Joedodge

Thank you. It isn’t a show queen but I love it

This became a good thread!!! Wow good stuff and experiences. I guess I run around that $100-150 on rods and reels as a diminishing return deal. That’s what works for my price range and feeling ok with it to go have fun and catch fish lol

Thank you so much! I enjoy fishing it. It’s really the only structure this lake has besides a small field of lay downs. I know bass don’t love the curly tail pond weed from what I’ve read. But it’s the majority of the cover in this lake. And I’ve caught them out of it. I’ve basically been throwing a buzz bait and chopo early. Then a swim jig and uv worm with a 1/4 ounce weight. I’m gonna up that to 5/16 or 3/8. And probably rig up a punch rig also with a creature bait.

Yes they have. But for some reason everyone flips out about it lol. I get it rots eventually if not properly maintained. And it can be heavy. But still Thank you. And exactly that’s how I’ve been trying to do this whole project

Wow thank you everyone! I appreciate the advice and help!! And to be fair on the lews deal not being confusing. I’ve never once looked at the catalog. Just what tackle warehouse and fleet farm and such carry in stock lol. I’ll look at the catalog now

Thank you so much for the help and info. Any tips for fishing the curly leaf? I’ve caught bass in it. But kinda sounds and seems like it isn’t worth the work lol. I was considering punching.

Yes exactly! You know exactly what I’m dealing with then. I’ve been reading up on it and it being invasive. The stuff makes it dang hard to fish in! I’m glad it will be dying back though. I guess I’ll stick with what I’ve been doing

But once cry once as dad always said. I don’t blame ya one bit

Man you and @A-Jay have some hardware! I’m over here with 4 casting and 2 spinning set ups haha

Dannngggggg

I’ve actually been eyeing those. They look great. I know some guys don’t like the non aluminum frames on Reels. But I think personally if ya use the reel correctly and fight the fish with the rod. They can last a long time.

Snagged a new seat off market place for a lil more than half off if I bought it new at fleet farm. Little bigger and more comfortable too. Also so tired of the 2 back panels sliding off when trailering down the gravel roads to the lake. And when I step on the bow cover it slides around on ya. So I added a piece of furring strip to each on the bottom to keep them from sliding. I know, I know wood is bad. But it’s what I had on hand already and it worked. Someday the boat will have no wood in it but right now I’m having so much fun I don’t care.

Things happen. Atleast no one got hurt. Glad ya had fun in the tournament. I got to the ramp Saturday morning in the dark and forgot to hook my launch line to the trailer. Backed in and the one time the boat didn’t need a nudge to get off the trailer I look in the mirror at it floating away jumped out and run up to my waiting jeans and shoes to grab it lol. Phone flew out of my sweater pocket. 5 mins hunting on the water for it finally found it. Caught two fish tho haha. Things happen.

I’ve had mono and braid and flouro on them. Backed with mono with the spool electrical taped and generally a uni to uni knot for main line to backing. Thanks everyone. It may just be me wanting something different and being picky. Who knows. Takes a lot for me to fall in love with something lol.

Be headed out to the garage in about 10 mins to play with it lol. I never thought of that. Thanks once again Pat.

One of them slips constantly you have to thumb the spool on a hook set. Which is fine. Again trivial stuff lol. And I agree unless it’s a big fish or the occasional foul hook how many actualy pull drag lol

I agree. I love my gen 2 lews a lot more than the gen 3. Honestly I just do not like the drag on them. They cast well. They are a lil geary but I’ve never complained to myself about that. Mostly the drag. I could take it apart and upgrade the drag washers.

Thanks Pat I’ll check those out!!! Yeah all lews really are basically The same just different spools and features. I feel like Daiwa is the one hard to understand lol. I don’t have a real issue with my slx reels just not a huge fan of them.

I’ll check out the sv stuff. Not gonna lie Daiwa has always confused me having a million models lol.

The lake does have field of lay downs on the other end. With grass beds near it. I have fished down there each time just no luck. So I fish the grass beds on the north end. Since I’ve had success there. Maybe I’ll venture back that way next trip. I’m not sure I could fish it that light in 4-6 foot of water and the grass grows to the surface in areas

I’ve got a couple lews LFS speedspool gen 2 I love. I mean love. And a gen 3 LFS speed spool that I like. It’s not on par with the gen 2 in my opinion. But my slx xt and slx 71 I’m just not in love with. Great quality. But idk if I’m in love with them. Anyone else made the switch to lews? Or recommend a lews besides the LFS speedspools? And yes I know they are doyo reels lol. Or anyone have a recomendation on something else in that $100-150 range.

No no. That was my fault lol. I’ll have to give that a try. I’ve been finding some on a swim jig each time out. I threw a buzzbait and a chopo around yesterday but no interest at all. I’ll bring a popping frog and a mag speed work next time! And probably a 1 ounce weight and try kinda punching to the thinner spots

So in 4-6 foot of water and thick almost ropes out grass you throw it weightless? ( I also love these worms lol) you don’t peg a weight and essentially punch it

Curly tail pond weed- that’s what makes the dense mats growing to and on the surface. Eurasian mill foil Coontail Guess I’ll just keep what I’m doing then. The pondweed grows so thick. I’ll probably have to frog and punch it as summer goes on.

I dabbled in fly fishing a bit living in Florida my whole life. I’ve caught bass in ponds doing it. And chased some trout and reds on the salt flats. It’s a whole different rabbit whole to go down. That’s said I usually tell people…..it’s a highly inefficient way to not catch fish lol. I just don’t enjoy it.