Junk Fisherman

Just ordered a Daiwa Tatula 3000 spinning reel. ($180) Going to pair this with a 902 NRX I bought in the fall. 20% off from Tackle Direct. Surprised the coupon worked on a Daiwa reel.

Do you have info about spring promotions for Suzuki? I already asked about this one but I guess I don't qualify until the spring.

That's a real good price and I would stock up if you are low. I've always liked Keitech tungsten jigs and Owner lead head. I didn't like the Gammy ones since the keeper tore too much of the plastic. Maybe there are other versions.

I don't have a budget but I do have some guidelines: 1) I buy pretty much everything on sale. Being a HS coach, I do get 15% off and no taxes through Tackle Warehouse but I don't abuse it for personal use. But I do often "try out" some new baits for the team. 2) Use credit card rebates for fishing trips. I'll accumulate $300+ dollars a year that I always spend on a June trip up north. 3) I sell stuff I don't use. 4) I'm not crazy about colors so that keeps the spending a little under control. What I've stopped caring about: cost of gas, cost of launch fees and licenses, and the cost of going on fishing trips. I should go more often and spend more on fishing trips. There are so many worse ways to spend it.

I have a Tatula and the 1st edition Vanford. They are all great reels. The only reason I'll be getting another Tatula over the winter and not a Vanford is that it doesn't have an anti-reverse button.

I always tell people to check out Sunclouds. These are my everyday driving glasses but I've worn them often while fishing. They are great glasses for $50-$60 and I say this while comparing them to my Costas which are 4-5x more. If you are going with Costas, check out Ebay. I have bought 2 pairs for way under retail. You need to be smart and look at the seller's history but you can find some great deals. My first pair needed to be replaced and I had no issues when I sent them in to Costas. I just bought a pair last weekend (sunrise silver mirror for low light conditions) for $110 and free shipping. First thing I will do when they arrive is inspect them to verify they are authentic. Ebay will refund your money if they are fake.

About 40 minutes to Lake Michigan for me. Door Co and Grand Traverse Bay are about 5 hours.

I make my own jigs and use Mustad hooks. And now that I think about it, I did have an old jig completely break off on the hook shank recently. It was an old TRD/jig that I'd had in my boat a long time. It was the first one with a Mustad that I've broken like that. I used to break the Z man hooks often enough that I started making my own jigs. I routinely straigthen my Mustad hooks when snagged so I often stress my hooks.

I prerig all my Neds and I've never had any of them rust the hook. Some have sat for a while. And with Neko rigs, I'm just gluing in a sinker.

Hey fellas. I am looking for firsthand accounts of what trays work with Elaztech Z Man baits. I plan to have a tray of only Z Man baits and prerig a lot of Ned and Neko rigs. I super glue my heads and sinkers. This past weekend I went through a lot of baits and would like to be a little more organized in the future. Thanks for any suggestions.

Considering I just bought this rod, I agree. Feels amazing in my hands but I haven't had a chance to use it yet.

I own 4 Daiwa Steez Rods ($550 each), a Loomis GLX ($550), and I have a NRX+ ($650) that arrives tomorrow. Looking forward to using it on Saturday. All my reels are in the $150 to $250 range. The difference between a high-end rod and a $50-$100 rod is unmistakable when dragging lures across the bottom. I fish a lot of finesse applications and it is an absolute joy to work lures and fight fish on these high-end rods. I don't use $50 rods anymore but I can tell you that my Steez and Loomis rods are considerably more sensitive than even the $250-$350 Dobyns rods which I used to think were incredible rods. I bought my first Steez rod about 5 years ago and the first cast I made with a Ned rig was all I needed to experience. I could feel how the rod was a couple levels up from my Dobyns Champ HP just by dragging a 1/16th oz jig across some rocks in 10' of water. When the fish are aggressive you can catch them on a broom handle but when the bite is subtle and the wind is catching your line and the boat is bouncing up and down- that is when an uber-sensitive rod shines. I fish a lot on the Great Lakes and you're often bouncing around. I need all the help I can get. Braid and ultra high-end rods make for the most sensitive package possible. Now the rods clearly are not 3x better than a $200 rod but I am at the point in my life where I can treat myself to the things I want. I get very good not great reels but I LOVE my rods. I agree with others about not wanting to try one for fear of getting hooked. I did and nowadays that is where I spend my money when upgrading tackle.

The One is a Daiwa Steez rod while the 902 is the NRX. I wasn't talking about the 901 NRX.

One of the videos I watched directly comparing the One and the 902 stated that the One was a little heavier than the 902. This surprised me since the One has a lure range down to 1/16 while the 902 starts at 1/8. I'll figure it out once I get it. Maybe the 902 becomes my new Ned rig rod. The One has been great with everything I've used on it so I have no problem repurposing it.

Just ordered the 902 after watching a couple videos. Looking forward to comparing it to The One.

I’m going to treat myself to 902 or 901 NRX+ and I’m leaning towards the 902 for its versatility. From reading on a variety of threads, it seems that the 901 is whippy and extremely lightweight. So that sounds like a hair jig, Okashira screwhead, and a 1/16th ounce Ned rod. The 902 sounds like tubes, dropshot (my main weight is a 3/8th ounce), Neko, and shaky. I’m a smallmouth guy and I often rig up a couple Neds or dropshots when that is the bait I am throwing the most so I’m not really worried about duplicating the rod type. So any information about the 901 or 902 that you want to share would be greatly appreciated. What do you use the rods for and where do you think a 901 or 902 would fit into my arsenal? (listed my spinning arsenal below) Thanks for any information. Steez Gen 2 The One- Neds Steez Gen 1 The One- Neko, shakey head Steez Gen 2 Finesse Game Special- Dropshot Dobyns Champ HP 741- finesse swimbait, hairjigs, 1/16th oz Neds Dobyns Champ HP 742- multipurpose (spybaits, tubes, shakey head, 4” swimbaits on ballhead jig, dropshot, ect)

I don't care what some random stranger thinks about what I'm doing. And that goes for everything not just fishing.

A local fisherman hit a submerged pipe in Lake Michigan a couple years back. He was thrown out of his boat and his PFD did not inflate. Miraculously, he gained consciousness by hitting the water. He survived but had multiple broken bones. This one really hit close to home for me since it is literally the same exact water I fish and I still don't know where he was exactly. Because of this I did buy the top of the line Mustang inflatable. Hope I never have to rely on it.

As a former Dobyns fan (I went from 12+ rods and now I'm down to 3), I would shop around for something more sensitive. I have moved to Daiwa Steez and Loomis GLX and they are much more sensitive. Granted, there is a significant price difference but I was willing to pay the price. I would shop the Daiwa Tatula and Shimano Expride over a Dobyns Champion. I'd definitely shop a Loomis NRX+ or a Megabass over an Xtasy. I've never owned an Xtasy but I've read from knowledgeable fishermen that they don't compare to the Loomis in terms of sensitivity. One other thing- Dobyns was sold recently and I've heard their customer service is not as good as it was. I broke multiple Dobyns rods over the years and they were great with replacements but that was when Gary Dobyns was the owner. With all that said, I still have a Dobyns Champ HP in the 741 and 742 and they are fine rods but if I were buying today I'd shop other rods.

These numbers are very high compared to me. Gas/oil: Depends how much you run. An oil change for me is less than $75. I don't keep tabs of my gas but when I go out and run all over the place on Lake Michigan it costs me $15-$20 or so in gas. When I stick to smaller lakes it is much less. The ring free for my Yammie is kinda expensive but a bottle lasts me all season. Insurance: Less than $300 and I have an agreed upon payout if my boat is totalled. State Farm and I have multiple discounts. License plate/registration: $40 or so a year Impeller/Water Pump: Every 3 years and get this done at the marine shop. I think last time it was $250 Repack bearings: $150 this year which I thought was very high. I thought it was $60 at a different place a couple years ago so I might shop this next season. Maintenance excluding oil change: Less than $100 for plugs, a fuel filter, and lower gear lube Wax and Polish: Less than $50 for a couple bottle of Lucas Mist and some wax. Personally, I think the cost of boat ownership is exaggerated as long as you do your maintenance yourself and you don't have to pay for storage.

Bought a fancy scale with all sorts of readings and an app to monitor my measurements. 10.5% body fat and 20.5 BMI I'm good with those numbers.

A Ned rig is always my most productive bait but a Neko rig is becoming a staple bait for me.

6' I need to put on some weight.

I've lost 25 lbs since the end of February. 180 lbs to 155 lbs. I graduated HS at 177. I recently had to get a pair of 31 inch jeans. I deal with stress and depression by hiking and biking and I don't eat as much as I used to. I'm curious what my body fat percentage is.

I'm interested in those wheels on the trailer jack. Did you change the wheels yourself or did the entire tongue jack come like that? Thanks.