Alex Ball

Just looked it up. Hmmm. Very interesting rod. On point on price. Thanks. That's a serious contender. Second time that XP has come up. Definitely gonna test that one out. My buddy has those. Multiples. They just give em to him.

I absolutely agree with that. If I'm compromising, I'll go with something more geared towards cranks. I'm also running 3 setups on my bank runs. A 5'6" LMF combo for the smalls, a Cherrywood MHF Concept A for trebles and a HF combo for the power stuff. I know I won't get everything I want here. I'm just head over heels about the Concept A. I use it the most. It got me believing in the Baitcaster. I'm just hoping to find a rod I can take as the All Purpose setup for long excursions where 1 setup is ideal. I fish Bull Shoals Lake. It's a different animal. I descend/ascend vertically to some spots. It's part rappelling, part fishing. Extreme bank angling. It'd be much easier if I only have to carry one setup. Thanks for the advice. I feel exactly the same. Just want to experiment a little.

Funny you mention Ark. I'm getting the catalyzer series delivered soon. It's for a customer but he might let me have the 7'3" MH F. Good rods according to him. At $33 each on sale, it was a no brainer. Money all day.

Got a good friend that has multiple of those 2 rods. He's sponsored by them. The Dobyn's. It was definitely on the list and I can actually try it out before I commit. Thank you. Oh and BTW Happy New Year everyone!?

Hey everyone. I got a 13 fishing Concept A gen 1 earlier this fall. I had given up on casters because my experience with Kastking (Bassinator is good, meh to the others) and Lew's reels wasn't great. This reel will be the only brand I ever buy again. It's absolutely perfect for me. I've been using two rods with it: A Berkley Cherrywood MHF and a 13 Fishing Omen HF. I like both rods but I feel like I can find one that does everything in one. I use the Cherrywood(my superstitious rod) for cranking and jerks. I use the Omen for jigs/Plastics. I'd like to find one that does all that. I had a Favorite White Bird I got for early Christmas. If you only take one thing from this post, let this next part be it: DON'T BUY A WHITE BIRD!!! Just awful. I'm looking for advice. A Mod Fast 3/8 to 1 or 1.5 on lure weight. 6'6"-7' preferred. On the action, it needs to be the stiffer end of mod fast. I don't care if it's composite or straight graphite. It needs to be stiff enough to bang on a hookset but soft enough to sweep my RK 55 into the mouth. I know it's a lot of requirements. My budget is around $150-200 here. Any advice or suggestions are welcome. This will be my bank bassin' setup for the rest of my life hopefully. Thanks Al

I want that dirt. The tricks they don't share usually. Serious technical advice. I've had WRB tell me things on here that felt like secrets. Crankin Chris, A Jay, Ranger Jockey too. That experience is so important. It's like having a pro on speed dial. That would be my want, the little secrets.

That's my favorite spot in Oakland. The park when it's flooded. Those tables are bass magnets. Flip or skip, you're gonna get hit. Works for me. I get an entire cove all to myself. I know it upside down and backwards now. It's really nice to have such a low pressure lake to really learn on.

Not huge, but a good fighter. He jumped on me.

I haven't fished beaver yet. We're finally at pool. The bridge closed 4 times this year. We were extremely high. Any more and housing gets affected. I think we're the only lake on the chain not really designed to fish. It was quite literally built to be a flood reservoir.

The posts about how remote we are on BSL got me thinking about something: There are two major misconceptions about this lake. 1. The White River is our rival. Most of the real towns are on the White. From Jordan to Flippin, with Mountain Home in between, the WRA towns get the spotlight. Good, let em. I'm not "from here". An outsider if there ever was one. I was welcomed with open arms on one condition, keep it a secret. The basic ideal here is that we have everything we need, why ask for more? We're almost a foreign country in our own state. I have friends who live 20 miles away that don't know where my town is. We're extremely insulated as a community. 2. It's hard to catch bass here. True and false. In a tournament setting, true but not for reasons you'd think. Just for leisure, it's completely exaggerated how difficult it is here. If you're in a derby, unless you have intimate knowledge of the lake in at least one area, you're toast. I can be 30 yards away from you, blowing up the spot while you are zero bagging. That's not luck. I'm blowing it up because I know that spot has a small cave you can't see unless you are here when we revert to Wisconsin level winters. That slot is where every bass in that spot is. Unless you actually do the work when it's miserable here, you're praying for 5 that measure. Finally, if you're just banking or pleasure fishing, its a bass bonanza if you're a local. We know where the tanks are. We don't share that info with even our friends. I got me a nice little cove end. Too shallow for boats. I'm the only person I've seen there in a year. I love it here. Heaven on earth

A buddy of mine calls it the "Ghost Lake" a ghost town except it's an entire lake. It's kinda unreal. As far as I know, Bull Shoals, Arkansas is the biggest town on the lake. That's unbelievable. No Walmart for 30 minutes in any direction. No tackle shop for 45. Red's in Lakeview is going to reopen. We needed that bad. Got to go to Hamilton this year for the big tournament. Was there catering for the events. On BSL, 4 boats in one area is heavy pressure. On Hamilton that same scenario is considered a quiet spot. We're so spoiled here. It's a real chore to catch bass here. If you're cool with just pred angling, regardless of species, this might be the best kept secret in America. It's maybe the easiest place I've ever fished for panfish. Most interesting too. At this point, Lakeview has a brighter future. We just got a DG 6 months ago. We're getting our tackle shop back. It'll be the only real one on the lake. LoL on the "Downtown". Harp's is it. There's a fantastic little fly shop and a DG there in Bull Shoals. 178 club will keep the town going, but only if the Marina stays solvent. In Lakeview, we just got the 2 businesses I mentioned plus a resale shop. I do the lawn jobs there sometimes. We have Gaston's. That's huge for us. We have another restaurant too. 1 hotel. LoL, the enthralling economics of a ghost town. When I moved here, we had a gas station. That's it. Gaston's too but is a ways away. Things are looking up in Lakeview. I worry about Bull Shoals.

Yup. I like the mustard colors. They get smoked here. Any yellow.

Yessir. The Keitech, Rage Swimmer, and the Damiki all produce here. Ranger Jockey and you both got me into em. A staple bait here. I'm glad we get overlooked. Norfork is literally next door, and so is T Rock. Everyone goes to those 2 or right to the river. As a result, we have a tournament grade lake that doesn't get absolutely hammered. It's nice. I was also told it's one of the most difficult lakes in America. I've CA'd with a couple "foreigners" as we call em. HS and college kids. They despise it here. A 10lb bag gets you paid here.

Okay, Day 1 OTW review of the 13 Fishing Concept A/Omen Black HF combo. I should say that I honestly had kind of given up on casters. Not for any other reason than they just felt off. Not natural. I have/had several different brands, but mostly KK and Lew's. That being said, I now realize I don't like mag brakes. It has to be dual or a CBS. The TMP by Lew's is great, but it's super specific. Mine is the 5 speed. Crank reel. Review - This combo is absolutely perfect for me. I was extremely impressed with the testing phase, and now it's even more impressive. I threw everything I had in my bag, jigs, TX/CA rig, Spinner baits, Frogs, and, of course, my cranks. Every single bait felt "good". Particularly the Frogs and Cranks. I've never been great at walking baits, but this combo makes Frogging easy. That frog booty was moving like the girls at my band's shows. I do okay on frogs, but now I feel like it can be a primary bait when needed. All walkers really. On cranks, it's just perfect. You feel everything with this rod. Everything. I felt my Flatside move a pebble. No joke. It's soft for a Fast Action, but not limp. Very crisp. Casting is effortless, and even when I backlashed or nested it was minor. 304 casts, 2lashes, 2 nests. All four were on me. Still getting used to the brake. It's almost disturbing how quiet it is with braid. Much less noise than I'm used to. Feels like air. Such a light setup. Only got one in today, but it was decent size and a breeze to reel in. The drag is excellent. Bulldog indeed. It bullied that fish. Had it at maybe 25 percent. Felt good. Distance and accuracy were both above what I'm used to. So was the fatigue factor, meaning there wasn't any. I could've thrown it all night and still felt fresh. Extremely sturdy reel as well. Very rugged. I thought I didn't like casters. Turns out I just don't like Kastking's BC reels. I'm a KK fanboy so that says it all. In closing, I give it a 10 so far. I've never scored anything higher than 8.7. 7 is good in my system and anything above 8 is a keeper. A perfect 10. Never thought I'd say that. Time will tell, but 13 just blew me away. Definitely going to get a Defy silver or maybe the new Zephyr rod from KK. Their rods and spinning reels are choice(KK) but the casters are meh at best. Needed a $200 reel to show me that but still. Thanks so much Bulldog, you were really my first friend on here along with Ranger Jockey. I don't know if this becomes a lifestyle without y'all. I needed a community to belong to. I found it here. Best fishing forum period. Best people too.

I'd never really spent more than $35 on a pan reel before. Glad I did. The drag is phenomenal. Line management is too. It's a beast. Got the SB800 and it's my A1 pan reel. I catch bluegill for fun, and it handles even the little ones perfectly. What would be a rod you'd suggest for that reel? You've never, ever steered me wrong. I wish I'd asked about 13 sooner. Feel like I finally found what I was looking for in a casting combo.

I was born with brain damage to my frontal left lobe. Not the kind that makes you slow, but it affects my motor skills(tremors) and my emotional response. In person, most people think of me as a robot. Very digital. There's no gray to me only black and white. It's actually a huge advantage to fishing. I don't get mad when things go sideways. I also don't get excited when I get bit. A buddy says I'm the easiest partner he rides with. I feel the emotions, I just don't process them in an outward manner. Makes me a good buddy I guess. I also have a near eidetic memory. Almost perfect recall. I can remember what bait YOU(metaphorically) threw in a certain place 3 years ago. I remember the time and conditions. A robot. LoL.

Ohhhh. Gotcha. Me neither. I'm a stick, but I can send it 60+ yards with the right bait and a soft rod. I use 15 lb braid on everything, 20 at most. Calamus Bastion or Yozuri Superline. 6-8 lb mono diameter. Thanks. I was wondering if I was the only one not getting those 100 yd casts. Id love to know what size line they use to spool it. If it's above 14lb mono on a size 100, it's likely they spool at about 75 yds. That's a mile, but it's also not 100+ yds. I watch Zaldain, Ike, and Christie videos religiously. I've never once seen any of them spool a reel. For me, it's about accuracy over distance.

I watched a video with the lead rod and reel devs at 13 last night. They admitted the OB1 was basically a test rod they put on shelves. No explanation to why. I gotta say, those 2 are almost too honest. Some of the things they admit are jarring. Refreshing, but definitely jarring. With you on feel. Can't explain it, but it felt like an extension of me, not a tool. The whole setup feels natural. It feels custom. With you on distance, it will bomb. The rod is an everything machine. I threw everything I had in my bag. Nothing felt wrong. Not even my cranks, which I'm religious about. Dumb question, why can't you spool the reels? Don't answer if it's not convenient. Just wondering cuz it's my nightmare. I have tremors. The meticulous stuff is very difficult.

After today on the water, my Omen Black is probably going to be the baseline for any casting rod I test. Just fantastic. No grass in my cove, just rocks. But I felt everything. Even the slightest composition changes. Denali loses my business because of this rod as far as casters go. This feels better than the Lithium or Covert by miles and it's cheaper. Oh BTW, got me a Cetus now. Such a fine reel. Can't believe it is under $75. Thanks for suggesting that. It's my go to UL reel. And it's Gold! It's just fantastic. Had 2 backlashes and 1 nest all day. That's 300 casts. All were minor. I've never gotten better casts. A gem for sure.

Okay here's the preface: According to this forum I'm a "Boy Scout". Always prepared for any situation on a boat theoretically. Dozens of setups. Lost my ride, went back to banking. It really simplified things. Dumped most setups, and now I'm catching em. I forgot to have fun. Not anymore. My initial impressions of the 13 fishing Concept A/Omen black HF. I've only tested this setup in a field with a 1oz. Plug. That's the halfway point for weight so I figured it was the fairest option. 20 lb Yozuri braid. In hand- Concept A - feels light but sturdy. Very smooth reel. Needed an adjustment on the handle, just one of them was loose. Quarter turn, and it's all good. Omen- Feels weightless. For a Heavy rod, it's super light. Perfectly balanced. I've had some high end Lew's rods that don't keep up. Setup - Took about 30 seconds. That's a welcome first. Felt good immediately. Casting - Just remarkable so far. Extremely quiet for having braid on it. Had the brakes at 4 and was blasting it 50 yards no problem. Brakes are the best I've ever tried. Just perfect feeling. Retrieve - When the plug landed, it was the most pronounced feeling thump I've ever felt. Don't know if I'm describing that right. You can almost feel the wind. Reeling in, I felt every blade of grass I hit. Every level change, etc ... It was almost religious. Thoughts - I've gotta give it to 13 here. It's a company I never really dove into because of my loyalty to other brands. Definitely found my favorite caster reel ever, so far. Same with the rod. I'd put both up against anything 2x the price and be confident with the test results favoring the 13. Again, I've only tested it in a field. I'm getting up at first light tomorrow and I'm going to run it ragged. We'll know tomorrow what I have. I'm very confident my feelings won't change. Extremely impressed. I can totally see why Zaldain, my favorite angler, switched. This is the finest setup I've experienced on testing. Love you all, blessings. Al

I've had a few defy rods. Very good quality but a little stiff for me. I've got the source x 1000. Line management is iffy, but it casts virtually weightless rigs a mile. Haven't tried any spinning rods yet. Thanks for responding brother. I'll post a test review in a bit. Spoiler alert: I am in love. I like the Tournament MP a ton. That brake system is perfect. I was a bit iffy about the straight centrifugal system on the A, but just wow. I've never had a smoother cast on braid. The rod is ridiculous. It's fast, but it's very soft in a good way. Ya, I've got the Source X. Not that happy with it. Definitely a backup reel. It does cast a mile. I've always heard the concept/inception reels were dope. They weren't lying. The rod is exactly what I expected. It's very soft for a fast action, but it's also crisp.

Hey guys. Just got a monster deal on a 13 fishing Obey Black HF 7'4" and a Concept A 7.3:1 reel. $100. Seemed too good to be true. It wasn't. Just got lucky. Does anyone have any long term use with either of these? I test casted before dusk, it's a freaky good feeling setup. No OTW time yet. Just wondering what other people think about them. I'm only asking in this forum. This is the only place I trust. I have a buyer if I don't like it, and he's willing to double my money. So, if it's not for me I end up with 2 new Kastking combos! LoL. But seriously, it feels refined. Just looking for other opinions.

Ya. Forgot to mention tubes. I never fish without em. Very effective here. Any size, pretty much any color will catch something. I love it here. It's a real mystery box. I catch carp, then a bass, then a TON of bluegill, and sometimes even a catfish. It's nuts. You never know what you'll end up catching.

Wow, it's been 2 months at least since I last posted. Finally found what I wanted in my setups. I'm definitely more of a spinning guy. Just feels right. Took a while, but I no longer feel lost on the water. I can now say I expect to catch at least one fish everytime I go out. Cranks, jigs and free rigs have done well by me. Really like the free rigs. Easier than a drop shot. Thanks to everyone for being so patient with me. Fishing has been a godsend. Here's one of the better catches.

Nabatak Kastking. With nabatak, everything but reels is available and they have a seller/member store. Kastking because I already use em and even if it's 2500 on the cap, that's every reel they make x2. Jewel Baits. Kastking. With jewel, everything but reels is available and they have a seller/member store. Kastking because I already use em and even if it's 2500 on the cap, that's every reel they make x2.