RDB

It’s an excellent reel. I have 2 Vanford’s along with multiple that are quite a bit more expensive and from a performance standpoint, I am just as satisfied with the Vanford. In case it matters, 95% of my fishing is largemouth.

It’s not really about the spawn. The goal of slots is to allow those larger slot sized fish to reach their potential while allowing the harvest of smaller sized bass. Generally it’s good management and IMO should be implemented more frequently. It is probably one of the biggest factors in Lake Fork being what it is after all these years (16-24” slot).

Doesn’t seem very junk fishy to me Junk Fisherman ?. If you are talking about a single trip, ideally I would be dialed in to a handful of lures. If you are talking about longer term, I switch a lot depending on conditions, seasons, cover/structure, pressure, etc. I don’t have a flutter spoon or Carolina rig tied on now but I will soon. It’s windy today so I would probably reach for a spinnerbait first but yesterday it was pretty calm and I used a chatterbait & swim jig. If there was a lot of vegetation, I would consider ripping a lipless but if it was more wood I would probably try a squarebill. Typically I have 8+ rods on the deck with a goal of getting to 4-5.

I believe the bone color topwater Livesay was using was a saltwater Super Spook.

I carry a lot of tackle but I fish from a boat and have the storage space. Last weekend I went through the tackle in my boat with the goal of streamlining. I think I ended up with more. There is no doubt that I could probably eliminate 50% and never miss but I just can’t get past the what if’s.

Knew we would get here eventually. There are a lot of great rods in all price ranges. I choose higher end because I enjoy and can afford. If others want to think I do it for bragging rights, I’m fine with that and choose not to retort ?. To return to the OP’s question, if it were my rod (Loomis) and I had an issue, I would go through the Expeditor program and get a brand new rod. Other recommendations to get a repair from a custom builder is a valid option as well.

I will admit, that is surprising. I have had 3 Conquests and the finish was great on all of them. Tackle Tour even commented that the rods were very clean and refined. I haven’t had one in a while as I moved back to the NRX so maybe they have dropped the ball as the shine of the rods introduction has worn off. I stand corrected.

Swim jigs work year round...spring is a great time to fish them.

Then you haven’t seen a Conquest. They have a much cleaner finish out than the NRX. I have never seen sloppy wrapping on a Conquest.

You shouldn’t need to change your line that often. Line remaining on a spool for a long period will get some memory but all you have to do is hook the line on something and give it a stretch. I have reels I haven’t used in several years and can remove the memory in a matter of minutes. Test it to see if I’m right. Grab a spool of fluoro, unwind 10 feet, and stretch and see if the loops don’t come out. As far as your problems, like someone else said, watch a video on setting up the Mach Crush. Then go out in the yard, strip off about 20 yards of line, put a piece of tape on the spool, and start practicing. There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to cast fluoro on a properly set up reel whether it’s $15, $50, 10#, or 25#.

Several years ago my brother and I decided to take the kayaks out to an East Texas lake. I was standing and pitching in about 5 feet of water and noticed a log in the edge of the weeds. I pitched about a foot past it, the log slowly went underwater, and I realized it was a gator. His bubbles went straight under my kayak and stopped about 20 feet past me. I mostly fish out of the boat in East Texas now.

x2 Never really enjoyed fishing them but several years ago I had a new partner in a tournament and he drug one around most of the day. I think he caught 4 of the 5 fish we ultimately weighed including an 8+ kicker. I have since caught a lot of bass on a Carolina...though it’s still not my favorite thing to do.

I can’t speak for Megabass (don’t own) but for NRX & Conquest, I would use their Xpeditor program and get a new rod. It is $125 for an NRX & $175 for Conquest. I take care of my Loomis rods and have bought and sold a number of used rods over the years. The resale is excellent but I wouldn’t pay near as much for a rod that has been repaired. https://www.gloomis.com/pages/warranty

I look at a chatterbait similar to a spinnerbait but a little more versatile. I typically only fish a spinnerbait if there is some chop on the water. Chop isn’t necessary for me with a chatterbait. I typically don’t have a chatterbait and spinnerbait rigged up at the same time but almost always have one of them rigged.

I agree...I don’t hear it referred to as guts nearly as often in bass fishing. I do hear the term used all the time by saltwater bay and wade fishermen, at least in Texas. You will hear people say wade out to the first gut or fish the guts in the bay. It’s funny that you rarely hear gut used in bass fishing and you rarely hear ditches in saltwater fishing.

I think of a gut as something like a ditch, drain, etc. Edit: Here is an article from MLF which references guts in the first paragraph. https://majorleaguefishing.com/series/2018-02-19-top-10-patterns-from-sam-rayburn/

I think of a gut as something like a ditch, drain, etc.

I only have 2 Lew’s reels and both are BB-1 Pro’s. Overall, I prefer Shimano and Diawa but the BB-1 is still my preferred cranking reel.

I don’t flip very often (sometimes in vegetation). I mostly use the momentum when reeling in the bait to make the next pitch without touching the bait. In the right situation, flipping can be useful as you can typically make more presentations in less time.

It’s just another option...you were not trying to convert the board. If it works for you, that’s all that matters. Maybe it works for someone else as well. Sometimes I wonder why people post videos just to get beaten down by others that think their way is better. Just say thank you and move on if it’s not for you. Again...thanks for sharing.

I haven’t found them to be fragile though I know some have made that comment. I have had the same bottom contact Steez since it came out and I don’t treat it any differently. I sold several Tatula Elite AGS rods but had no problems with those either.

That is easy...2 knots most people already know how to tie. Thanks for sharing.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Cal_Coast_Fishing_Cali_Clip_Hook_Keeper_3pk/descpage-CCFC.html

These work great to hold your leader.

Nice video Glen. Personally I enjoy bed fishing for largemouth and don’t have an ethical problem with it if you release on the spot. I typically use a t-rig white creature bait and have a 2 step stool on my front deck. While I agree that taking the male off the bed usually decreases your odds, I will occasionally put an aggressive male in the box temporarily if the female is staying on or very near the bed and I think I can get her agitated. I also agree that fan casting is not ideal though I will sometimes fan cast a large shallow flat as I’m searching, especially in lower visibility. I find that while I may not catch a bedding fish, they will often show themselves and help me pinpoint where to focus. Thanks for sharing.