the reel ess

I could probably manage a pickerel around here. We have 2 species in SC, but nowhere that I currently fish that I'm aware of. I can catch smallies about an hour from here in the Broad River basin. And there is a state record for muskie but it was ages ago and in a mountain river. There are trout in the NW corner of the state.

I'd like to catch all the "black bass" species that I can and make a trip to a Mexico trophy bass lake. I've never caught a smallie, trout, pike, muskie or any of the northern species, really. I like to kayak fish and I want to retire early enough to still enjoy it.

I have a ZX frog model. I like it. It's very light and durable. It takes a beating dragging bass out of weeds. It's at least 3 years old. I don't see the ZX of their site anymore. Hmmmm...

Since I spent over $1K on a kayak about a month ago, I just went onto Amazon Prime and put a few things it the cart and told the wife to put them under the tree or in my stocking.

I use BG 15# for all my baitcast trebles (including topwaters) and spinnerbaits/buzzbaits/chatterbaits. Reaction baits that I want the fish to get a really good bite on before I set the hook. It is very tough stuff. I also use about a 5 ft. leader of it for my jig rod for low visibility-my main line on that rod is 30# braid. I caught my PB on the aforementioned spinnerbait rod and I've had to literally drag big fish as heavy as 7 lb. out of heavy brush and from under a dock with the jig rod. Since it's so cheap, I usually change it out twice a year. I also use it for a cheap backing on my reels that I use braid on to save $$$. Also, keep a check on the end of it when you catch multiple fish. If you store your rods where it can get really hot/cold or near a heater, check it before heading out. It can get brittle from the elements. I use the clear line. Since I'm using it mainly for moving baits, I'm not concerned with the sensitivity. I use 20# braid on my spinning combos. But I will still use a leader of BG sometimes.

My mom used to tell me how easy it was to please me. Just a quality lure every now and then was all it took. My sister wanted clothes, clothes and more clothes. Mom said I would go around in rags but my tackle was top notch. Really, how nice did I need to dress to catch bass?

IDK, man. Sometimes people will ask me a question about bass fishing and I'll start talking only to see their eyes glaze over. I'll know then I'm giving them too much info. We have a joke around my house that I'm more addicted to fishing equipment than I am fishing. There is some truth to this because I will get a technique on my mind and I'll just have to pursue it until I achieve some measure of success. You don't HAVE to spend a ton on it to catch some though. I do it from a kayak though, which, to me is a much cheaper compromise between the bass boat and being bank bound.

Jeepers! You almost can't go wrong with that budget. I know pros that use cheaper combos than that. Sensitivity is king. Find yourself a high quality technique specific jig/worm rod and whatever reel you like. I'd start with the ol' T rigged worm and/or craw. It's easier to master than the jig. Once you get used to the feel of the bite you'll be ready for the jig. What did was I went from a T rigged craw to a plain weedless Arky jighead with a Berkley Chigger Craw. That gave me confidence in feeling the bite without a dropoff in number of bites. But the average fish got bigger. Then i went with the skirted jig and craw. Nothing but the jig on that rod. If you're going to be using it for jigs, put some good, heavy line on it. I use 30# braid with about a 5' 15# Big Game mono leader. Tighten that drag down while using the jig around heavy cover. You'll be horsing them out. It's an addictive technique. I made the decision I was going to get better with the jig no matter what this year and I haven't tied on a T rig all year. Don't forget to loosen the drag a bit when you go back to the T rig. A big'un will bend the average T rig wire hook.

I don't know if that means physically too large or file size. If you're using one from your phone, you can email it to your personal email, then save it to your pictures folder on your computer. It should give you the option of 3 different file sizes when you try to send from your phone. Basically, the larger the file, the better the resolution. It has been my experience that if I choose the largest file, it may not load on this site. Choose the middle or smallest one. Resolution doesn't matter much for a tiny profile pic. Hope this helps.

My buddy caught an 8 pounder trolling jigs for crappie.

Academy's brand of tungsten is very affordable.

And Academy for me.

On my lower end kayak (Pescador 12) I put: One flush mount rod holder (it came with only one) A zig-zag cleat. It's great for a stringer or anchor line. You don't need to tie, just run the rope through the cleat. I zip-tied some PVC rod holders into a free milk crate. It only cost the rod holders, but you could use some PVC pipe even cheaper. I used a stadium cushion for the old behind. You might notice your butt going to sleep or getting soggy. That cushion helped out a lot with that. That's it. But I bought a Lure Feelfree 13.5 that already had a fish finder/GPS unit, solar charger and battery. I could take that off and keep if I ever sell that kayak or I could sell that stuff separately.

My wife's aunt had a pest control contract on her house with a warranty from a particular pest control company. That company would pay to fix termite damage while under their treatment. The company was bought out by Terminix and they continued to service the contract. The aunt died and my wife put the house up for sale. We found out there was termite damage and also discovered the warranty was void. Terminix basically billed her aunt the same money as before, but ended the warranty. They were only coming and treating. We asked the realtor if she thought we should pursue the matter and she said it was no use. Terminix had already gone to court to clear the way to do it. I know this is not exactly the same thing, but when a company gets bought out, it's not the same company.

I talk about luck vs. skill with my buddy. I've been fishing most of my life and you can see my PB in my profile pic. He told me about a guy he works with who hardly ever fishes who has caught a 10 pounder. He admits it was pure luck. He said it was winter and the bass was dead weight on his line and hardly fought a bit. He got it mounted and his friends all hate it because he didn't put in the time, but he got the payoff. When it comes to catching a PB, luck and skill both come into play along with time on the water. You'll get lucky more often if you fish more often. My last PB bit my spinnerbait as soon as it hit the water. I may have made two cranks. I put that bait right in her mouth by sheer luck. But I knew where and when I should be fishing and what I should be throwing because of knowledge gained by time on the water.

My bro-in-law was feeling me out about fishing tackle once. There was an infomercial on TV about a telescoping fishing combo. I made sure to tell him it was junk. I got a pocket knife that I didn't need.

But did you buy it before the merger? If so, I would be insistent that they honor the warranty. If not, then I guess that's that. I hate it because Cabela's was, to me, an upscale BPS. BPS was like WalMart with more stuff.

I have done it with a fluke and it gives the fluke a lot more action. But that was warm water in the spring.

I got one of these kayaks about a month ago and I love it. Does anyone use a rod holder that fits in the rail assemblies left and right of the deck? I'm sure it can be done but I don't want to order two by trial and error. Can you recommend one? I'd be using it for crappie "trolling" or tightlining jigs. Thanks in advance.

Any $100 spinning reel will handle braid. I use 2 $40 Pflueger Trions with it.

I am not retired, but my wife, who is a teacher, will be eligible for full retirement in a little more than 2 years. She says she may retire after three or she may hang on for 5 because that will be when my daughter graduates HS. I'm not going to work much longer than she works. Money shouldn't be an issue. My wife's aunt was really generous with us in her will. We cared for her in her last years. I'd really love to retire while I'm young enough to enjoy myself. And the way I do that is to go fishing, among other things. My dad retired at 56 and had 18 pretty good years left. He passed rather unexpectedly. My mom didn't have as many good years. Life is short and you really never know how it's going to play out for you. As for adjusting to not going to work everyday...I work from home now. I go into the office, which is an 80 minute drive away, about once every two months. I'm used to not seeing the people I work with face-to-face.

Welcome. You have chosen wisely. Joining this board has probably been the single most helpful factor for my fishing success besides actual time spent fishing.

Wristbands with hand warmers in them.

The Trion and President are good reels. I own 2 Trions. One of them is a few years old with zero issues. It's a 40 size and is a little heavy. I also own a newer (less than one season) size 30. I bought it for $20 in a pawn shop, still in the original sealed plastic packaging. It seems just right on a 7' long rod. If They're strong reels with good smooth drag and I've only ever used them with braid. I was going to replace the 40, I'd get the President due to lower weight. Hope that helps.

I always keep a snap on the combo I use for crank/trebles lure and I never remove a split ring. That kind of snap you're talking about is the one to use. I've had a speed clip fail before. I won't use them anymore. A snap can also add to the action of a lure if you don't remove the split ring. Using a snap on that rod is much quicker to change lures, which I usually do on a summer day. I'll start out with a couple topwaters, then change over to a lipless crank most days on that same rod. I just weigh the added time casting against the removal of a split ring. You can check your line after catching fish just as well with a snap as without. The snap gives topwaters like the Pop R a more erratic walking action than a direct line tie with mono.