RDB

IMO, if you are going to spend that kind of money on a rod, it should be for bottom contact techniques…the extra dollars you are spending are primarily related to sensitivity. Steez and Conquest rods are more versatile than the NRX rods but when I say versatile, I’m referring to a wider range of bottom contact techniques because they have wider lure ratings. For example, an 844 Conquest is rated from 3/8-1oz but you can comfortably go above 1oz. The NRX 854 is rated from 5/16-3/4 and IME, those ratings are pretty close. You could use an MBR rod like the Conquest for some non bottom contact techniques but that is not there strength and there are much better and cheaper alternatives. I can’t speak to St. Croix or Megabass bottom contact casting rods as I have no experience with them

Your right, he made a statement. Read the title of the post. If I didn’t know better, I would swear my teenage kids are posting under aliases. They think they know more than everyone else too. Maybe this application of the word “know” explains why.

Know: intransitive verb To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty. intransitive verb To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in. intransitive verb To have fixed in the mind. intransitive verb To have experience of. intransitive verb To perceive as familiar; recognize. intransitive verb To be acquainted with. intransitive verb To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct. intransitive verb To discern the character or nature of. Strange logic…I guess that means if information can be acquired, you know as much as the next person. That explains why I failed advanced statistics in college. I knew as much as the professor, I just didn’t apply it properly.

I shared my thoughts in the first post but I wouldn’t hold my breath expecting a lot of feedback. They are very good rods but not the most popular choice in the high end category. There is the video above as well as several others on YouTube and a few reviews on Tackle Tour.

If you like the NRX, go with a Conquest. They provide more versatility than the technique specific NRX rods. They feel more powerful but overall not that different than the NRX which you said you already like.

Channels are channels…it’s typically the unique features or inconsistencies that are the prime spots. It could be a swing against a point, a spawning flat, a bank, a rock pile, a stump, etc. etc. A dock certainly might qualify as something unique. As far as distance, there is no answer but if my focus is on channel or ledge fishing, I am not going to venture far from those structures. I’m also probably not going to start my search in the middle of the lake.

With each major advancement in electronics, the secrets that the lakes hold decrease a little more. There are not a lot of secrets in our lakes today and advances are only making it easier for the masses to find higher potential spots. IMO, to rely on “tried and true” is to die a slow death as technology continues to progress. Whether it’s @Catt and his Toledo Bend example or someone like Josh Jones who started putting together massive bags with an approach few were employing, to think that bass are not going to continue to adjust is to underestimate their adaptability.

Ott caught his big bag on Hunt For Monster Bass in the same area as your photos (a little further out toward the main lake). His win when he was using a frog was pre-spawn if I’m not mistaken. There are a lot of points off of that creek as well as some wood along some of the bluff walls. There are also some docks that hold fish. Pay attention to the top of the bluff walls and you will see places where big chunks of rock has broken off. That rock is now in the water.

Your statement My statement

Completely agree…also, if your buying through Digitaka (my preferred site) drop a few bellows gills in your cart. They are ~40% cheaper JDM and since you are buying a reel, the shipping will be free.

Fishermen say his kind of stuff all the time. It’s good for the ego, just like holding that bass a certain way to look bigger or adding a few pounds to the fish story. The reality is most anglers who post here couldn’t hang with the best sticks in the local clubs. A handful might have a chance in a 1 day tournament on their home lake but the VAST majority who think they can hang with the pro’s are delusional.

Of the rods have I a lot of time with: 1. NRX+ 2. Conquest 3. Steez 4. Megabass OneTen Stick 5. Z-Bone I don’t typically use high end rods for moving baits but I had to try the OneTen stick. It is a fun rod to fish with.

Wow…that is such a shame. It seems like it was just a matter of time before the record fell. I didn’t realize how small the lakes are, so I can see how they would be really susceptible to heavy fishing pressure. I can’t imagine the notoriety from the ‘80’s & ‘90’s was a bad thing for the economy. It’s hard to believe they haven’t tried to scale the program at a larger lake unless those were unicorns.

A lot of anglers catch their PB on small baits v big baits because that’s what they throw most often. It would be interesting to compare number of fishing hours using big v small lures…I would bet it would be pretty lopsided for most. I think it’s pretty common sense that more time on the water and fishing where the big fish are increases your odds, but this is a fishing site, so maybe reminders are good.

I’m reading Sowbelly now. It sounds like that was a pretty special time for bass fishing after those Florida’s grew up. I saw that something like 5 of the top 10 bass ever caught came from Castaic & Casitas between ‘80-‘91 and in the 32 years since, only 2 in the top 25. Four of the 5 were caught in ‘90 & ‘91 alone. Did something happen at those lakes after ‘91 that caused such an abrupt drop?

I own mostly Steez SV TW’s and but have 2 newer model Zillions (I have never owned a CT). As far as overall performance, I don’t see much of a difference. I just grabbed 2 new rods and am probably going to put a Zillion SV and HD on them.

IMO, there are times when some large bass are not going to be tempted by a small bait and but may be with a large bait. Bass are opportunistic and if you put something in front of their face, you might get bit regardless of mood, otherwise they may need some motivation. When I’m watching a game, I’m much more likely to get off the couch for a can v. a shot glass of beer. If my life depended on catching a big bass with a swimbait, I would throw an 8” over a 3”. Doesn’t mean I can’t catch a big bass on a 3” swimbait, I just like my odds better with an 8”. Edit: Ever heard the story about the 2 bulls on the hill? It’s a story about motivation ?.

FYI…Diawa just replaced a broken guide on my Steez at no cost and the turn around was less than 2 weeks. I spoke with them before sending and they said they typically no cost replace AGS guides. Their ask was a copy of the receipt and paying for 1 way shipping ($20 something) but it was worth it to get the correct guide replaced to look brand new.

I’ll respond since nobody else has. I only own 1 Steez rod currently (the Steez Bottom Contact) but have many NRX rods (all for bottom contact). Since the NRX is usually the standard most compare sensitivity against, I’ll share my opinions on the two. The Steez has a better overall build quality and balance, and comfortably handles a wider range of weights than a comparable NRX without feeling over/under powered. The NRX is lighter (light is relative…both are light) and I feel like the NRX handles more crisply. As far as sensitivity, the Steez is very good but to me it has more of a deeper, almost duller feel v. the NRX. They are both very sensitive but in my hands, I prefer the feedback from my NRX rods. Weakness is in the eye of the beholder but I personally don’t feel like there are any weaknesses with either rod. I don’t care about aesthetics and don’t notice balance issues on 4 oz rods. Steez are excellent rods and though I sold my Conquests and went all NRX, I did keep my 1 Steez rod.

FYI…Diawa just replaced a broken guide on my Steez Bottom Contact rod at no charge (I paid 1 way shipping) and it took less than 2 weeks to get it back. I spoke to them before sending and they said they typically no cost replace AGS guides.

For bottom contact, I’m going to put more dollars on the rod than the reel unless I have an unlimited budget. Personally, I would get the NRX+ 822s DSR (852s JWR a close second) and pair it with a Vanford. I have Shimano’s that are more expensive but I have no hesitancy picking up the Vanford over the others.

Looks like a gizzard shad imitation. I would search gizzard shad skirts on TW.

It’s all relative. Like @A-Jay said, most of the time the catchable bass are going to be related to cover/structure. If I told you I caught all my fish at 7 feet in 15 feet of water, does that mean I need to fish mid column? What if I added that there was weed growth or brush tops that topped out at 7 feet. Most of the time for me, mid column without something for the bass to relate to is called dead water.

Is stroking a jig still jig fishing? A Senko is a brand of stick bait and there are many ways to fish a stick bait. Just because you change how you rig it doesn’t change the fact that’s it’s still a Senko (stick bait). Senko’s today aren’t even fished the way they were initially intended. Though weightless is popular, Senko’s/stick baits does not mean exclusively weightless.

He was working on his motor on the boat ramp and felt the wrath of the people waiting to launch.