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I just wonder how much an actual “fight” it will be. I have a feeling Jake puts up a better fight than most want him to. This is far from prime Mike Tyson.

I’ve always been a fan of the ACS braking system and the quantum’s I’ve owned have given me no issues. However they have had some quality control issues through the years. Quantum/zebco is more focused on the cheaper “Walmart” products because there’s less competition from higher end brands and they sell a ton of them. As far as 200 sized reels the current market is more geared towards smaller reels. Most applications just don’t need the capacity and the ergonomics of a smaller reel are preferred by the majority of bass anglers today. There is still a need for them though.

This time of year I’ll have at least 2, maybe 3 squarebills on the deck plus a mid diver

As I believe Swindle said, you have to be a little crazy to decide to become a professional bass fisherman and you better be a hustler too

American legacy has same deal on their in stock models

The only positive is that a percentage of anglers won’t have to take out personal loans to pay entry fees. That is a big deal especially in todays economy. Even if you were able to secure a loan for entry fees with little issue it could put you in a tough spot if you needed to finance other personal assets

I picked two random anglers. They both earned more in the old format

Finishing 30th is going from $10,000 to $850

I’d be interested to see an example of someone’s earnings last year vs what it would’ve been under new structure. I’d bet it’s better but not drastic. Payouts have been reduced.

Depends on what you throw most often. Jerkbaits benefit from flouro while topwater benefits from mono. The other two can go either way. If you were going to throw all equally I’d probably lean towards 12lb mono assuming you aren’t around a lot of cover or throwing heavy weights. Then I may step up to 15lb.

MH, H, etc is subjective and changes from manufacturer to manufacturer. Look for lure ratings in the 1/2 oz to 1 1/2oz range for most jig applications. A 1/2 oz jig with a trailer will weigh around 1 oz ish

The answer changes by the day, if not the hour. If you are around fish throw multiple baits until they tell you what they prefer. Sometimes the bait that gets bit doesn’t make rational sense.

I have a 7” ribbon worm on a 1/8 oz bullet weight on my deck 12 months out of the year. It’s been my most productive lure since Covid ramped up boating activities.

Maybe it’s like the tranx 200? I have no clue what it means mechanically but in the past the MD has been labeled as big bait reels

@Delaware Valley Tackle will make each one perform brand new

Debt is not inherently bad. However it takes a plan and discipline to capitalize on it. Basic example is if you have a loan at 3% interest, don’t pay it off before term. Instead use the excess money to earn double or triple the return. Or if you can finance a property for $1k a month and rent it out for 1.5k turning a profit until paid off Also credit cards are smart. They are safe and secure because they are federally backed whereas a debit card is not. The benefits/rewards can earn you money. My family takes several vacations a year that are fully covered by points. Flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. We’ve haven’t ever paid a dime in interest but once again it takes discipline and a plan.

Yikes

Theres a chance the storm weakens a bit before landfall to a cat 4 but if it lands north of Tampa the surge in the bay will be problematic either way. Hoping for the best

The coastal is a solid frogging reel. It was designed for braid and holds plenty of it. It is available in 8.1 ratio. It has aluminum frames and side plates and has a 100mm handle.

ALX Ikos Buzz. I called Alex and asked the difference between it and the Zolo dream which is $100 more and he said in that model they were basically the same rod. Mine weighs just under 4 ounces and is a great all around top water rod. Also a good 1/4oz spinnerbait and mini max rod.

I’ve owned and sold a bunch of St Croix rods but the only one I regret is a LTB. Instead of spending that $200 on Megabass’s cheapest offering, use it to upgrade the Mojo to the LTB.

Good luck finding either unless inventory has changed recently. Most Expert and Cara models have been out of stock for 6 months or longer. I have the current Expert Amistad and it’s a fantastic rod that can handle most anything well. It’s a Jack of all trades heavy stick. I have Caras in different models and they tend to be more technique specific than the Expert. Both fish well but feel much different in my hands. If you are solely using it for bottom contact I’d lean Cara. But the Expert is perfectly fine for it too There’s a Falcon rod discussion thread you may want to check out.

I always run mine dry. No clue if that’s standard but feel like it locks down better. In the slop I fish in drag slipping is no bueno.

Budget?

It’s odd how some folks in its path got 10 inches of rain and others say it barely rained and there was no thunder or lightening. The conspiracy theorists are having a field day on X