abkeenan

Ya. I was going to start collecting them but after about a year in I figured it was just to hard, too time consuming and in the end....TOO EXPENSIVE. I've seen the Pink Bengal Tiger color go for $300+ dollars alone on Ebay and just about 2 weeks ago a guy had all 4 Bengal Tiger colors (Blue, Green, Pink, Orange) that went as a lot of 4 for like $650 bucks....just crazy. Now I just stick to the fish catching colors and only have about 15 or so left. Mostly craw patterns.

No problem. Glad I could help.

If you are looking for that color in the wiggle wart model this looks just like it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Storm-Post-Rapala-Wiggle-Wart-Floating-Crankbait-Bass-Lure-NIB-Shad-Bluegill-Lot-/360749853320?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53fe5dea88

I had that exact bait pictured but sold it in a lot of lures on BBC (bassboatcentral). It is not a pre-rapala. It was made right after the Rapala take over of Storm. Best bet is Ebay to find those or any discontinued bait for that matter. I believe that is a Storm mid wart but the color eludes me. Check this out to maybe help your search: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Storm-Mid-Wart-MW05-342-2-3-8-oz-/130856600955?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e77a9457b Might be this color also...Gold Shad? http://www.ebay.com/itm/STORM-MID-WART-/370903561995?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565b93370b

They do but I am not a fan. It is sloppily ran. Have been there 2 times and it looks like they let a bunch of 5 year old kids run around and take stuff off the racks and then put it back all over the place. Something about that bothers me. I dunno why maybe just because I am a neat and orderly person and know EXACTLY where I put my things. I can tell you where any lure is in my boxes and that is in because I am just that type of person. BPS is so well organized and maintained that I appreciate it when I go in there.

Thanks for all the help guys. This is what makes this site so great, everyone so willing to help. Lots of guys complain about getting tired or sore throughout the day when deep cranking and a heavy rod bothers them. I still consider myself young at 32 and never have issues where an ounce here or there in a rod or reel bothers me. I may change my tune in 10 years but by that time I will be getting all new gear anyways! Looks like I just need to get both the Mojo Glass in my hands and the Crankin Stick as well and see what feels best. Thanks again guys and keep the info coming.

Just fantastic report. Love the screenshots too. Thanks for sharing.

That is always good info but two problems with going to my BPS here in St. Louis is that 1) they usually have a poor selection of rods in the models. Sure they have a ton of their BPS house brand models and some of the more popular rods like Abu Garcia Veritas and some Shimano models but the St. Croix, Duckett, Falcon and others are slim pickin's and you have to pray that they have the length and action you are wanting in store or else you SOL. I've had to special order 2 rods from them and go pick them up because they didn't have the Compre or BuCoo I wanted. 2) I have a Lews reel that I will be cranking with and if I carry that in with me to a BPS store in hopes of putting it on a rod to and see how it feels I heard Johnny Morris installed a security measure that if you walk into any of his stores with a Lews reel you are struck with a lighning bolt and die instantaneously.

I've had my eye on that rod. By nature I am such a non decisive person when it comes to certain things such as purchasing gear. You should see me when the wife and I go to dinner...."Where do you want to go?"......."I don't care"....this goes on at least 10 minutes or 10 miles whichever comes first before I pull over and make her make an executive decision. Hahahaha. The fear of buyers remorse is more than I can take sometimes. I don't want to make the wrong decision! I am sure any of the rods mentioned are good rods and would satisfy my needs but in my head I need the perfect one..... Jerk baits are another matter when I have no problem buying one because I just buy them all....Man I need help.

What are some of you guys using and opinions on a deep cranking rod. Have heard that the St. Croix Mojo Bass, the Shimano Compre and the Abu Garcia Veritas Winch are decent. Even have heard the BPS Crankin' Stick is decent. thoughts?

Pretty sure that is correct but I think it has more to do with the proximity of Long Creek to weigh in being so much closer than say if you wanted to fish the Kings, James or up the White.

That's funny. I am not cheap but am no sucker either shelling out $25 when I can get away with the same thing for $8. Its a rational decision and I am a rational person. Again, to each their own. I am sure there are days when you would smoke me with the Vision 110, other days I would smoke you with the RC STX and the next day someone smoke both of us on a Smithwick Rogue.

That fine. That's why we live in America so everyone is free to have their opinions. Megabass guys just get butt hurt for some reason over the RC STX vs the Vision 110 debate for whatever reason......they are identical. Maybe because the Megabass guys feel the need to defend their purchase because they pay $25 a pop so they feel justified in their decision cause they paid more. I'll take 3 RC STX to for the price of your 1 Vision 110 all day long and twice on Sunday. But to each their own, catching fish is the bottom line if you think the Vision 110 gets you more bites/fish then that is the end goal and confidence is the best bait in your tackle box.

I will 2nd the RC STX by Luck E Strike. They are 1/3 the cost of the megabass and there is no difference aside from the brand name printed on them and the hardware that comes on them which you can replace. Luck E Strike made them as close to the Vision as possible and they did a great job in doing so. Don't let anyone tell you any different either. People that are die hard vision 110 chuckers just won't come to grips that the Luck E Strike version is identical in just about every way. They will claim the action is different....yada yada yada....a bunch of bull if you ask me. That being said I am a SPRO McStick man though and through and that is the jerk bait I tie on 90% of the time. Comes out of the pack with gammy hooks and have only had 1 that didn't suspend perfectly out of the pack that filled with water and SPRO replaced it plus threw in an extra 2 baits for my troubles. They add new colors every year and I have caught fish on just about all colors on the spectrum. Favorites being Norman Flake, Blue Bandit and Chrome Shad. I haven't thrown the ghost patterns I have yet but I would probably suggest you get at least one to try as translucent colors on TR are a good choice.

As if you didn't already have 3 of everything they are going to be throwing. lol. It's okay, I'm a lure hoarder also...first step is admitting it. Second step is letting them go.....I'll never make that next step. Hahaha.

Nice report Bo. That method of using the trolling motor to troll is called "strolling" and it is banned in most tournaments from what I gather. Lots of guys where using an A-Rig via stolling. "Long lining" by which you cast your crankbait out and leave it sit while you use the trolling motor to go say 50-100 yards while having the spool released and then wind it back thus covering a ton of water and achieving deeper depths while staying in the targeted depth is still legal in tournaments as I understand it. Thanks for the report.

Ha. Its over now.

Yes. It is suspending.

I will probably have to have this now....they just see me coming: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Koppers_Live_Target_Glass_Minnow_Baitball_Jerkbait/descpage-KGLAMIN.html

Welcome 96 Champ, Thanks for making the leap from a lurker to a contributor. Welcome aboard. Since you are a rookie here to OAF you must be hazed and are not allowed to fish anywhere on Table Rock other than Aunt Creek for one full year.

Ya I had to pick up 1 more Speed Spool at those prices. Also got a Bends Mender I've been meaning to get a few years for 3.00 bucks for fizzing fish as they aren't a commonly sold item at tackle shops/BPS.

Just wanted to pass this along...and NO I DO NOT HAVE ANY AFFILIATION WITH THIS WEBSITE. Just passing on some fantastic deals. Just about everything is 30% off including Daiwa Steez Rods and Reels, Zillions, Dobyn's rods, G*Loomis, Abu Garcia Revo's, Shimano Rods including Crucials and reels like the Curado G's, Stradics, etc and all Lew's models reels also. Some really good savings here fellas. Seriously just about everything on the entire site including plastics and hard baits are 30% off. Best sale I have seen in a while and even better than Tackle Warehouse when they have their 20% off Black Friday sale. I apologize to anyone in which this post causes spousal feuding as a result of more tackle being bought. http://www.basstackledepot.com

Two biggest that I have seen (only photo's) that come to mind recently are one that was caught by Dan Moorehead in the FLW I believe about 2 or 3 years ago or so in March I believe it was. It was 6lb 14oz. The other was caught by a local up by Big M Marina (I might be mistaken) and it was like 7 lbs 6oz or something crazy. There is a pic of it somewhere from a friend of the guy that caught it in previous posts dating back a year or more. Will have to dig around and find it. Here is the pic of Dan Moorehead with his TOAD spot: Found the other pic of this fish that was caught in 2011 and weighed at Big M Marina @ 7.26lbs.

Lay downs and cedars. Bait of choice this time of year is dynamite on a #2 size hook.

I'd say a spot over 6lbs is a wall hanger IMO. I would get a bunch of really good pictures from all angles and exact girth, length and weight measurements and get a replica made and release her. I just flat out don't want to kill any fish much less and true beast pig of a fish. That goes for any species for me.