roadwarrior

Well, I'm into the first hour of this show and it is everything I thought it would be. ABC if you care.

I think Rolo calls it a "quick set," I call it a "snap set." Lower the rod and reel down QUICKLY. Without moving the position of the butt of the rod, snap the tip to drive the hook home. With a SHARP hook, you will penetrate the fish's mouth 100% of the time. LBH, that is a VERY instructive video. This is THE hook set for single hooks. As Russ mentioned, I don't think that is required with treble hooks, in fact I think a hook set loses more fish because you generally pull the lure away from the fish and out of their mouth. Firm, steady pressure is more important with crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater.

If you were restricted to two rigs only, what would they be? (Not necessarily "dream" stuff, but what you have or plan to get sometime soon.) Rod? Reel? Line? Okay, you get to chose five lures, too. (This can be multiple baits, i.e., if you pick plastics worms you get more than one.)

Welcome aboard!

For my money, this is the best network special of the year. All the stars of Country Music and everyone performing their biggest hits of the year. CMA hosts Brooks & Dunn look like a shoe-in for Vocal Duo of the Year. I'm rooting for Carrie Underwood in a couple of categories, especially for her current hit "Befote He Cheats" and Female Vocalist of the Year. Lot's of great music from Nashville tonight. Be there or be square!

Lard_Bass, This is a little off topic, but I like to make this point whenever it shows up: Your line should NEVER break, especially in relatively open water. Check your drag before you fish and occasionally while your are fishing. Check your line constantly. We have far too many posts where guys are being broken off. Although I prefer light line, maybe your's should be heavier or just stronger. There are very few reasons that anyone should get broken off and if it is just about the fish, that should never happen.

Mike, That sounds like a great rod! You can fish everything with your new equipment, but I think you will find it especially nice for soft plastics, medium weight jigs and spinnerbaits. It will work just fine for treble hook lures, but at some point down the line, you will want a "modertate action" or a softer tip rod for crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater. Congratulations!

Last summer I was fishing the White River in crystal clear water with my guide, Tim "hot Dawg" Curtis. He asked me to give this line a try and spooled me up with some 4 lb test line. It has very low memory, almost matches the light refraction of flurocarbon and is very strong. I am planning to try some heavier line on a baitcaster to test higher diameters. I have been very impressed with the line after several outings, but it hasn't replaced my Yo-Zuri, at least not yet.

When people see a fish or a picture of a fish you caught, the first question is almost always "What were you using?" That question is followed by ""What color(s) was working?" As George points out, structure/ cover, depth and presentation are (almost) always more important than the specific lure. First and foremost, you have to find the fish.

Welcome aboard! Look what happened, you hook up with Russ and next thing you know... You're a movie star! Another great video. Way to go guys.

Welcome aboard!

Monofilament: Maxima Although Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft is not a monofilament line, it is my preference and something I suggest that you try. I fish #6 (11.9 lb test) on spinning tackle and #12 (19.5) on baitcasting equipment.

Time to think about a move.

Great fish, but you almost got cheated. That bass is long enough to be 8+ lbs!

Dude! The picture is precious. I agree with avid, that IS the cutess picture ever posted on BassResource.com.

Ledgebuster Single Willow Blade

Welcome aboard!

Next thing you know, we'll all be fishing live bait. The only technology I am really opposed to is something that actually "attracts" bass. It's one thing to track them down, but I think it's quite a different situation to herd them in. The analogy in hunting is a baited field. I don't think the line is black and white either, there should be a lot of latitude for compromise.

Oh-oh! I think The Baitmonkey will be paying you a visit very shortly. You might as well start checking some of the back pages in the Rod & Reel section. Maybe you can do a search, "High End Only." Congratulations!

Two completely different groups of lures in my view. I fish hard jerkbaits on structure and AROUND cover. I fish soft jerkbaits IN cover. Plus, casting is sometimes an issue and the hard baits can cover a lot more water.

Welcome aboard! Go Broncos!

Well, I think the point is trying to ferret out the power & action that you are looking for and what you can expect to get from specific rods. The subtle difference between medium power and medium heavy in any one parttiular brand of rods is probably not all that important, but if YOU want M or MH, that's what you should expect to get when you make your purchase. So, it seems to me, that the purpose of this thread is to get some advice from guys that actually fish these rods and glean their opinions of how the rods actually perform or what their specific ratings really mean. As I noted earlier, even two rods with the same ratings from the same company will be different. My specific reference was to firm/ soft tips. Now that's a feature that makes a LOT of difference to me.

I would focus on minnow like lures: In low light: Jerkbaits (Lucky Craft Pointer, Rapala Husky Jery & X-Rap); later in the morning, Rat-L-Traps (Yo-Zuri Ratl'N Vibe & Drum, Lucky Craft LVR 300 & LVR-Max-500). Midday: Fat Ika, Senko, tube, GYCB Hula Grub and jigs. In deeper water: a DD22 and a 3/4 oz Ledgebuster Single Willowblade Spinnerbait are other options I would try. I focus on structure, in current and in deeper water.

A "Happy Place" is a good place to be. I continue to test new lines and may spool one rod up with braid for Texas. For spinning tackle I am very pleased with the Ulttra Soft, but I am still open to another brand or type of line for baitcasting.

Shimano Calais CL200ASV