iabass8

definitely flush the bearings first before you upgrade to bocas. flushing bearings can make a world of difference if you are unhappy with an out of box reels performance.

i use anywhere from 6:4 to 7:1 for jigs and pitching. a higher gear ratio good to pick up line quickly. for jig fishing and pitching, the comfort of the reel in your hand is more important than a couple of IPT difference as you'll be holding the reel nearly the same all day. you'll notice a little difference in the gear ratios but it's minimal to make a major effect.

x2. great swimjig trailer.

perhaps you should think before you speak. you literally just said "it's the inventor of fluorocarbons" a few posts up...

Well if you are deciding between those 4, i'd choose tatsu. It's probably the best fluorocarbon i've used. the price range and quality of the 4 lines you listed is really across the board. red label is the cheapest, has decent but not great memory if you treat it with line conditioner. it has god awful abrasion resistance around rock and wouldn't consider using it in any sort of cover because of that. Sunline super is a really strong line but needs more line conditioner as well. It's abrasion resistance is better than red labels but still isn't top notch. it handles pretty good. FC sniper is a fantastic line. it has low memory and is really strong and very abrasion resistant. casts great, handles great. Tatsu is when you get in to the upper tier of fluorocarbons. it's abrasion resistance is just a little better than sniper from what i've found but it handles better, it's softer and the knot strength is great.

you're in college and probably on a budget. don't "waste" your money on tatsu. I say "waste" because its my favorite fluorocarbon but if you are just fishing for fun and there's nothing on the line, there isn't really a need for you to be spending 40$ on a spool of line at this point in your life. Stick with Sunline FC Sniper. best 24$ you'll spend on 200 yds of quality fluorocarbon.

red label is more like the older chevy impala or a dodge caravan. it will work...but there's clearly room for improvement.

if you do get red label, get some line conditioner for it. it isn't a terrible line but it has very poor abrasion resistance. do yourself a favor and just spend the 22$ on sunline FC sniper.

red label is far from over priced. it's very cheap for 12$ a spool. with fluorocarbon lines, you get what you pay for. i personally wouldn't use vanish if it were given to me in a lifetime supply quantity. If you are happy with it, then there is no reason to switch. I prefer Seaguar Tatsu and Sunline FC Sniper for just about every application that I can use fluorocarbon.

They aren't "dead" but they leave more to be desired

usually december to mid march. ice sucks =(

i like the savvy..for frog and spinnerbaits/swim jigs and thats about it. anything else i'd go champ extreme. in your price range there's phenix m1/recond 2, powel endurance (during black friday sales), kistler KLX (supposed to be a fantastic value for its price tag), and st. croix avid. i'd choose any of those rods before the savvy for bottom contact baits.

cabelas goretex guidewear can be found at a decent price on sale and is worth it's weight in gold. there have been many late fall/early winter walleye trips on the river in 36 degree air temps where i never once felt cold.

i love dobyns rods but there are a whole heck of a lot of better options in that price range that have better sensitivity,

im 5-1 in my fantasy football league

The champion is no slouch. It is often overlooked because it has such a strong following for their crankbait rods within the champion series. the sensitivity is there but not on the same level as the extreme. the extreme also has a faster tip than the champion when comparing similar rods i.e champ 734 vs dx 744. The difference isn't as drastic going from the champion to the chamption extreme as it is when jumping from the savvy to the champion. If you're looking to save money and having a hard time justifying the higher price tag, you won't be disappointed in the champion 734

During black friday sales, the dobyns chamption extreme dx744 will be right at the 250 mark in your price range. fantastic plastics rod.

Tackle Ware .House Bass Tackle Depot Cabelas Gander Mountain Dick's We don't have much for mom and pop shops but whenever i've in the area 30 minutes north of me, i stop by a local shop that has the nicest old woman running it day in and day out. Hutch's Tackle. I don't order from him though. I always go to his house when i'm near cabelas in prarie du chien.

The avid is a better blank(more sensitive), lighter, has a better warranty (lifetime vs 5 year). it fishes well above its price tag. the 7'MHF would be a great choice in the avid line for your intended purpose.

ice out to ice up..i throw a squarebill.

i don't like fishing massive balls of baitfish. unless they are breaking the surface a lot. there is just a ton of competition vs your lure and the chances go down the larger the bait school gets. you can try and fish directly below them /w a jig or trig as lots of times the larger ones stay below the school and wait for falling shad. i prefer to find the smaller schools of bait if the jig doesn't pan out.

if you have somebody that can show you how to do it first hand, that is even better. lots of us had to learn the hard way by trial and error.

they may have just had the trailer in their mouth. try waiting a second or two more before setting the hook if that happens.

exactly this. if you watch videos on skipping, you will notice that the consensus on brakes is to keep them loose. this might seem counterproductive at first if you aren't efficient at it but once you get the hang of skipping, you will completely understand. a lot of people try to use the same force when skipping as they would skipping a stone. while the motion is the kind of the same, you don't need nearly as much force to skip a jig as you think. take a 1/4oz arky jig w a flat sided trailer, keep the brakes loose, and almost make a very easy side armed skip. you will be suprised how far a jig will skip when done properly with very little effort. raising the rod tip at the end of the cast is a great trick to keep the bait skipping.this is one of the best videos i've found. i love pitch skipping.

LC sammy, chart sexy shad