Teal

I'm not a shimano guy. But that is one sexy set up! I love the combination of that reel, that 7'2H rod, and that line.. gonna be a jig slinging lip ripper for sure!

That's pretty much it. I own mostly less with 1 shimano, a few daiwas, and a few 13 fishing. My favorite reels honestly are the high end ones. I have a TD Zillion and a Core, those reels are awesome. If I had an unlimited budget I'd probably be market for the daiwa tatula Sv tw, or the high end stuff....all that said, my lews tournament pros have been excellent reels....

3.5 Nice fish tho. Catch 5 of those and you are in the money more often than not.

Heck yeah!

I think it's just pure power fishing.

I still like their baits. Sammy, gun fish, lc silent, pointers and staycees

Had to go through a dozen responses to see jigs. Smh. A quality jig Worms... zoom u tail, Berkeley power worms, and some robo worms A quality spinner bait Those are the must have for me...everything else is situational. And lord knows I have a bazillion to different things tied on... but Most of my fish come of these and I can do just fine with just these. Dude we pretty much posted the same thing at the same time... does that mean we just became best friends. (Dont mind my "StepBrothers" reference)

Best I can remember from Saturday LC Sammy- 683 powell War eagle screaming eagle(1/2oz) Powell 723 Jackhammer/keitech Tatuala 6'10 MH Pad crasher frog- Powell 735 1/4 oz. Trig cuttR worm - 723 3/8 grass jig rage menace -powell 714 1/2 oz flipping jig rage craw -Dx744 1/2 oz Trig rage craw Tatuala 7'1 H Dt10 crank- ballistic 7'7M 1/2 oz rattle trap Powell 725cb 1oz punch rig, sweet beaver -Powell 765 1/4 oz shakey head Powel 712s Pop R - tatuala 7'1 ML spinning

Before

Mostly a cold water or super high pressure deal for me as far the rubber or hair jigs. Mike does make jigs that are mix of rubber and silicone. Northstar Customs makes a silicone/hair hybrid. I still have a bunch of them.

Glad to watch my Nats play again. Due to all the antics, I don't turn it on till well into the first inning.

Alot of the custom jigs you can buy are dirt cheap.

I'm cheating, I'm actually getting Mike to build me a squarebill/trap rod... it will be composite but probably in the same kinda ball park as the RIP and chatter rod. I'm super excited.

Between 5 and 6.5 down here. In sure you would have a good number of 7s and the occasional 8 or 9

Awesome find at my local OLLIES they had two of my favorite cranks on sale for a ham sandwich. Have another bag of them in the truck, full in lucky craft cb.

I'll hit on a few that i really didt see up there. In lieu of cranking I like a heavier soft swimbait. Any thing from 3.5" to 8". I craw the bottom or give it occasional strokes or pops around objects. In more that 15 foot of water I like a 1/2 all the way up to 1 oz. Another good trick is a rattle trap. Dont forget.the old carolina rig

I throw them from time to time, I like using the longer profile, it's a break from the norm. Great in the early to mid fall when the the shad spawn.

Any V6, should be plenty for a 16 ft aluminum with all your gear. I have towed a 19'10" boat with 200hp motor, packed up with a 2004 explorer by and now with a 2017 Tacoma V6. If I was going to be travelling great distances I would have gotten a full size truck. If you dont want a full size, the tacoma, 4 runners, frontiers, Coloradosand ect. Will be plenty no more that you are trying to haul. But that is a greeeeat budget so you can really find whatever you want. My next is gonna be a bignhonkin DIESEL BEAST.

For accuracy and stowablilty the 6'6to 7 ' would work. Cover and lure weight should dictate your power of rod. You can easily get away with a 6'9 M. Ifnyou are throwing 1/2 lures in to grassy or saggy cover, go mh. No more deep than you are going, a 6:1 should be fine. Try to find a med fast or mod action.

I love it, feel like I'm pretty versatile, but weather its deep, shallow, or grassy, i keep two rods with jigs on. Sometimes three. Like Blue said, heavy rod, heavy line, and home runs.

Bingo! That's a heck of a deal.

Could have been a striper, could have been a limb. Who knows. I have snagged/foul hooked bass and stripers that freight trained it and at times feels like its gonna take the rod outta your hand.

Some will tell you otherwise, but man that's a whole lotta rod. I punch with a 7'6 Heavy. Length is up to you tho.

Welcome back @roadwarrior. Glad you are good to go? Are you water ready or gonna need more time?