bigfruits

15# power pro

id try to move some of the tackle budget over to the rod and reel combo. get a 3600 size plano tackle box. this size will fit many soft tackle bags when you grow your collection. buy: 12lb yo-zuri hybrid fishing line white spinnerbait (3/8oz) rat-l-trap a few shallow and medium depth crankbaits - start with the cheaper tried and true baits rebel pop-r 3/0 and 4/0 offset EWG worm hooks 3/16 and 1/4oz worm weights (bobber stoppers if you peg them) a bag or two of 6-7 inch plastic worms - (black or green pumpkin) a few skirted jigs 1/4-3/8oz (black, green pumpkin) a bag or two of jig trailers - double tail grubs,baby mad paca, baby rage craw (black or green pumpkin) tackle warehouse has free shipping on orders over $50. throw the rest in on the rod and reel. get more tackle as you lose stuff or want to try new baits/techniques. those baits can be thrown with an all around MH rod. I'd get a 6'6"-7" MH rod with a fast action. edit: how did i forget senkos? 5" green pumpkin. t-rig them with the worm hooks (no weight) or get some 1/0 finesse wide gap gamakatsu hooks and wacky rig them. yum dingers are cheaper and get good reviews.

i get something with an aluminum framed seat. comfort is very important. how much do you want to spend?

i hold spinning rods above the reel seat, my index finger on the blank with most rods. i feel like this give me more lure control, makes most rods balance better with light reels and i dont have the reel seat between any fingers. might want to try it out especially if youre new to spinning (not saying you are). i dont have a 1000 but i have a 2500 Stradic CI4+ and it balances on most of my spinning bass rods, ML-MH. GLX 853s, not so much, but still use it instead of my aluminum 2500 stradic.

if its the spincast reel, dont do it!

hey bigbill, not trying to start anything, just very curious because you mentioned that you have dozens of fishing rods and you made a post recently about how you found 5 rods in your tackle room you forgot you owned. have you ever thought of selling a bunch of rods and buying maybe 4 or 5 higher quality combos to cover all of your bass fishing? its sounds like you probably have a lot of redundant combos in your quiver. cheers, -z

bait casting - slower ratios for moving baits with resistance, faster ratios to pick up slack line (jigs, t-rig) - I wouldn't go under 6:1 ratio unless I had a dedicated deep crank rod. I think a 7:1 or 7.5:1 ratio is a good ratio for an all-around setup as the baitcasting reel gears are getting more powerful. longer rods generally give you more casting distance and move more line when lifted. shorter rods are generally more accurate. most of my rods are between 6.5 and 7 ft long. the sahara with the MH fenwick hmg looks good for t-rig and jigs. id use the other sahara 3000 for anything except moving baits >5/16oz. and that is only because I prefer baitcasting reels for heavier moving baits. its personal preference. the abu combo looks good for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, buzzbaits the moderate action rod will be good for crankbaits that fall within its lure range.

do you ever drive over the speed limit? if so, would you consider riding a bicycle and getting rid of the car so as to not break the law? so a person who jay walks and another who murders are the same in your eyes? a law telling me to kill something is not one that I would follow just because it was a law. they can kill them without my help. (and they will as I live on the east coast!

"the fish grip" is a good alternative to a net. it locks and you can hang it on a scale. i use it mostly when dealing with treble hooks or toothy beasts. there are two sizes, the small is fine for bass but the larger is more versatile and not too big for bass that you cant swing into the boat. cant vouch for other brands of similar grips. http://www.thefishgrip.net/ not a necessity in the least but the rapala digital scale below is pretty cheap. it gets bad reviews but they all say that it runs out of batteries in one day. i wonder if they are turning it off? i took the risk and havent had this problem although ive only had it for a week but ive been turning it on and off daily to test... http://www.***.com/Rapala_Mini_Digital_Scale_25lb/descpage-RMDS.html when youre bored this winter check out the backwater assault paddle. expensive for what it is but worth it. edit: dont know why tackle warehouse was edited in the scale link. havent had the problem before with other links...

you wouldnt trade a gulp shrimp for a bluefish fight? all day! stop by a tackle shop near the beach and get a a couple of white bucktail jigs and white soft plastic paddle tail swimbaits or other long white trailer. while youre in there, get some cut bait (ask someone whats working at the bait shop) and cast it out on your heaviest rod with a big weight and keep your eye on it while you cast your artficial lure. the popper is probably a little small but if a school of bluefish swim by it will be a good time. id use the larger of the baits you posted above if you have to use bass lures.

don't let em scare you! I have been kayak fishing for about 8 years and have never flipped a kayak. canoe? probably about 6 or 7 times. I do strap everything down though. you never know.

I just got a Metanium DC and have taken it out on two trips. amazing reel! I pretty much only use Stradic Ci4+ 2500s for spinning now days. love those things

"it slipped right out of my hands, officer!"

1/4oz inline spinner 4 or 5 inch stick bait (wacky rigged)

use an empty large mouth Gatorade bottle. don't attempt the lean and over the side method until you got your sea legs.

if you flip, hypothermia could be an issue. id recommend a change of clothes in a dry bag as a precaution. I don't think the extra clothes will weigh you down enough to sink the pfd. id worry more about losing body heat after taking a swim.

treat it like you would a $95 dollar rod. http://stcroixrods.com/service-warranty/service-warranty-policies/

its all relative as mentioned. if you own one $100 rod/reel combo I think $250 on baits is too much to start. to any new fisherman that knows they are in it for the long haul, id suggest quality gear at first and build up tackle box as you go.

im going to try to put down the jig (the one with the hairs on it) and throw something else.

you didnt really say anything wrong. power is a type of rating i guess. you just have to be specific that you are talking about the power rating and not the lure weight rating. the power marked on a rod is just puts it in a category, how boring would it be if all MH rods felt the same: same tip, same bend etc... japanese rods are generally more expensive with nicer components than american or chinese rods. the kind of rod you have to pick up when you walk by it. this is enthusiast type gear. you know, when you rather spend money on your fishing gear instead of getting new rims on your car or pay for your kid's college.

i usually fish drop pretty fast in shallow water with long casts on a 2 power xf loomis spinning rod. 3/16oz lead weight. doesnt always have to move slow or stay in place. check out 4:10

i love you, bigbill. Daiko and Smith are a couple others...

someone should start pouring 2ft stickbaits (senkos) for 10lb bass. million dollar idea, you can have it.

Hello, Im thinking of buying an Aldebaran and a Metanium DC. I'd like to get my hands on them before I purchase and I am having a hard time finding any stores in the northern VA area that carry them. Any ideas on what stores I can try? Thanks in advance, -Z

bluefish. I know of two in the chesapeake bay that have tasted human blood. almost ate them out of spite. I guess i deserved it though, stabbing a hook through their face and forcing them to the surface to suffocate for a few minutes for my 2 minutes of entertainment. fishing is fun!