Teal101

Me too. I mainly fish dt-4's and it is perfect.

Both my Curados came brakes off. They are my first real baitcasters I've used and it couldn't have been simpler. I started with 2 on and experimented till I found where I was comfortable. RW advice about putting 4 brakes on and backing off until you find the sweet spot is your best bet and spot on!

I assume this one has the brake system on the opposite side of the reel handle? My standard setup for this brake is 2 caps all the way out opposite of each other on the wheel. I might go up to 3 if my backlashes continue, or down to 1. I just experiment in my backyard with it. Are you properly adjusting the knob as well? Too loose and you will get backlashes.

I hate the mess, cleanup, jars, everything about pork ;D I used to use pork 100% as my trailers, but plastic just wins now. Most of the waters I fish are 60*+ by the time I'm fishing them so pork has no use.

Buncha Pansies ;D The lake I mainly fish has maybe 6-8" visibility and fluctuates from completely frozen over to 85* in the summer (water temps). Anything colored like a crawdad gets destroyed. Had good luck with a dt-4 hot mustard color.

Wenatchee WA. Fish Moses mainly for smallies.

WA is a goofy state. Our record smallie is only 2lbs behind the record LM. The SM are actually driving the LM out and thriving in all our man made res. as well. The murky rocky lakes are prime for some good smallies. I've seen a few 6's pulled last year, and the Columbia will produce a double digit fish in the future.

I have my frog setup with 15lb hybrid. Haven't hit the water with it yet but casting in the backyard has yielded great results. Abrasion resistant, casts smooth, spools on nice. I have a 12lb spool as well and if this stuff impress's me even more on the water I will definitely be spooling up my other casters with it and buying some 8lb for my spinners. Although I think any line would be an upgrade to my vanish ;D BTW mine is the green stuff.

Curado 200dpv I use a 201dpv with my compre crankin stick. I fish crankbaits 80% of the time and I love this combo! I can reel fast and burn em in or slow it down and really slow that lure down!

DT FLAT 3 and standard DT 4. This. DT-4 for me. Craw or baitfish patterns.

Rapala DT's are my go to cranks

I did this very thing with my first new rod and reel setup this year. Luckily it was semi cheap (quantum incyte reel and shimano scimitar rod). Turned out to be a good investment. Its a super smooth easy to use reel that works great for my girlfriend and for dropshotting. Its my go to trout tackle setup now as well. Since then I have done research and picked up a shimano symetre 3000fj, shimano curado 201dpv, nd curado 201e7. Love em all!

Let em jump. Nothing like a smallie going airborn then running straight down to get away!

What DT-4 colors do you recommend? I've been catching smallies on hot mustard, baby bass, golden shiner, and craw patterns.

A bit out of your budget but I use a Shimano Curado 201dpv I got off ebay and a Shimano Compre Cranking rod in 7' M action. Works flawlessly!

Caught a mess of smallies in less than desirable conditions today with a hot mustard color rapala. The water was 82* surface and pea soup. Visibility 6" max. The chartreuse and browns made it visible and imitated the prey, crayfish.

Yep I had one jar of mine crack and leak. Had hard pork after that. One other jar still opens but the pork is so nasty its impossible to get it on the hook. The others are sealed shut. I use plastics now.

Just picked up a black with red blade from TW. Can't wait to try it out!

I carry 4, 6, 10, 14's, and 16's. I got the whole spectrum covered with 4' being my primary fishing zone.

I'd like to finally land a musky. I've had a few follows and had 2 12" ones and a 24"+ one on. Seen many in the 36"+ range. I've even caught barracuda before, but no musky. 1.) Musky 2.) Pike 3.) Golden trout 4.) Sturgeon 5.) Brown Trout 6.) King Salmon 7.) Walleye (Ya I know right? ) In Washington this is all accomplishable and I plan on completing it sometime. I know where I can knock the king, brown, and walleye out real quick. Musky and pike shouldn't be super hard. Sturgeon just takes me having some time to do it. And i gotta find the secret golden trout lakes here in WA.

Going to have to agree this bait is a shallow water bait imo. It has a very slow fall rate when rigged weightless but enough weight to cast it far. It has an amazing action when falling as well. Never hurts to try.

How often do you guys go about switching hooks? 10 fish? Every time you re-tie? Obviously if they're damaged they get tossed.

http://mapper.angling-technologies.com/atom/pmap.php Works just like google maps. Has a topo overlay that works for most lakes, some aren't documented. It's not 100% accurate but it gives you a good lay of the lake and structure, cover, etc. Plus its printer friendly by using their print option!

How much is your eyesight worth? They're cheap but still UV protecting and polarized. Besides I can fish blind, can't fish with no money for tackle Its the eye fatigue you need to worry about. Cheap lenses have many imperfections in them that strain your eyes and cause premature vision problems. Getting a good quality pair of shades with good glass lenses is key to healthy eyes. That being said I run wiley-x's and have been very pleased. The amber color is amazing. I really like the padding/seal that goes around the frame. Provides extra comfort for those long days on the lake and provides an awesome barrier to keep wind and dust out of my eyes, especially when rallying the boat wide open.

Shimano/quantum for reels. Shimano rods Rapala Cranks all the way Other than that not very brand specific. I tend to lean towards Yamamoto and Strike king though...