The Kangler

Hey guys. I’m thinking about picking up a St Croix Avid X 7’4” HF for Heavy jigs, Frogs, and small swimbaits. However, I want to run braid with a leader and I’m concerned about the knot passing through the guides when flipping. Anyone tried braid and leader on an Avid X?

Hello all. I am in the market for a deep cranking rod and I’m considering a St. Croix Legend Glass 7’11” HM. Does anyone have experience with this particular rod? I can’t seem to dig up much from people with real world experience. Do you think it would be A significant enough upgrade from a Mojo Glass 7’8” MHM to justify double the price? It would be awesome to hear from someone who has fished both and compared the two.

I fish alone all the time. However I would love to find a mentor/ partner to learn from.

Hello all. I am a bit confused on the topic of water clarity and its effect on color choice. From my understanding, the clearer the water, the more lifelike the lures and colors should be, and in murkier water, brighter colors like chartreuse and black become more effective. Where I get confused is what is considered clear in bass fishing? I hear terms like stained, light stained, heavy stain, and chocolate milk, but I don't know what distance they are referring too. Could someone explain what clarity distance corresponds to each term, and how you adjust colors accordingly? Thanks!

Thank you. He will be getting a call at the end of the season.

Thanks for all the replies! I'm not familiar with DVL. Care to enlighten me?

I've searched but I can't seem to find an answer. What solvent and procedure do you guys use to flush reel bearings? Seems like I remember someone mentioning naphtha, but I don't trust my memory. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated i.e. how long to soak? How to remove the solvent after flushing? etc. THANK YOU!!!

Love the Spro Little John MD. Citrus Shad kills in my lakes.

Yeah, I really need to flush the bearings on all my reels. I just keep buying reels and rods and never have the cash for spool pin pliers. Maybe next week. Unless another sale pops up! Anyone know a SAFE way to remove a spool pin without dropping $40 on pliers? I know I know, quit being a tight a**. lol I really didn't think it felt like $300 either. The Orra Winch actually felt more solid to me, but that could just be because its heavier. The winch doesn't free spool any better though. After flushing, do you recommend the oil Abu sent, or something else?

If the 4 rods you sent me make it early enough Tuesday, I will definitely be hitting the water. Thanks for the trade!

Try Gander Mountain. The store near me is going out of business (Maybe all are?) and they had some GL2's on sale for about 30% off. Almost grabbed one today but I'm broke from the ABU sale. lol

Are there any Kayak anglers from the Charlotte, NC area? I am fairly new to kayak fishing and would love to meet someone or a group to hit the water with once in a while. I have a great rig, but I have only been fishing for about 3 years. I would really like to get into the sport and possibly fish some local tournaments eventually. I am a very humble and easy going guy. Just hoping to meet up with some like minds and catch some fish. Also, can anyone point me to some spots that are ideal for kayak fishing? I hit all the major lakes in the area but I would love to find some smaller gems that won't allow motorized boats, if anyone knows of any. Thanks!

I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Robbie and I am a 40 year old newbie from Charlotte NC. I bought a used canoe on craigslist about 3 years ago and started to get into paddling. Well, I found it kinda boring so I took one of my stepdad's spincasters out one day and caught my personal best largemouth on the second cast! (Around 6lb.) Let me tell you, I was instantly hooked! I have been obsessed with fishing every since. However, I have yet to catch a fish that big since. But that doesnt stop me from enjoying the hell out of it. I don't get to go out as much as I like but I spend several hours every day pouring over forums and Youtube trying to learn as much as I can. I would really like to thank all the contributors here. I feel like I am progressing much faster with the help of all of the awesome people on this forum. I don't know what I would do without you all!

One thing I immediately noticed is the Revo Premier doesn't free spool NEARLY as long as my BB1 Pro's. Does that even mater when actually fishing?

I got one of the Premiers today. Looks and feels great. Especially for $115! The other premier and the Orra Winch won't arrive until Monday. Guess I will call in sick and go fishing Tuesday. lol

Once I took my kayak crate on my buddies bass boat for a day of fishing. My 4 rods were laying on his deck and he couldn't help but stand on them. It wouldn't have bothered me if every setup was worth over $350. After watching him trample them and nicely asking him to watch out for them several times, I decided to get them up and put them in the rod holders on my crate. Of course, that means they were sticking straight up. About a half hour later I was bombcasting a crankbait and caught the guides of my month old Megabass Orochi. Completely ripped out two of the guides. I didn't rage on the outside, but inside I was molten lava. On top of that, I couldn't get any of the local repair guys to answer a call so I had to send it to Megabass USA's guy in Texas. I spent $35 shipping each way, $20 on a rod tube, and $40 on new guides. Now my $300 Megabass rod is worth $430.

I should have been more clear. I already own all 3, and all of them are a 5.*:1 gear ratio. The BB1 pro is my favorite reel, but I would prefer to use it on shallow cranks if deep cranks would wear it out faster.

I'm hoping to get some help deciding which reel to use for my deep cranking rod. I have a Lews BB1 Pro, an Abu Revo Premier, and a Abu Orra Winch. Which do you guys think will best handle the rigors of deep cranking best? Don't want to prematurely wear any of them out if possible.

The bait monkey got me after I bought the Premier and Winch. An hour later I went back and bought another Premier

Thanks for the heads up! Just ordered a Revo Premier and a Winch for $155! Gotta love it.

Was it something I said? LOL

Wow guys. Thanks so much for the advice. I feel like I'm narrowing this down now. I am very intrigued by both the falcon and the hammer. Can anyone compare the blanks of the Falcon Bucco, and the Hammer, and the falcon Cara? How would any of them compare to my Avids for instance? All of them fall in my price range, so I would prefer the most sensitive one in case I need to fish the bottom.

Great Thanks stingray! So to help me narrow down my 6th and final rod, do you guys mind looking at my rod arsenal and what lures I plan to use on each rod and tell me if Im doing anything that won't work so well? I have only been fishing for a couple of years and am a bit green. I know I know, I have some pretty nice gear for a newbie. I was lucky enough to win a $2000 Bass Pro gift card at work and I went on a bit of a shopping spree I can see how people end up with so much fishing gear. SO ADDICTIVE!!! Here are my plans so far. My goal is to get a set up that will last me for years, and be versatile enough to compete in tournaments after a few years more practice. Here is how Im pairing things up. 1. St Croix Avid X 7'4" HF - For frogs, pitching, flipping, punching, and the occasional swimbait 2. St Croix Avid X 6/8" MXF - Topwater, tubes, weightless plastics 3. Megabass Orochi XX EMTF 7'5" MHF - I plan to use this a workhorse for - C-Rig, Light T-rig, Football jigs, Swim Jigs, and Big Cranks 4. Cashion 7'MMF Cranking rod - small to medium crankbaits, slow fishing small jerkbaits 5 St Croix Avid X Spinning 6'8" MXF - Senko, Wacky, dropshot, weightless plastics 6. This is the one I need help with. Im debating on a MHF or a MHMF for larger spinners, lipless cranks, medium to deep cranks, and squarebills. I realize this may be too much to ask of one rod, but I am limited to 6 and want as much versatility as possible. So far I really like the Kistler KLX 6'9", but the warranty just isn't on par with my Avids. Since Im kayak fishing, its not a matter of if but when I will damage a rod, so a great warranty is very appealing. Can anyone compare the differences of the Avid blanks, the Kistler KLX blanks and the G.Loomis e6x blanks? Avid and Mojo bass use the same blank material as I understand, and if Im only going to get a 5 year warranty, I may just go with the Mojo 7'MHMF, unless the Kistler is much better. I also like the looks of the Megabass Levante Spinnerbait but I worry it wont do as well on cranks and squarebills, and Ive heard they aren't nearly as sensitive as the Orochi XX line. I would prefer a bit shorter than 7', but versatility is more important than length for me. Thanks guys for all your help. There is so much to learn!

Do think the MF action tip on the 6'9" will be enough to set the hook on 1/2oz spinners?

I really like the look of the Kistler. DO you think I will notice much going with the 6'9" vs the 7' besides a little casting distance?