FishTank

I dunked mine in some pretty murky water two weeks ago fishing on my kayak so I decided to tear it down. I was surprised to find that for the most part, it was clean. When working on it, it looks like it's almost sealed and the tolerances on this thing are something to behold. It's really a fine tuned instrument compared to a lot of reels. Totally amazed at this one.

Black with blue flake GYCB Kreature has always been a good one for me.

Rod but when it come to BFS, I would say the reel.

The Megabass Okashira or the Dirty Jigs MA Swimbait head.

For me, it's definitely not often enough. I usually bring 5 or 6 set ups with my go to confident baits. I tend to focus on properly fishing those baits and not paying attention to what is going on, especially time wise. I will sometime formulate plan by color or technique but I start focusing on other things, like why aren't they biting, where are the fish, am I positioning the boat in the wrong place, etc. Retying though is not an issue for me. I can do it in less than a minute, which will cost me one cast. I just become stubborn and frustrated at the same time and tend to keep casting.

I have asked this question a few times as well and tend to get answers from dress comfortable to put on all the gear you can. I found the correct answer always is, dress like you're going into the water and it could kill you> Speaking from experience. So for me it's the following stuff.... NRS Sidewinder Dry Bibs - life altering NRS Boudry Boots - go one size bigger Sealskin waterproof socks - goes on outside Realtree Liner Socks - goes on the inside Smart wool baselayer Pullover fleece based on temp Jacket to keep dry - Hardshell if needed Simms Fingerless gloves Battery operated heated gloves - not essential Wool Tights Wool Sock Hat Small towels to keep you and gear dry Emergency whistle A change of clothes kept in a dry bag Emergency blanket PFD worn at all times Extra flotation device Rope Multi-tool Food and water Keep an Emergency waterproof fire starter kit in your life jacket Above all else do not wear cotton and approach your day as though you are there to survive the conditions first and fish second. Also, remember the 120 rule... if the water temp and air temp combined are below 120, protective gear is required .

In the softplastic realm, there is the 6in Deps Sakamata Shad. I have only used the 5in and I caught a few on it but the Magdraft is still my favorite.

Duo Realis Shad 63MR or 57MR. They cast much better than the Shad Rap. They have a magnetic weight to help them suspend. I fish them somewhere between a crank bait and jerk bait.

I would attempt what is mentioned above but with idea that you might need to buy another one. Seems they run around $50 so if you mess it up, a new one is cheaper than having it serviced.

I have that one as well. I have been using it for small cranks on 6lb test and it has been a pleasure to fish. I will be pulling the trigger on the HG version in the near future.

Not exactly in the budget but the Megabass P5 Six Eleven is sort of a do all ML rod. I have thrown both light soft plastic and shad raps on this rod. The issue is the reel. You would probably need a BFS reel if you want to throw the 1/8oz version. Otherwise, I would go to spinning gear. The Six Eleven can be had for around $300 if you order JDM. On a side note, I find the Shad Rap one of the harder baits to cast. There's just something about it. Good luck.

Out of the ones you mentioned, the 843C would be my choice but I am not a big fan of fast moving baits on this rod, like a lipless. This is just a personal preference because of how sensitive the rod is and the fast taper. You would probably be fine with it.

Could you give a general idea of what you want to throw and what weight ranges.

I have the 7'1'' MHXF Legend Elite as well. It is definitely stiffer overall and more powerful than the 853 and 843.

What all are you looking to throw? I have both. The 853C has a stiffer tip than the 843C. Both great rods but I the 843C is more versatile. If you want something a fuzz heavier and longer, take a look at the 873 CCR. Also, a very versatile rod.

I got mine today. Megabass shipped it DHL Express. Thats 2 days from Japan to my door. The shipping they paid was probably more than the cost of the rod.

My buddy does it all the time with a 7in Power Worm. It seems to work better in late spring, early summer.

The JDM Exchange Rate Monkey delivered today. I can't believe how small this thing is. It's about the same size as the BFS version. This has to be one the most over the top and maybe overpriced baits I have bought. US price is $30. I paid about $15. No big deal if it catches some fish but no way I'm paying $30 for one.

Fishing a tournament this weekend solo for the first time in a long time. My fishing buddy of several years is under the weather. I'm excited but it might be difficult to manage without him. Planning on throwing lots of crankbaits and covering a lot of water. This might be my last outing of the year.

If they're not hungry, it's just something to chase around and play with. Do whatever it takes to get them angry at it and turn them into a killing machine. On the other hand, if you go with the same bait all the tme, they could look at it like.... I've seen that dumb thing before.

Interesting and good catch. I missed it when I looked over the link above. It's been 3 years ago, maybe, around the time the Tatula Elite came out, I asked a Daiwa rep about the zero adjuster and he said don't touch it. If its not in the right place it could cause some damage to the spool or brake system. He then hinted at a fixed adjuster. I, of course, blew all this off and have been making small adjustments since without issue. I wonder what damage it would cause to the reel if it was way out of adjustment? Is the new fixed zero adjuster a response to issues caused by the old one being turned?

Maybe never but I do change it when it starts to fray or when I get tired of it and want to try something new. My new favorites have all been from YGK.

Sort of. I know someone in Japan that contacted the website/store I bought it from. They sent me the label. I had to go to Megabass Japan's website, use Google translate, and fill out the warranty claim. I shipped the rod to my contact with the warranty card that comes with the rod, the warranty claim from the website and the receipt and he took it from there. I should have it back next week. I will then pay for shipping to the US, about $60. Understand this is not the norm and I got very lucky.

Yes and no. Some lakes I fish are full of gizzard shad and a gizzard shad crankbait works there but it needs to be reflective. Another lake, any thing chartreuse and blue works. I won't get a bite on that gizzard shad lure at that lake but the unnatural chartreuse and blue will be killer. Sunlight and water clarity can be a factor as well as the size, sound and the motion the bait makes. When you get into softplastic, I start with something dark and work my way down from there. So black and blue, green pumpkin, and then maybe something gray and white.

I have the opposite going on. I have the Curado BFS 8.x:1, the Conquest BFS XG and Aldebaran BFS XG. All fast reels. I am usually fishing various small cranks and jerkbaits. A slower gear ratio for me would be more ideal for the small cranks I throw. Sometimes, I fall asleep at the wheel and crank too quickly causing the bait to almost turn over. If it was me, I would hold on to it.