roadwarrior

Bob, My apologies. That comment was NOT directed at you, it's one I have made on numerous posts. I'm sure your catch was a very nice bass, something to be proud of and I hope you catch her again. When you do I hope she weighs in at 7 or 8 lbs and you can rub in all you want. I REALLY didn't mean to disparage your fish.

The company "gets their blank material from the SAME DEALER that SUPPLIES Kistler." ReelMech said Kistler DOES NOT MAKE their own blanks, just as YOU have stated.

No, I have never fished one. However, there are lots of guys on this site that have done very well with a variety of knock-offs.

Or you can buy them direct: http://***/cgi-bin/order/92F-10

Welcome aboard! I fish crankbaits on a baitcaster. All of my baitcasters are spooled up with #12 Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft.

Clear or stained water, but not muddy or mossy; low light conditions (generally); especially in cooler water and whenever the bass are chasing baitfish.

Well, my take is this: Bass become a lot more interesting when they get to three pounds or so. Maybe part of it is sheer mass, but they seem to fight harder and smallmouth fight longer. (3 lbs, btw, is what most unweighed "5-6lbers" actually weigh). A true 5 lb bass is nice, 7-8 seems huge to me and 10+ is a monster in these parts. I think even the Cali, Florida, Georgia and Texas guys might agree that 10 lbs is a HAWG! To me, double digit = lunker.

Welcome aboard! We have several threads currently running on page 1 of this section and a couple of others ("Tackle" & "Rods, Reels, Line, etc.") addressing "new fishermen." Take a look at those threads, the responses (including a few from me) are fresh. I think these will address many of you initial questions. Most importantly, at the top of this page you will see "Fishing Articles." Inside there are articles for "Beginners" that are VERY informative. Please take a look!

The are not "basically the same." The Avid is a better rod than the Premier. Here's the link for Reed's Family Outdoors. Free shipping, no sales tax and a 10% savings (you have to punch up "add to cart" to see the discount): http://www.reedssports.com/Product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=666

Welcome aboard! You only need one rig to get started. The "best value" for brand new equipment is usually a "combination" from one of the major retailers. I suggest buying a 6 1/2' or 7' Medium Power/ Fast Action spinning combo with the Shimano Symetre reel as a part of the package. Another suggestion is to keep an eye on our "Flea Market." There are often some GREAT deals there. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20287_TGP&rid=&indexId=cat20287&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20287&id=0030874 At the top of the page find "Fishing Articles." Bring it up and you will see a "Beginners" section. Read these articles, they will help you get started. After you have been here awhile, you'll see a number of threads and posts that cover almost every aspect of fishing, including tackle and technique. Here is a currently running thread addressing lures to get you started. If you use the stuff I recommend only and get comfortable with it, you will be miles ahead. Gain a little experience with a couple before expanding your tackle collection: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1181051508 Good luck! p.s. Regarding line: I use and recommend #6 (11.9 lb test) Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft for spinning equipment. This line is strong and has virtually no memory in use.

You don't have to, in fact, when the top of one side wears out, I continue fishing the Kreature the other way around. I just think the action is more interesting with the skirt up. It's pushed back when you move the bait forward and flutters up when the lure falls. Plus, with the tentacles in front the trailing legs look like a double-tail grub with lots of enticing movement.

This topic is still active on the first page of this section: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180526552

Well I don't know... I hear some of of the guys from Cali, Florida, Texas and Georgia are desperate for a chance at some big bass. :

I'm surprised you haven't received a response today. I have not fished the G. Loomis Crankbait series, but I bet a few guys have, so maybe bringing this back up to the top of the page will help. I am currently fishing shallow crankbaits on a St. Croix Avid AC66MF which has a soft tip. This is what I consider my "all-around" baitcasting rod. I fish all medium weight crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater and spinnerbaits on this equipment, but not soft plastics or jigs. Another rod I would suggest taking a look at for these classes of lures and shallow cranks in particular, is the G.Loomis PR844C. I have its twin in a spinning rod (PR844S). This is my favorite rod. The PR844C will probably be my next rod and will replace the St. Croix.

No. I am not recommending that you fish it like other soft plastics, either. Fish the Kreature like a spinnerbait, slow rolled with an occasional twitch.

Smallmouth will attack the same lures as largemouth. If there are any in the lake you should occasionally catch one. As a specific recommendation, try a 3 1/2" Mizmo tube, Kent's Classic (squash green). Focus on rocky structure off the shoreline, in deeper water. The Fat Ika is another soft plastic that works well for both species.

Wow! We have a lot in common. I played my last round in Kansas City sometime in May, 2006. I gave my (almost) brand new TaylorMade clubs to my brother after a terrible round. I just came to the realization that I couldn't continue to play golf unless I practiced and actually "played golf" regularly.

Welcome aboard! I would recommend a couple of "cast and retrieve" lures to start with, for both you and the boys. All you have to do is cast them near cover or structure and steadily reel them in. These are VERY productive lures: #1 Original Floating Rapala (silver & black) #2 Rat-L-Trap (chrome & blue) #3 Spinnerbait (white & chartreuse with silver willow blades) One more suggestion, for a topwater lure: Zara Puppy (silver & black). To fish this lure, cast and let it sit. Then twitch the lure and let it sit again. Fish the bait this way until you feel you are "out of the zone." Retrieve and recast. Soft plastics are a little harder to learn to fish, but since you have already had some luck with one, you might want to try the 5" Senko & Fat Ika. These are my most productive baits.

The Symetre ($80) has been getting rave reviews by some members of the Shimano Posse. However, I think the "best value" among all Shimano reels is the Stradic 2500FH ($120). I have a Sustain which is a fine reel, but I do not think is significantly better than the Stradic and would NOT recommend it for the additional cost. If the price is not a concern, a new version of the Stella is being introduced. I have a couple of the 2500FBs and a 1000FA. I'm not sure how these reels can be improved, but I'm looking forward to finding out!

I think the texture of the bait is important which is why I prefer GYCB products, but if that's not important to you, just about every brand offers a creature bait. The other creatures are not identical, but they are very similar. Maybe those will trigger the reaction bite, but with the GYCB Kreature, bass hold on. Sunday I had a 100% hook-up and landing ratio. On my morning trip I caught nine bass on one bait, later six on two. So, on average I was able to catch five bass per bait. (Two of the Kreatures were torn up, the third was thrown when the bass jumped).

I'd say, "A Lucky Guy." Great story with a happy ending! 8-)

Whoa...Dude! That's a beauty. Brent better send you a complimentary package of ***. Nice fish, great pic.

Me thinks... You're going to like it...a lot! Happy Father's Day!

Here you go, I"ll start. These are TOP SECRET...DO NOT share this list with anyone: BAITS/ LURES #1 GYCB Fat Ika #2 GYCB 6" Senko #3 Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo Tube #4 ** NEW ADDITION TO THE LIST ** GYCB Kreature TECHNIQUE I target cover, structure, and if I'm fishing a river, current breaks.

Nope. I never intentionally fish beds, NEVER.