roadwarrior

Too cool, congratulations to both of you! 8-)

This should help: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1189609782 As CJ stated, always use a trailer. As a rule of thumb, a trailer can be fished without a jig, but not the other way around! To start with, buy some Net Bait Baby Paca Craws. They are cheap, readily available and very effective. 8-)

Hmm... http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180909581 Otherwise, I fish other creature baits as jig trailers or on the Shak-E2 jig head. I fish several: GYCB Flappin' Hog, Double Wide Sweet Beaver, HooDaddy and if you include craws, GYCB Fat Baby Craw, Net Bait Paca Craw & Baby Paca Craw. 8-)

I'm not sure about pulling a DD14 or DD22 with a Medium power rod. I agree! My AC70MM is for shallow cranks, for heavy lures and deep divers, Lamiglas SR705R. 8-)

I hope you can make it to Kentucky Lake next spring, I look forward to meeting you and then you'll know two "non-palmers"! It just doesn't feel right to me, but I'm not at all surprised to be in the minority on this one. 8-)

I hope it works out for you. I know a little KVD Line & Lure Conditioner will improve the performance. 8-)

I'm pretty much in agreement with ww2farmer, it's mostly personal preference. I have two 6 1/2' rods, the rest are 7'. I was thinking about replacing my "all-around" Avid AC66MF with a longer rod, but I have grown to appreciate the ease of working jerkbaits and topwater with this shorter stick. 8-)

Look through a few pages in this section. Lure/ bait threads are numerous. On the otherhand, here is something specific that I recently posted: In low light, the Zara Spook and LC Pointer rule! Later in the morning and throughout the day, Fat Ika <12' of water, 3 1/2" tubes, GYCB Hula Grubs and Single Tail Grubs are great producers. Lizards on a split shot have woked for me, too. For big smallmouth and a deeper presentation, the 3/4 oz Ledgebuster Single Willow Blade spinnerbait is another suggestion. Good luck! 8-)

0'-2' Norman Fat Boy (Bluegill) 3'-6' Bagley BII (Chartreuse Black) 4'-10+' Rat-L-Trap (Chrome Blue/ Orange belly) 11'-17' DD22 (Suicide or Yearling Bass) 14'-18' Fat Free Shad (Dance's Pearl White) That will get you started! BTW, I caught my PB largemouth on the Norman Fat Boy. 8-)

Well, I'm not trying to "sell you" on the rod, but the MSRP from Lamiglas is $230, not the $180 Cabela's lists ($165 on sale). The rod was originally rated "Fast Action" which is printed on mine, but that was never true. Now Lamiglas rates it "Moderate" on their website. However, both flechero and I think it's much closer to "Slow". The point is, this rod really loads up and you can cast a DD22 75 yards on a calm day! Anyhow, I'm sure you will find exactly what you're looking for, I just wanted to offer another suggestion. 8-)

Well, a few guys have picked up on the Lamiglas SR705R recently and seemed to be just as pleased as I am. This is my suggestion for big, deep diving lures: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0037314120919a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=sr705r&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=sr705r&noImage=0 8-)

The terminology is probably just regional. "Slabs" around here is always a reference to crappie. 8-)

What is your destination? :

I can't help with any opinion on that boat, but I can tell you that there are plenty of "extreme bargins" on used boats, especially 25 year olds! 8-)

I fish three jigs, all BassResource members and/ or sponsors: Evolution Jig Micro Munch Tackle (earthworm77) GMAN 8-)

Either the Sammy 128 (Aurora Black which is actually blue/chrome) or Pointer 100 (Baby Bass or American Shad) 8-)

Welcome aboard! 8-)

When I heard the joke many years ago, it was in a football recruiting format and the call was free...from the University of Notre Dame. 8-)

Let's see... Jig = Baitcaster Baitcaster = #12 Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft So... Jig = #12 Ultra Soft 8-)

Man, nice fish, GREAT pic. Congratulations! 8-)

I don't know the rods, so I'll just say I fish a St. Croix Legend Elite ES70MF for my dedicated soft plastics rig. If you decide on a 7' rod, the 2500FI is the best match. On a 6 1/2' rod, maybe the 1000, but that's really personal preference. The line I would suggest is Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft #6 (.010" diameter, 11.9 lb test). 8-)

Welcome aboard! Regarding the reel, the new FI series has incorporated many of the features previously only found in the Stella. The 2500FI is what I would generally suggest, but the 1000FI might balance up better for you. Try them both on the rod you end up buying. As for some basic lures/ baits... Let's start with something simple: Buy the original Rapala Floating Minnow, silver and black. Cast the lure parallel to the bank, preferably along a grassline. Let the lure sit for at least thirty seconds, then retrive slowly and steadly. If you fish deep water along a steep bank for example, you can fish a Rat-L-Trap (blue & chrome) with the same casting pattern and retrieve. Both of these lures are proven producers. If you think you're ready for soft plastics, buy two bags of 5" Senkos (not knock-offs) and one bag of GYCB Fat Ika, all watermelon with black flakes. Rig these baits on a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hook, weightless and weedless. Cast them just as I described with the Rapala. Allow the bait to settle to the bottom and leave it there for a minute. Move the bait 6"-12" with a horizontal sweep, allowing the bait to settle on slack line. Leave the bait motionless for at least fifteen seconds between movements. Focus on presentation and do NOT change baits or use anything else. Fish the entire bag of Senkos, then half the bag of Fat Ika before going back to the Senko. If you don't catch any bass on these four lures/ baits, find somewhere else to fish. Good luck! 8-)

No, I am NOT beating up Abu Garcia or their STX, but I just hate it when anyone advertises "FREE!" when it's not: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=100536&hvarTarget=search&hvarAID=&cmCat=10004138 >

Hmm... I guess I have never understood the attraction for exclusively using baitcasting equipment. I like both types of gear and spinning tackle fits my finesse fishing perfectly. 8-)

The GLX MBR844C is my favorite baitcaster, I think you would like it, too! 8-)