blckshirt98

I'd get four $200 rods. The quality of rods in the $200 range nowadays is off the charts. Once you get to the $400 range of rods you're looking at finer points and details that I'd say only a few enthusiasts that can afford the extra $200 will find worth the extra cost.

Phenix X-3 glass rod for crankbait//chatterbaits!

I go straight braid on reaction baits. Tried a leader at first but the extra work with tying knots and whatnot didn't seem worth it, and the bass seem to bite when tying direct just fine.

DD bass are not easy to find/catch! Keep in mind the Elites and FLW guys catch tens of thousands of bass every year and you would be lucky to see one DD bass a season between the two circuits. I think the last DD bass I remember is Chris Zaldain's at the Elite CA Delta tourney last year. Anyone have any stats on how many DD bass have been caught on the pro circuits the past few years?

Snap swivels no, but Norman Speed Clips all the time, I can't leave home without them. I'm trying some different types in the fall (Gamakatsu G-Finesse Tournament Snaps) because sometimes the Normans are painful to use when it's cold out and my fingers are numb.

I tried using electrical tape on a casting spool and the braid was slipping on the electrical tape! This was by the time I was almost done spooling the reel so I had to unspool all of the braid, then went back to using mono backing. One thing if you're using braid is to set the brakes pretty high at first and see where your threshold is where it starts to bird nest. On zero break freespool my bird nest rate it close to 100% so just keep in mind you may need to have some brakes set.

TriumphX rods on sale at St. Croix for $60 with free shipping!

Definitely a glass/composite casting rod for your crankbaits/chatterbaits! I'd spool 15# or 20# braid. All your reaction/topwater stuff you can use straight braid. Everything else I'd go braid with a leader (fluoro preferred)..

Used Shimano Citica E when they show up on eBay. If it's one of you that's been bidding on the LH retrieve 201E reels that have been popping up, stop it!!

10# mono is perfect for backing, not too thick so it's hard to manage, not to thin where you need to spool a lot. As thebillsman pointed out make sure you use a secure knot between your mono-to-braid.

Thunderstorms? They need to cancel that tourney man.

Some people just like bespoke/high end items for their aesthetics/artistic value. I don't think many will say they catch more fish because they have a $1,000 reel, but they certainly will say they look and feel better when fishing it. This isn't just a fishing thing either, it's found in any hobby. There are people that can afford high priced items and will want and buy high priced items, especially if there's a sense of limited availability/scarcity.

As much as I know how much people hate water vessel inspections out here in Cali I'm pretty thankful for them being so strict., I hope I'm not around the day those things get into our waters.

If you're fishing from shore, bass in the dead center of a summertime heat wave is one of the toughest times to fish! Take a short break for some mid-season maintenance/organization and wait for it to cool down a bit.

I use a palomar with fluoro with no problems,very very rarely I have burn problems but that's because I rushed the knot. I don't like the uni knot at all with fluoro,my "burn the line" rate with a uni on fluoro is like 99%.

The Stradic CI4+ and Thunnus CI4+ are the highest I've gone on a spinning reel and would never go higher. I've felt a Steez spinning reel and while it was nice, it wasn't pricetag nice. The only higher end spinning reel I might consider would be a used or on-sale Van Staal to use in the surf.

I almost got a Levante when a local shop was having a big sale, but someone there convinced me to go with the Orochi instead. He said he had bought a few Levantes but they just didn't feel right, and once he tried an Orochi he said he had "found his rod" and swapped out everything for Orochis. I got an Orochi Swingfire for crankbaits, and it's one of my three favorite rods.

Drop shot something clear or light color with light flaking! Like a Yamamoto pro senko light green w. clear belly w. green/purple flake or a Molix Sator Worm in Seducente!

Carp don't really fight with headshakes or running intocover or anything, they just like to swim away and you're fighting against the weight/water thrust of the fish! They're like the bat rays of freshwater.

It would be better if the restaurant was on a lake or pond where you could fish while waiting for your table.

Where are all you buying rods that ship in PVC tubes lol, I've probably bought close to two dozen rods online and have never received one in a PVC tube.

1000 or 2500 size reel depending on the rod, and a MXF power/action would be my preference. Length doesn't really matter to me, I use a 6'8", 7'2",even an 8' sometimes.

Just opened this year too after being closed for 3 or so years because of the drought! How's the bass fishing up there?

For a dropshot I'll cast it and oftentimes let it sit there and let any current/wind do the work. I'll give the rod a light tap or shake to try and get any nearby fish to pick up the vibration, but I'll never "reel" the dropshot bait in like a swimbait.

You can make your own super cheap, just google "expandable wire sleeve" and watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to make the rod covers. Rod Glove, Rod Sox, etc, that's basically all they are.