Goose52

Canoes generally run up to 17-18 ft in length - capable of seating three. For fishing, two people might be a better number meaning a boat about 15-16 ft would do nicely. One person CAN paddle a long canoe...but there's some tradeoffs. A single paddler can move a long canoe with a narrow beam relatively easily. The longer, narrow beam boats also track very well. BUT, that narrow beam also translates into less stability for standing. The type of boat you linked to is pretty common and many people paddle them solo. You always have the option of motoring it at some later point. Can you stand in a canoe? Maybe. Again, depends on the beam, length, and weight of the boat. The wider the beam, longer the length, and heavier the boat, the more likely it will be stable enough for standing. I expect that Board member A-Jay will be along later to chime-in but I've seen videos of him not only standing in the stern of his boat...but I think also dancing a jig when he gets a nice fish... I stand all day in my canoe...but that's with outriggers. I have a very light, short boat (11'6") and the outriggers are really necessary for me. BUT, with the type of boat you are considering, you MIGHT feel comfortable enough to stand. Just keep in mind that rolling the boat not only places the people on board in jeopardy...but also sends all your gear to the bottom... Of course, start thinking about all the other considerations like how are you going to transport the boat (car-top, truck, trailer, etc), where are you going to store it, etc. Your boat selection might be affected by how much weight you can lift and how big a boat you can store. Ask any other questions you might have.

X2 on Walmart. I run a Walmart EverStart Maxx Marine battery as the power source for the 55lb TM on my canoe. Relatively inexpensive, and in the event you need to replace it, there are Walmarts all over the country. I run the battery three seasons, and just replace it before the 4th season - not because it's worn-out...just because...

Indeed! But of course, and as you know, in a canoe you don't have to lay the fish in your lap...

38.5 pound grass carp...

Yeah baby - it's Goose approved . It ain't the size of the fish...it's that you went fishin'...

I left that out of my post. My use of 30% of line test applied to nylon mono and flouro. DVT IMHO has an excellent recommendation when it comes to braid.

I set my drag by feel and probably end up around 30% of line test (perhaps even less than that). I like to feel the drag slip just a bit on the hook-set. The only time I would go with a heavier drag setting might be if fishing in heavy slop where you have to drag the fish out of the heavy stuff, and as mentioned above, with frogs. HOWEVER, locking the drag down, and using braid, might have a tendency to result in an occasional broken rod if you have a really stout drag stack. I might loosen the drag after hook-set if I'm in open water, and am trying to protect the hook-up on the fish. I also might loosen the drag if I have a very big fish coming back close to the boat or bank, and fishing with nylon mono or flouro, to protect the line in case the fish makes a sudden run. Use the drag appropriately to protect your line and hook-up, but no need to have a different drag plan for all of those baits that you listed.

It depends on the type of presentations that you prefer and the conditions that you typically fish in. The DC has the edge when fishing a lot in windy conditions, especially when using baits like spinnerbaits. Also, if you fish late into the winter the DC has an edge when the "well-trained thumb" goes numb from freezing temps... Otherwise, the standard Met is an outstanding reel and suitable for nearly all presentations. I have both the standard Met and the Met DC and would also advise that for your first BC reel you start with the standard reel. After you've been fishing BC equipment for a while and decide that you like it and decide to expand the arsenal then take a look at the DC model. As part of your decision - you might want to read this review of the Met DC: Shimano Metanium Dc Reel - Initial Review / Impressions

As DVT said, it depends on the bait you are intending on using. For baits that don't have a tendency to spin, tie line-to-line. If using a bait that might spin, use the swivel. Keep in mind that tying line-to-line, and using a compact knot, will usually allow that leader knot to pass through the rod tip-top and guides, thus allowing a longer leader (if desired) and no special casting issues. Using a swivel (which you don't want to have passing through the guides/tip-top - if it even fit) means that the length of the leader will be hanging off the rod tip on the cast - usually requiring a modification to the casting stroke. For me? I fish weightless single-tail grubs a LOT - as in thousands of fish caught. Since grubs spin like crazy, I have to use a swivel between the mainline and the leader. The leader is usually only about 24" or less to reduce casting issues. I usually use a roll-type cast with this length leader.

WOW - nice stuff ! I wish I could have started bass fishing with high-end reels like that !! Instead, I started with this spinning reel around 1959, and added the spincast reel about 1965: By around 1966, I finally saved up enough $$$ to go high-end, buying a Mitchell 408 and matching Garcia Conolon rod: And after owning them for coming on 50 years...the Mitchell / Conolon pair still get put to work about once a year to catch bass...albeit small ones...

I have both - the Met is on an NRX 893C and the Alde on an NRX 852C. The placement of the reels vs. rods really had to do with line capacity rather than balance. I run 14-16 lb test on the 893C and the Met has a bit more capacity for that than the Alde. I run 12 lb on the 852C and the Alde holds enough of that. Both reels are fine, high-performing reels. The Met has micro-module gears that you can feel if you're really paying attention but it's not enough of a difference in feel to pick it over the Alde. The Met strikes me as a more versatile reel, with 3 gear options vs. two on the Alde, and with that additional line capacity. The Alde is a fine choice if the line capacity limitation isn't a concern and the lightest possible weight is a goal. As has probably already been said - get both...

For both YZ (regular) and YZ Ultrasoft - I use an improved-clinch if direct tying to a bait, or a palomar if tying to terminal tackle. No problems with either knot. An improved-clinch on 10lb YZ-US will hold up to stuff like this...

No, No, No - you're NOT doing anything wrong! This is all about personal preference, what works best for YOU, and what is fun for you. Keep on cranking - slowly if necessary... For me? Big deep-divers, heavy spinnerbaits, and slow-rolling or cold weather cranking, are gonna be on low-IPT reels.

The transmission doesn't know the engine in front of it...but the engine certainly knows what gears are behind it...and will reflect that in it's ability (or not) to move the mass of the car in an expected fashion... I think a fair example might be a 10-speed (or any multi-speed) bicycle. Place the bike in it's highest gear. Then leave it there and ride around. Include some hills to make it interesting. Going uphill in 10th gear? No problem - all you have to do is crank slower...

I've got BC reels that give IPTs from 16" to 36". All are tools in the tool box and I use the right tool for the right job. I have a natural cranking rhythm and pick an IPT that will give me the presentation I want at that rhythm. I will speed up or slow down somewhat if necessary but don't try to take a high IPT reel and "make it slow". AND, no way I'm going to try to crank a 10XD and similar big cranks with a reel with 36 IPT. I have enough reels that I don't have to try to make them "one size fits all"...

I have 14 lb Sunline Sniper on my Met XG and don't have any capacity problems. I don't know for sure how much line is on the reel but I would guess 80 - 90 yards. AND...welcome to BR !

Streams? In-line spinners, beetlespins, small spinnerbaits, small grubs, lots of stuff. If you have a couple feet of depth, I love tossing the Strike King Bitsy Pond Minnow...

I think the condition of the cork is appropriate for a rod that has been in and out of various car and boat rod racks hundreds of times, reeled in over 1,100 fish, caught fish on over 500 different days, has probably been on the water from 750 to 1,000 different days, and fished in all weather conditions from blazing sun and heat, to pouring rain, and including... Just honest wear, now it's comfortable and "lived-in"...

...and the PQ Five-Year Challenge Test reel is still working for a living. It's not in the first-string any longer, but I caught a few fish with it this year. It's getting a bit long in the tooth but still mostly serviceable. The weak point in this reel is the brass brake drum. The link that RW posted has details about the wear that occurred over the five year test period.

They're sorta different animals. The Veracity is a 7' medium-moderate cranking rod and the Premier is a 7' medium-fast (and like many St. Croixs fishes heavier than it's rating). Both rods have good build quality but otherwise aren't comparable. One factor that lead to selection of the Veracity was that it's an Abu, and the color complements the burgundy colored 2500C...

You might browse some of the threads that you will find on this link: Recent Scale Posts Also, you might want to specify if you think you want a mechanical spring-type scale...or an electronic digital scale...

...BUT, many of the folks on the board have never seen a Black Max or any of the older Morrums...

Lund Rebel 1600 SS

Thanks for the kind words... I cranked with this reel as part of the "shake-down" process and it works fine for that. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I normally don't crank with a 26" IPT and prefer 22-24 IPT for shallow- or medium-depth cranks and have a bunch of reels with that lower IPT. That's a personal preference though - there's no doubt that this 6.2:1 / 26" IPT reel would handle the job. This reel ended up on an Edge 705-1 Black Widow MH-F rod - an extremely versatile stick that can be used for just about anything, including shallow- and mid-depth cranking if needed. Starting this Spring it will be "the one" rod that will always be in the boat, primarily as a t-rig rod, but able to back up just about any other rod in the boat except for deep cranking and heavy-power kind of stuff. So, that will be the Met DCs mission from here on out. FYI, I note your footer "WTB or trade for your MBR 842c GLX" and thought I'd mention that before the Edge 705-1 came along, my MBR 842C used to be "the one" in the boat. And no, even though it's out of a job right now...I'm not selling or trading it...