bogfrog

As the walleye populations decrease there are fewer of them feeding on musky fry, so the musky populations increase....often to the point that there is an unhealthy population. Years ago Butternut Laake in Wisconsin was a Class A musky lake with a fantastic population of nice walleye. Since the number of cabins doubled on the lake the walleye fishing has been terrible and the last tournament I fished on the lake yielded only 3 legal musky in two days. The guys who built nthose cabins must have some pull (dont they always?), because the DNR held a public meeting to discuss lowering the legal size on musky to 28"....a meeting they were lucky to escape from unharmed! Even though public opinion was overwhelmingly against the 28" limit the legislature passed it days later. There are now nearly as many "For Sale" signs as there are docks.

Thats the beauty of carbon...fast on the cast and gets more moderate as the load increases. Not sure if that model is all carbon or not, but its definitely a blend at least. My custom is all carbon and performs the same way. Yep, just checked. Its a carbon hybrid. Graphite cant compete. By using traditional load charts this would be considered a mod fast under full load, but the ratings have changed since toray has been introduced. Sweet stick, BTW!

I remember when those Exo reels were less than $100. Looks like you stocked up! Thats a pattern with quantum. No matter what they sell for, give it a year and they will be less than 1/2 price. Now i feel silly for spending all that money on my T-3 reels when I could have got a $100 quantum thats just as good. Who knew? Thanks for setting me straight.

Im with you 100% on length....how do you punch with a 7' rod anyway? From what you're describing it sounds like a lot of manufacturers would actually classify this as a mod-fast. Do you know if youre using toray or graphite?

You can get a bad reel in every brand and model. Im NOT basing my opinion one one bad experience...its EVERY quantum reel Ive ever owned, and more than a few.The worst reel I own right now is flagship model the all holographic energy in the big size. This reel was bought new years ago and is in pristine condition with less than 5 hours on it....because it never gets used. I'll gladly sell it to you if you like quantums. These are impossible to find and there probably isnt one in existence in this condition.

I'll probably take some fire for my opinion on the calcutta B, but I'll take the tried and true ABU over them any day. The Calcutta TE is a different animal, but hard to find and they generally bring more than they sold for new. Be careful fishing for big stripers....it can be addictive and there is no known cure.

I was literally raised in a commercial fishing boat and the palomar was the first knot I learned. (it was years before I knew what it was called) I have been fishing for over 50 years and was a guide for many years and this is the first time I have ever heard of a palomar knot failing no matter how it was tied. I wasnt aware of a right or wrong way to tie one either. I always wet before I clinch.

Even on sale at $120 shipped I dont undestand the allure of the quantum when the same money will get you a Tatula with a T-wing and magforce cast control. There is a reason why companies like Megabass, Ito, SLP, etc, choose to build their state of the art customs on Magforce reels. This system is light years ahead of any other with the possible exception of the DC system. $120 bucks wont get you a DC reel and never will. If you had inside knowledge of the fishing reel industry your opinion of Quantum would change. The markup is outrageous!

The 6601 is a fine reel with a bunch of upgrades available and can be completely rebuilt for about $40 bucks and they are so easy to work on you can do it yourself. The redundant anti-reverse is a big plus on hard fighting fish like stripers. The one word that best describes the Calcutta B is "overrated". Another is "overpriced". Aside from a poer handle and drag upgrade there isnt a lot you can do with these for upgrades. For the rod an 8' or longer would be ideal, rated for at least a little more than the biggest lure you plan to use. Go look at the rods within your budget and compare according to weight, balance, and overall comfortable feel. Dont go crazy on price, but dont go too cheap. After youve used it for a season or so youll know what you like and what you dont like about it and this knowledge will help you pick out the next one. This is how it usually works, our first rod becomes our back up rod a year or so later. Nobody can tell you what you like best, but put some time on the water and youll figure it out.

Have you ever wondered if you could get out of frigid water and back in your kayak and paddle back the length of the lake into 50 mph winds? You found out something about yourself. The next time adversity rears its ugly head you can sneer at it and tell it you've been through worse. These things are what builds confidence and character, and cant be bought at any price....it has to be earned. Youll remember this day the rest of your life when things get tough and know you have what it takes. When I was seventeen (100 years ago) I fell thru the ice trapping beaver. A pole i was carrying under my arm saved me. I had to cut the straps off my waders to get back on the ice. (Thank God for 110 Buck knives) It was below zero and Im soaked in my stocking feet a mile from my truck. I ran all the way, grabbed a can of saw gas from the back of the truck and threw it on a pile of railroad ties near the tracks. My hands were so numb I could barely get a match to light and when I did the burning gas scorched my eyebrows, but I had a fire....I made it. From that day forward I always knew that I could come through in a tough situation. It changed me, and gave me confidence that lasted my entire life. Now you know, for sure, what you're made of. Stop complaining. Men like us dont whine! Do you have any idea how many people live their entire lives not knowing if they have what it takes? Be thankful you arent one of the guys that would have been found floating in the lake the next day. It happens all the time. Congratulations!

I said the same thing when the 300 EXO came out. Quantum hyped it up as the end all of 300 size reels. I remembered my disappointment when I bought the super tuned cabo reel which was also supposed to be the end all large baitcaster. Well, I fell for Zebco's hype a second time when wasted my money on the Exo. While I may have a learning disability, its not a chronic condition, and I wouldnt buy another Quantum reel if it could fly!

Do you mean like your buddy suggests you take his wife fishing while he takes yours fishing? No good can come out of this and will most likely ruin a friendship. He only suggested this so his wife can get GPS coordinates on her phone to all your secret spots....sneaky guy!

Get the Diawa. I had to send one of these back to a customer that had the tip broken in shipping so he could get a warranty adjustment. Since the rod was already broken it would be a lot cheaper to ship if it was half the length. I put it across my knee and reefed on it....nothing! I'm 6' tall, 230 lbs and I split 9 cords of firewood by hand this winter and I couldnt break it! I would have bet a thousand dollars that I could. When it comes to strength these rods are right up there with an SC-IV.

You dont need expensive gear to catch fish....absolutely true. Is fishing about need? I began fishing with my wife's friend's husband a year ago. He rarely fished, or did anything other than work and sleep. His only rig was a Walmart spin combo. I began letting him use my gear....Highest quality Daiwa and Garcia reels matched with high end custom rods. The guy caught his PB largemouth, smallmouth, pike and musky in one season and just today bought his third new baitcast reel this winter. This guy LOVES to fish now,he lives for it, and has went from being miserable to a man with a mission. His wife and kids couldnt be happier that he is excited about something and his young son talks about nothing but going fishing with Dad. This is what fishing should be about, and anything that makes it more enjoyable will add years to your life.

The St.Croix Mojo rods are now the same SC-III graphite as used in the $200+ Avid series rods and should perform as well. These are a bit more than your price point, but I believe it will be money well spent. These are good solid rods that retain a good resale value compared to other brands with a decent warranty.

I use a palomar, EVERYONE I know uses a palomar. I've never seen this knot fail, its the easiest knot in the world to tie and you can do it in the dark. What could be better than this? A No-brainer if ever there was one!

All Falcons are not created equal. Back in the day Falcon rods were built on Shikari blanks. In my opinion Shikari blanks are the best ever produced to this day when considering weight, sensitivity, strength, durability and selection. If you find one of those rods you have a gem. Not sure where Falcons come from these days, but I have even seen some at Walmart.

You HAVE to mix it up! I'll bid on assorted lure lots online to get a variety to try without taking out a second mortgage. Four years ago I won one of those big lots and there was this weird looking bait that went into the "doubtful" bucket and remained there until last June. The bait was a Lindy Shadling. It had very little action and bore no resemblance to an actual fish, but I thought I'd give it a try. 10 minutes later it caught a 33 inch walleye (Yep, I said 33"). We were camped at the lake and the next day it caught two nice pike and an 8 lb largemouth. I never would have bought this bait as an individual purchase and its only by chance I ended up with it Just goes to show that you never know. Apparently I'm not the only one who knows. Ive seen these baits bring stupid money on auctions.

When I was guiding I was given a bag of 100 Hud crawdads to try years ago. I was pumped! I had never seen anything so realistic. Imagine my disappointment when, for whatever reason, I couldnt get a fish to go anywhere near one. Im not knocking Huddleston, they have great products, but due to water clarity, temperature, or whatever, they didnt work for me. I had no problem at all trading them off. The plastics I have incredible success with are made by a company called Power Team. None of them bear any resemblence to a living creature except for the lizards. I've often wondered if the bass bite them out of fear, possibly a survival instinct triggered by a perceived alien invasion?

Only one at a time, and the options are endless. I considered giving up fishing once, and Plano called and talked me out of it.

Some people swear by the LuckyCraft LV-500. I used to live just down the mountain a ways from Clear Lake and can second that. Guiding in Northern Wisconsin the smaller LV-100's were devastating all the way to freeze-up on smallies. On tough days that had us looking for something different to get them to bite we would go with bigger lipless baits and found we caught more walleye and fewer bass. I dont know if this is due to a shorter season, colder water, different forage fish or something else, but size does seem to be at least somewhat relevant depending on your location.

A good bait to start with in cold water is a blue and silver lipless crankbait. If that doesnt work a coin toss may be as good a plan "B" as anything.

When you get hit on a frog drop your rod tip so you can get a good wind up for the hook set. This isnt necessary, but it gives you something to do while you're waiting to feel the weight on your line. Softer body frogs will hook fish easier. Scum Frog makes one that will double your hook up rate. Also try bending your hooks out slightly, not much. Late last summer I bought some cheap frogs online for a buck a piece to let my so-in-law use so he wasnt using my good frogs. These had a single hook, not a double, in the middle of the back. One day he caught 19 bass on one of these before it was completely destroyed, and put on a new one and caught 3 more. He didnt miss that many either, maybe 30 per cent I'm guessing. Never seen anything like it, and this guy swings for the fences as soon as he sees the first ripple. Based on this one experience I have to say I recommend the cheapest, crappiest frogs on the market. If they dont work for you it will only cost you a buck!

Believe it or not, I have my best luck with the cheapest, plainest ball head jigs, no weed guard. Neds get a lot of fish, but some days you have to stick them really fast before they spit it out. I like a 1/0 or 2/0 hook to give me plenty of point exposure. I get hung up a little more, but my catch to bite ratio doubles. Some day, someone is going to make a jig hook with a tear drop shaped eye that will keep the knot where it belongs....I hope.

For smooth action use a curl tail trailer. If you want a more erratic action use a kick or boot tail trailer. I like to add a stinger hook and mount my trailers on it. Fishing weeds or grass the 4 stock style coarse texture braid will cut through better. If you havent fished spinnerbaits before, buckle up! These are the most under rated baits for numbers and big fish. I dont leave home without one!