Duckbutter100

I have made a few trips in a buddies 17' stick steer Xpress with a 60/40 Merc tunnel jet. Its seems to work well for most places we go locally fishing thru river shallows. The only time its not good is if we go to Erie or the lower Potomac which if you dont know is much bigger waters for normal river fishing and can get scary very quickly with a little wind and that type of boat. My question is do they make anything in the 17-19' area with a jet set up that can be used in shallow rivers and also some larger area's like Lake Erie. Im very new into looking at boats so Im not for sure what Im even looking for as far as new or used or semi-v, jon boat (grizzly type) etc. I was hoping to get some advice from someone familiar with this type of set up and where I can use and shouldn't use it. I plan on using this for fishing only. Im about 5 minutes from the upper Potomac(shallow) so I want a boat I can use locally. At the same time if we make a few trips to Erie each year I would like something I could use up there. I need Alum. hull obviously but with no boat dealers in the area my choices are very limited. I dont have enough lake fishing near me to go with a glass boat so Im kind of stuck but wondered what other folks in this situation may be using. Its almost like I need a river set up and a lake set up but I doubt Im going to get the green light on 2 boats so Im looking for something that can do both adequately.

I went to Dicks this past weekend to compare the Veritas to the Mojo(also 7' rods). 2 things stuck out, the Veritas was lighter and the guides on the Veritas were all bent up and uneven. It was nothing you couldn't fish with but I mean every one I checked out of like 10 they had the guides weren't aligned and it was very noticeable. The Veritas for me felt hollow and light towards the grip end if that makes sense, where the mojo just felt sturdy more evenly up and down the rod.(I realize rods are hollow btw) As a side note I checked out the new Lews speed stick with the micro guides and that rod felt sweet but Im not confident enough on the micros. BTW, Im pretty much looking for the same rod you are at the same price point. I think there are still Veritas available in the used section of the site for about $75 shipped. Im not sure where you are at in VA but the Winchester VA Gander Mtn has 20% off the the *** rods.

What about a large or 2 large slip shots? Wouldn't that have the same affect as the crimp minus the easy re-attaching? The main reason Im asking is because they are hard to find locally.

I could put the reel on the rod but they wouldn't take the security cable off. I get it's prob just policy it's just frustrating not to have any local shops to buy quality products from in my area. It makes it impossible to decide for myself which brand/length/action to go for at a specific budget. Being new to using a BC reel I have no history to go off of.

Thanks for the advice. I was going to order thru fishusa.com cause they seem to have the best deal going on the Mojo's and Valley Sports doesn't list St Croix's as one of the rods they sell but I will try to contact SC thru their website. I was just worried buying online and if something happens I have no B&M store to take it back to. I didn't realize you usually sent it back to St Croix themselves.

Why couldn't you just tie the weight to the end of the drop line. I trying to figure out what the benefit is in using the crimp style swivel(I guess that is what its called) and didn't know why tying on a regular circular swivel weight would be an issue.

I have a tire shop near me who will sell wheel weights buy the bucket full. Is there any issue anyone can think of using them to melt down?

How many times/hours are you fishing a month to change out mono every month?

I havent purchased the rod yet. I was just trying to figure out if I had to buy it locally or not for any future warranty repairs.

Ok, I guess Im confused from reading folks say you should buy from a SC dealer only not just some guy on ebay(which I didnt plan on doing)

If there is a problem with one of their rods do I take it back to the store I bought it from or mail it to St Croix themselves? Im going to buy from one of their dealers but debating on saving a few bucks online compared to local place(Gander Mountain). side note/rant. I dont want to give GM my business cause I went there today with reel in hand to try out a few rods and they wouldn't remove the security bracket for me to feel it with out the extra weight of a cable 2/3rds up the rod. --frustrating. They have 13 fish Omens on sale for like $80 but I have no clue how to judge what felt best between them and a mojo with cables on them. I don't have any other shops near me with those brands in stock. --sorry rant over.

Veritas, Mojo, ***, Fenwick HMX or a Speed stick are the 5.. all of which getting plenty of good reviews on here and other places. I have a feeling I cant go wrong with any of them I just which I could buy with confidence instead of just kind of guessing. There are more in the exact price range that also get reviews but I have no where locally to go and try them out like a ghost etc....

I don't mean deciding between flipping or or spinning etc...I mean you figure out your budget and start shopping. Assuming you have no brand loyalty and aren't going to buy another of your favorites. What exactly do you do when you start shopping? I've looked and felt some rods at stores but to be honest they all kinda feel the same to me in the store, I grab the rod and shake it etc..then go to next rod and do the same. I've having a hard time deciding for myself on what to buy. I've read all the reviews and tons of posts and of course narrowed it down to about 5. Veritas, Mojo, ***, Fenwick HMX or a Speed stick. Do you get to actually use a buddies for a while why'll fishing? I dont really fish with anyone that doesn't buy everything from walmart so i dont have that options either. I also read that like every blank is basically made from the same company especially in the price range I'm at. So I get even more confused on how to decide. Im not looking for opinions on which of the 5 is best(I know they are all pretty good) I need help on what to look for to decide for myself. I honestly don't know what Im supposed to do to decide other then maybe which on looks cooler the others.

I called about the exceler when it was on sale last week.($44). I wanted a lefty but they didnt have any listed on the site. The lady told me those reels were discountinued so she could not order a lefty for me.

I went into a shop to buy line and basically got dizzy trying to decide on which line to buy. I was of course comparing Stren, Trilene, Suffix, Spider mono and a couple others I forget. XL XT smooth cast, extra strength on and on. Do you think there is really much difference in any of the big commercial lines from these companies? I mean is 12lbs Stren smooth cast really any different then Trilene XT in 12lbs? I went with the Suffix Siege btw but only because it was the same price for 30 yards more line. I understand folks have their fav's for certain reasons and Im not talking braided or flouro etc. Im just talking run of the mill mono that a lot of use, is their really any difference from one to another?

Have you tried them out yet. They seem fine rigged and ready to fish but I havent had a chance to do much more then stand around my rec room with them.

I have to go to Atlanta this weekend for a business trip. I was very disappointed to see the expo was the same weekend. It was a tough decision on which way to go with those reels.(curado or citica) I figured the 2 reels offered a bigger savings over the 1 and I had about $100 in gift cards to use. Since this is my 1st BC set up I didnt think Id notice a difference between the 2 reels(being a novice) and worse case I could prob trade those 2 for a curado if I want to upgrade in the future. Here is the rod I went with. I ordered it before grabbing the reels and picked it up yesterday. Im debating on ordering another or get something better for the other reel. These are $60 in the stores but $20 online(I used ship to store for free) it felt fine but its kind of a guess until I get it to the water. I figured at a $20 price point how could I go wrong. http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gander-Mountain-Vortex-Casting-Rod-66-Med-Heavy-1-pc&i=715771

Yes..the sign did not reflect the $99 price. To be honest I only checked out the Curado and Citica I didn't ask about the other reels(they were all rightys) that were on sale so its hard to tell. If I were you I would call them to find out maybe be worth the dime. EDIT. I told my cousin about the sale last night and he lives near Mo-town. He said the Mo-town store had no Citica's or Curado's left but the Clarksburg store had 1 Curado left in the place. He wanted a Citica so he didn't check the price of the Curado when he called. 304-848-0482 is the stores number. Good luck if you are going to go for it. I know my cousin was not going to get it.

I have had 2 pairs of Irish Setters Ive used for the past 10 years. 400grn and 1000 grn. They are very comfortable and have held up to harsh walking on WV mountains and have no holes etc...I would recommend their offerings.

You cant go wrong with either for some folks its just a question if they like the safety on the trigger guard like the 870 or on top of the receiver like the 500. IF you ever what to tact out the gun with a pistol grip the 500 safety can be a PIA. Personally Ive had a 500 now for about 35 years(It was my dads) as a matter a fact its so old it has "Sears and Roebuck" stamped on the gun not Mossberg but its a 500 made for Sears back when you could just thumb thru a Sears catalog and purchase firearms. There are few stories out there from failures from either gun. So just buy the one that feels better to you. btw here is a good deal on an 870 depending exactly what you are looking for. $304 for the synthetic model http://lanbosarmory.com/index.php?referrer=cnwr_4191340829622&main_page=product_info&products_id=9066

http://grabagun.com/catalog/product/view/id/4599/category/27/ Here is free shipping on a brand new Gen 4 G19 for $539. Gen 4 has 3 mags. $480 is very high for a used G19. Ive seen many places online where you can get them new at $500 off sale. Here is a new G19 for $499 http://summitgunbroker.com/19-nib.html Here is a good deal on a Glock http://summitgunbroker.com/Glock_22.html Its a police trade G22 for $345 2 mags and night sights. He has police trades on G23's for $385 2 mags and night sights. I have purchased from(not affiliated with) Summit many times and he is top notch. I just recently purchased my 5th Glock from him, 2 of which were police trades and were in awesome shape for around $350. Good luck shopping but I wouldn't give that pawn shop that kind of price for a used gun. You still have no real clue of how many rounds has been thru it or if it has any issues. Id much rather buy new at that price point. BTW my EDC is a G19 and would say they are amazing.

Thanks for the advice and opinions(and not just this thread). Like I said I've read tons of posts on here and tried to get a reel I could count on and try to learn from but since Im new to using BC's I really didn't think i would really notice a difference between the Curado and Citica but I couldn't pass up that savings. Actually have to give props to the manager at Dicks (Bubba cant beat that name for that job) he was extremely helpful and even told me about a charity tourney he does in Brunswick MD. So overall it was a good experience. Now its just up to me to learn how to use them.

1st time poster here. I've been lurking here for a while to figure out what kind of BC reel to buy as a starter rig. I have been fishing about 35 years but never used anything other then a spinning reel(that I can remember) I mainly fish rivers for SM and some lakes/ponds for LM(weekend warrior). So I been doing a lot of reading and trying out BC's at local stores and had my mind made up on anything from a BPS PQ, Lexa, Lews, Shimano's offerings in my price range all the way up to a Tatula(price wise)--I am by far no fan of a specific brand. Anyway I went into my local Dicks(in Hagerstown MD) tonight where having a sale on Citica reels for about $70. Which I thought was a good deal but I went in to purchase it the actual price rang up as $52 but it was unadvertised price(not a mistake per Dicks manager). They also had the Curado's for $99 but the sale sign had $120 or something like that listed. So if you have a Dicks by you and need a new BC you may want to give them a call or go into the store to check prices. DO NOT just look at the sale signs, make sure you ask counter person to actually check the price. One newby question I do have is...if you had around $100 would you have bought the Curado or 2 of the Citica's? I went with 2 Citica's hoping I would like using BC reels and start off with a 2nd reel for the boat. Im still debating if I made the correct choice or not with my purchase. I have read nothing but good things about both reels and know I could either take one of them back or sell it for what I have into it. Gander Mountain has their MH 6-6 Vortex casting rods on sale for $20(usually $60) so I purchased one of them the other day. So in total I will have about $75 in what I think should be a half decent starter set.---opinions welcome.... I figure I need to find some 12lbs mono and I'll be ready Spring. Thanks for reading and good luck bargain hunting at Dicks.--btw I bought the last 2 lefty's they had but they have at least one lefty Curado for that price.