the reel ess

SC is a pretty good state, all things considered. Cost of living and climate are nice. people are friendly. I have often thought I'd love to live in FL because you can fish year round and the bass are huge. It's still in the south, which I don't think I ever want to move away from. The only thing that bothers me is the hurricanes. The wife and I have discussed where we might want to move when our daughter goes away to college and we're retired. That's hopefully less than 8 years away. She likes the coast so probably somewhere on the coast of SC, GA or the east of FL.

I saw a post that says they have great customer service. This has not been my experience. I sent them several emails through their contact link and never got any response. I finally got my correct answer from someone on this site. I think this was around the time their company was bought by a different parent company. Someone was asleep at the switch. Anyway, that's been the turnoff for me with them.

I second that Cabela's rod. I have the Frog model and paid the full $100. It's a bargain at this sale price. The frog model I have is 7'3" Hvy-Fast and it's almost stiff enough to shoot billiards with. I imagine the Flipping model which is Hvy-X Fast is likewise a pretty stiff rod. These won't cast lighter worms and jigs very well. So if I wanted to do all three techniques with one rod, I'd get the Jig/Worm model and spool it with 30# braid. If you already have a worm rod, I'd get the Frog.

Ice fishing is on my bucket list.

I watch fishing shows. I watch YouTube videos about techniques that I want to learn. I surf the Interwebs looking for tackle that I need (want). I was watching my team's bowl game Saturday and they started poorly so I started cleaning and lubing my reels. I went through some stuff I want to take to the local charity thrift store to make room for more. Then my team made a comeback and won!

Thanks for the kind words. I don't know why I didn't think of that. My dad almost exclusively used 6" curly tail worms and crankbaits. He used to say other baits were designed to catch fishermen. And since he had great confidence in those two, he used them quite well. So I guess the thing to tie on would be a light T rig.

I know that rod is a bit of an "el cheapo" as my dad would say. I won't expect much sensitivity from it. That's why I was thinking reaction baits. The slow retrieve does lend itself to some finesse presentations. The anti-reverse click will drive me crazy. I'll have to learn to use it with the A-R off.

Read here. There are plenty of baitcast combos that come in well under $200. I only have 1 that cost more. I'd probably spend more on the reel than the rod. I'd be looking for a MH at 6'6" or 7'. I'd want a strong, good quality reel. I don't mean a reputable brand because they all sell high end and cheap stuff. There's a big difference between $80 and $130 MSRP on the reel. I'd go for one with a solid frame (not graphite) and a high retrieve ratio because there will be some techniques that need a faster reel. The mention of Lightning Rod is a good one. I have three and they're very durable. The Cabela's Tournament ZX series rods are on sale right now, marked down from $100 to $70. I have the Frog model and it takes a beating and is very sensitive and light. If you want to save a little on a good reel, you can look to Academy. Their store brand has great reviews and is a good bit cheaper than the big name brands for the same features. Then you can spend the extra on a more sensitive rod.

My dad died in May and I have been in a funk ever since. I lost my best fishing buddy ever. I went to our family lake cabin yesterday to make sure the water was off, it hadn't been broken into and to turn the heat on low. I went through some of his tackle and found this rod and reel. They weren't together and the rod looked unused. I put them together and they feel very well balanced. So I thought I'd use the combo in memory of my pop. The rod is a Shakespeare Excursion graphite 6' M, 2 pc., which makes it a great one to pack in the back of the Jeep. For a medium rod it feels pretty stout. The reel is a vintage Daiwa A-130X, 3.7:1 retrieve. It does not have a silent anti-reverse. I think he probably used it for crappie. The spool lists lines from 8-12 lb test. I already spooled it with 10# Trilene XT because I had it sitting around. What technique would this be suited for, specifically? I was thinking of a dedicated inline spinner rod and perhaps small cranks.

Frog

50 is fine, 30 would be better. Mono would be even better, IMO. I'm thinking I'd like 15# Big Game for that. You could tie on a leader of mono. I used to use 50# braid for jigs and worms just because it was also my frog rod. Then I got a frog combo and started using 30# on my jig/worm combo. It casts better.

Funny. I have a buddy with a nice farm pond running over with stupid stunted bass and I made this to prove to him they'll bite anything there. That's where I caught the one on the T-rigged Gummy Worm. I haven't tried the Wrench Wrig there yet. When I started making it, I thought I had a chartreuse steamer fly to use for the hook, but couldn't find it. I don't remember ever getting skunked there. It's a great place to go to catch dinner or during the dog days when you really need some confidence.

Metric when used in Mejico.

I caught a bass on the sweet one, T-rigged weightless. But I was thinking that the sour short ones would be a good trailer for this bait.

I always thought of Cabela's as Bass Pro with a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows, smoking a pipe. That said, there's one closer that the nearest BPS that's not even in a mall and I'll go there a few times a year. Much easier to get in and out without my wife spending $200 at the Coach store.

Is that a real poncho? Or is that a Sears poncho?

Blondes

The healthiest fish don't filter mud, don't lie on the bottom and aren't at the end of a long food chain. Also, the longer a fish has been alive, the more mercury it will have in its flesh. So for freshwater fish, you would think the healthiest would be crappie, white bass, white perch, bluegill and any others that school off the bottom or suspend regularly and aren't a tertiary predator. Here's the SCDHEC report for my local lake. But you can check the lake you'll be fishing for its restrictions.

Braid line, terminal tackle, lures I either want more of or want to try for the first time. Or maybe I scour the sites looking for closeout rods and reels. Or I sock it away and add to it later to get the matching spare wheel/tire for my Jeep.

Beyond the usual launching the boat without the plug... My fish &ski didn't run for 6 months because I had the kill switch pulled and didn't know. My dad and I worked on it weekends for months before he finally called me up and asked if I'd checked the switch. How embarrassing! The number one rule of mechanics is to always check the simplest solutions first. I know that but routinely forget to apply it. My dad and I were out once trolling along the bank when we came across Mr. Tourney Bassboat leaving a spot. He told us to not fish there because he needed it for a tourney the next day. We cleaned it out. Tourney or no, we had one day that week to fish. Very near that spot my dad and I hooked the same fish at the same time and we both landed it. The only time I ever caught more than zero and less than one. Once while putting out some brushpiles for crappie off the front of our pontoon my dad's buddy got the rope of one of them around his foot and when they pushed the tree off it took him with it. He was fortunate he didn't drown. My daughter used to go kayak with me while I fished. One time she got close to me and started beating the kayak with her paddle. I said "Are you trying to run every fish in the lake off?" She said "No, I had a spider in my kayak."

Welcome! From Lancaster County.

If there's a warm water discharge, the fish will certainly be more active there than other areas. But fish that arenowhere near there will seek the warmest water that also satisfies their other needs. They probably won't get too far from deeper water in winter though. However, when we think we know something about bass as a rule, they break it.

I did not realize there was a 110. Thanks. And I see there is a $ difference. I'll swap for that one or just buy another. I LOVE topwaters and I can't wait to use this thing.

I got the Whopper Plopper size 90 as a gift. I was told where it came from. Should I exchange it for a 130? I usually fish largemouth in ponds. What's your experience with these sizes?

Well, I actually meant to give a wide berth to someone who's beating the bank from a boat. I've experienced that treatment by the bassboat crowd several times. I did not have a bassboat with the latest bells and whistles to locate fish in 20+ ft of water. I'd really hit the bass hard in the spring, when they were within reach. I would already be well off the beaten path to avoid the competition. They see you key in on a spot and they can't bring themselves to give you some space, especially when you catch one. You're trying to not be right on top of the fish so you stay back a little and cast to it. They see you casting and just can't help but go right through it, checking their electronics. The etiquette there is to make a mental note of the spot, mark your map and come back later when no one's on it. I've done that many times. But when you see the guy with a different state's numbers on the boat, he's not coming back soon and might be in a tournament that same day. That's the very reason I started kayak fishing and why I usually don't look for others to fish with like, say, a kayak club. But you're absolutely right about the bank fisherman. And I've caught more bass over 5 lbs in the last few years pond fishing than I ever did in the big lakes. Dinks up to 2 lbs were the norm on the local hydro lake. A 3 pounder was big there.