The Bassman

Just saw this. Definitely puts my thoughts on a different course this afternoon. Everything has a reason. We just aren't wise enough to know what it is.

1/8 oz. PopR with swapped out hooks, no feather, fished almost dead stick. Absolutely deadly.

Got a new toy to play with. Slightly modded Scorpion 70 on a new to me rod. Comes from a US manufacturer called FXtreme. Only 6'3" and feather light with Winn Grips. I'm trying to get used to a split grip rear handle. I'm old school and primarily use shorter full grip handles. Reel matches rod real nice. Fishes good, too. Virtually no tip weight.

He must get a kick out of it. Hasn't stopped giggling since I started watching him back in the 80's.

3.5 oz.

I bought an FXtreme Angler Series 6'3"MH recently. It's perfect for what you want. I wasn't familiar with the company but am very impressed so far. I spoke with the owner and concluded that there's a lot of on the water knowledge built into these rods. American made, extremely light. I think they're getting popular across the south in tournament circles.

Just a word of advice. Be on the lookout for "discarded net" in every small man made lake. It's actually erosion netting that was laid down when the lake was dug and grass planted. I can't tell you how many lures I've lost in it.

That's what I thought as well. I throw them on spinning tackle and really don't snap cast hard enough to move that weight very often. I really don't notice much loss of distance without the weight transferring. Might be more evident with baitcasting.

They're pretty much the same reel. I wouldn't think there would be any differences as far as frame materials. Maybe a different alloy for the main gear in the Scorp. Still don't understand the big spread in price. Shimano is notorious for big price jumps over small upgrades.

These are my favorite rods and sadly they are discontinued. Just about impossible to find a short rod anymore.

I've started using cheap 50 lb. braid for my baitcasting backing. Takes a couple of grams off of the spool weight vs. mono. I start it with a few wraps of mono on the arbor.

When I saw this topic I knew I would find you in the que with this opinion. If one would search your Latest Catch Pics history it would certainly validate your take on this every time it's brought up.

The more I use my stock Scorp 70 the happier I am with it. Decided against MGL spool. I've got other reels for lighter stuff. I did order a cast control cap and drag star from a Scorp BFS from PLAT, though. I don't understand Shimano's thinking when it comes to cosmetics. That bronzy cap and star look awful on a black reel. Guess I'm a bit OCD about silly things.

I know this strays from the op's topic but I bought an Ambassadeur 2500C and matching Conolon rod around 1977. It was pretty high end stuff at the time. I was completely inept with it. Went back to my Mitchell 300 and 308.

I'm trying to make sense of the 40.00 price difference with the 70 MGL. It also seems identical to the Scorpion BFS and it goes for around 250.00.

I combine BFS with standard tactics. My Shimano Brenious lets me go plenty light with 10-15 lb. braid but fishes like any 30-70 size Shimano. That said I use it just for fun. For me there's no denying that spinning is more versatile. But don't we fish just for fun? I paint to pay the bills. More power to dedicated BFS guys I say.

I got a new 70 MGL about a month ago on e-bay and saved about 25.00. They're not available JDM. '16 Scorp 70 is still current.

Well, then I guess being "the bassman" takes on a whole different meaning for me then.

SLX XT or 70MGL. Matches the rod, too.

The chubs are just fine. They're just not where you are at the moment.

Nice. That Chronarch looks brand new. Shimano had a problem with the clear coat on them. It would yellow and peel off after a lot of use. I've got a Curado 100B (same profile) with a 50 MG spool and even though it's not as compact as newer reels it's a pleasure to fish.

I know this discussion has been revisited many times. But I'd like to share an experience I had yesterday that's been a confidence booster for me. I've always recognized that a leader would be beneficial in many situations. I just never liked the idea of the terminal end of my rig being weaker than my mainline. Plus I wasn't real confident with line to line knots. I've gotten most proficient with a double uni. So yesterday I'm throwing a light ned rig with a .28mm co-poly leader (A bit thick I know. Still working on the confidence thing.) Somehow I foul hooked a big grass carp (15-20 lb) in the tail. He made several hard runs and even jumped a few times. Fought him for several minutes and got him to the bank where I popped the lure out with a quick jerk on the line. It was kind of an ah-hah moment for me. Hope this helps guys who have had my same mind set.

I generally try them straight out of the box. I'm a Shimano user. They used to grease their spool bearings but seem to have gotten away from that. Handle bearing are always packed though, so I clean and oil them.

Big turnaround with the weather and some rain got us ice free on the smaller lakes. Felt good to get out after seven weeks. Action was slower than I hoped but still caught a few. This was my best, 2.5 or a little more. All my fish came on my modded Dark Sleeper. I add a tail spinner after the paddletail gets bit off. I've got more altered DS's than paddletails. The tails don't last too long. In stained water I think the spinner versions are actually more effective.

The spool will go pretty much full loose but the tension on the edge of the bearing prevents side play. Supposed to reduce vibration.