roadwarrior

I'm a HUGE fan of the Rage Rig!

Happy Birthday!

Me, too! That's basically the case for all soft plastics.

The guys I know that are not professional fishermen have sponsors that have found them.

Well, I'm on the other side of the coin here. I have an Avid AVS66MLF that I use for white bass and stocker trout. I don't really think it's much of a bass rod unless your bass are generally les than 3 lbs. I have had somme bigger fish hooked up on this rig and you just can't do anything with them.

All good points. Equipment has very little to do with "catching', but it can make the "fishing" more enjoyable. What I am always looking for is consistancy. With Shimano it's basically one and done. I have recently started fishing Pinnacle and have had a similar experience once the reels are dialed in.

Let's put this in perspective. Ask you wife how many pairs of shoes she "needs".

I doubt the fish get washed away, but massive release can impact the spawn.

My extended family was vacationing at Grand Lake of the Cherokees when my grandfather decided to drive over to a new lake under construction in Missouri. The year was 1959, a year before Table Rock Lake was open to the public. At the time it seemed we were lost in the middle of a rainforest. There wer no amenities of any kind, just rocks and trees. The water was crystal clear, like nothing I had ever seen. Knowing nothing about the lake, we managed to put in without a ramp or a clue. What we found was a recently flooded farm field in about 8'-10' of water. My grandaddy had some new "worms' made out of purple plastic, the original Creme worms as it turned out. Of course this was all new to me, my brother and dad. Our "trolling motor" was my dad on top of out Crestliner ski boat with a paddle. So the easiest plan was to simply drift with the wind. We were meat fishermen back then and the limit was 15 fish per person. For the first time in my life, we wacked 'em!

Anything you choose may work, but these are what I consider the basics: Black Black & Blue PBJ Bluegill White

Shimano is renown for both customer service and quality build. Strong, smooth, silent and reliant. A reputation built over time with a broad following of talented anglers. In popularity polls conducted here over the past decade or so, it always arounf 60+% Shimano versus the combined field.

Great combo, congratulations!

Well, next time give these a shot: MegaStrike StrikeBack Spinnerbait http://www.megastrike.com/#!products/vstc2=strikeback-spinnerbait Siebert Outdoors Cosmic Spinnerbait http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/Cosmic-Spinnerbait-008.htm

What is the "misinformation" you are referring to? Shimano and Diawa build great products which includes superior design and engineering, components and craftmanship and most notably, quality control.

Kanzen braid Sunline Super Natural mono Yo-Zuri Hybrid copolymer Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon

The Power Of One http://www.kiva.org/

Well, I'm the party-pooper... Before buying one, try one out. For big guys, fat guys and big fat guys, you might feel a little crowded. If you are stiff, like RA, this isn't for you. On top of that, what I really hated was wind effect. It seemed like I was always fighting the kayak instead of concentrating on fishing.

I prefer spinning tackle for light tackle and live bait. For an "all-around" rig my suggestion is Medium Power/ Fast Action and a 2500 series reel. Specifically, I fish a St. Croix LES70MF/ Stella 2500 FE/ Tatsu #6; G. Loomis PR844S/ Stella 2500 FD/ Yo-Zuri Hybrid #4 and a St. Croix Avid AVS66MLF/ Stella 1000 FA/ Hybrid #4.

Go with both, they are fished basically with the same cadence. A floater is just another topwater profile.

I always carry a trash bag, too.

Congratulations!

I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Nice fish, looks like you are on 'em!

Well, shoot... I have been out this week with the birth of a new grandbaby. If you go again, send me a PM and I will give you an up to the minute report. -Kent

Congrats on the win.