FishTank

I still have a few of the Flambeaus boxes for odds and ends. I just hate how they latch. I do like the Plano Edge boxes but getting them at a decent price isn't easy anymore. I have turned to the Kastking knock offs and so far they have been great. I have been caught in the rain many times and no rust yet. I also like the latches on these better. I have picked them up for $28 for a two pack of 3700 but the price for them varies. You just have to keep your eye open for when KastKing does a sale.

Daiwa Revros has been a good one for a buddy of mine. Seems solid.

I saw it before Christmas a local shop and was curious. It was on sale, maybe clearance, for $12 but I had just placed a JDM order for line. Maybe I should have jumped on it.

What do you think of the line from Spro?

I have been a co-angler off and on for years and it always depends on whose boat you are on. On average I bring 5 rods and a backpack with 2 3700 boxes with my preselected favorites, a box with a mixed amount of softplastic, and small box or pouch of terminal. I also bring a life jacket, pliers/leatherman, sunscreen, braid scissors and small cooler of snacks/drinks for myself and the boat owner. I also have a dry bag that has rain gear if the weather calls for it. If it's a bigger boat and the owner is ok with it, I will bring 7 rods and 2 BPS X-large bags with about 14 Plano boxes between them, one for hard baits and the other for softplastic. I bring these with the idea that the boat owner can use pretty much whatever I got. Oh and cash for gas.

Maybe I tie mine short or something. I don't think I use a foot of line when I tie that knot. I might cut off a few inches but that's about it. I also make long casts but around 120 feet or less with the reel (Steez SV TW) that had the Tatsu on it. I use this set up for Texas Rigged softplastic. You would think it would take a beating but the line lasted. One thing I would like to mention.... I am not saying all fluorocarbon lines are great. Just the ones I like. Kind of convenient, I know. I have fished several I have not cared for but I have narrowed it down to handful and I continue to try new stuff as it comes out, if it's something I need. I knew I could find who it was if I dug deep enough....

Not all FC but the Tatsu, yes. I only retied when I got really stuck or changed lures. I always check my line from time to time as well. The spool got low on this reel, I changed it out last year. I can't remember what member it was but they had a similar experience with this line. I also use a San Diego Jam knot. I seem to use less line with this knot the way I tie it.

I use to use Hybrid. Road Warrior got me started on it years ago. It never lasted more than year for me but all in all, it was good line. I always liked the gray color they use to have. Looking back, I did buy a bunch of it in one purchase and it was all bad. I have not gone back to it since but that was year ago. I would guess it has probably changed over the years. I have since moved on to other lines l like better.

I took a deep look at the mono I was fishing a few years back as I got tired of spending time respooling, loosing baits/fish, and pulling line off that was damaged to retie. I fish weekend tournaments 7 months out of the year. I fish a total of 9 months out of the year. I also kayak fish during the week and off weekends. All told, I might fish 20+ hours a week. I also have 4 weeks of vacation and 7 fishable paid holidays. Usually, I spend 2-3 total weeks of that time fishing everyday for about 6 hours. Needless to say, I have had the opportunity go through a lot of line. Here is some simple math for me when it comes to mono vs fluorocarbon....... This is just one example of two lines I like and use..... I was going through Sufix Seige $4 per reel per month. I would have to retie it on the water often so I was missing casts. I would spend about 15min per reel to respool once a month which drove me nuts. So, I was spending $28-$36 a year per reel. Go to the opposite extreme.... Seaguar Tatsu. It can run, at retail, up to $50 for 200 yards (crazy right) but I will never pay that. I always buy it on sale or find some kind of deal. I am usually around $35-$40 a spool. With Tatsu, I have reels that have had it on there for 4 years and it's still good. No lost time respooling, no wasted time on the water cutting line to retie, less lost lures and little to no break offs. So at $40 per spool ($20 for per reel with backing) and let's say, I average 2 years per spool (not 4 years) that's $10 a year per reel. I don't believe most people fish the same way I do and might not have the same results I did with line but when you add the money up for me, most fluorocarbon is cheaper in the long run than mono.

I think they are worth it when they are on sale but otherwise, not so much. I do like the KastKing knock off. The plastic lid is not as nice as the Planos but the latch is great. It's easier to use and so far my baits have stayed nice and dry.

I have gone from mono to FC for cranks like everyone one else I know. I have caught several big ones on 5 and 6lb. And countless 4 to 5lb largemouth on 10 and 12lb FC. I've tried several over the years and I like Tatsu and Sunline Invisible the best. I caught a 25+ blue catfish on 12lb Invisible last year.

You'll have to wait until the ice thaws.

Still my favorite.....

I have definitely caught more fish on the +1 so it would be way more productive. The +2 is for those deep spots, like the edge of a point, running on a ledge or an offshore rock pile. In those spots with colder water, the +2 is where I start but in those same spots I could probably throw a deep diving crankbait. The advantage is the +2 will suspend and pause, depending on water temp, while a crankbait, for the most part, will float back up much quicker. Also, if I don't intend to hit those spots or if the fish just aren't there, I won't throw the +2 and I will go with the 110jr +1 and then the regular +1. If I am in shallow water then it's the regular 110.

I want to also add this.... the +2 110 is not my go to for regular jerkbait fishing. It's just one I like to fish under the right conditions. The 110jr +1 has been working the best for me as of late (past 2-3 seasons) and I can fish this bait pretty much all year, followed by the regular 110 and 110 +1. I have certain spots on a few lakes where the +2 is usually the answer but once the water temps hit about 65-70 degrees, the +2 slows down and I go to small, mid to deep diving crankbaits. Another Megabass jerkbait I like to fish is the 110R +1. I fish this in about 6-8 feet of water. It seems to do well around rocks.

When I use the +2, I'm targeting fish in deeper water, around 20+ feet. So if go with the +1 at that depth, the fish need to be holding around 10-15 feet. For the +2, I'm going for fish that are holding in 15+ feet or deeper. This is just a guide line for me. It just depends on where I find them. Again, my retrieve with the +2 is almost like a crankbait but is actually more like how I retrieve a shad rap. In away, I could probably troll with the +2. My favorite colors are Pro Blue/Elgey Bone and GP Pro Perch.

For me, I have had the best success with baits in the 6in range, like the Megabass Magdraft, Deps Slide Swimmer 175, and the 5.5 Volup Swimmer.

I always cut about a foot off when I put on a new leader. I don't change my leader that often though. Its sort of just habit. I might cut more if the line looks really faded or torn up but I could probably in most cases just tie the braid straight to a new leader.

I had a bag rip of Z-man TRDs on a hot summer day so I put the balance in another bag of TRDs but of a different color. I thought nothing major would happen but they sort of jelled/melted together. They didn't really blend color. Based on that, I wouldn't do it.

Spend more time fishing off shore in deeper water. I want use my graph to find some good structure, mark it, return to it, and catch some big ones.

Positioning my kayak with a trolling motor. If I put myself in correct spot at the right angle, my success is always higher.

Catching one big bass is luck but catching them consistently is skill (or you're just flat out cheating).

Every Tatula I have purchased or worked on has been bone dry. They definitely improve with a little TLC.

872S SJR NRX+. I only use it when it's windy and only on smaller jerkbaits, 110jr and smaller. I don't care for a full size jerkbait on spinning gear.

Gitzit makes a pearl white and a salt pepper that use to work well for me but it's been awhile since I fished them. I got tired of getting hung up and moved on to different techniques.