roadwarrior

That means that a weightless presentation is the "optimal" way to fish the bait. That is the only way I fish it, but I think a C-rig would be a better choice than a T-rig if you want to fish deeper, quickly. I fish a T-rigged Gitzit when I am fishing a comparable profile deep. I don't think there is any reason a Fat Ika would not work, but I have not fished it that way.

The Fat Ika is designed to be fished weightless.

I would agree with Hawgin. Although there is no industry standard, St. Croix simply underates their "Medium Power" rods.

Great bass! Next time you catch a nice fish and weigh it, you can tell us what you think the one in the picture weighed. I think you will be surprised. If you haven't caught a 5 lb bass, I can assure you it is HUGE. Most "5 lb" bass that aren't weighed are 3 lb bass.

....I thought the dress code was Cowboy hats and boots. What else do you guys wear?

If you are not getting hung-up occasionally, your are not fishing where the bass live. Unfortunately, this results in losing a few lures, especially if you are fishing from the bank. That's just part of the game.

I'm heading up to St. Louis in an hour or so. It's probably a good thing I watched of few innings of this series, I think it will dominate the conversation this weekend. What do you think? Congratulations to the Cardinals and their loyal fans! Well done.

I guess I'm just lucky. Both of my hands work, the right hand and the wrong hand!

2:1 in the fifth and Detroit pitchers still can't play defense. I'm not a big fan, but this doesn't remind me of "professional" baseball. Eight unearned runs in four games is ridiculous, especially in the World Series. I just glad it's football season. Broncos 17, Colts 3... GO BRONCOS!

Fenwick introduced the first graphite fishing rod. Your "best value" is a BPS combination or something comparable from another major retailer. Buying an Ugly Stick is not a good option for a serious bass fisherman. There are plenty of other options at the same pricing point.

Yep! I did enjoy your very special video and look forward to the next one. Thanks! LBH ROCKS!

Wow! Bases loaded and the runner looked safe to me...Well, we'll see. 1 down, 8 to go.

Ah...If it worked before, it might work again?

Welcome aboard! I hope you find a good partner. Post this in the regional and the tournament sections, too.

Maybe I'm missing something, but 10% threads are VERY rare around here. There aren't but a handful that get more than 100 responses. You're talking 670 to meet that criteria. The only currently running, first page thread in any of the sections that meet that breaking point right now is the Muddy's baseball topic.

Oh! Sorry, I thought you were talking about spinning tackle earlier. I have the 200 because that's what a friend of mine that owns a tackle shop recommended. I didn't know the difference at the time and maybe the 100 wasn't available (I think I bought mine in 2000 or '01). Anyhow, my next reel will be the Calais CL100A. I plan to put it on the AC66MF and the 200 on my new PR844C. Line capacity is the only thing I can think of and that is not an issue for bass fishing. Perhaps the 200 is marginally stronger, but again, I don't think that is an issue either.

I fish the same combinations for all treble hooks (jerkbaits, crankbaits amd topwater); Medium weight: St. Croix Avid AC66MF/ Shimano Calais 200 Heavy & deep divers: Lamiglas SR705R/ Shimano CTE200GT My next rig for these classes: G.Loomis PR844C/ Calais 200

Try Shimano direct. They occasionally have a return that they replace rather than repair. You might be able to get one for free. If you e-mail customer service tell them about all the Shimano equipment you use, how dedicated you are to the brand and all the sweet stuff you can think of or if that's not your style, just give them a call. If you can't get it for free, I'm sure they will be able to sell you one or tell who to call.

The Shimano series you are referring to used to be their 2000 series which is now the 2500 series (same size). I have three 2500 series and two 1000 series that I like just fine. The 1000 series is smaller, lighter and may not be quite as strong, but it is still a fine reel. Perhaps it's just about balance. I have a Stella 1000FA matched up with a St. Croix Avid AS66MLF. This is an excellent light tackle rig. My Stella 2500FBs are on 7' rods, St. Croix Legend Elite AS70MF (my soft plastics rig) and a G.Loomis PR844S (my live bait/ smallmouth rig). I aslo fish a 2500 Sustain on a Fenwick Techna AV AVS70MM for light lures with treble hooks. In each situation, the reels just seem to match up better.

Great reply avid! If it were me, I wouldn't fish with them. Life can be complicated, but having a good time fishing doesn't need to be.

Well, color can be confusing. Most of the time I really don't think it matters that much, but there are days that are one EXACT color only. I have a lot of colors in every lure category, but I find myself fishing "green" most of the time, year around and in all water clarity. My number two is black neon (black and red). Right now, in the fall, white or white and silver or some combination of white-silver-black seems to match up with the focus on baitfish. My choice for soft plastics and jigs is always DARK.

Smallmouth, maybe. Largemouth, no. You need a bigger trailer with any jig.

Nope. There is some difference between models. For example, the smaller, high end Pixy (low profile) is really designed for lighter lines and lighter lures. The Shimano Calcutta 400 is a big round reel with tremendous line capacity as it relates to fresh water and it can be used for light saltwater fishing, too. So, there are specialty reels designed for a variety of purposes, but a low profile Curado and a round CT200 are comparable in most ways, except shape. (I'm not addressing gear ratio, bearing count, line retrieve (IPC) and special features, just the basis of your question).

There is no particular advantage, just personal preference. I fish both, but I have a slight preference for round reels. They just "feel" better to me. Some might say that a round reel holds more line, but I have a Calais that has greater capacity than my two CTE200GT combined. For bass fishing, line capacity isn't really an issue.

I only know the answers to #8 & #9. David Hayes caught the World Record Smallmouth Bass at Dale Hollow Lake (11 lbs 15 oz) Fenwick introduced the first graphite fishing rods.