nralover

I fish them on 8 pound mono- all of my luck is with berkely gulp minnows, senkos, and hula grubs. I texas rig everything and use a very small bullet weight so the bait kind of bounces along the bottom with the current.

I can see why you call it lucky:) thanks for a good story..

I will spend up tp 200 or so. I have really only been bass fishing since last spring, but I have come a long way:) I went from hardly ever catching anything and using a Zebco spincast, to using a St Croix Premier with a Shimano Symetre and paying attention to what other guys around me were doing in terms of technique, baits, etc. By late summer I was a much more accurate caster, and I could usually always go out and catch a few bass even if they were only 1-2 pounds. I caught my first nice fish in September- a 20 inch largemouth with a potgut that weighed about 5 pounds. Man was I excited:) I have a good selection of lures, and I use cranks and topwaters some, but I always can bring in some fish on hula grubs and senko type lures. I fish them T rigged weightless or with a small bullet weight if I am fishing deeper. My fave color is a black and gray laminate senko type stick- it almost never fails. Anyway- enough of my rambling. I guess what I am looking for is a versatile BC rod that will allow me to do most things reasonably well. My spinning stuff is medium with fast actions, so maybe a medium- heavy rig for heavier lines and bigger baits would be good?

You bet! Since the price was not specified, I was trying to target something comparable to the reel. However, the G. Loomis MBR series would DEFINITELY be my #1 choice. I prefer a little longer rod, but that's just personal preference. If I only had one rod, it would be the MBR844C. If you decide to go with G. Loomis, get the IMX series. This is the line of rods that established the G. Loomis company and made them the leader in high quality fishing equipment. This is the "G. Loomis Experience" and these rods are worth the price! The 783 or 843 might be a better "all-around" rod. The tip is softer than the 844 and might be favored for a number of techniques. My MBR844C is my jig rod. Is that a nice way of saying the reel isn't worth a hoot? Everyone told me to spend at least 80.00 on my first BC reel, so I thought the Citica at 120.00 or so would be a quality item. Was I way off?

Guys, I am ready to jump into baitcasters. I bought a new Shimano Citica, which I was told is a quality reel. Now I need a good general purpose rod to throw it on, and I was hoping you all would point me in the right direction. What do I need, and how much should I spend? Thanks, Jay

I saw a small school of bass today in the shallows, one was maybe 2.5 pounds, the others were smaller, but they all followed a pair of ducks everywhere the ducks paddled. Has anyone ever seen this? What the heck were they doing?

Guys, I am looking for a good river fishing rod that won't break the bank. This will mainly be for smallmouth. I am looking for something no longer than 6'6" for maybe 100.00 or less. Can you give me some ideas?

Just south of St Louis:)

Being a guy on a budget, I can only have a few rod and reel combos for bass fishing. What is 1 or 2 examples of effective budget minded rod and reel combinations that will allow me be successful using various techniques? I have purchased a Pflueger Medalist, and put it on a 7ft Cherrywood medium action rod, and I have acquired a new Shimano Citica that i placed on a cheap 6 ft Zebco casting rod. I know these aren't the fancy rigs some of you fellas own, but I thought I was special buying my old Bass Tracker last month:) I just need to be able to fish a number of situations with a few setups.... Any thoughts are appreciated, NRALOVER

Hello all:) I am Jay from Missouri. I am new to bass, but not to fishing. I bought a decent starter rig (Pflueger Medalist, Berkley Cherrywood spinning rod, 10 pound Stren Magnathin), and will be hitting a small lake near me for first light fishing. Can anyone give me some general pointers for spots to hit, lures to use, things to look for, etc? The lake is about 16 acres, moderately clear and has a couple small coves at different spots. One cove has a small amount of cover, the other has quite a bit of vegetation, and cover in the form of downed logs, brush etc. There is also some deep water at the dam end (obviously) and plenty of timber and rocks. I assume they feed on the redear and bluegill, because there is a good population of each. Any help would be appreciated, NRALOVER