PainInTheBass

The sensitivity will decrease because sensitivity is a function of mass of the rod. The greater the mass of the rod, the more energy from the strike/tap is absorbed by the rod. Because a MH will typically be more massive (heavier) than a ML rod, then it will typically be less sensitive. Tthis applies to static rods. Other physics come into play when you consider the action (or degree of deflection). The more the tip of the rod deflects with a given force, the less energy is transferred to down tot handle and the angler's hand. But given the same action, with only a difference in power, the lighter (powered and by weight) rod should be more sensitive.

I would bring the following: 6'6" Browning Midas Med F baitcasting rod with a Daiwa outta luck baitcaster for smaller, lighter baits 7'0" custom MH F baitcasting rod with a Daiwa Zillion for larger, heavier baits I have a preference for baitcasters, to the point where I feel and often look goofy using a spinning reel for anything other than panfish.

I agree with the sentiment of going with the Citica over the Caenan if the budget allows. The Caenan has a graphite frame, and if it will be doing main duty for you, then perhaps the rigidity of aluminum should be considered. At the $100 price point, I would go with a BPS prop qualifier. They are very smooth, easy casting, solid little reels. They are available in a number of different ratios in both left and right handed retrieves. The dual breaking system is more flexible and forgiving than any one braking system. Just my recommendation. Or consider ordering the Okuma Cayenne online from Monster Tackle as they have an incredible sale on these reels at the moment. These reels come packed with ABEC 5 bearings standard, which leads to improved casting performance.

You wear anything Lu Lu Lemon

I started with PowerPro, then tried Daiwa Samurai. The Samurai is rounder, and much much softer than PowerPro. It is also prone to wind knots, and I did not find it suitable for the rig I had it on. I still use it, and have switched most of my PowerPro to Suffix Performance. I was considering switching to 832, but thought they did not have a hi-vis colour. If I can find some of that Neon-Green, I am gonna pick some up and give it a go.

Man, I'ma show this thread to my wife. That should get me a few more rods, reels and lures since what I have is nothing compared to some of you.

Congrats on the weight loss! It is a real accomplishment. Since getting married, I have put on some weight, and need to work it off.

I was out on Saturday, but in Cook's Bay. We launched out of Harry's in Keswick, and fished the eastern side of Cook's up to Snake Island. We ended up hammering them on minnows, worms, and soft plastic micro tubes. The rain and wind made for some miserable conditions, but you tend to forget about it a little when you feel that tapping on the end of your line...

Like, MTBF, I like to separate lures by type since many lures are multi-species lures for myself. I have crankbaits in 2 planos, topwaters in another. I have terminal tackle in one, jigs in another. I have ultralights in another 2 tiered tacklebox, and a falcon spinner/buzzbait box. I keep soft plastics also divided by type/application, and separate those in different pockets in a couple of different tackle bags.

I was up at Ahmic in the fall of 2009. A cold front had just moved in and shut the fishing down. We had very little success over that weekend. We have not been back since. Better luck to you.

Hey all, In getting prepared for the upcoming softwater season, I am leaning towards trying to replenish my tackle (soft plastics and jigs) with locally made custom tackle. With that said, I was wondering if anyone knew of any local manufacturers. I figured, why not give the local guys a shot. It might give you something that not every fish has seen already. Websites with pictures would be great . Thanks!

Dammit, beat to the punch...

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1998-Subaru-Impreza-Wagon-W0QQAdIdZ268172820

I bought a bunch or components for a bunch of rods I am building totalling $38USD. Shipping was $24USD via IPS for a bunch of small aluminum rings and hook keepers. Too bad the parts werent available at my main supplier.

Maximum stopping power is not what is important in a finesse reel. Smooth startup and line release is what is important. Too many people are hung up on maximum drag stopping power. In reality, would you actually want to lift 15-20 lbs with the tip of your rod? I wouldn't. The drag, when used properly, is supposed to release line in a smooth controlled manner so as to allow the fish to run and tire itself out, while basically maintaining tension on the fish. It is to be used in conjunction with the rod and line to fight a fish, and all of these must be used together. Especially with so many people using braid these days, that is even more reason to not set your drag too tightly. Without any stretch, all of that tension is transferred to the rod. When using a fast action rod, there is not much shock absorbance in the rod itself. In this system, locking the drag down, with braid on a fast or extra fast action rod provides no give if the fish makes a run next to the boat. This can and will often lead to lost fish. I am mostly concerned about smooth drag rather than maximum stopping power. Just my opinion.

Many anglers get stuck in a rut when fishing, complacent to continue to do only those things with which they are comfortable. While some are content with this, others are not. I am one of the latter. I long to better myself as an angler; to be more flexible and adaptable to the varying conditions I may face. As such, I have come up with 3 goals for myself this coming softwater season (these goals are discussed more colourfully and in greater detail on my blog if you care to read it lol); This is The Year of the Soft Plastics - For countless anglers, soft plastics are their go-to lures. Often I read that anglers will throw soft plastics in 80-90% of fishing situations. I, on the other hand, use soft plastics perhaps 10% of the time. I want soft plastics to become confidence lures for me as well but learning how to fish them effectively. Thou Shalt Keep a Fishing Log - One of the things that I have read about successful anglers is how they meticulously keep records of the fish they caught, the lures and presentation used, and the conditions used. The purpose of this log is, over time, to be able to develop patterns for fish that will help you in the future when you encounter various fishing conditions. With that said, I will keep a log of my fishing outings this year on my blog. I will include various details that should allow me to be able to apply my experience to my future outings. Don't Gimme No Lip - Two years ago, I bought a bunch of lipless crankbaits and did not have much success with them and quickly resorted to my confidence lures. This year, I am planning on learning to fish these lures properly; to learn the various retrieves that will make these lures successful; and the conditions for which lipless crankbaits are ideal. This year, when I reach for a crankbait, I don`t want no lip for my first crankbait out of the box.

Hey all, For my brother's bachelor party, we went on a cruise to the Bahamas that ported out of Port Canaveral. We drove down to Florida and stayed in Orlando. The morning of the cruise we went fishing with a bass guide on Lake Toho and got into some largemouth bass. The area had had a cold front not too long ago, which shut down the fish. Using golden shiners, we were still able to get some fish. Here are some pics. And of course, this 9 lb monster! It was a great time, punctuated by a Florida giant! Hope you liked the pics.

I have just bought the Aruku Shad based on some reviews I have read. I got to throw it a little bit at Lake Toho last month, and found it to be quite weedless for a libless crankbait. This is due to the wide head, which I am sure is also teh reason for the the vibration even on slow retrieves. It appears to be a very flexible lipless crankbait that I will throw alot this year. I also really like the finishes on these lures. I like them alot so far.

I prefer a MH fast action rod for my lipless crankbaits because i do tend to throw them around weedbeds, burning them over, trying to tick the tops of the weeds. I find that the fast action and MH power help me to rip the lure free. I had tried them on my mh moderate-fast crankbait rod, and didnt like the action for this application. However, you may actually like the action. It is all a matter of preference.

Is there any data to suppor this claim? Or, is it all anecdotal, or even based on company advertising? When ripping rattle baits, or when using any reaction bait for that matter, do you know for certain that fish see more than a profile? How do you then explain spinnerbaits' effectiveness? Or a spoon? Other tangible differences can tilt the odds in the angler's favour, such as different vibrations or rattles. Different hydrodynamics to alter the fall can also have an effect (as you did indicate). However, to make a blanket statement such as that, with no evidence in light of the success many have had with domestic lures is going to incite some strong reactions.

Great post, and very well said.

I have a lot of confidence in the Live Target Pumpkinseed. I have had marginal success on the perch. I can say that when compared to the new Rapalas out there, the difference in finish is incredible. Whether that difference is worth the extra few bucks to you will be up to you once you compare them. I don't have the bank roll to fully deck myself out with Koppers lures, but I do have a number of them, and am quite happy with them.

The split between rod and reel should depend on the technique(s) you will be using most on this combo, technically speaking. Where rod sensitivity is most important, you will want to spend more on the rod than the reel. Where sensitivity is less of a priority, then reel will take a larger percentage. In my personal opinion, I enjoy the reel more than the rod, when fishing, and tend to buy reels with higher MSRPs (I use MSRP since I buy used). How big is much bigger (with respect to lures)? Also, are you casting or trolling? Also, what size line will you be using? Some of the low profile reels with the 200 sized spools may not have the line capacity. You may need to look at getting into 300 sized reels such as the Curado 300e or the Abu Garcia Toros. Do you want to retrieve with your right hand or left hand? If left, then that eliminates the Curado 300. I think the price eliminates both of these reels. Are you looking for a low profile baticaster or are you willing to go with a round baitcaster? If so, the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur c3 series is around $115 with more line capacity (5500 model or higher). If you are looking at casting large bass sized lures, you can probably get away with using a low profile reel. Since you are targetting pike, consider the Abu Garcia Revo series of reels since they have the most powerful drag systems out of the box. The new Pfluegers should have similar drags since they are made out of the same factory. Some of the new BPS reels are made in the same factories as Pflueger and Abu Garcia, and will have similar quality. Speaking of my experience with Pflueger, I own a previous generation Summit which is extremely smooth and far casting. I would not hesitate to recommend Pflueger. Quantums also have beefed up drag systems now. This reel, http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Johnny-Morris-Carbon-Black-Bass-Caster-LowProfile-Baitcast-Reels/product/10210557/-1756337 the Johnny Morris Carbon Black Bass Caster, is a low profile reel with a wide spool for increased line capacity with 14 lbs of drag pressure. It is one of those best of both worlds kind of reels in my opinion with the good drag power and good line capacity. The Johnny Morris Signature Series reel appears to be a good reel as well, based on the specs. It also comes in a wide spool version; however, it does not identify what the max drag rating is. The Curado 300 is the largest sized reel and the most expensive. The 50 is the smallest, but the second most expensive. The 200 is the mid sized reel at the base price. It is a good reel with a decent drag (a little lower than the Carbon Black), and a very good reputation for durability. If spending $250 on the combo, look at the BPS reels. The new generation of them have a good reputation for value. I own one, and have guided a number of my personal friends towards purchasing these reels without issue. (We all own variants of Pro Qualifiers). My brother owns 2 Johnny Morris reels and has been happy with them aside from the weight. For rods, the Compre is within your price range, as are the St Croix Premier and Mojo rods. Also consider the Rapala R-Type rods - very well balanced for a great price. I would also consider Okuma rods, which I find to be relatively good value. Remember, when pruchasing a rod, the power should be based on the technique(s) and the weight of the lures you are using. Going too heavy may make casting lighter lures impossible or frustrating. Consider the lure weight range you will be casting, and select a rod for which your range matches the rod's recommended weight range. Hope that helped some.

I am not a fan of graphite based reels, especially when, for a similar price, you can buy an aluminum framed reel with a proven track record. At the regular price, I would take a PQ over an enigma or Caenan (plus, I do not like the knobs on the Caenan). For a few bucks more, you can get a Citica, Revo S, JM etc. Further, the dual centrifugal braking system seems like a gimmick, adding unnecessary weight to the spool.