Micropterus salmoides

I saw a video of someone fishing the Mattlures Hard Gill. When retrieved at a steady pace it went barely below the surface. The back was right at the surface. I assume this is the floater?

What model number is it? Is it versatile enough to fish frogs in open water and on top of heavy mats? On a side note how does the Steez 100 handle the torque and stress of using 65lb braid and heavy weed cover. I called Daiwa and one of the reps said that the magnesium frame will flex more under that kind of stress and that an all aluminum reel, like the Zillion, with its brass gearing, would be more suitable.

Likely. But I've seen these isolated incidents on a number of different brands. It is kind of sad these things escape quality control of any company because some are VERY obvious. On the shelf they should at least be discounted for someone willing to live with the glitches. It is up to us to make a "good" selection I guess. I played a game with this one day while I was shopping for some plastics. I hit 3 different stores and looked at all the Premier and Triumph rods in each place looking for "glitches". Premier being made here in the USA and Triumph being made in China. I found more Premier glitches than I did on the Triumph's. Actually, about twice as many as best I remember. I wasn't real happy about that. Next time I'm going to do Crucial vs Avid. China vs USA again. I guarantee all the rods that end up on the shelf with defects come from the same builder at that particular factory. All brands end up with some defective rods at the factory...it's just going to happen when you mass produce anything. However, it is the quality control manager that is ultimately responsible for not allowing those rods to be sent to distributors. Loomis and Lamiglas for one have combated this by making each individual builder put his initials on the rod. If you look at a new loomis or lamiglas, you will see initials right above the foregrip...underneath the rod coat. If they run across defective rods, they can isolate the builder and hold him accountable. The two letters are the build date. The first letter the month the second letter the year.

It definitely has HEG gears, but in Japan I don't think they refer to it as HEG. The Mg7 is the JDM version of the Core, which has HEG.

Nice catch. The GYCB Kreatures are great. I haven't done that well with them weightless, but they have worked killer for me Texas rigged. Caught a 10-4 Spring '07 after only using them for a couple of months. You might want to amend the statement that you transported the fish from one lake to another because that is illegal in certain states. Not that I'm going to tell. Anyways nice job and looks like you have a future angler.

According to Tackle Warehouse the Frog 65 is 2.5" and the Frog Jr. 60 is 2.4". I'm assuming that is just the body because they are longer with the legs. And no way is the body alone 1.5".

Instead of cutting the legs shorter try cutting half of the stands off from each leg. Cut them from the inside. This is what I did with my Bobby's Perfect Frog since I couldn't get it to walk properly.

It would be cool if they had an enthusiast line with split grip, no fore grip, etc. I would rather have them get rid of the recoil guides and use Fuji titanium framed SiC guides.

I had 2 SBR812s for a few years. The 812 casts 3/8-1/2 oz spinnerbaits with ease and is lightweight, but didn't have enough power for me. I also found they behaved more like a mod-fast rod even though labeled as extra fast. I found that the rod flexed too much when under load. I tried the SBR813 and didn't like it. Too stiff and a big jump in power for a 3 powered rod. The blank is thick on the rod. The IMX MBR783C or MBR843C, depending on your length preference are great spinnerbait rods. Also great for small jigs and texas rigs, as well as 5" Senkos. I have a GLX 843C which is my dedicated Senko, fluke, and weightless soft plastics rod.

For a long time I used a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG. This past Spring I began using a 4/0 Yamamoto Sugoi hook made by Gamakatsu. I like them both. I like the 4/0 size because of the larger gap and the extra weight gives the Senko a nice fall rate. The heavier gauge wire also makes the hooks stronger and less likely to bend. Here's what I was told about these hooks by a pro staffer: The Yamamoto Sugoi hook does a much better job in three areas over the Gamakatsu EWG, First, and most importantly, the hook point is higher than the eye, so when you set the hook the point catches flesh faster. You get much better hookups. Second, the point shank of the hook has a bend that keeps bass hooked better which is especially helpful when a big bass comes to the surface and shakes her head. Third, the bend at the eye holds soft plastic baits in position much better. The EWG has two different advantages. Its point shank is flatter so it lays tight to baits like tubes making them better is weeds, though your hookup ratio is slightly reduced. The biggest advantage of the EWG is that you can get it in superline versions which make it a stronger hook that keeps its shape better. Gamakatsu does make a hook design like the Sugoi hook, and it is the Gamakatsu G-Lock model which has been out long before they started making it for Yamamoto. It is one of my most-used hooks. ciao, Marc Yamamoto Pro Staff Gamakatsu Pro Staff

There's a possibility that a 6.2:1 gear set may be fitted inside one or both of the new Curado 200Es. Once the reels have been available to industry insiders for a while and they have time to tinker with them we should know. Cross your fingers.

It took me a while to finally try fluorocarbon for jigs and worms. Even after I decided that I would try it I had a little difficulty deciding which one to use. My initial resistance to using it was due to lack of knowledge about different manufacturers lines abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and knot strength in comparison to the line I was using, P-Line CXX. After reading up on the fluorocarbons available I realized that they had come a long way in just a few years. I was still a little hesitant because I was concerned about the way it would increase the fall rate of my jigs and worms due to its sinking properties. I thought the increased ROF might be a deterrent to bass during the colder months. Even then I did not know if the increased ROF would be substantial enough. I'm still not completely sure if the the slower ROF of a jig with P-Line CXX results in more bites during the colder months. What I do like about the fluorocarbon I use is its great sensitivity and less stretch. And because it sinks it helps me stay in contact with my lures much easier. I've also noticed that I don't have to set the hook as hard, especially when fishing deeper.

You have to take into consideration that since most people didn't list the brand of rod they use that MH may be H in another brand. For instance a MH St Croix is comparable to a H G Loomis MBR.

The Gamakatsu EWGs are one of my favorite hooks but I prefer to use a hook with a smaller gap on a thin ribbon tail worm, like the 7" Power Worms, for example. I like the 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset Round Bend Worm Hooks. I currently have the 4/0 Sugoi hook tied on to my jig & worm rods since I was using other soft plastics so I may give them a try before I switch over to the Offset Round Bends.

I wonder if he'll be using these rods in tournaments instead of the Steez rods. It would be tough to use something else after having the Steez rods.

Issues with the Spro Bronzeye that I've read on different forums have prevented me from buying them. Primarily, the inconsistency in softness and sinking problem. Local tackle shops carry them, but they typically don't have enough of a color to search through to find a good one. And buying online is not an option since I can't pick and choose. It sucks because I've read positive experiences when they do work. I wish Spro would address the issue and improve upon quality control. It's been well over a year since I first heard about the problems.

Robert, It may still be too early, but would you be able to find out if the 7.1:1 Steez 103SHA gears could be used inside the Steez 103HA, thereby converting it to a 7.1:1 reel? If so, what parts would be needed and how much would they cost? Thanks.

Robert, Do you know if both the 103HSA and 100HSA have Magforce-V braking, according to the TT Reel Preview? Or will the 100HSA have Magforce-Z like the 100HA?

Both of them are paired with G Loomis GLX MBR844Cs, my jig and texas rig rods.

I'd recommend seriously looking at the Steez as well. I have two Steez 103HAs on my jig & worm rods. The TD-Z is also an amazing reel. I was fortunate to find a new one on ebay for $220 a few months back. Personally, I like the lightweight reels for jigs, texas rigs, Senkos, etc and standard weight reels for the other techniques.

As Raul pointed out if you're referring to the Metanium XT that is the JDM version of the Chronarch B then it is about an ounce lighter than the Chronarch B, has a clicking cast control knob, and doesn't have the Ion Plating of the Chronarch B, which makes the Chronarch B more durable. Other than that they are the same. At one time, in 2006 I believe, they could be bought for $200. Late last year and into the early part of this year they were selling for $240, which is when I bought two. Now, with the struggling economy they are $300+.

I primarily use 17lb P-Line CXX because my spinnerbait rod doubles as my buzzbait rod and I like the strength for heavier cover and the added buoyancy, which makes it easier to keep buzzbaits up. If I only used it for spinnerbaits I'd probably go with 15lb CXX, but I don't think I'm missing any strikes with 17lb CXX. I do use 15lb CXX earlier in the year when there isn't any grass and I'm not throwing buzzbaits.

How do you guys like the Spro Bronzeye vs the Broneye Jr? Does one have a better hookup ratio than the other? Is the plastic softer on the Bronzeye Jr? Also, is there still inconsistency problems with the plastic, with some being harder than others, and therefore resulting in reduced hooksets since the plastic doesn't compress as easily?

If you buy the Huddlestons from here http://swimbaitcity.com/html/storehuddleston.html you get free shipping on orders over $50.

Get the Falcon FTO-302 1" Universal Organizer. It has the thin profile of the 700 Series and up to 20 compartments, each compartment capable of holding 2-3 jigs.