roadwarrior

We have a winner!

Fish Chris, If you lived in any one of about forty-five other states, you would have taken that picture. I wouldn't be surprised if there are one or two guys on the Forum that have never had a day like yours. :

It seems to me that the appropriate action would be to return the rod to Walmart for a refund or exchange. Rod failure as a result of defect almost always occurs during initial usage according to a number of manufacturers, including G.Loomis. I found the response from Billy Fields, Customer Service Director to be quite clear and to the point: Follow our proscribed procedures and the warranty guidelines to replace the rod. Claiming that they make an inferior rod when their reputation would indicate otherwise does not seem like the correct approach to me. Coming here as a brand new member and launching this tirad raises a BIG red flag in my mind. Comparing any rod to an Ugly Stick is meaningless. The fact that many well known members of this Forum have very high regard for Falcon rods is another consideration. So, as NYTEX asked, "What is the point of your post?" Are you simply trying to disparage Falcon Rods or are you trying to have your rod replaced?

Same advice: Set your drag at no more 25% of the breaking strength of your line, as long as it is within the specifications of your rod. (This does NOT apply to high test braid).

Set your drag with a scale or put 2 1/2 lbs of weight in a plastic grocery bag. Tie the bag to the end of your line. GENTLY lift the bag with your rod and set your drag at the point where it begins to release. (This is a little light, about 21% of line strength, but it will work just fine). Once you are hooked-up, maintain your rod position between 10:00 and 12:00 so that the rod fights the fish. Reel when you can, maitaining CONSTANT pressure. IPC for a Stradic 2500 is 33", you should be able to keep up with a fish running straight at you, reel faster! When you have the fish in shallow water, walk backwards and pull the fish on to the bank, but DO NOT lift the fish with your rod.

Welcome aboard! We have lots of Plueger fans, I'm sure a few will speak up shortly.

Welcome aboard!

My first DD bass was caught with an errant cast. I was fishing a private pond for the first time, casting about five yards out from a weedline. My cast ended up closer to the middle of a little point, which as it turned out was a hump defining the original creek bed. I probably would have reeled in quickly to recast, but back then I was fishing Senkos on a baitcaster and this cast had resulted in a pretty good "professional overun!" My Senko sat on the bottom for quite some time. When I finally found myself in position to retrieve the bait, I moved it and got smacked. There was no luck involved, this was EXACTLY what I was planning to do! :

Some of us would just say "NO", but Raul has very succinctly explained why that is the correct answer.

Agreed.

wickyman, The new Abu Garcia Revo has gotten plenty of play on the Forum, many of our members have purchased them this year. As a more general statement, Garcia reels enjoyed a great reputation for many years, but their innovation, product durability and quality control seemed to suffer beginning in the '80s up until just recently. There are many fans here at BassResource.com, but some of us (me) have had bad experience with their reels in the past. Just like people, a company's reputation takes a long time to establish, but is easily tarnished.

WARNING! DO NOT FISH A GYCB KREATURE T-RIGGED IN THE WEEDS, YOUR ARM WILL GET BROKEN!

Nice fish. It's very hard to judge weight by a picture, but most "5-6 lb" unweighed bass are about 3 lbs. Almost all 7-8 lb bass are 4-5 lbs.

Hmm... Before starting an argument, let me state the Triton21 boated his PB (8.9 lbs) at Lake Fork wacky rigged. LBH has had TREMENDOUS success wacky rigged. Many others on this Forum catch lots of bass and some big ones, wacky. That said, I try to avoid little fish and I think the action of "wacky" attracts too many. If you are having trouble catching fish or looking for numbers, wacky is probably the way to go. You will still catch some VERY nice bass, but for me, I NEVER wacky rig a Senko and I don't fish 5" baits anymore, either. The 6" Senko deters smaller fish, although you still catch them. I have been able to reduce "numbers" dramatically by going to the bigger bait.

If you want to catch bigger bass, fish the 6" Senko. You will still catch some smaller fish, but it tends to discourage attack by many. I won't promise bigger bass, but I can guarantee your numbers will go down significantly. Most of my DD bass have been caught on this bait. Now, when you tire of catching 10 lb bass, it's probably time for another hobby! :

I am a huge G.Loomis fan, no doubt, but for this specific application I suggest taking a look at the Lamiglas SR705R. http://www.***.com/descpageRDCLAMIGLAS-LSRCR.html

Playing. Bass are curious creatures. I know a lot of guys that pride themselves in their ability to cast a lure without making a splash. I'm sure there are occasions with this might be advantageous, but more generally, I think a BIG splash attracts fish.

;D ;D ;D Rock Chalk... Jayhawk...KU! ;D ;D ;D 8-)

Check out another thread still running on page one of this section, "What Lures?" http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1179095866

Woo-hoo! I'm sure you will be happy with your new set-up. 8-)

Fat Ika! : Otherwise, I don't fish a plastic dad by itself, but as a jig trailer. For this, I like the GYCB Fat Baby Craw.

The domestic Stella 2500FB has plenty of line capacity, really much more than I prefer. Spooling #6 (.010") or #4 (.009") Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft, the reel holds 170-200 yards of line! This is far more than necessary for bass fishing.

Well, they certainly could, but it varies dramatically. #4 might be 10,000 yards while 1 lb of #40 = 1,440 yards.

Man, great rig...that's THE BOMB! 8-)

bshaner has given you some GREAT advice on lures that will generally work and the structure you should target. I would add, if you are on a river or there is any current where you fish, smallmouth bass ALWAYS prefer moving water.