Riazuli

Good to know! Pmimg you mick d

Yeah, interestingly, the Medium St. Croix doesn't rate up to 3/4 oz, but the medium Expride does. I was looking at the MH versions for St. Croix which would support the higher weight; however, as I was saying before or in another thread, the MH feels pretty stiff to me for St. Croix. To boot, I am using BPS gift cards for this purchase and the site doesn't offer the LTB in Medium/Moderate...that being said I've been leaning toward the Expride for the most part, and seem to hear better things about the Expride over the St. Croix in this range. Would you say the Expride outshines the LTB?

How about compared to the St. Croix LTB - Do you have any ideas on that? I've just edited my post, as I realized if I'm going to consider spending extra on that, I might as well compare to a similar priced St. Croix. Looking into Dobyn's now, and I've heard a lot of good things about those as well.

That's a good point, but I honestly haven't compared micro guides to regular guides. With that in mind, I might also consider the regular Avid. That being said, I am leaning toward the Expride, but am waiting to see what more people say.

Hey everyone, I thought I would check here to see if there is anyone that can turn a broken 1 piece rod into a functioning 2 piece rod. The rod is an older BPS bionic blade that I'd like to keep for sentimental reasons more than to use for a main rod. Any ideas?

Btw, shimano just came out with a new expride series that is significantly lower in price (~260), and is reportedly just as strong but lighter than the old series, while also fitting more into US standards in terms of models and specs.

Hey everyone, what are your thoughts on a Shimano Expride vs St. Croix LTB? I am going to be using it mainly for cranking and am looking at a ~7' M/Mod (LTB) or M/Mod (Expride) setup for 1/2-3/4 oz lures. I've heard mixed reviews and am not really sure here. To me, it's a nicer looking rod, and I will be pairing it with a Shimano reel, but the LTB seems like a good bet too. Would like to stay in this price range and compare these two rods for my purposes. Any suggestions?

Definitely a durable rod. I've been using my first one close to 20 years like I was saying in my original post. I actually prefer the hump, and it's one of the main reasons I'm wanting to stick with it at least for my older setups, along with the overall feel and look that I'm used to. They still use the power hump and I actually got it on a newer Johnny morris signature series that feels great with one of my newer reels.

Hey guys, I realize this might not be the proper place to post this, but I'm hoping this can be allowed as this seems like the best chance I have to find these rods! I've used a bionic blade for around 20 years now (power hump/cork grip/burgundy-maroon color shaft). I have two older setups that I'd like to have backup/replacement rods for, and want to keep using older bionic blades for those setups. I recently found one I wanted on ebay, but it arrived damaged from poor packaging - it was a 7 foot medium fast bxb70mt model. Ideally, I'm looking for that model first, and from there Edited: Just looking for 7' Medium Fast and 6'6"-7' Medium Heavy/Fast One (1) piece rods, specifically ~2010 models but will consider other years. Anyone have one they'd be willing to sell or know of someone who might? Please pm me if you have something along these lines!

Booyah boo jig with removable rattle - you can get them for under 3 bucks depending on where you look.

I would file a complaint with your bank to get a refund, and just say what you have done in terms of trying to contact them.

Definitely a jitterbug followed by other topwater. I've been fishing jitterbugs for around 30 years and as a previous poster mentioned, it just brings back memories with that unforgettable sound. And you can't beat a topwater blowup. Second type would be crankbaits of any kind - they're just more fun to fish with for me than most other baits.

I considered that, but am sure that I had snaps either directly from the spool or somehwere in the middle. I even snagged one of my lures that I had launched after a snap and had ablit 20 yards of line attached. Good recommendation regardless. This is more of a comprehensive guide to consider if you're having these issues.

Not sure if you're in to using snaps, but that would prevent you from having re-tie unless your line snaps. I'm not a big fan of retying, so I started using snaps, and catch plenty of bass on em (so it doesn't seem to be spooking the bass too much, including clear water bass). As far as a knot, I started using the uni over a clinch (two loops around the hook eye instead of one for added strength). I like the uni way better, and it definitely holds better than a clinch for braid, in my opinion. I would say it's easier to tie as well, seeing as you don't have to aim the last bit through the eye of the hole you create with a clinch knot.

Just ordered a bunch of squarebill crankbaits (kvd 1.5) as their have been some hefty bass caught on them at my recent spot. I was using some smaller ones with no luck (and also hadn't used them as much as the lipless), so I'm looking forward to using these when they come in. I'm also looking forward to the fact that they will have less chance of getting snagged seeing as they don't sink or dive as deep.

I recently ordered a bunch of suspending shad raps (shad rap rs and glass shad rap) in 05 and 07 sizes. The 05 seems to be a better all around size for me. I went with suspending because I noticed that the originals weren't staying in the zone long enough once they got the attention of bass that were in sight. The bass would follow the lure during the retrieve, but lose interest when it shot up to the surface (these were also colder water bass this winter, so warm water bass may be more likely to chase the lure on the ascent). From what I noticed, the bass tend to prefer the natural colors, but I'm sure a firetiger or similar would work well in darker water. Also, these versions both rattle, so they can be effective when the water isn't as clear.

I feel much more confident using braid than mono, and I feel it casts better too, with less back lashes. If you do decide to go with braid, check out this guide I just put up to prevent your braid from snapping on casts (yes it can happen but it's also preventable).

You're one of the lucky ones looks like you started out with a decent strength line to begin with. One of my main issues was starting off with 20 lb test in a less used brand (mustad) and then only 15 lb for power pro. I still had a couple snaps on the 30 lb but that was from casting way too hard and then not adjusting for the dig in from that first cast - so yeah, two in a row lol. Haven't had a snap since then.

I forgot to mention holding the line for a tight spool - adding that in now! That's great that your routine is working for you. I figured this would be a sort of comprehensive guide to cover all the bases if needed.

Hey everyone, I had been having a lot of issues with braid since last summer and have come up with the following suggestions for anyone having similar issues related to: braid digging in and snapping on the cast or at least getting random backlash and the lure stopping dead in the air. Braid doesn't really stretch like mono or fluorocarbon line does. If there are any kinks or the braid has dug in to the spool from a previous backlash, lure getting snagged and pulling hard on the line, catching a large fish, etc., it can snap from too much force applied. This can send your lure flying...but with no line attached. I probably lost a handful of lures before making all of the proper adjustments, so I feel your pain if this is happening to you. This can even happen with 30lb+ braid, but the chances are slimmer than with thinner braids of course. Here are the steps to consider: 1. What kind of braid and what strength are you using? A lot of people recommend 30lb test and up to prevent digging in due to larger line diameter, but this all really depends on brand and type. I'm a big fan of original power pro 30lb, as it has been working well for me after switching from 15 lbs on two of my reels. My other two reels are being outfitted with sufix 832 at 30lb test, which I've heard a lot of good things about in terms of smoothness, strength, and durability. Some guys are happy with lower test braid, and I've seen a few guys say they use 20lb test comfortably. I'm perfectly happy with 30 lbs and might even go higher for my froggin/slop setup. 2. When you tie on a different lure, are you checking your line for dig in spots/kinks and are you readjusting or at least considering your brakes and tension knob? If you switch from a worm to a spinner bait and the wind just started to pick up, you just might get a backlash and lose that spinnerbait. I often start spinnerbaits at brakes set to 2 (especially if it's windy) and tension knob set to a slow fall. I think it's a good idea to readjust brakes and tension knob after any lure change - I usually keep the brakes on 1 and only set to two if it's windy or if I'm using a high wind drag lure like a spinnerbait/chatterbait/something else wide (and even just every so often without changing lures as your tension knob can get looser over time). 3. Check your line every so often. Pull out a few yards after casts every now and then to clear the line from any overrun. When reeling the extra line back in or loose line in general, it can help to hold the line in order to get a tight and even spooling. Pay attention to your spool every now and then before casts. This whole process doesn't have to become a nerve wrecking ordeal either - I've got a system down where it just feels to be a natural routine in my fishing and I can say I feel much better than having to fix backlashes all the time or watching $5-10 (more or less) fly into oblivion with a hopeless jaw drop. 4. Increase casting distance and power gradually from when you start and when you put on new lures, and just every so often. I'll start off with a short and east cast of say 10 yards, and then gradually increase it to 15, 20, 30, etc. This helps to ensure that you're clearing the line effectively instead of going for a 30+ yard cast right away, only to run into a kink or dig in and lose a lure in the process. Also, general reel maintenance is key to smoothness and castability. Keep those reels cleaned and lubed as needed! Also, keep casts smooth and never swing it like you're trying to hit a home run - that's a good way to lose a lure. 5. An additional tip that is not absolutely necessary, but can help with smoothness, preventing backlash, and overall castability is using a line and lure conditioner the night before fishing. I use kvd L&L conditioner every now and then and this really helped me while I was getting into the groove of my routine. Now that I've got things down, I don't feel I need it as much, but is still nice to use every now and then. Using LLC the night before can be more forgiving if you forget to implement the above tips right away when starting your day. I hope that helps for anyone running into this issue. Tight lines!

Did you break it 6 years after buying it and then you took it in, or is it just overall 6 yrs old? That would be amazing if they replaced it like that after 6 yrs.

You could try starting off with something smaller that at least has some room to put a kayak crate...You can score something like that for as low as 100 bucks on craigslist - maybe even lower. I remember from when I was actually looking to "downgrade" my kayak before because I wanted something lighter and easier to haul around, but then realized the one I had wasn't too bad to load up on my car, and at least doable by myself. You could do that, and then when you're ready to spend more, get something you really like. Just a thought - I'll stop trying to convince you now lol. I felt obligated, because when I started kayak fishing, like dog_bone was saying, it opened up a whole new world. For me, it was exhilarating, liberating, therapeutic, and totally worth any investment I put toward it. I felt like it improved everything - my work, school, and life in general.

I'm also a big fan of the smaller ponds in the winter, with it being easier to track down the bass. They're in there somehwere, right? I purchased a deeper castable sonar, which really helps to locate those deep spots for winter time bass. I don't use it for fish finding - just to map out the pond's depth and for structure locations. Generally, if there is a overflow drainage in the pond, and/or a fountain, those will likely be the deepest spots in the pond (from my experience in mapping out at least a few different ponds). I never knew you could catch smallies in ponds - I've yet to catch a smallmouth, as I lived more south for most of my life, but am now closer to smallie waters. Can't wait to land one.

I was sight fishing a decent sized bass yesterday and threw just about everything I had at him with different presentations without any luck, but admittedly didn't try worms for long enough..he didn't take a weightless senko or a jig with craw trailer, but I have a feeling the one thing that might have worked would have been a drop shot or shaky head...im gonna hit the same spot in the next few days and see if he's still there or at least another one to sight fish (next to a WWD, so odds are there will be at least one decent sized one hanging out). That's another one I didn't try from my previous post... Will give that one a shot too. I shyed away from it cause I was near a lot of rocks, but I might have to take the risk!

Save up and check ones out on Craigslist or other classifieds. You never know when you might find a great deal on something. Until then, enjoy bank fishing! I am