J Francho

Same thing happened here when we got our full season C&R.

Merged this with a thread that was last updated literally an hour ago.

You can't go wrong with Siebert.

Looks just like @.ghoti.'s list of braid he likes!

You won't get an answer since you dug up a a post started four years ago, and that particular member hasn't been on in over a year. I will say this, I've been using Seaguar lines for several years. They are the best, by far. They invented fluorocarbon fishing line. They are the only ones that use their own resins specifically developed for fishing line, and in the case of Tatsu, Finesse, and Leaders, is the only company to offer a double structure formula. They have a tough abrasion resistant exterior, and soft interior. The memory issue is actually the opposite with good fluoro. I've had some on two spinning rods for 4 seasons now. Memory is very minor. Nothing like mono or copoly. I've really been digging the Finesse in 5.2 lb. and 6.2 lb. sizes for spinning and 12/15 for casting setups.

If you're setting the hook right, the frog rotates out of the way of the hook. All you're doing by bending the hooks is weakening the steel.

No new models currently, but there are thousands upon thousands in service at this very moment. I'll bet a few them make Megabass a favorite.

Commander 140 Pros: Can Stand 65 lbs. can take a little kid or dog easily gear track the full length of the boat two seating positions I actually usually leave the seat at home, and use the perch very fast hull dry ride for a kayak preset up for trolling motor conversion or rudder Cons it's 14' long, so it can be tough in tight spaces not a true sit on top, so not self bailing No "hatch" or dry storage hull is wide, so you'll need at least a 130cm paddle I use a 140cm Other than that, the typical cons that come with any fishing kayak

Mine were demo boats at a kayak shop that I used for fishing/kayaking classes and guided trips. Two seasons, and things started getting a little janky. The 14s held up. The 12s were the suspect boats. the 14 had planty of room for rods, but the 12 was a pain to bring more than three. At this point, I really like mu Commander 140. No need for retractable pontoons to stand up.

At least they get the non boater to bank roll gas, lunch, and half the entry fee. Expensive boat ride, lol.

I had a 14' and the 12' UL. Not bad, clever design, but they didn't hold up as well as they should have.

How much slack is in your line that 4" more per turn actually makes a difference? I'm not saying it's a disadvantage, or that a slower ratio is an advantage, I'm just not buying into faster is better. Remember, I'm an age that remembers throwing frogs on mono with a "high speed" 5:1 reel. I've used everything but a low speed cranking reel for frogs. The different IPT makes no difference. The point of my argument for this is that the OP *may* want to use the reel for something else. If it's moving baits, then the slower gear ratio. If it's jigs, then faster. There's more compelling reasons to pick one over another than frogs. You move, set the hook, and pull the fish out of cover with the rod, not the reel.

When I first joined a local bass club as a non boater, I struggled sometimes. After a few seasons, I drew some correlation between those struggles, and who I drew as a boater. The first year fished as a boater, I only bombed one tournament, and while only winning one (Erie), I finished second in points. In following years, I didn't care about club AOY, and cherry picked a few each year, and usually came in top 3. It's true, some guys are better than others, and some are truly just terrible, but are really generous donators.

Terrifying! Congrats!

I have favorite models that I liked. Es, Aphas, Zillion, Primmus, Helios, Calcuttas...no real total brand loyalty, though.

I don't think we ever get the why part out. Seriously, I've fished with a faster reel, and I'm not sure why it's better, but EVERYONE says so. Why?

Doesn't matter to me. I use a 6.3:1 reel that's around 28"/turn without any issue. You move the bait and the fish with the rod. I suppose it's some advantage if you want to get the bait in fast, and cast to a spot. But what do you say to the people that say not to give up too early on the retrieve?

This is why I got a boat.

Every time I BB rig it, I end up with one or two very deeply hooked or gill hooked fish. I like the hookup ratio, and feel real confident, but it seems a little too damaging to bigger fish.

With a medium to deep diver, there's a big bill there, protecting the hooks from the bottom. The slower tip gives the bait room to shimmy. Square bills have a relatively short bill, and hang up in grass and wood easily, and the faster tip gives you more control and time to kill the retrieve, and let the bait rise, and back away from the cover. This isn't totally based on fact, but what I *think* is happening, and trying to explain why I've found that one works better than the other in each situation. So, basically, my answer is is"because" it's what I found works over the course of 30 years. I'm not so certain, the "why" above is totally right, but it works for me. I am certain ripping hooks out is not a real thing. There's guys here that fish all their cranks on braid and heavy/fast action rods. If ripping hooks out was an actually a thing, then these guys would be losing fish constantly, but they aren't.

It cannot be replaced, but it can be sharpened.

I think the ripping baits out with a fast action rod is total hooey. Once you are into the power section of the blank, all loaded with a fish on, a medium power is a medium power. Whether the tip is a long slow bend, or a fast short bend matters little once the rod is completely loaded. Chances are, it wasn't hooked well in the first place. What makes a slower rod better for diving baits is the how the bait reacts when it deflects off bottom or cover. That slower action with more forgiving band lets the bait do it's thing.

Absolutely. I prefer a fast action for square bills since I am generally throwing them into heavy wood cover. I want to feel it hit the cover and react immediately to keep from hanging up. Can't get that with a slower taper.

Looks like we're skipping spring altogether. It's been doing this for a few years now. Freezing, snow, then overnight it's in the 80s.