LAO162

I use 2"x3" "bead" bags. I label with a Sharpie. A box of 175 was $3 or $4 at Michael's (beading section). Just make sure you them in with the eye down. You can easily fit 10 bag and they take minimal room in the tackle box.

Thanks, great post

Last year BassMaster had an article on inexpensive reels. If memory serves me correctly, according to retailers, the Exceler was among the most recommended value reels.

If you want to stay with Fenwick, Amazon, believe it or not, has great every day prices. Techna AV's in the $150 to $160 range. Good deals on HMG's and HMX's as well. Occassionally, they have fantastic sales on one or two models within each series. I've gotten a couple rods from them with no issues (free shipping too). I also price matched one with ***, a BassResource sponsor. Leon

My 2009 plan... If I like them and they're on a great sale, I stock up

Fenwick Techna AV at Amazon will be in that range. *** will price match if they have same model in stock. When not apple-to-apple models for comparison, I found my Techna AV to be more sensitive than my Crucial. Leon

No doubt stickies would be helpful for many topics. But, in my profession I have to play Devil's advocate...So here I go... I often try searching, but I'm sometimes overwhelmed by the number of threads. Or, if I'm researching a new topic, sometimes a fresh question helps bring up key terms and buzzwords for additional searches. Also, different experience levels and budgets lead to different perspectives. For instance, I aspire to someday attain Road Warrior's moderately priced gear suggestions. Perhaps the greatest value of new threads for novice and intermediate fisherman is the opportunity to have dialogue. It is through discussion that I learn and open my mind to new ideas. Plus, the dialogue increases my passion for the sport. Sometimes, I think a well thought response from someone with intermediate skills is more helpful then comments from an expert, because the intermediate level sportsman still remembers the challenges of the newbie. On the other hand, the experts sometimes don't realize that they take certain knowledge, skills and budgets for granted in their responses. Most importantly, dialogue with others of similar skill levels is FUN. It is especially rewarding to share ideas with others who have a similar perspective. It also feels great when an expert follows one of my comments and validates my thoughts. A sincere Thank You for the Experts who do take the time to teach and chat with those of us who still have more to learn. I am amazed by (and thankful for) RW's ability to recall relevant threads from the past. :)

I have Tour Edition 1171 and Revo S-L reels to go on 2 Fenwick Techna AV's (7'0" MF and 6'6" MHF). I have a dedicated crankbait outfit and a couple other spinning combos that I use in all around situations for fishing from brush covered banks. All of my fishing is from quarry/pond/lake banks. I seldom fish water more than 6 feet deep. I'm thinking that the baitcasters will be my first choice for jigs & plastics, but I will also use them for spinnerbaits, topwaters etc. Advice on seting up the BC combos (even line suggestions) would be appreciated. I'm assuming the 7' MF would be best for plastics and lighter baits. I'd also like to have one that will give me maximum casting distance when I am at open water. I fish the Revo with 2 breaks on, but the Quantum is new to me. I'm assuming the number one suggestion from the Shimano posse will be to use them as paperweights and to get a couple Citicas :) Thanks

Yesterday I had about 90 seconds to play with the spinning travel rods at LL Bean. They pack to 21" or 22". I wasn't expecting much, but I found they were good enough that I would still enjoy fishing with them. I felt their rods were a decent value. I wasn't impressed with their reels, although they didn't have their "signature" model in the store.

Thanks, and great story

One Dicks had them on clearance. Yesterday I "cleared" them out. I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. I'm looking forward to trying them. I now have so many (at a fair price) that I won't be hesitant to throw them in nasty places.

For bank fisherman, I think the environment at times may dictate the appropriate rods rather than the baits. For instance, I can park close to my favorite spot, so I may have as many as 5 rods with me, but at most I will bring three close to the bank. At this spot, most access is around reeds, bushes, trees, tall grass etc. For that reason I favor spinning setups to prevent nasty backlashes when I catch brush during the cast. This year I plan to favor my 6'0" & 6'3" rods so that it is easier to cast around the brush. my 6'6" and 7'0" rods just seem too awkward in tight confines. On the other hand, in open space the longer rods are helpful to get extra casting distance. I have one rod/reel setup that allows me to reach a piece of cover that is unavailable to any other combo I have. I believe that bank fisherman do need less technique specific rods and therefore need to be flexible in how they use them. When crawling through brush (which I'm often too lazy to do ) I will take only one rod. It is good to know that the rod will handle a wide range of lure weights, such as 1/8 to 1/2 or 1/4 to 3/4 oz. Thus, you can use most of your tactics. This year, much of my quarry fishing will be done with 6'3" MXF and 6'0" MHF spinning rods. However, I also look forward to using my baitcasting setups for jigs - it's just that I won't be able to get to all of the same pieces of cover. It should be noted that my opinions often change with the direction of the prevailing wind

Greetings from the western side of the state

Sounds like its too late for you to retreat. You're hooked (again). I started fishing again a couple years ago. Even though I don't get much time at the water, I now spend more time thinking about fishing than my other vices. I guess that's a good thing It's great that you have a good friend to fish with you, that will only enhance your experience. Have fun!! Leon

SQUARE KNOT, SUPERGLUE & DUCT TAPE ;D It's probably a noob thing, but I just use the ventilation holes.

I think my choice would be based upon where I can get a few dollars shaved of the price ;D ;D Either would fit on my wish list. I just wish I could find them locally.

Thanks Tin

There are a few places where the Techna AV are typically priced at $160 or less. Sometimes significantly less. They are very sensitive, but balance is a matter of personal taste. IMHO, my Techna AV's are significantly more sensitive than my Shimano Crucial. One advantage that Techna AV's (and other Fenwicks) may have is that they handle a wide range of lure weights.

I'm a big fan of the Daiwa Exceler. I use my Exceler on the 6'3" MXF Crucial. Great line management and casting distance. The Cabela's Tournament ZX and Prodigy (both by Daiwa) also look like great deals when they are on sale. Leon

I often wonder about this. The classic Stradic 2500 FH retrieves about 31" pt and the new 2500 FI turns 34" pt and I have not heard concerns that they are too fast. I frequently use my 2500 FH for cranks and have no problems slowing down. 7.X baitcast reels seem to be about 30" to 31" pt, so they do not seem all that fast to me based on my use with spinning gear. Also, because I'm used to spinning handles, I find it awkward to speed up my retrieve with paddle style handles. As I become more comfortable with casting gear, it is very possible my perspective will change

If you haven't looked in the fishing articles area yet, there are a lot of great articles on plastics and other types of lures. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass-fishing-articles.html#lures When you eventually have both a MF and a MHF, most likely you will find that the MF is better with crankbaits and baits with treble hooks. The MHF will work better with heavier lures and techniques that require a harder hookset. I'll let the experts here go into the specifics Leon

Thanks for the great info. Leon

Do you fish Eakins and other finesse jigs differently from other jig styles? Recently, I've read that Eakins jigs were intended to be slowly crawled like a crawfish, rather than hopped like other styles of jigs. Thanks Leon

Sam, great description. Thanks

Bank fishing around brush & weeds. This year I'll be using one 6'3" MXF and one 6'0" MHF for that purpose It would probably be good for vertical & finesse situations as well.