31Airborne

I was so pleased w/ my first purchase that I ordered a 2nd ALX - this time their Zolo Dream spinnerbait rod. I've kinda rediscovered spinnerbaits this year and have been using a collection of rods that were more available than they are suited for the purpose. Having learned (the hard way) about matching rod and reel to presentation I broke down and ordered this one. It's a 7' med/fast blank w/ a nice parabolic flex. Good, stout butt end and a very sensitive tip. Same micro guides as the crankin' stick I ordered a few months back. Once again, superb balance, terrific attention to detail on the assembly and craftsmanship. Will take it out this weekend for a test drive. Toobie is now stocking Watson's w/ a sample of ALX rods. If you're in the area go check'em out. peace, B

LMAO! Works for me.

I use straight fluoro. Usually 10#. I'll go up to 12# is the cover is gnarly, down to 8# is the water is super clear.

Now, that's a helluva name. We're gonna hafta come up w/ something a lil shorter if I'm ever gonna remember it. This is very clever. Bet it's hell to cast into the wind w/ all those blades.

Bumping for Toobie. Rick, you need to get out more often, dood.

Ideally, you want a buoyant plastic bait on the head so it'll stand up straight. A salt impregnated bait (like a senko) will fall over. The flat head helps keep the bait vertical, allegedly easier for the fish to see. Doesn't have to be the Z-man heads (even tho' they'd like you to think that). Spot remover heads have a flat bottom and stand up nicely. Since the Ned rig is usually a lightweight set-up you won't have any real issues using a regular ol' round shakyhead. People said the same thing about the dropshot rig - only produces smaller fish (my best tournament fish [7-11] was caught on a dropshot rigged w/ a 4" minnow bait). Ditto for shakyhead and other finesse presentations - they catch numbers and occasionally big fish. Same-same for the damiki rig. The missing piece to this equation is location - if you're presenting a finesse rig in places where bigger fish hang out the chances are you'll catch one or two. If you're presenting it in places where the punks hang out that's what you're gonna catch. To that end, I put more emphasis on where I'm throwing my Ned rig vc what I'm putting on it or which head I'm using. Just a thought.

A little late on the report - sorry, doods. BLUF: Love this rod. Light weight, easy to manage, casts a 2" medium runner a loooooooooooong way. Tip has the right balance of give and sensitivity. The butt end is stout, strong enough for any fish. The micro guides are a big part of casting distance - virtually no line slap. You'll have to think thru leader material and length if you use a combination line system on your cranking set-up. The uni-uni (or whatever joining knot you use) has a tuff time getting thru the tip and first few guides. I had my reel spooled w/ 12# fluoro. The web site recommends smaller profile lures for this rod. I threw 2" and 2 1/2" baits to start with, all of them for running depths between 4 and 12'. I also played around with deeper divers, just to see how the rod responded when something w/ a big body and bill was tied on. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the rod performed in these cases. I used baits w/ running depths from 16 to 20+' without issue. I didn't make a lot of casts but I made enough to know that it won't wear me out if I elect to use it for deep divers all day. Holler at me if you have specific questions. Give Toobie a call if you're interested.

+1. Bought my last boat there. Have referred several who've also bought boats there for this very reason. Mike, Joey, and the crew in the shop are also superb. Aaron and Brandi run a terrific business.

the sidescan will revolutionize your fishing. no more guessing whether fish are holding on a certain piece of structure or cover. you'll be able to see it without trolling up on top of it. for me, the biggest advantage of sidescan has been efficiency during practice. I no longer have to make 100s of casts to find fish. now I look at the screen, mark, and move on. I'm able to cover 10 times more water and gather more detailed info. congrats on the new toy.

+2. Mtnman nailed it.

Our good friend Toobjig signed on as a rep for this small SC outfit. I took a peak at their website and decided to give one a try. I bought their Crank model - it's a 7-4 MED/MOD crankin' stick designed for shallow and medium runners. Here are a few observations right out of the box: 1) The attention to detail in the finish and craftsmanship is immaculate. It is every bit as fine as my top end Loomises. Maybe better. 2) The components are first rate - micro guides, love their split-grip handle, and the blank is lite but sturdy. 3) This thing is balanced to a tee. Very little effort to manage the rig once the reel was mounted. 4) Nothing flashy or gaudy in the finish. As advertised, it's a quality rod built for fishing, not showing. 5) I ordered my rod on a TUES. It arrived on THUR. That's service. If you're in the market for a rod check'em out. Give Toobie a shout if you have questions. I'm headed out this weekend - will follow up w/ a performance report. B

Something is draining power. Have you traced the wiring from the pump back to the battery? You may have knick in the insulation (double ground) or maybe a connector has become corroded.

Gotcha, Toober. Was talking w/ Spinny (Gordon) over the weekend. He and I are talking about a road trip to his AO. Haven't spoken w/ any of the other doods. I'll holler at ya tonite. B

Web site says they make their blanks ("proprietary blanks"). No names listed on their pro staff tab, only an application process. Must be fairly new? I have several JB Custom rods (also out of NC). FoM price is ~30% cheaper. Might wanna check them out, Tooby.