kickerfish1

Shimano's eh? Something bad must have happened in the 90s or early 2000s. Darn those TDZs

The title of this thread is somewhat misleading. Should say something like "You don't have to have a lot of money to catch fish" You do have to be able to afford the gas to get to the lakes and back, licenses, park permit fees, live bait or artificials, fishing line, tackle boxes, terminal tackle, etc. So you do have to have some "play money" just to be able to participate in the sport. If you are talking about not needing $15 hardbaits and $200 rod and reels then yes I agree.

I have never paid full retail for any rod. I would wait for sales or for one to come up from a good seller at a fair price. I only use the Champion for moving baits as it is the 705 cb glass model. It has great feel for reaction baits, balances well, and the finish looks pleasing to the eye. MB Orochi XX rods are similar to Dobyns in the fact that they are balanced. The rods have a bit more feel to to me mainly because the blanks are better. Most the rods in the MB line up are more versatile due to their tapers while Dobyns offers more technique specific rods.

Yep, and just to be clear, the issue is only on the Symetre and below level reels. Perhaps not every variant made throughout the years, but for several models at least. The Saros/Stradic level reels and up have been outstanding for me. Under $100 I would buy a Phfleuger.

The only permanent fix is to buy a better reel. I had a reel tech attempt to fix the problem. After he thought he had it right it did it again. He sent into Shimano on his dime and guess what? It bound up the first outing of the year. Its worse during the rainy weather over dry conditions but I I would never buy another Sahara or Symetre.

The new 2016 GLX models should be a unpgrade over the previous years models which are being closed out. Better and lighter blank plus full handles on the MBR models.

Yep, 100% sure it is largemouth, and a good one at that.

Having seen some of your acquisitions I think there are quite a few zeros involved after that initial dollar sign

Yep, some of the best skirt patterns out there. Lots of colors and nicely layered and blended. Their website has even more colors.

I am intrigued by the line as well. Thinking I may grab a spool this coming off season to try next year. Not sure how many folks will take the plunge on this line until they hear much from other.

Pretty good video. I think the number of guides comment can go either way. Too many guides will way the rod done some and to little will result in more line slap. Static testing is usually the best way to determine the number and placement of guides. Another thing to consider is the size of the guide (single vs double foot) and also the type of guides (micro, macro, traditional, etc). You are right about the cost to get into an "ok" level custom rod being about $200. You have to figure the builders labor, shipping expense, and msc shop supplies. These 3 can easily hit $100 or better depending upon the complexity of the build. The last thing to keep in mind is that while the blank will have a warranty supplied by the manufacturer, the replacement costs are not as simple as send it and we will determine what the cause of the break was and send you a new one in a week. There is also no $100 replacement warranty piece either. Break a custom rod and you will have to see what can be salvaged and what needs to be ordered again, not to mention you are likely waiting a good month if not longer for the new rod as the builder will have to order the components and assemble it again. Custom rods are not for everyone and not always the most cost effective. However, they do truly allow the user to get what they want to a "T". The limits are only ones imagination and budget, as well as what the builder is capable of to an extent.

Thanks for posting the picture without the trailer. I think I was working on uploading the picture when you replied about it being a screw lock style. Revenge uses the same concept on their bladed jigs as well. To be perfectly honesty I a not a huge fan of the screw lock style. I would still fish it and see how it does for you.

It does not look like there is much gap between the bait and the hook in that photo? Also I noticed you texposed the hook so I assume you are fishing some pretty weedy stuff. Even on my swimjigs I don't texpose them so I can get a better hook up ratio. This is what one mine is rigged like. Note I have no experience with the Keitech line of swim jigs.

I am not sure, nor do I really want to know.

I don't like the sandals that split the big toe and 2nd toe either. I wear the type that has a velcro strap that rides over the entire top portion of the foot. Google Puma flip flops and you should be able to see what I am referring to?

I like flip flops for boat fishing. Easy to take on and off, doesnt matter if they get wet, and comfortable.

Looks good Buzz! Love the chart idea as well. Only other suggestion would be to add a column noting when the line was put on and possibly the brand and type. This would be handy when buying replacement line or to determine when to replace line. Just something I started doing this year to manage the chaos. IE... 10# Seaguar Tatsu 5/30/16

This thread needs to end...

I am digging the finish on this one MB! I would call this color "Terminator"... just need a red eye!

Considering that most MB and Deps baits are noticeably more expensive I find the price of LC baits to be justified. Most around the $15 mark give or take. I probably have about 40-50 LC hardbaits all together. Most have been bought when retailers have sales, from local swap meets, or from various Buy/Sell boards. Some of the baits I have bought used for as little as $6 a piece.

Sounds like you just need a water version of a U-Haul to pull behind the boat. A dedicated room, basement, or garage make great places to store extra tackle depending upon what you have available.

You may have to empty the Trick Darter collection!

C'mon MB... You know you want one the Black Jungle rods... Frog Game Special?

Just saw this... Happy late Birthday wishes

I fish a lot of soft baits but the only one I don't care for anymore is Gulp. As far as hardbaits go I fish a lot LC, MB, Xcalibur, Rapala, and a few others.