Boomstick

They have some nice larger ones but they're a little more than I was looking to spend. I was thinking about maybe tow of these, but I have no idea how many reels they'll actually hold. The price is right at least. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TY4AN4G/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 I guess the other thing is I could always carry about 3-4 casting rods with the reels on them alongside someone in front before the front seat is not usable. Maybe I'll try one of these and see how it is, and I can buy a second later if I like it.

I am finally going to buy a a rod tube (Flambeau Bazuka) so I can free up the front seat of my truck. I also have a shipping tube that can hold a few rods. I may carry up to a dozen rods for a summer camping trip, 3-4 of which are spinning. So what's a decent reel case that will protect reels enough to throw in the back of the truck if need be and not have to worry about something smashing against it and hold a large number of reels?

I got my largest bass of last season on a fat boy, nutter shad.

I usually carry some bug spray, 25% deet with me. If I'm in a wooded area, I'll often need it but in open areas the bugs aren't too bad -- although I live in deer tick country in the area with the highest infestation of lyme disease as well, so maybe I should use it anyway.

Good advice. Go with the Veritas if you're on a budget, but go with the Mojo Bass if you can swing a little extra, it's a great rod for the money. So do most St. Croix rods as well. For the most part, I think St. Croix and Abu Garcia ratings are on par with each other. Usually the line rating is a decent indicator of what to expect from the rod.

It'll become like buying a car (except I own many more reels than cars). Some brands altogether may be problematic, and some brands have models that are but other models that are great! It's already enough work to find out which reel to buy, although I've been very happy with all of mine to date, in no small part due to input from the members of this forum.

I'm a huge fan of the Daiwa BG personally. If you don't mind the extra ~2.5 ounces over a Tatula LT, it's a great reel at an easily affordable price. No issues at all with drag, line twist or losing loops on the spool (I own the 2000 size and it has Sunline SX1 12lb braid on it which is the diameter of most 15lb braid for what it's worth).

There's three potential reasons to close it by hand: On some reels, I find you have to reel pretty hard tot get the bail to auto close, so it's much easier and quicker to just close it by hand. I've been told that the auto-close feature puts strain on the reel and may eventually shorten the life of the reel. I think there's at least some truth to this although how much I'm not sure. I've also been told that closing it by hand helps prevent line twist, but I haven't really noticed an issue not closing it by hand, so I think this might be false.

This is what happens when manufacturing becomes too consolidated imo. As long as the rest of the line doesn't follow I guess.

They counterfeit everything! Tablets, guitars, batteries (which often catch on fire), you name it! I haven't seen any counterfeit line yet though.

I primarily use a drop shot when targeting smallies on the bottom, and increase the weight to maybe 1/4oz if I'm in 20-30ft of water so it can get down there. Carolina rigs also work great as well, but I find the drop shot to me more versatile. I often fish a small lake that is mostly shallow but has a deep size that's around 100 ft deep, so I can switch out my weight and go from working shallow to deep rather easily in lakes like this.

A uni knot, 4-6 turns on any line. Sometimes I'll use a palomar especially braid because it cinches down so tightly.

Thanks! They should probably list as much on their website, it's a good selling point or so you would think!

I have four few Tatula (SV and CTs). One of them has slightly more play in the handle than the Curado K and the others less. I largely agree that the CT is probably a better buy than the 100/150. The CT should hold enough line unless you're using some really fat line, plus the 100/150/200 don't even have the Magforce Z braking system (some people have said the 150 does, but not on Daiwa's website so I'm not 100% sure about that).

I like the Live Targets the best, but they're expensive. So my frog collection consists of about 40% Live Targets, 40% Pad Crashers and then I have a Spro, a KVD and maybe another.

If I'm using a pegged texas rig, it's usually in fairly heavy cover -- but in the same situations I will usually just throw a jig instead. Where a shaky head is generally fished in open water away from the weeds. If I'm fishing the same spot with a T-Rig, I wouldn't bother pegging it.

I couldn't imagine after a day or two of fishing, even in a poor spot that you wouldn't get something as long as there's bass or maybe even pike or catfish in the lake.

You can catch them all year round on spinnerbaits once the ice melts. Granted, once the water gets into the 50s you're going to catch more fish, but try slow rolling a spinnerbait with a large colorado blade (or two if you prefer). I also really like the indiana blade in clearer water because it adds a lot of reflection. I got my first bass of the year on a spinnerbait.

I agree the plastic rod is a little bit stiffer than what I would call a true medium, but when I was shopping medium rods, I did hold the Mojo Bass plastics rod and the Fenwick HMG M/F side by side. The HMG felt like the Mojo Bass 7'1" MH/F Jig & Bait rod, that thing was a complete broomstick for a so called "medium" where the plastic rod, while stouter than what I'd call a true medium was still not quite a medium. The spinning rod may not be as stiff as the casting rod. Anyway, in this case I did suggest the plastics rod as an only rod since it will handle slightly heavier lures and lighter lures alike. I ended up getting the 6'8" M/XF "topwater" mojo bass, which is a true medium.

^ 7.5. I've never been a huge Helmet fan, but this song is pretty good. It does remind me a lot of early Tool as well! While we're on Tool, make sure you youtube their cover of Led Zeppelin's No Quarter. Very original arrangement! But I will post this Tool cover by a group of kids (who are actually quite good)

For soft plastics, I always have a green pumpkin and brown color. Often black and blue, and also for worms I usually keep some brihgt pink ones around as that can be effective. For jigs, I generally keep white and brown or black (or some mix around) and may add in a white/chartreuse color for dirty water as well. For spinnerbaits, my theory is there's generally four categories. White for clear water, white/chartreuse or chartreuse for dirty water, a mix of white and milder color like a sexy shad color for example will work in most water, and black for night. For cranks, I'll make sure I have some silver for the spring, bluegill, perch and craw colors, although cranks are the one lure I'll really try all sorts of different colors. Last year I made a killing with a silver & blue colored River2Sea Biggie Smalls crank. For topwater (and even square bills to a lesser extent), I believe the belly color is the most important, so I'll try some yellow and some white.

I have a 3700dd for square bills and lipless, then a 3700 large box for deep divers. I put the medium divers on the left and the deep divers on the right, and if I know one is deeper than another, it makes its way towards the bottom.

Although I greatly expanded my crankbait and spinnerbait collection last black friday -- as I lost so many late last season and dinged up a few skipping them under a low bridge, these are not all new purchases but I did get the Bass Mafia tackle bag and some bass mafia tackle boxes for this year and now I can carry an impressive amount of tackle. So when I got it loaded about a month ago, I took some pics so I thought I'd share. https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhZmMB-Fz0_2jb0dqbfX4RxjlGBuvQ Also my rod rack. Please ignore the mess. https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhZmMB-Fz0_2jcofnWIjR40ULYzxzg

First, it sounds like you're doing pretty well learning for yourself. Glenn is short and to the point. Between the two, if you can swing a SLX combo, I would think it's worth the extra money. I saw in a recent post, someone found one for $129. Also a Daiwa Fuego paired with an Aird X is supposed to be an affordable combo that fishes well above its price point. I have a 13 & 15 year old myself and I did buy them their first setups, but that's it. They now have much better rods and reels but they had to wait for their birthdays for those. My oldest son used a.....forgot how to use English's sporting goods gift card he got for Christmas to help stock the tackle bag as well (my youngest bought himself new hockey equipment he needed)

Short of a Bass Cat Jaguar (which is about as obtainable for me as a Ferrari), the Pro-V bass is my dream boat. But I've opted to look for a used Ranger RT188, Lund Renegade or maybe an older fiberglass boat.