is to babysit Glenn

;D And he say dis right here....Luke is not from New Jersey.

Keith, I actually do own one. 51mg on a 6'8" Alpster custom. Completely lightweight, balanced, and Dan has actually fished with it too. Before I got the MG, I had a Revo S on it. Honestly, other than the smoothness of the 51, I didnt notice a difference in the two combos. Even over an entire day of fishing, there was not an appreciable difference in my fatigue.

Honestly, if I had a pond in my backyard like you do, I would do the same exact thing. 1-3lbers every day after work doesnt sound too bad to me at all.

That reel only holds 70 yds of 14lb line. Flipping, pitching....sure. Throwing a spinnerbait? Sure, why not. Throwing a swimbait with that reel and 14lb line = FAIL. I would say you could probably get away with it using a fresh spool of line (maybe, and not throwing it very far), but after a couple break offs or re-ties, there just wont be enough line left.

What kind of swimbait? A paddle tail (Basstrix, Berkley Hollow Belly) is not a swimbait....

Methinks someone needs to hit the gym...