Bluecraw

I balance the rods that I use to jig baits off the bottom. Balancing crank rods, spinnerbait rods, topwater rods, etc. gives no real advantage, because the resistance you feel is through reeling the lure and not raising the rod tip. Through experience and education (Mechanical Engineering Degree) I would say it's definitely a good idea. When you're jigging a lure by raising the rod tip, you're feeling the water resistance plus the lure weight, plus the rod weight times the length of your rod from your hand (lever-arm and fulcrum stuff). You're increasing the overall weight of the rod, but as long as you're holding the reel close to your body while jigging, it's actually less strain on your lower back. If you hold the reel a significant distance away from your body while jigging, then yes, you'll feel the extra weight. Believe me when I say that you'd rather carry (2) 10 foot long 2X4s on your shoulder at the mid-point, than (1) 10 foot long 2X4 by the end. (2) boards are heavier, but easier to carry. Hope I explained it well...now, get jiggin'!!!

the Scooby-Doo combo...I'm saving for a new boat. :

I don't let it influence if I'm going fishing, but sometimes WHEN I go. If I know I'm gonna go fishing on the weekend, and there's a new or full moon on one of those days...that's the day I'll go. I figure I'm gonna go regardless and it can't hurt. : Sometimes I use the tables to give me a reason to go fishing. "...but Honey, I HAVE to go!! The astro table is showing a value of 90 for tomorrow!!"....

I never tried any other brands. I only use Yamamoto Senkos....I think they put some mojo or something in those things. :

....I'm speechless....

I had a BAD experience with Paypal, so I only use them through a separate bank account other than my personal account. We had some CRAZY lady complain about a transaction and we refunded her money and everything...even let her keep the merchandise. Well, Paypal "froze" our Paypal account until they could "investigate" the issue. We couldn't get our money (approx. $2,000) out of the account for 9 months!! They have WAY too much control!

Interesting way to look at it. I think I would give a little more weight to the taste and smell. It's been proven that a bass will keep the bait in her mouth significantly longer if she can taste and/or smell it. I spray every plastic I throw in the water....it may or may not "attract" them, but when she inhales the bait, you have more time to hook her before she spits it out. :

Good for you!!! :) Didn't get my first "nice" boat-puller until I was about 30 years old, so I would say you're doing pretty good. Here's a pic of mine. I think I'll get my son a bass boat when he graduates...what better gift?!

Pond Hopper, ....so, If I'm bass fishing with my buddy and we "talk" about work, does that mean I can write-off my boat, rod & reels, and tackle on my taxes??? :-?....I don't know, sounds like a business expense to me.... :

Send them a letter in writing that you do not want to receive any more solicitation from the company. There is a federal law that states they must comply with your request.

Just DON'T GIVE UP! Even if it takes you ten years. Here's a math problem.... better education = better job better job = more money more money = more fishing gear more fishing gear = bigger bass boat bigger bass boat = no more money..... ...wait a minute, did I do that right????

Well, I tend to save my points up until I can buy something GOOD! Since August 2006, I've accumulated 3613 points ($72.26).... Just curious how many points you guys have?....and if you don't have a BPS rewards card, get to a doctor FAST!!...it's like getting free fishing gear.

You better get a rain-check from BPS on the KVD. They were just on sale for $79.99, now back up to $99.99. I've had a KVD and if you're gonna spend $100 bucks on a reel get the Abu Garcia Revo S...I would say it's one of the best reels in that price range..... .....just get ready for the Shimano Posse to tear me up.....

...yeah, if RAMBO can catch fish using the tackle in his knife handle, then we can all catch fish with any brand of reel.

I read somewhere that the average bass fisherman only uses 1/3 of his tackle, 95% of the time...now that I think about it, that's probably about right for me..... ....but, I still load all of it in the boat for the day! ....doesn't hurt and when you're getting skunked you can say that you tried everything, but the fish "just weren't biting today." :-?

......yeah, I've seen lobsters smaller than that!!

Sign me up! This year I will never hit the water with less than 5 Revo SXs on board.....almost have enough reward points to get another one.

8 lb ? oz....I had a crappy scale. It was about 8 1/2 lbs. Caught on a T-rigged, black U-Tale worm.

I have one of the Pro Qualifer rods with a Garcia Revo SX on it. The rod is very good for the money....it's no G-Loomis, but it's better than the BPS XPS and Bionic Blade series rods. I like it and will probably get another one. Don't know about the reels....sorry.

Save a little more and go with the SX. I think the magnetic brake is better and it's externally adjustable, which is a plus out on the water. And the SX has 2 more bearings than the S (10 vs 8).

I had the same dilemma one time and went with the Accurist Gold. It's pretty much the same real as the KVD with a smaller profile. I just couldn't bring myself to fish with a "signature" reel....if it's so good, then why do they need to have a pro's name on it to sell it??? :-? My vote: Accurist CX500 ...by the way, you'll catch the same number of fish on both reels.

...only 27 posts for me and I'm already a muddy-man fan!!...

I use a homemade plug knocker that costs about $0.00. Heard about the idea in a magazine and it works great. Just pickup a bunch of used sparkplugs at a local car repair garage (they won't charge you, they just throw 'em away). Take the ground wire (L-shaped thingy on the sparking end) of the plug and run it through the eyelet on a snap-swivel, then bend the ground wire down so it doesn't come off. Presto...plug knocker. Next time your crank gets snagged, just unsnap the swivel, put it on your line, snap it back, and let 'er glide down the line. Keep your line kinda taunt and when the plug reaches the lure, just lower and raise your rod tip a few times to knock it loose. If you can't get it loose, who cares...it's just a greasy spark plug and you got 4 more in your bag....

I use the stop and go technique when the weather is cold or the bass are finicky. 2 to 3 plops then stop for a couple of seconds. The fish ALWAYS hit it at the precise moment you start reeling after a pause, never when it's sitting still. I've had (like others, I'm sure) bass strike a jitterbug 2 or 3 times before I hooked 'em. So, if she hits it once and misses, she'll probably hit it again.....it's awesome... Oh, and I have every color, but BLACK is definitely the best.

Could someone please mail me a snowball? My kids don't know what one looks like........ ;D ;D ;D ;D Actually, we did have some cold rain/sleet last night here in GA and half of the state shut down. :