Preytorien

If you're also looking for some 50lb that you can get right away here's the eBay listing I bought from.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Pro-Maxcuatro-50-LB-Test-Moss-Green-150-yds-/231519444947?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e7a25fd3

Well I've had this on my Curado/Zodias rig now for about 2 weeks, and I'm impressed. Not to say that it's necessarily that much better than other braids, but its very smooth and casts very well. A couple of "first couple weeks' observations" - I thought with a 4-carrier braid you'd get a lot of noise when you're reeling, but since you're essentially downsizing your line it's not noisy at all. It's as quiet as my 8-carrier other braids - I had some issues at first with line dig, which is probably inherent of almost any thinner braid on a casting reel. The good thing is that once I re-wound the line much tighter I've not had any more issues over the span of several 3lb+ fish and pulling out of snags - The line seems to play well with a flouro leader. Not that I've had any issues with my other preference, Sufix 832, but the idea is you don't want to worry about it, and I don't. I've even freed from some pretty bad snags and the Alberto knot has held up perfectly. - Since the 50lb line is closer in actual diameter to about 35lb braid, the line is more limp, which is nice since it sits well on the spool, ties knots well, and generally handles better - Sensitivity is what you'd expect from braid, I'm not seeing any discernible difference here from others I happened to find an east coast dealer who had 50lb spools on eBay, other outlets like TW seem to say in April for availability. Give it a try, I'm pretty impressed so far

My setup is a bit more pieced together than these guys have made. I have the Vexilar T-Pod Sonarphone, so I just have a short piece of line I run next to the boat, then I have a dashboard mount cell phone holder of the phone (which acts as the Sonar unit's screen), then it just suctions to the back seat of the boat. I bought one of those battery/cases for my iPhone, so it lasts all day without needing charged. Works great so far. I have....maybe....$130 in the whole thing.

Not really. My rod, while new is the same action, same line, new but same ratio reel. The only difference is the slower....much slower presentation

I've been really working to get my jig fishing skills better. I gave it a lot of good effort last year and didn't get much in the way of progress. The ice is now off the water and I've been throwing a 1/4oz Terminator arky head jig with a Rage Craw trailer, dipped in methylate JJ's Magic and man does it work. I've been lighting them up. I followed the advice given in BassResource's cold water jig fishing video and just barely hop it up and down and they just smash it, even in cold dirty water. My Terminator jig got demolished this weekend, so I've got some Siebert's on the way, which will be much more durable. So I'm excited about that. What differences would or should I implement for jigs when the water's warmer? Anything?

I've got a few of them and they perform perfectly. I haven't got to use my G87 yet, but I have been using their 5ft crank a few times this year and done well with it. Runs true right out of the box.

They're as good as you've been hearing

I feel the action is a bit on the fast side. It's weird they don't list them. I have the 6'10" Med Hvy and it's def like a MedHvy - Fast action. Which is what I really like, so I lucked out on that. I figure once more reviews are made about it the actions will be a bit better defined, like I said, I'm no expert so I'm sure the tester guys could tell you more detail.

I had that happen once on a Curado. Turns out over time some grease and oil had made its way into the sleeve that the AR bearing assembly was in. I took it out, degreased it and made sure no oil/grease was on the AR bearing assembly itself and it went away. The AR bearing assembly was able to just slightly slip itself within the sleeve, which was causing the slippage. Might be the issue, might not, but it's worth checking out either way. I just know mine was doing the same thing, slipping just a couple feet, and that's what it was.

Yea I get the space issue. I don't have a truck, so how you're going to stow a boat and all its accessories is definitely a considerable factor. My buddy fishes out of the 330 inflatable kayak and does well. Would I personally use it? Probably not, I'm somewhat addicted to standing up now and having a motor. But if the space is a major determining factor, his breaks down into a much smaller package than me and all my gear. But hey, whatever gets you out on the water is worth it. He takes his wife with him occasionally and they have a blast.

Chalk me up to that too, I love the little Johns, they cast well, retrieve well, and have good components, you really can't ask for more than that except a fish on the end of your line

Green pumpkin senko or tube bait on a spinning rig, 10lb braid with a 6lb flouro leader. That usually gets the job done, but I have one pond that even that will spook them. It's maddening when you see a huge *whoosh* by the bank and know you could've had a good one on!

I use the Rapala one, it's very good. I weighed some lightweight aerobic weights at my dads house and it was dead on. Good enough for me

I just got mine last week, and I've fished it 4 times since. In short, this rod is excellent. It's got great sensitivity, which you would expect, but I think where it really shines is the comfort and quality of the rod. The build is very clean and visually pleasing, and the Ci4+ reel seat is very ergonomic and feels great in the hand. Also, which is a bit of a change from the normal Shimano rods, it has an aluminum reel lock, which is a nice touch. It's got a good feel to the action, which is a bit odd because the blank itself has a very slight taper, and is actually smaller at the grip than my previous Crucial, but is the same action. This is probably due to the X wrapping on the blank to strengthen it, but is also very light. I've not noticed any tip heaviness, and it balances perfectly with my new Curado I. I'm no rod technical genius or anything, but I think this is a great rod. I'd say it'd be good for anyone's arsenal. I'm interested to read the Tackle Tour review since I'm not a rod-technical guy, I just know how they feel.

I've only used an E when my buddy let me use his, then I bought a G....I'm no reel expert and these guys sure have more technical knowledge, but I'm totally impressed with the I. I get great casting distance, almost no backlashes, and smooth operation. I love it

I prefer the SDJ more than any other knot. Once you get the hang of it the knot is fast and easy to tie even with large baits. But ALWAYS be sure to wet the line on any knot, especially with flouro/mono. The deformity in the line might be from the line getting too much friction heat on the cinch-down. Just my two cents.....

I agree, I've used some very popular super-garlicy smelling solutions and it didn't do much good, but I put on MegaStrike and start getting hits that hold on longer. Besides, it smells better/not so strong. I think MegaStrike smells a bit like Fritos!!

I use lighter (3/8oz) jigs when the bottom is silt or very soft so I don't get gummed up on the bottom as easily.

While I don't have the 285, I have the SE-8 Fishermans Dream package....and it's a pain in the backside to row. It's so light and doesn't draft hardly any depth. I went out in it once with oars and immediately called my wife on the way home and said we'd move heaven and earth but I had to get a motor. I would heavily recommend factoring in the price of a decent trolling motor with your cost. I use a MinnKota Endura Max 40. Works excellent. I also agree with the above posts. The quality and construction of the boats are very very good. I saw a video of a guy using the claw end of a hammer to try to puncture the boat hull and it just bounced off, they even drove a truck over it with no problems. They're very durable and surprisingly easy to carry around. My SE-8 hull weighs about 35lbs. The maneuverability is, in my opinion, very well. Since the boats only draft a couple inches of water, you can literally turn in a circle on a dime. Besides, their low draft lets you fish in less than a foot of water easily. The setup time is something a lot of people are concerned about but shouldn't be. I can have mine ready in 10 minutes. However, I would suggest getting a high speed electric air pump. The one that came with mine is very slow, but I bought a brand off Amazon that will flat out blow that baby up in no time flat. Once I get my deck, seats, battery, motor, and fishing gear loaded, it's about 10-15mins total. I'm sure just throwing a kayak in the water is faster, but it's not as stow-able or portable. Mine fits easily in the trunk of a 2008 Chevy Malibu. Now if I can just get a truck

I only very rarely see people fishing at these ponds, 2 are public ponds, the other 2 are private. However, in general, based on the ability to not only catch fish with pretty good consistency (compared to heavily fished ponds I frequent), and the overall very skittish nature of these fish, it would seem that I am the only really consistent person to fish them. I would say there's probably a slight amount of pressure on 2 and almost no pressure on the other 2. One pond, my best, I have never seen another person fish there, ever, in 2 years.

I remember once reading an article that talked about which was more influential on a body of water, the frequency you fished it or the intensity in which you finished it. Some argued that it was best to fish more frequently for shorter amount of time, while others said that it was best to fish less frequent for longer periods of time. I don't remember the outcome of the article. I do remember that one school of thought heavily outweighed the other one. I don't remember where I read the article, but the article was backed up by substantiated facts and observed information from fisheries biologists. Hi fish a few small ponds, they are sort of honey holes to me, and I want to make sure that they are quality bodies of water every time I finish it. I don't want the fish to become so conditioned that I cannot catch them. As it stands now I have a few of them on rotation and I usually try to fish them less than two times a week most of the time it's just once a week. What are some opinions, facts, and supporting information that can lead me in the right direction so that my fishing spots stay good all year around?

Looks great! I'm envious!

Whatever you'd like will work! I use flukes, finesse worms, and craws

So here's a question, maybe some guys will have some advice. I think it's safe to say the most fragile portion of a rod is probably the space within the last 3 tips. It's obvious tips are almost a guarantee to get wiped out, heck you can buy a re-tip kit at Wal-Mart. So it's pretty easy to assume that the rod is fragile there. That said, what do you guys use to keep rod tips safe? I don't have a truck, I have a car, which requires me to put down the back seat and feed the rod in up through the trunk. That would be a possible danger point. Not to mention loading and un-loading rods off of boats. Are there devices (other than entire rod tubes) that you can stick on the end of a rod, maybe 12" long and plastic that would aid in just protecting the tip during transport? I'm not really talking about the actual handling of the rod, I understand the basics, no highsticking, rated lure weights, etc. I'm talking more about storage and transport that would lend itself to keeping the tip of the rod protected from stuff, dings, and such. Might be worth inventing....maybe something strong enough that doors, trunks, and tailgates would really have to be slammed hard to do any damage to..... Any tips/ideas?

Yea, I would've sent it back, and was about to, but a buddy of mine offered to buy it, and is getting it re-tipped, using it as a flipping rod since it's pretty stiff now. I took that money added some to it, and bought another Shimano. I know that might sound counter-intuitive to my complaint, but my complaint wasn't so much a complaint towards Shimano, rather an observation on how I felt about warranties in the industry as a whole, the lack thereof, or the degradation thereof. But hey, it seems to be industry-wide, so there's no sense in just complaining about it, it's just part of the deal. I have a few different brands of rods, but I like the price, aesthetics, and technology behind Shimano, so that's what I use. It's all about preference. I tend to stick with Shimano though....still