Oklahoma Mike

Yes, the Bass X is cheaper, but you get what you pay for. I've pasted the details from their website below for easy comparison. Lots of differences, the most natable being a SCII versus SCIII blank. Bass X: Premium-quality SCII graphite. Designed and built for bass anglers. Hard aluminum-oxide guides with black frames. Fuji® ECS reel seat with black hood on casting models. Fuji® DPS reel seat with black hoods on spinning models. Split-grip/premium-grade cork handle with EVA trim. Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish. 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service. Avid X: Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) tooling technology. Premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite. Incredibly light, super sensitive and durable. Slim-profile ferrules. Kigan Z micro-guide platform reduces weight while maintaining proper stripper guide ring height for optimum line flow efficiency. Z guides feature slim, strong aluminum-oxide rings with gunsmoke frames. Fuji® reel seat with gunsmoke hood(s). Split-grip/select-grade cork handle. Kigan hook-keeper. Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish. 15-year transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service. My preference for weightless worms is XF.

In your price range I would suggest the Avid X. I would also suggest taking a look at Hammer Rods.

I bought som elf their topwater mono a little while back to try out just because it was so cheap. So far no complaints with it whatsoever. Now that you reminded me, I'll pick up some of their FC and braid to try out too. You're not kidding when you say they're practically giving it away.

I only thought I had a problem until I saw the stuff some others were buying on the Latest Tackle Purchase thread. Now I am guilt free.

Trim skirt if needed, add trailer, and go.

Hmmm... I put a Shimano reel in my cart and it did not reflect the discount. I went all the way up until the point of letting them charge my card before bailing.

I use the Alberto knot. It is simple and fast, and I never have them fail. Whenever I get snagged up the leader always breaks between the knot and the lure rather than the knot itself. No reason to change for me.

As bluebasser mentioned above, the Hula Stikz work great and will accomplish what you're after. In fact I have grown to like them more than the TRD.

Pretty much exclusively Owner hooks. I like the 4/0 Twistlock for T-rigged senkos and some creature baits. I also use this for weightless rigging paddletail swimbaits. For wacky senkos I use the 1/0 wacky hook for weightless and the 1/0 wacky jig head for weighted. I also use the keel weighted version of the Twistlock beast hook in various sizes for paddletail swimbaits and creature baits. Ultraround Jighead also for swimbaits when I want that nose down presentation dragging the bottom. 4x jungle flippin' hook flipping and punching. Downshot hooks for dropshotting and Neko rigs. Z-man Shroomz for Ned rigs.

Do you own a drill? Make your own Bass Mafia Hydra-Flo hybrid!

I bought a ton of LC cranks and jerkbaits at Cabelas this summer for somewhere around $4.75 each - they were on sale for I think $4.99, plus a military discount. I loaded up on at least one of every model/color in the store - and then I bought some more online.

Jerkbaits, jigs, and senkos are my main baits in colder weather. Sometimes a spinnerbait slow rolled at a snail's pace.

Big fan of the Pflueger line. I'd also cast my vote for the Supreme - performs as well or better than reels going for mormethan double its price point. I also own a Symetre and would rank it behind all of my Pflueger reels, including a Trion that is at least 15 years old.

Update: One week short of two months and I have finally received my order. On a positive note, the quality is just fine and I am overall happy with the purchase.

Crankbaits are about the only place I will consider a snap, but even that I normally just tie direct anymore.

Well I did have one in bone and one in baby bass. I guess I tied a poor knot on the bone one, because I tried to bomb it out there and watched my detached lure soar off into the sunset. So now I just have baby bass.

Jackall Pompadour in either bone white or black bone, depending on conditions. Close second is a black Cavitron.

No, I just misplaced it.

I ordered on 9/30 and, aside from an email receipt from PayPal, I haven't seen a thing. Not even so much as a shipping notice. I did notice that the name on the receipt is written in Chinese, so I'm guessing it will take a while to ship. A little communication would be nice though.

Funny, I was just looking for this in Cabelas the other day and did not find one anywhere, which I thought was odd because I bought my last one there.

Keitech Swing Impact Fat Jackall Rythm Wave Strike King Rage Swimmer Kicker Fish Tail Slapper

Inspired by this thread, I included one in my TW order today. Can't wait to try it out.

If you like the Whopper Plopper, you should give the Jackall Pompadour a try. Pretty much the same concept - makes a helluva commotion, and can be stopped/paused in place to elicit strikes.

Tatsu or Seaguar's new Finesse FC.