LAO162

Going the closeout route..., Fenwick Techna AV's and Cabela's XML & XMLTi's should be selling for $100 or less, if you can find them. Although the XML's may no longer be available online, today my local Cabela's had a few XML's for $60 and XMLTi's for $90. Leon

I picked on up last time they were $49. I like it better than my Exceler and find no performance loss relative to my Tierra. Definately a fantastic value.

Buying & experimenting with equipment is fun But before you get addicted to buying gear, be more concerned about learning various techniques and learning to find fish. Being part of a club, you have a great opportunity to talk to members and actually watch to see what is working in your area. That said... I would use the MH rods for heavier cover and heavier baits. The Medium power rods for lighter cover and lighter lures, or baits that need a more forgiving rod (i.e. treble hooks)

By the end of the season, when the reeds, grasses & brush are tall, I shift to shorter rods. However, this year I have grown more comfortable with longer rods.

I bought my first Techna AV from TW through a price match. I wonder if Fenwick was allowing huge discounts to be advertised, which then meant TW had to price match at a loss...

It's good to get reminders about the importance of DETAILS

Use baits to fit the cover & conditions where you are fishing. The biggest challenge I have is getting snagged on the bottom. Unlike boaters, bank anglers cannot reposition their boat to tug from a different angle. So, deep cranks are likely to be off your list since as they go deeper, the bottom will be getting shallower as it comes closer to you.

I fish a quarry with lots sharp rocks and misc. timber & debris on the bottom. I plan on losing a couple baits per hour. If I use deeper moving baits, or bottom baits with lead I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 casts before getting permanently wedged in-between rocks. I don't fish a lot or premium baits and when I see a closeout, I buy a bunch. I found that by switching to 12# copoly such as Gamma or McCoy, I was able to save more baits due to their greater strength over mono. (I started with Trilene XL).

Last year The Natural posted quite a few positive comments about the Superlite. If you have the patience, a search into 2009 will probably give you some insights. I've been intrigued by the Superlite because the casting models have the ACS reel seat. The HMG is well established as a classic at its price point. At half price, even better

Congratulations! I fell victim to the closeouts (4 times...) They are fantastic rods

I think I've got only ECS (or similar) reel seats and one ACS. So far the ACS is my most comfortable rod to grip.

Between those 3 options it's more important to have the right power and action than the right brand & model. Can't lose with any of them To fish both T-Rigs & Cranks on the same rod, some compromises will need to be made. A medium fast may be stressed throwing heavy jigs or pulling a hawg out of heavy cover, but it should do well with weightless plastics, lighter T-Rigs and cranks in open water & moderate cover situations. A Medium Heavy extra fast will help him to drive a T-Rigged heavy hook through the lip of a big bass, but may not have enough give to prevent him from ripping a treble hook out of a fish's mouth.

The experts can correct me if I'm wrong... ) Centrifugal brakes tend to control the speed of the spool earlier in the cast. Magnetic brakes have more impact towards the end of the cast. Spool tension impacts rotation throughout the cast. DBS has both centrifugal brakes and magnetic brakes. When learning with DBS, start with half the brakes (3) on. Also, start with the magnetic brakes at the half-way point (5). If you are getting a lot of backlashes, increase the breaks, and/or the spool tension. (I'm assuming you've looked at general articles about setting up BC gear). If your are getting backlash early in the cast, the centrifugal brake settings are more important. Regardless, you should be able to keep slight thumb pressure on the spool until you have a lot of experience. My casting technique is still pretty inconsistent, but I find that my DBS reels are more reliable (for ME ) than my centrifugal reels that retail for more than twice as much. Leon

When choosing your first casting reel, consider which hand you want to use for cranking (retrieve). Traditionally, for baitcasting the Right Hand (RH) retrieve is the standard. Cast with the right had, then swap to left hand and crank with the right hand. Left Hand (LH) retrieve keeps the rod in the right hand, and the retrieve (cranking) is does with the left hand. LH retrieve is consistent with most spinning outfits. I couldn't get used to cranking with my left hand, so I sold my RH retrieve, and bought a bunch of LH retrieve reels. However, there are usually fewer models of LH retrieve available, i.e. the Carbonlite is not available in LH retrieve YET. Medium power will probably load better (cast further) with lighter lures, but may not have enough strength to haul a hawg through heavy cover or may be stressed with large lures. The best rule of thumb I've heard is medium for lighter cover and MH for heavier cover. Fishing from shore, I imagine you may through some lighter lures and want the ability to cast lighter lures (medium). A 7' rod will provide greater tip speed for longer casts, but a shorter rod will be easier to maneuver around brush on the bank. Save yourself some aggravation and go for a Duel Braking System reel. If you go with the Pro Qualifier get a spool of 12 lb XPS mono at the same time. It's cheap enough for practicing on the lawn, but still decent enough for fishing. After one or two practice spools, then invest in good CoPoly line (Gamma/McCoy) On Sale, the Cabelas XML rods are a fantastic deal

Frogs, T-Rigs, C-Rigs, Jigs, smaller swimbaits, you're good to go. Awesome setup and great deal

The link is not making it past the filters here, but try Googling: Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101 It was the first link that came up when I tried.

Don't try to swing for the fences. You shouldn't expect to snap cast a baitcasting rig the same way you would with spinning gear. I keep a printout of this next to my desk as a constant reminder: http://www../education/baitcaster-setup-101.html If you are backlashing in mid cast you probably need more of one, or all, of these: more spool tension, more brake, more thumb early in the cast. Leon

I'll believe it when I see a Stella selling for dirt cheap in the flea market ;D May not a Pro Qualifier, but how about a Prodigy by Daiwa??

A couple thoughts...you might try re-rigging your fluke so that the hook is centered and there are no bends in the fluke. Or, you may just need to try a different batch of flukes. The other alternative that is to add a swivel. If you don't want a swivel snap right at the hook, you can attach a leader in-between the swivel and the fluke. Leon

Dark green Fat Ikas rigged backwards are my confidence bait

I've started putting my hooks & sinkers into 2x3" ziplock bags (eyes at the bottom of the bag). I got them from Michaels in the bead section. I find it helpful because I can lable them with a Sharpie. Once in the bags, they don't shift much within the box.

My current glasses are actually more than adequate, but I'm quite particular about my senses. I'm getting a new set with a new prescription that tweaks the old one. My purpose is really to have a new set just for vacation. This new set will slightly improve distance at the sacrifice of closeness. Because my other glasses and progressives with new prescription are better for work, I'm considering this pair to come from disposable income I have, however, considered getting new sunglasses with bifocals so it is easier to ties 6 lb line For the last 6 months I've been saving my disposable income until I had enough for a new rod or reel. The Baitmonkey was pleased with the arrangement Now, I don't know what to do with the time that I usually allotted to looking for the next bargain. I guess quality time with Family is a good thing too :) Sometimes it's fun to poke fun at myself and my compulsion to buy gear ;D

My priorities are messed up... Instead of looking for a new rod and/or reel, I decided to get a new set of glasses with an updated prescription. And, this prescription will not be for polarized sunglasses to help watch the line... The baitmonkey is bummed

Good point. BPS has done this in the past with the Johnny Morris line by simply re-hashing old reels and using the JM moniker on it and adding the term "limited edition". You wound up getting a reel that was 2-3 model years old. : I recently picked up a limited edition Pro Qualifier in LH. From the specs it appears to be a Carbonlite with a black & sparkle paint job, BUT available in LH. When I looked at the pictures and description, I was careful to make sure that it had DBS and a swept handle. It's a sweet reel.

I can't comment on the reel, but the Platinum is a fantastic rod. You'll have no problems feeling a light bite