Smallmouth Hunter

Have fun loading your bb1 pros with 160 yards of 12 lb line.

15 lb big game for 1/2 jigs + trailer and under. 20 lb big game for 3/4 oz and up. I feel like big game has the least stretch out of any mono I've ever used so I can get away with it. It has less stretch than some fluorocarbon lines believe it or not. It is very cheap too. I have found that the stretch that it does have compared to braid actually helps me because I can set the hook hard and yank him out cover hard if needed and the stretch seems to absorb a lot of the extra force. The slack line sensitivity is great too.

I've got one more question. For the 7'6 M, how exactly does the telescoping handle work?

GoT fans, aye?

15 lb berkley big game is what I have been using for a long time now and it is far superior than any other fluoro I have used due to price and strength too. Oh, and did I mention it is $30 for 3000 yards..

Good luck man! Just remember that every buck you save from quitting is a buck you can spend on fishing, the all natural stress reliever!

Wait till you go saltwater fishing for big ol jack crevalles, redfish, snook, etc.. You will really rethink bass fishing.

I once bought a mettle and used it for cranking. I grinded that thing into the dirt and it held up, but the gears seemed to wear quickly. It was rough after a few trips doing some medium depth cranking near primary and secondary points. I caught several bass between 5-7 lbs. too. It's a cheap reel and it isn't going to stay smooth forever. A curado E5 or E6 on the other hand will stay smooth after years of cranking. You get what you pay for.

Not the crucial.. Tip heavy, heavy overall, and not sensitive.

Thank you for making this. I strongly agree. To add to this issue of ponds losing there wildlife and therefore lack of fish, every single pond seems to be locked down these days. I can't go fishing anywhere within 20 miles of where I live because gated neighborhoods take them over. I miss the old days when I could walk down the street to my favorite pond that no one fishes and catch em. I've tried to reach out and ask neighborhoods if I could have access to the pond that they have taken over, and 95% of the time I get no response. I feel bad for all the kids these days who can't go fishing without breaking a law. Or else they are fortunate and have a boat or live on the water. Is fishing a dying sport/hobbie?

I am just throwing out a bunch of questions so please just answer whichever you can. Which is more sensitive? I like to have some sensitivity when cranking. Which has more backbone? Which has a softer tip? Which has a faster action? Which weighs more? Thanks

Hmm.. 65 lb braid and a 15 lb leader. A line is only a strong as its weakest point. You are losing 50 lbs of strength. I would up the mono leader to 20-23 lb. and also increase the leader to 2 ft or more. I have read about people using 5ft+ leaders so go figure. Also, I would decrease the braided line to 40-50. 65 is total overkill, LOL.

The way that the worm gear works makes this almost impossible.. Make a long cast with lure like a spinnerbait that will give you some tension, and reel it in with a steady retrieve. It should level the line out properly.

It retailed for 349 I believe.. I would talk him down to 170 - 180 if it is used. If you are going to buy the Lew's as well, see if he will take 260-270 for both.

^^ You honestly don't have to work it. Just cast it out and let it sit 20 seconds then pull it, let it sit 20 seconds, and repeat.

The 6'10 M x-fast casting rod has the megatop. I believe you are thinking of the spinning rod model that also has the megatop which is a 6'11 ml x-fast.

I had the 7'1 MH and I feel it was basically dead on for a MH. The lure ratings were a bit generous though. It could handle 3/8 - 3/4 oz stuff easily. 1/4 oz things were a bit more difficult and I think a medium would suit that better. Once you got into the 1 oz range you could feel that it was too much for the rod. I never went over 3/4 oz jig + trailer (total = about 7/8 oz) though. For what you are looking to do, I would go for a medium. The x-fast action on the 7'1 mh is not well suited for plastics IMO, especially if you use braid. The 7'1 MH x-fast is a fantastic flipping/pitching rod though. Especially in timber. There is no 7'1 MH fast rod though I wish there was. The model you mentioned, the 6'10 M x-fast, is definitely not suited for plastics. It has the megatop tip which is a tip that is extremely flexible and soft that is meant for dropshotting. That is why the lure rating goes down to 3/32 oz where as the other M power rods have a minimum lure rating of 1/4 oz. In my opinion, none of the tatula rods are a good match for soft plastics. All of the rods have regular (moderate) actions or extra fast actions except for two, but both of those are higher than M power. I hope daiwa comes out with some more rod models for the tatula because it is a very nicely built rod for the price, but the models available are very technique specific.

a 1/4 oz spinnerbait is not really a 1/4 oz. With the weight of the blades, hook, and wire it comes out to over 3/8 oz easily.

The fuego is the little brother to the legendary Team Daiwa Z also known as the TDZ. Magnesium build, brass gears, many different aftermarket spool options, and other things make it the best out the bunch IMO.

For the most part, yes. Before you put your reel back together, take the springs off the yoke and put a finger on it so it doesn't go anywhere, and test the clutch by pressing the button down. It should move the yoke out. Then re-engage it by turning the drive shaft to make sure everything is sound.

Just be creative..

There are endless possibilities in fishing and it seems like every time out on the boat/water is an adventure. If you ever get sick of some aspect of fishing (which never really happens) or you want to mix it up a bit, you can challenge yourself. Example: You could only use bubble gum colored worms for a whole day and make it work or pick 1 type of lure and use it all day. Or you could do a challenge. By the time you finish the challenge, you will either want to go back to what you were doing before because of the nostalgia or you will do another challenge cause it's fun.

Raider we expect a video of you attempting to open that box.

I got rid of my Lew's reels because of this.. I am not a fan of MSB/dual brakes. The bay AKA the auction site.