RichF

Thanks for the info. I actually went with the Big Fish 105. They have a custom bracket that you can attach a trolling motor to and fits in the sonar pod. Haven't gotten it yet but that would make it much better. It's a good yak I suppose (I have very limited experience). I can stand in it pretty easily. Not a great paddling kayak though. And it's friggin heavy for 10 ft.

I wish they would stay away from my neck of the woods. The St. Lawrence is a freaking zoo now that all the tours have stops there annually. Keep the pressure in TX, AL, and FL where it belongs!

This^^^

My buddy just drops trou and goes over the side of the boat. Carries wipes with him and disposes of them in a separate trash bag. I've also heard about the aqua-dump haha.

I'm partial to St. Croix so that's what I would go with. I have one Dobyns XP and really like it, but don't think I would've paid full retail. I've never owned a Loomis (probably never will) but have handled the EX6 rods in the store. In no way did they feel worth the $$.

I've gotten good deals from TackleSupplyDepot, Scheels, fishingonline, and tackledirect.

I you're looking for something a little more "hip/in style" check out Humps. They regularly run 20-40% off sales and you can get nice polarized glasses for around $25-40. I got a pair last year and have been happy with them. They'r not as good as my Oakley Slivers, obviously, but they're more than worth that price.

I'm also intrigued by the new M1s. I hear they run on the lighter side in the power department. So a medium heavy fishes like a medium. Pick one up and share your thoughts;)

I've owned 5 Revo Premiers (3 gen1, 1 gen 3, 1 gen1 spinning). I've also owned 2 Verdict rods, a gen1 vendetta, a gen 1 villain, and I currently have an Ike crank rod. None of these products have been impressive and most have had some sort of issue. Only reason I got the Ike was because it was $50 and I wanted an 8xd rod. It's performed the best out of everything. Regardless, I'm definitely over Abu.

The Rage Toad is actually the only buzz toad type bait I've ever thrown. It works well. I throw it on a 4/0 Owner weighted beast hook.

I got my Coastal on a Helium 3. They do pair quite nicely. Bet that full cork is sweet!

So far so good. Haven't noticed any items shifting.

I've broken several...well over 10. About half were my fault. The worst was not one, but two Legend Xtremes. First time wasn't my fault and was replaced for $20 shipping. The 2nd time was a major d-bag move on my part (tomahawk to the gunnel after losing a winning tournament fish). Thank God for St. Croix's warranty programs!

It's just a tad larger than a standard 3700.

Just wanted to share a solid deal to the BR community. This Academy terminal box retails for $15 (I got mine on sale for $12), much much less than the Bass Mafia and Plano Edge. I've handle the BM terminal box and this one feels like the same exact construction. The plastic is dense and very rigid. The dividers are also rigid and all of them are straight. While it may not have the bells and whistles (individual boxes), it's 1/3 the price and holds pretty much everything I need for tournament days. This may be one of the best fishing deals out there!

Spro Bronzeye in killer gill.

Caught the bass on a zoom speed craw with a pegged 3/16 oz weight. Got a snakehead on a bladed jig in the pads.

Scheels has Simms Prodry Rain suits for around $700 right now. $299 - $320 for bibs, $380 for Jacket.

I actually kind of agree with Todd. I have always taken pride on being able to find fish on my own, without any kind of help or advice. It just makes the game sweeter for me. Now that doesn't mean I haven't or won't ask guys about bodies of water I'm unfamiliar with (depth, bait, grass, etc), I just don't ask how they're catching them.

I could see using it for light T-rigs or finesse jigs but mine will stick to treble duty.

I just did this a couple days ago. The cabontex made the drag feel a little beefier, but not much.

I picked up 3 Snipers when TW had them on closeout. I like them a lot. Light, powerful, and sensitive enough. I'll be picking up an Invoker Pro at some point.

Well, finally made it out to Roaches Run. Now I know where not to go haha. Man the fishing around the city is brutal. They need to open up Fountainhead quick so I can catch a Virginia bass. Missing upstate NY in a huge way! Hope everyone else is fairing better!

I use my SS SV for jerkbaits. But, I rarely fish jerkbaits, so I haven't used it all that much. It's a nice little reel but idk if I'd pay $200 for it (got mine for $150 on TW a couple years ago). I just order new carbontex drag washers for it so maybe that will change my mind but... Pros - super light, very comfortable to palm, pretty smooth, almost no backlashing Cons - feels a little cheap because it's so light, tiny 80mm handle, WEAK drag, brake dial protrudes a bit so I end up accidentally changing settings without knowing Take my opinions with a grain of salt though. Like I said, I haven't put hardly any miles on the thing in the 2-3 years I've owned it. It could probably make a nice finesse/bfs reel if you're into that sort of thing (I'm not).

I've had mine for about 2 months now and it still hasn't seem any action. It feels and looks pretty perfect though. Love that 100mm handle!