Jeff H

1/8 or 1/16 oz Snagless Slider head Pro Series and 4" worms. I use a variety of worm brands including Kalins Western Weenies, Original Powerbait, Luck E Strike Ringworms , plus my favorite....Producto 4" Tournament and Spring worms. The action of the Producto's, on the fall, is breathtaking. This rig is killer on inside weedlines or around any shallow cover.

I've gotten so used to the 6.3:1's that I'm starting to reconsider my need for a 5:1, even for cranks. The 7's are certainly nice for worms and jigs and I use one on my trap rod too.

Shimano has good value from the Convergence on up, all good rods in their respective price points. But, like The Rooster said, things get really good starting with the Compre.

Buzzbaits. 3-4 casts with one this year, most it's been thrown in the last 15 years. Yup, major dust collector for me.

One should never overlook the potential for a Big M custom. I have a few of his shallow cranks and they are incredible.

I use a Cabela's XML 6'3" claimed to be Medium, but feels more like a MH. I was throwing 5" sticks into wild rice beds and pulling fish up to 2lbs out on 8 lb mono with no problems. Bigger fish would require heavier line, but the rod was easily up to the job. I would get a 6'6" MH if I was going to dedicate one rod to sticks.

Spare spool or not, this reel has my attention. I do a lot of finesse fishing and a 2500 at under 8 oz would certainly make me happy. I've never spent this much on a spinning reel though, not even close. :-/

I know I'll never buy it again, that much is certain. Between my own initial impressions and the TT article(s), plus the fact it costs 3x as much, I just don't need it. I'll use what I have left, maybe, and that will be the end of it for me. I know plenty of guys seem to like it, and it seemed most of them used it on casting reels. It (6lb Berkley 100%) just didn't work very well on my small spinning reel (1500 Daiwa). I suspect it would be fine on my 2500 though. I was surprised TT published such info, they shot it full of holes in my opinion.

In the one time I tried flouro, I didn't notice any significant difference in sensitivity over my normal XT. Everybody seems to say it is so, I guess I'll try it again and see what happens as long as I have some left.

I like the VMC "round short" trebles. Love that short shank treble on my crankbaits. Haven't tried any other VMC hooks in a long time though.

It's a blast, especially with the right equipment.

Why the Tierra and not the HSTA?

I've actually gotten to like the Grigsby HP hooks. I just wish they could also produce them in a fine wire version. As for the rest, mostly just dull and do not measure up to the others I prefer. If they had good, sharp EWG and offset shank worm hooks I WOULD buy them just because they are American made.

same here.

I have been on the water approx 130 hours since mid June. I do not get to go every weekend but I'm glad I get to go as much as I do. I am fortunate my situation is what it is and I know how lucky I am to have it. You will find more time in the future to pursue your love of fishing. It DOES get better. Hang in there!!

I thought Tackle Tour did some tests and said flouro stretches like mono too.

I know I've given him a hard time before, and probably will in the future too, but I've also seen that he's a real good guy. The amount of influence he carries here is just staggering, I've never seen anything like it before. This place is lucky to have him. 8-)

Wow! Nice fish man!! So, was there a detailed story to go with the picture for us here?

Oy! it's a bummer, but happens to all of us. Doesn't help our case of "bass thumb" to show off Monday morning at work but it's not really all bad if lost right at the boat. Fight is mostly over and likely you'd just unhook it and let it go anyway, right? Don't have to worry about a thrashin' fsh getting them hooks into you either. :-/

Well....it IS a tank. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Great reel if you can get it cheap (the D) otherwise I'd get the E.

Usually "gators" (which I can't stand and I get them a lot) and rock bass are the most common additions, but have caught perch, 'gills, crappie, carp, walleye and dogfish while bass fishing too.

Stopped by Gander Mountain today and saved big on hooks. They have thrown a bunch of stuff in clearance bins lately and today it's marked 50% off the clearance price. I dug out $90 worth (at already low clearance prices) of various Mustad Ultra Points, some Grigsby HP's and Owner offsets.... spent $48 including tax. Pretty good savings on hooks, so if you have one close it might be worth a quick look.

I'm opposite, don't like my cork looking like new. The burnt burl that Reel Mech used on the rods he built for me is my favorite! That stuff is cool!

One of the things that bothered me most was the odd weedgrowth. On my home lake, there is one rather expansive tapering sand flat that has usually been home to some excellent broadleaf. This year it is gone, and instead covered with coontail. Only one large hump retained it's normal weeds. Several of the smaller ones, normally covered, are completely bald. The crown depths of the smaller humps are only a few feet deeper than the large one. Now, I've seen winters of deep lingering snow have an effect on the following summers weedgrowth, but this year was just really odd. We have not had any really good snow in some years now, but last winter was definitely more than we've had for awhile. The loss of most of the good broadleaf on my lake (and others nearby that I fish) was perplexing, but the only thing I can guess at would relate it to the winters snow cover. I just don't know enough about this to be sure about it.

Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Iowa South Dakota Wyoming Montana Arkansas Countries: Canada and USA (of course) I want to fish trout in New Zealand.