Chris at Tech

Very sad. His show was one of those that I never scheduled my life around, but if I was channel surfing and saw it was on, I ALWAYS stopped and watched. To me, he struck me as being similar to Jose Wejebe of "Spanish Fly" fame. Just one of those dudes that you'd have an instant connection with.

Kistler's running a sale for the Memorial Day weekend so you can get a KLX on sale to take you right to your $200 limit (or a Helium 3 for a few bucks over $200). Use the Magnesium 2 for the moving baits like the spinnerbaits and topwater, and use the KLX for your "feel" techniques

OG zillion if you can get your hands on one

3/0 for me

I've never fished the latest Zillion rods, but I always thought the original Zillion rods were a sleeper. Not sure why they never took off. If the new Zillions are anything like the previous version, then to me it's a no-brainer that you should grab the Zillion.

The style, the parts, the craftsmanship, the "experience", the quality... To me, same thing with rods.

It's the same reason that BMWs are more expensive than Fords.

Yes, and I was gonna recommend the same since your budget allows it. I had three customs built on MHX 844, 844.5 and 845 a few years back for a trip to Baccarac. Each rod builder will be different but I ended up around $200 per rod

Tackle or rod/reel or kayak... The answer is obviously yes.

I didn’t have stress but I had the hysterical part yesterday. First four fish of the day came up, shook their faces and were kind enough to give me my hook back. Let’s just say I came closer than I care to admit to snapping a GLX across my knee

I do believe that second pic is THE biggest A-Jay smile ever caught on film. Bigger that the 7+ smallie and all the Baccarac DD’s. You must have been really happy to finally have soft water! Good on you, my friend.

Biggest screen you can afford, especially if SI and DI are part of the equation.

Even a slow day inshore in Hilton Head has its moments of excitement.

Check out hogy lures. They have larger saltwater options

When I'm grabbing one rod for pond hopping, it's got braid on it. I feel like I can do just about anything on that rod without giving up much. Mono/copoly will work as well, but I feel the sensitivity of braid is more beneficial

I us spinning gear for my inshore fishing. 10-20 lb. braid While you can catch them on bass lures like flukes, spooks, etc. I would always suggest spending a few bucks at the local tackle store to get their advice. DOA shrimp, DOA paddletails, DOA Jerkbaits, Gulp plastics, gold spoons, mirrodines, popping corks...none of those will break the bank

Nope, didn't forget at all In my hands, I get more usage out of my 704 than my 734. I feel the fact that the 704 is a bit shorter makes it more suitable for also being able to handle some tip-down techniques. Maybe you can share your location and the types of water you usually fish. From there, this crowd can help point you in the right direction.

Anyone see any good deals on rods that were being sold? I did the expo with half an eye on the booths and half an eye on my kids so I didn't get a great look. Just curious...

If I'm reading this correctly, you're saying you're looking to purchase a combination of Champion and Champion Extremes. If that's the case, here's what I'd suggest: Extreme 702s for finesse-type stuff Champion 704 for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits, paddletails, topwaters Champion 705CB for topwaters, crankbaits, jerkbaits and rattlebaits Extreme 703c for senkos, flukes, t-rigs, spinnerbaits, small paddletails Extreme 744c for jigs, worms, carolina rigs

Yes

I couldn’t stand to let you old guys have all the fun so I joined the club last year. Glad I did, and the procedure was easy. And normally I’m very squeamish in the doctors office.

I'm no expert, but not sure the 201B has the needed line capacity

I think that spinning rod would fit the bill very nicely for those techniques. For the casting rod, the 704 would do better for 3/8-1/2 oz + plastic, but the 703 would be much better for the wacky senkos. You need to pick which technique you'll use more. Or just buy both the 703 and the 704

Go to some spots you already know the bottom composition of: grass, rock, wood, etc. Throw the jig in there so you can understand how the jig is "supposed to feel" under normal circumstances. I'd say to keep it simple with colors and trailers so you don't overwhelm yourself. If I was starting a jig box from scratch, I'd get 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 oz weights in a green pumpkin variation, and black/blue, a couple packs of matching craw trailers and go.

Lure wraps?