FishTank

I fish/drag it like a 3/4oz jig on a NRX+ 904C.

I got lucky on Ebay and snagged three of my favorite discontinued Megabass lures, the Live-X Leviathan. Two of them are from 1999 and one from 2003. All three colors are good ones but Megabass's painting has come a long way.

It's kind of it's own thing. The closest that came to it was the regular Aldebaran. What makes the Cores great to me, was that they were perfect in their simplicity. Smooth and easy to work on but also really fun to fish. Also, you have to think the technology in this reel is 15 years old.

I think that would depend on the rod and line as well. I would say a Med Fast rod should do it or even a Med Light. I tested mine out on a P5 Six Eleven. It's not quite a BFS rod but handles stuff around 1/8oz to 1/4oz fine. Both reels did ok but the rod worked best with a BFS reel, in this case a Conquest BFS. For the weights you are talking about, I use a G Loomis NRX+ 802C and a Steez CT.

From what I remember the spool in the shallow edition is good down to 3/16 but not lower. It's not really a BFS reel. I have the 20 Metanium and the JDM 100. These will go down to 1/4 oz on the right rod but a true BFS reel is the better choice.

I have an old 783C GLX. I use it for Senkos and Texas Rigged soft plastic but it also does well with jerkbaits.

Big Loomis fan and that is really disappointing. I have seen badly wrapped guides and cork not fully glued but that is a new one. Heard this last year. Rumor maybe......A lot of the old school, skilled workers left during Covid and only a few returned. Some of the finishing work was outsourced to people working from home. Makes me wonder if this caused things to get missed. In any case, I would notify them and have them make it right.

A lot of the Carrot Sticks I saw back then cracked half way up the rod, while others would split just above the reel seat. My guess, it depends on how you store it and use it. Most broken rods, including ones I have owned, are destroyed by user error.

I've have known a lot of people that have owned them, especially the original. None them lasted over a year or two. Don't know of a single person that still has one. They sort of became a joke on one of the lakes I fish. Sound carrys all over this lake. If you heard a crack followed by some curse words, we would say... "Well there goes another Carrot stick." 🥕

I just received an order of 11 custom jigs from Johnny C's California Reservoir Lures. Great jigs. I really like their attention to detail with matching painted heads and weed guards.

I also fish from a kayak but about 50% of the time. I usually take 5-7 rods and have several NRX+ rods. Here is what I have. The ones I have highlighted I would consider essential to my fishing and what I use the most. 802C JWR- 1/4oz jigs, some small swimbaits and shakey head. Love this rod for 1/4oz jigs. When I fish this rod I am using it in shallow water and in tight quarters. 853C JWR- 3/8oz jigs, Dark Sleeper and T-rigged soft plastic up to 1/2oz. 894C JWR- 1/2 - 3/4oz jigs and some soft plastic. This has become my favorite jig rod. Plenty of power and sensitivity. 895C JWR - 3/4oz and up jigs, punching and heavier flip and pitch baits. Sensitive but more power than I will ever need. 843C MBR- Swimjigs, soft plastic, topwater and just a great multipurpose rod. 904C MBR - Topwater, my favorite for football jigs, heavy soft plastic. Another great all around rod but for heavier stuff. 873C CCR - Another great all around rod. I use this for when I want to switch from jigs to spinnerbaits to even topwater. The action of this rod rest somewhere between the 843C and the 894C. 883C BJR - By far the best Jackhammer/bladed jig rod I have used. I was skeptical when I got it but fished it and now it always goes with me. It is also my favorite spinnerbait rod. Technique specific but pretty much perfect. Hate the hook keeper. 821S NRR - This is my essential finesse spinning rod. It's sensitive and throws light stuff, like neds, small drop shot and small swimbaits. Just a fun rod to fish. 872S JWR - By far my favorite spinning rod. It has more power than you would think for a 2 power rod. It has a soft and quick tip but the power from the middle down is fantastic. It is oddly different from the rating but in a good way. 803S JWR - Short dock fishing with Senkos and free rig baits. This was my first NRX spinning rod and it has never let me down. 842 SJR - Jerkbaits, drop shot, swimbaits, senkos and spybaits. It's similar to the MBR casting rods. Just a good all around rod but it's not the best at any one thing. I am considering the 822S DSR, 902S or the 901S. I have had a chance to fish each one of these now and they sort of hold a spot in my head but don't necessarily fit a need. We will see what the bait monkey says.

Dirty Jigs Mini Underspin. Works great. Strong hook.

Correct. The Spot Lock/Anchor Mode is a big plus. Also on the Motorguide, I have paths stored in the remote. I just hit a button and it takes me to a waypoint/route. It's not 100% but it's pretty close. You also have a the nice feature of going in a straight line despite wind and current. I use this feature all the time as well.

I've seen guys running the Bixby motors and the ones Newport. Not sure how they are setup but they are moving faster than me.

I have a Motorguide Xi3 on my PA14 and it's been great so far but it does have a few odd ball things with it. The GPS isn't always perfect so anchor mode can be challenging. You also need to reinforce the install as the screws that old the plate in are not enough. And there is the cost, around $2000 when it's all said and done. With that said, I don't know if I could fish without it know. It was a game changer.

I have a 2018 Ford F150 Super Cab. I can fit up to a 7'6" rod in the cab and my Hobie PA 14 travels fine in the bed. It has a V8 so gas on the highway, I get about 21-22 miles to the gallon. I average about 16-17mpg all around.

This looks like a good place to put this gem.

Megabass Live-X Leviathan. It was a deep running shad bait that had this pitch and roll but would also dart and suspend. It came in a lot of good natural colors. I was lucky recently to find 3 new in package unopened from 2005.

I have the Super Destroyer. It will do well with 1/2oz frogs and buzz baits but it's not my favorite frog rod. It's pretty stout rod for small frogs as well. There is also the Steez 6'7" Frogger.

I will second this. This past few year I have been using YGK lines and love them so far. You have to get use to ordering by line diameter and not pound rating. For what you described, I like YGK Zone Cover. I use PE #3 for small jigs. It's equivalent to 10lb mono or 12lb FC in diameter. For neds I would step down to PE #2.5 or even #2. I would also use a leader, especially around timber and rocks.

By what I read, this sounds like two different rods one for 3/8 to 1/2 oz cranks and one for 1/2oz to 1oz deep diving baits. There is one rod in that price range that I can think of that might fit but I do not have experience with it. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Orochi_XX_Casting_Rods/descpage-MBOXXC.html The Megabass 7'11'' Orochi XX Launcher. These are getting replaced and can be found on sale for $200. Another one but it might be out the price range.... Megabass P5 Super Destroyer. It will do all that but even at the JDM price it's still around $325 shipped.

I saw this a few years ago and thought it would be a good swimabait reel. I am surprised to not find or hear much on it. It looks like a good reel. If I saw correctly it has Mag Sealed bearings, all Hyper Drive tech with brass gears and a big spool. Amazon has it for $255 for a 100 size RH. Looks like a bargain.

What is the one from AE called? The Rock Vibe from Reins looks cool. I have not tried that one. For me, I wouldn't pick them up at $7.99 a pack but if I find it on sale or at a JDM site, then maybe. Take a look at the X-Zone Swammer, again this bait is expensive at regular price but is often on sale. It has a great tail kick, works well on a 1/8oz ball head, and comes in a couple of really good pearl/white colors.

Yes Steez CT. I bought the 894C and was waiting on the Steez SV Limited Shallow Spool to come in so I stuck the CT on it until my new reel came in. I was fishing a tournament and hooked into a nice 4lb keeper that was stuck in a laydown about 15+ feet deep. I was using 12lb or 14lb fluorocarbon. I never lock the drag down but I put my thumb on spool and tried to winch it out. I got it in without breaking the line but the reel took a hit. Here is the jig. I just straightened the hook (it wasn't bent too bad) and repainted the head. Notice there is no weed guard. Lesson learned.

Here is the handle.