primetime

jam it full of plastics, weights, hooks, few frogs, few floating minnow baits, then stuff in some swim jigs, finesse jigs, smaller chatterbaits, and cheat and fill my pockets with spinnerbaits and more soft baits. Or just bring a pack of trick worms, swimbaits, speed worms, and small grub and some stick worms.....Plus a few heavy lures to reach places far away. Terminal tackle like shaky heads etc. would be my main concern, bullet weights, hooks, they will always hit soft baits if put in right places. and a rattle trap and storm subwart.

DOA Long Shank EWG made by Eagle Claw (not the cheap ones), then buy a pack of pinch weights so you can adjust where the weight is on the shank, and make it any weight you choose. Plus they are not to heavy guage so you get great hooksets from long casts and the Neck fits fatter swimbaits perfectly. The Owner Hooks are my favorite swimbait hooks, just don't use the Mustad Hooks with the adjustable weight and that black screw, they seem like a great concept, but they just rip holes in your bait and they always fall off. Or just nose hook it with a weedless Kahle hook that has some weight on them or crimp a split shot. You get better action that way, Falcon used to make a hook that was for wacky rigs that fits perfect and is weedless. Changes entire action and hook sets are much better imo.

Do some Speed Wormin with the ultravibe from zoom or the paddle tail, Junebug or Green Pumpkin. Or throw a sluggo on the surface, still a killer soft bait just like it was when it blew up when it came out. kind of hard to beat a swimbait over weeds rigged on either a weighted hook or with light bullet weight, sometimes a small punch skirt. Gambler EZ series stays on hooks really well, Skinny Dippers work well, then maybe try either a Horny Toad or something more finesse like the Manns toad. Or just swim your favorite creature bait like the Rage Bug, Yum Mighty bug is awesome as a swimbait/topwater and not sure why but it is easy to rig weedless, all the appendages seem to make Bass Curious as they often follow it slowly and only strike when you kill it or speed it up. I love the houdini shad as well since you can adjust the tail to make it buzz the top,and or leave it as a paddle tail or a forked fluke, but I figure everyone is throwing Flukes and frogs so I try to use something different if in a lake where everyone fishes the same areas. A grub like the Menace or Devils Spear also work good over weeds. Lastly, I always try the MJ rig in and over weeds as the flash and thump behind the worm makes it easy for fish to find and catches quality fish. Best part of this rig is you can use a lighter weight and it will fall through the weeds when you kill it easier than other baits & sometimes you just catch more below the service. I like a small colorado hammered blade but most guys use willow blades. When it works, it really works, worth a shot and a senko is never a bad choice anyway.

Lightning Shock MH 7' is a great all around rod if you do not want to buy a technique specific rod. Cabela's Rods the Tourney Trail Pro is under $50, Life time warranty, same with the 40 rods and they fish much nicer than the price. The New Shimano series exage is really nice, kind of a step up from the compre which is a rod I like and easy to use for a bunch of techniques. Some of the Daiwa rods are versatile as well and you can stay under $100. Overall, LIghting rods have the perfect tip, handle up to an ounce, great with braid or mono, and I have yet to break one, and I break a good amount of rods do to stepping on them etc...Okuma does a good job with warranties but Cabelas will literally replace your rod regardless of price and they use really good blanks.

Triple Fish makes a Co Poly which handles really well, color and abrasion is more fluoro, and the 15lb test is .10 diam, actually think it is less than .10. Called rx, I use the 15lb instead of the standard stren, berkley etc. since it is thinner and down here where they have a location you can find 600 yds for $4. Its an OEM line made in Germany, they make lots of major brands, I think Hi Seas recently purchased them but is still keeping many of their lines. They make over 90 brands in a bunch of countries, many are much more expensive but when you don't pay for advertising it is amazing what you can save. Maybe you can get lucky and find it on Ebay, Guys buy spools super cheap and then sell the camo line which is popular for a huge mark up. If you can find the RX Copoly, you will like it, less memory than Big Game or XT and the 20 lb is 14lb dia and really helps with casting distance and great for cover since it seems to be mostly fluoro. They make a bunch of lines in the 16,18lb tests which match specs of some high end line. German technology is usually good, so I like the idea of German imported line instead of others. The 10lb test they make is 6lb diameter and may be better. I bet one of the florida liquidation overstock websites will have it cheap if you look.

Nothing wrong with the Revo, nice and light and easy to cast.....Revo will work great, Lew's is a great next choice for when you want to buy a new reel. Hard to say one is better than the other, I think the Lew's is larger but I can't keep up with all the models Lew's has and had last few years. Abu keeps it simple. Revo's and Max.

Every company makes good reels for pitching, many times you lock the drag down so the key is having a reel with a good frame so it won't flex on hook sets and most $100 reels are some type of light metal usually & hold up. If you need to give drag you can either hit the button and thumb it or quickly loosen it. Don't get caught up in drag power. Companies use that as a way to market and sell more reels. You only need roughly 10lbs of drag on a reel to catch Marlin, so a Lews LFS with "Only" 10lbs of drag is Plenty. If you want security I believe the Revo line does over 20lbs, Pflueger Supreme takes in almost 30" per turn and has close to 20, but again, you should just get one that balances and is easy on your arms. I would say Daiwa and Shimano are both great options, but get what you like and if it happens to be a "lower" end Daiwa like an Exceller or Revo S, it is easy to work the brakes, reliable, and then you can buy a better rod or 2 different powers with the savings. If you end up throwing frogs for a day, a heavy set up also sucks. Not all expensive rods and reels are the right fit, I have made that mistake due to mail order many times. Good to have set ups that can pull double work if limted on space, long rods are easy to break in traveling. Hope that ramble helps. 8:1 is the way to go also, but 7:1 will do the job as well.

If you fish Saltwater, just make sure the reel you choose can handle salt water. I am pretty sure the Daiwa casting reels mentioned have saltwater bearings or are sealed, I use alot of Okuma casting reels which are almost all made for saltwater or fresh, for $300 you have a ton of options, you can get a great casting reel for $100 right now of almost any brand. Lew's LFS is great for weight, just make sure it is not TOO light for the rod you choose. Almost every brand has a strong line up of reels once you get in the $100 Plus range, for rods, kind of all preference. I like to pair them up in the store or bring a reel to make sure it balances the way I like, but $300 you WILL get an awesome set up for sure. You may want to find a deal on a reel on a site that is normally $130 for $70, then stretch the money into a rod more expensive than you planned. The Rods seem to make the most difference for price as far as I can tell. A 7' Medium heavy rod with a fast tip is probably the rod I use most. When I take 1 casting rod fishing with me I bring a Medium Heavy that can throw 1/4-1 oz or similar, I seem to keep buying MH rods when on sale. Some straight Mediums can handle up to 17lbs which is actually plenty and makes casting weightless worms a breeze. From shore you probably use 3/16-3/8 the most, some mediums I have are 1/16-5/8 and I can throw most jigs and frogs if needed.

Cabela's has them like half off right now. I think it is all the Presidents. Great real.

I love the Havoc baits, the only one's I never liked were the worms (Never gave them a fair chance) and that wide load lizard which I tried once and gave up on. the Devil Spear in 3" and Subwoofer are fantastic baits, lots of colors, and price is great. Pitboss is great, so is the never discussed Grass Craw? the BB Cricket/Big Show Punch copy which has a hook holder and allows you to stick a big hook ina small punch bait and it never slides. Crawfish looks kind of stupid, but it catches fish and is great when you need some extra plastic in a tiny bait falling fast. Not sure why that never caught on.

I find Okuma is awesome when it comes to replacing or fixing a broken reel or Rod even if it snaps in a door, or you drop the reel. I Broke an EVX rod that broke in the bed of a truck last year, I told them it was my fault, they told me to send them $25 and even though I admitted it was my fault, they honored the lifetime warranty. The best part is since the Rod was Discontinued, they sent me a newer Casting rod in a better model. I have heard Abu Garcia is good with warranties as well, but I always try to buy Okuma tackle since they have literally sent me a replacement baitcasting reel and a Free Side plate and spool when I only needed a side plate. I Think it helps to simply be honest when something breaks, all these big companies have the option of being "nice", and I am sure they get tired of people sending rods that were clearly broken when not fishing, but hearing wild stories of fish breaking them. I have had another company who I won't mention charge me 50% for what I paid for a reel, simply to get a few parts since it was an older model. I would have thought that they would have cut me a break since I paid good money for the reel, and it was discontinued only 1 year after I purchased it. Plus I sent pics showing that it was barely used. So much for the 3 year limited warranty as it was only 2 years old. 3 years should be 3 years.

I believe the record bass caught in Mass was in a pond that had some connection to the Ocean, and therefore had an unusual amount and type of Mullet or Big shad living in it. It was kind of the perfect Situation of Smaller Pond, Good water & Protein rich forage, genetics, and the perfect cast that we all dream of. I don't doubt that Scuba Divers think they see 20lb bass when diving lakes, Fish always look bigger in the water and we all know that many people will catch the infamous 8-10lb bass which is then a solid 4lber when you see the picture. We had an accident on a Local Florida lake a few years back and they had divers in the water for days. I was working at the local tackle shop at the time, and I heard about 20lb bass being seen, and all the stories put the Fish in the same area. 30-40 Foot hole and/or a deep 30' hole with an old bus or boat on the bottom. I tried getting GPS coordinates for the "hole", and I am 100% certain, these guys misjudged or exaggerated these stories. There are no holes that deep in the lake. Nothing over 20-24' Max. If they were so wrong on the depth, then that makes the 20lb Bass more like 10-12, and that would make sense. I still think the next Huge Bass close to the record will end up coming from either Florida, Texas, or California in a lake that does not get alot of attention, maybe one of the lakes that was great in the 80's, but now is not popular. I always figure the genetics are still in those Lakes, and catching big Southern Strain Bass are extremely difficult to catch on lures. There is a Lake in Florida called Lake Apopka which I think Holds a possible record. Little Pressure, Tons of bait, and perfect location. I will still gladly settle for 15lbs in my life, I doubt it happens unless I fish every day with Live Shiners or Shad.

Looking at this Doyo/China reel which is also sold as a Pinnacle for $200 but it has better internals than I can afford but I am learning how to adjust them to get the cost right. I need to figure out what to change besides color. I want the 2 reels to start but need more money to get the gear ratio up and also get silver/White instead of red, and change some of the internals. Maybe I can get Lucky if I can think of a new name better than KastKing which I thought was bad. Most names have been tried already or being used elsewhere, may just go with nothing written on reel & have unique colors. I think Red won't be good for a startup, Needs to look original and this one also needs some Lews style holes on the top. White reels also sell better from my smaller flea market ventures. Also like this Doyo and China reel, Since the Quantum Energy is gone, maybe this rainbow color can be good since more reels need to look different imo. Not sure about the handle but that is a cheap modification and can be done seperately, Pinnacle struggles in the high range area since they made all the inexpensive reels for years.

That's good to hear, 2 years and kast king has only improved since then. They still sell a ton of Royales for a reason. I have the Royale and the Stealth but don't use them much since I spend my spare time trying to fish all the other reels I keep trying. Kind of thinking about importing reels with my own label, Just can't mee the MOQ of the reel I want. I found lots of Junk in China, but also some Gems for under $15. I am blown away with how cheap it is to buy good reels in bulk, even from reputable OEM's, they will do 10 reels we all recognize for fraction of the price, changing the specs and getting a new name on it is the tough part. Most of these companies will handle your parts and service as well, no wonder Kast king replaces everything, same with Okuma. the 4 guys from Kastking started out buying a "Cheap" reel in China, selling it for $40 so probably paying $15 landed, started with cheap braid, Frogs etc. Until they could get the money to get with an OEM who could do what they wanted. Smart guys. THey realized bearing count matters most to buyers, Carbon and light weight matters just as much, and then toss in crazy drag ratings higher than most competitors. They also nailed the cosmetics and good for them. If you ever watched You Tube there was a video of a guy who was going to take apart a Kast King to show how cheap it was but he had a break down about 20 minutes in when the bearings were exactly what were advertised. Not saying they are $300 reels, but Hard to beat $30 for that Mela Spinning reel, they practically advertise that it is an Ardent Wire Clone by saying its Manufacture in China directly to your door to cut costs. The next big reel will be the Piscifun reels. Guys down here are sponsered by them and they also make a good reel like the Kast King. KastKing seems to sell more reels than Duckett and good for them. This is the reel I am working on hopefully getting with a few changes. Also known by some as a Pinnacle only they have a few better features than this version from Korea/China/Thailand.

It's complicated, I am still trying to figure it out. The Shismano and identical reels that are like 18 bearings are shelf reels that get picked up by distributors and small OEM's and re branded or stripped down to get the price low. The Original kast King's were Trulinyo LMA 100's, but I think Trulinoyo makes reels for a bunch of different companies, plus I think they distribute. The Doyo site lists reels as LFS, and now I just saw the new Kastking in their Catalog. Its the same frame as many reels. I see the Pro Qualifier sold under a bunch of different names, They don't keep it a secret, I know what lFS means, and if I want to start copying them, I just need to get the MOQ money, not call it lew's, and change at least the color. I think Shimano has a Patent on their system, same with some High End Daiwa but all the other stuff is free game to "Re-Design". I know many Okuma reels are made in China, I am pretty sure every company Outsources, One Small city in China has over 250 Reel OEM's, so things are always moving around. That is why it often makes sense to pay for Quality Control. The guys from Kastking went over to China when they first started, they also used to be a distributor for Abu Garcia and Daiwa until they won the Icast award and now they left the Eposiedon site. Doyo and Dawon are in Korea, I don't know how much they actually make, not that it matters, I find Chinese made Okuma Reels to be just fine. I just buy them here. I just laugh when kastking gets hate yet they are an American Company who started small and are now doing really well. They are doing what Duckett, and every other Reel Manufacturer does. They just found the sweet spot. Light reels made with Carbon, Drag power that is crazy high even though you only need 10lb for Marlin Fishing. Specs sell, I am 99% certain Japan outsources most reels as well, at least the popular ones. all the main reel companies seem to come up with good ideas every year with R&D. Heck, Kastking did a 9:3 and a 5.6 oz reel with 19lbs of drag? The frame for most reels starts out super cheap, then you choose the options and get a price. Anyone can do it, you can find Carrot Stix, Falcon and other companies reels that never made it all over the place cheap. Many companies take Disco'd reels and Re-Brand. Shimano seems to run the tightest ship, the Lews, Abu,BPS, Ardent, Even the Daiwa frame from the Exceller is everywhere now. You never really see Shimano knock offs that can be taken seriously. Buying a Shismano is like buying a Bolex watch on 42nd street in NYC. You know its fake. At least they make it easy for you. After seeing how kastKing and Piscifun are doing, heck BR sponsers kast King now, Guides in Florida are sponsered by Piscifun, and on reputable sites you see reels from Noeby getting ranked in the top 5 which is crazy.

The first Kast King reels were sold as the LMA 200 which is made by Trulinoya or at least sold by several distributors in China under the trulinyo name. I see all the Korean reels being sold in China, Most companies make reels in multiple factories which is why you see the same reels being sold under 8 different names. It;s super complicated these days. I don't know how it works between the 2 Korean Reel Companies since plenty of places (Legit Factories which show Import sales to the USA in huge quantities) and they are sold as a Doyo reel, and then they have the same reel under a china label. No company puts all their Eggs in 1 basket, they use multiple factories for different models etc. Quality control, and for cost reasons, so things are always changing.' Pretty sure many of the Japanese companies also outsource except maybe the reels over $300. I have seen all the Tatula's and legit ones sold in China but they are with the legit companies and they won't sell them in bulk unless you keep them as a Daiwa. I know Banex was making some of the Okuma reels and now several other factories are making them, but Trulinyo and a few other companies usually have reel frames that are all different brands. In the City of Wehia in China their are over 250 Reel OEM's alone. Most will tell you who they make the reels for, it is usually public info, or info you can find, but you have to be careful for knock offs or OEM reels that are defective etc. Best part of China is you can order overstocks and refurbished reels in bulk at crazy low prices at times. they somehow get Shimano reels, usually the lower End ones. I am still trying to figure out where Ryobi fits in. They have really nice reels that are identical to high end models, The Okuma reels are easy to spot since they have that dial system and shapes are easy to spot. I think Tica used to make them as well, China is a complicated place, that is why I would rather trust Quality Assurance to reputable companies.

I know this is an old thread but I have been spending the last few months, maybe a year researching all Chinese Reels on the market since I import products from China & other countries to sell part time. I am familiar with the Korean Company & 2 others which help create the image of "Not Made in China" but Taiwan, China, outside the USA all the same to me for most part. When I say Chinese reels, I have been testing reels like *** (In my town and started the company at the same time as the 4 guys from Kastking. 99% of the reels we fish are from China and other countries not in the USA unless you are looking to go deep sea fishing and use Avet. Reels from Lew's,Abu, Daiwa, Okuma etc. may have R&D Offices in the USA, Sweden, but they simply outsource the reels to factories elsewhere which makes sense. Obviously all companies have different Quality Control & different specs so I am not knocking any company, but I can pick a reel from a catalog, order 500, call it anything I want, and simply add a new color to a $200 reel and just mark it up for much less, or use cheaper bearings etc. Not too much goes into R&D anymore, and KastKing is no different than say a company like Duckett or Quantum,BPS etc. They give free reels to everyone, focus on Customer Service, and simply do not mark up reels at 400%. Most reels we fish are sold in other parts of the world under different names, The Ardent wire spinning reel is sold as 8 different reels I believe. Bottom Line, Chinese reels under Chinese names are coming like Japanese Cars. The China Fish International show was all New reels from China and you still often get what you pay for, but just because you pay $300 for a Duckett Reel, or Quantum, does not mean it is worth $300. Every company makes cheap reels, Kastking has a few models in the $100 Range now, but I would put their casting reels for $50 on par with any $100 reel, I would argue the Pro Max for $49 online is the best value under $100, Advertising, Sponsership, add cost, Eposeiden is selling reels cheaper by using Chinese Factories & using Proven Technology to keep costs down, then they do not mark them up so high. The Academy Meddle is $60 and if I gave that reel a new name, some new paint, Titanium coating on the line guide, It could sell for $150 no complaints if KVD fished it. All reels have issues after a few years. Kast King is based on Long Island and they are using the same factories and frames as other Chinese reels, They are based on Long Island like *** is based in Florida, both do the same things when ordering reels, only Kast King has better customer service. Eposeidon which is Kast king now has $100 reels but they are no different than buying from Quantum, they all pick em out of catalogs and then import them. Chinese reels are going to be like Japanese Cars. China fish International the biggest fishing show in the world is usually 2 years ahead, and it was all Chinese Reel Companies, branded in China, going to be Sold In America. Why not cut out the middle man? Japanese cars are pretty good after a tough start. Kastking is an American company so if a Silver Max was working for you, you are tough on your stuff, Expect a good 2-3 years from a Kastking just like you will get from your Lew's Laser. Sorry for the rant, Obviously Lews makes a good reel and they "Design" some nice reels, but so does Kastking, ***, and Abu Garcia. After trying dozens of reels, I would say the ORRA and Pro max are best reels for heavy fishing, good drags, if you go that way again. Lew's are great, but at $50 every company has a comparable reel, some companies just sell them for 4x the price. Check out Browning Reels. Saving a ton of money if you buy the one's that are a year old or so. Unless BPS lies about the Specs, hard to beat a Browning reel. Then again, they don't advertise like Kast King so they only sell for $80 same Internals as a Jonny Morris?

If you visit the main BR website page, you can find articles that break down all the different types of hooks, guage, size etc. Glenn Has a video he put out a few years ago about choosing hooks for Flukes, Senko's and other plastic baits which will help you out. My only advice with hooks is to buy quality, You don't "Need" the higher end hooks, but I find that you get what you pay for when it comes to hooks, and in reality, the hook is the most important part of the equation. I tend to use 3/0 4/0 Hooks for most of my soft baits in standard sizes, I match the guage of the hook to the line I am fishing. Thinner hooks penetrate easier, and quality hooks can bend if you have the wrong hook on heavy braid. If you are looking for value the BPS Magna Lock hooks are good hooks. I would just advise you to stay away from Matzuo hooks. Had them bend in the past and points do not stay sharp from my experience.

I like Power Pro Plus and most 8 strand braids. I also like the Tuf Line braids. I find I can cast best and have the least issues of line kinking up in lines with 8-10lb diameter. One thing I notice is I can cast further without Micro Guides when using braid.

You can find the Abu Veracity on sale on one of the 3 bigger websites for $69 right now. Down from $159. You can find some great deals right now on all the Abu Vendetta 2.0 rods for around $70, but one rod you can grab quickly at Dicks is the blue Tech Spech for $45 which is a nice rod, Shimano Selles for $39, I saw a Silver Max on a Vengence rod for $60. Sell the reel online and you have a $15 rod. I always buy combos and sell the reel. You can get a nice $100 Rod for $30 or so by buying a Lew's or BPS combo. Same with Academy. That is the best way to save money imo and get more value.

I am looking to invest in a Punching rod and luckily I have a brother and nephew who are really good at building custom rods. Neither one of them do any punching or flipping, so I was hoping someone can tell me the right blank and Guides to buy for them to put together. I am willing to spend roughly $200 for this rod, do not like Micro Guides, so what is a good blank to buy. I need it to handle 1.5-2.0 oz. and be light. Light Weight is probably my main priority & want to have confidence boat flipping bigger fish. I keep breaking the rods I buy in the $70-$100 range and it is time to make a smart investment. Any help would be appreciated. I had the chance to use a Kistler rod yesterday, and I don't think I have ever fished with anything 1/2 as nice. I need one, but was hoping I could have something similar built in the $200 Price Range. Thanks.

Buy lures YOU have confidence in, if you truly believe you have the right lure, color, size etc. You will catch fish. If buying a $20 Popper or walking lure gives you more confidence than throwing a Spook or Rebel Pop'r, then that is money well spent. Value is different for everyone, and if you simply read a few threads on lures, you will see the same brands always coming up-Strike King, Rapala, Academy, Zoom, Yum, Berkley, gambler etc. The most important money you spend is on Jigs with good hooks and the right type and weight, Right size hooks in baits, Sharp trebles, right line, Rod, reel for the application. You generally get what you pay for, and with so much competition in the fishing market, you can spend $50 at TW buying any brand you want, and have enough lures and baits to catch fish. TW doesn't carry any "Junk" like you see at certain places. If you look back at Bass Tournament results in the 80's, the lures they used to win, you will realize that those same lures are still around, just in 300 colors and slight modifications.

Guys sometimes catch Big Bass on catfish baits at night. Kind of the same thing I guess. I would still say a Hot dog works better.

I tend to hook more fish with a spinnerbait, but both are good and the chatterbait is really effective in grass that is often a bit much for a spinnerbait. I think fishing a bladed jig is more complicated than a spinnerbait, I am still learning how to fish the chatterbait efficiently, a Spinnerbait is a lure that I have confidence in so I will give it more time. Kind of 2 different lures, but I think both are important to have. Chatterbaits certainly seem to be much more popular these days. A spinnerbait is one of the easiest lures to catch fish on regardless of skill.

Shad raps on spinning gear are almost always money, not just a cold water bait. The shallow shad rap is one of my favorites, I also love a small crankbait like the Storm Subwart, KVD 1.0, Speed traps etc. The bomber series is tough to beat pound for pound imo. Norman makes some of the best cranks as well. I am always hearing about the DD22 and Middle N.