DogBone_384

Great for you! I'm going to show this to my daughter.... if she'll take her face away from her iPad for a minute....

Py for fishing? I thought our wives already made us pay for it !?!?!?!.

The reservoir close to my home has little in the way of pads & surface structure and is fairly deep so I fish Texas rigged worms of various types/sizes. I've been thinking about trying a whacky rigged Senko, but haven't because I fish only an hour or two per trip between two jobs & daughter's dance/swimming practices. All in all it's been a good year because this is the first year in my life I've taken soft baits seriously and took the time to learn how to fish them.

I have one JM and three PQ's. I've fished mostly different sized worms this year and they all cast very well, and roughly similar distances, for my <24 month bait cast experience. I find my JM is a little quieter than the PQ's and I like the 'click' for each step on the JM's spool control, though didn't spend the extra $ on it for that reason. I'll also add that into the wind my JM doesn't cast as well as my PQ's, and best I can tell, I've got them all adjusted the same (might be worth a thread on that?). Honestly, I bought the JM because OT was good this Summer so I had the extra funds to try a higher price point.

I see you're from CT so your cost of living has to be comparable to mine in MA, you HAVE to be frugal.... Now the BIG question: Yanks or Sox?

Not to sound like a parent, but I am.... You said you were 16 in the 1K thread, are you saving for College, or your own home? Good for you! Keep fishin'

I don't remember how much I paid for my Shakespeare Sigma/Ugly Stick combo when in my teens, though it couldn't have been much since that was 30+ years ago. My first baitcaster setup was a BPS Tourney Pro and a 6'6" M Ugly Stick which was under $100. Both work well, though my current favorite setup is a Pro Qualifier sitting on a 6'6" M Veritas....

Great replies. It's scary how much money can be spent on fishing. Most of my current set-ups ran me between $175 - 200, less the Shakespeare combo I bought from Bra-Wey Sports (long closed) when I was a teenager. I am curious, however, if there's a big difference if I were to jump to the $400+ range for a 'big name' setup. I have a BPS Tournament Pro, 2 PQ's, a BPS JM/CL and a pair of Pflueger President spinning reels on rods ranging from Veritas, Carbon Lites, Micro Lites, and a Vendetta. All my bait-casters throw quite well for less than 24 months experience. Thanks again for the great replies, keep them coming!

Since I've gotten back into fishing and discovered buying gear is like CRACK, has anyone out there spent more than a grand $$$ on one set-up, and what, pray-tell is it? Thanks, in advance, for all the fun!

X2

I'm no expert by any means, but I have a Abu Garcia Veritas 6'6" M/F 2-piece holding a BPS Pro Qualifier spooled with 8 lb Trilene XL and could use it as a 'do it all' set up. I'll admit I've used it mostly for soft baits because I'm re-learning them along with bait casting, but I've tossed some spinners & crank baits pretty well too. I guess it's like asking 10 mechanics about the same job: you'll get 7 different answers. Best of luck with your choice.

I'm south of you in MA and have a BPS Micro Lite paired up with a Pflueger President reel. Have it spun up with 6 lb Trilene XL. Casts great and can throw UL top-waters nicely. It'll run you around $100.

Great thread. I myself am pretty new to bait casting, starting last Summer. I tried when younger, but being an impatient Yank, it didn't work out so well. I'm stuck on shore, and while I have a good job, I don't have tons of extra $ to spend on myself. I bought 2 BPS Pro Qualifiers and am really happy with them. I use one on a 7' MF BPS Carbonlite & the other on a 6'6" MF Veritas (2-piece) that I keep in my truck. Both setups were around the $200 mark mentioned above and for a novice like myself, they cast great and have handled all the Bass I've caught to date, which average a couple of pounds. Best of luck with your bait casting choices.

Was browsing Wally-World's website and found this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Quantum-Smoke-SL150HPT-Bait-Cast-Reel/16523902 I have all the rods & reels I could possibly use. Good luck.

I've never come across that situation, but I'd be inclined to give it back to its owner. I work hard @ 2 jobs, if I want a new lure, I can go buy it myself. Lastly, I teach my family to be nice & treat others how you Ike to be treated, pretty simple.

Anybody ever try using a bottle-rocket to get their line farther out in the water where the Summer bass are?

'Ditto' - I follow the tables when my schedule allows and find the tables are fairly accurate

I drive a Tundra. It gets between 14 & 17 mpg depending on driving & payload.....

$30 shipping will get me just about 8 gallons of gas which won't get me 120 miles.... I'll ship it.

S40 should be available at HomeD, Lowes, and electrical supply houses in your area.

I've been using a 7' medium Carbonlite baitcaster with a BPS Johnny Morris reel and really like it. I also have a 6'6" Ugly Stick', 7' Vendetta, and 6'6" Veritas baitcast rods. It's a toss up between the Carbonlite & Veritas, with a slight edge going to the BPS because I seem to feel more with the BPS.

I used 6' spinning gear growing up and picked up baitcasting, using 7' medium rods, within the last couple of years. I'm stiill more accurate with spinning gear, but the more I use baitcasters there's less a difference.

Explain to the ex that it'll be OK while you're gone for a short while and leave your phone in the truck. The world will still be there when you get back. You need to enjoy yourself too.

Fishing is a great stress reliever: no copay, no waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, no bill rejection from your insurance company..... So to answer your question: yes.

Summer is generally vacation time for bass, in my experience. I lower my expectations and just enjoy the challenge & stress-free environment. Low expectations makes a big catch better too.