CrankFate

Me too, kinda. I converted my Tatula CT 7 speed from red to purple. I just need to order a purple magforce dial, since that’s the last red part on the reel. But I cant find them online now. I finally got the black spool tension dial with tatula spider on it about 2 weeks ago, after waiting over 6 months for it on pre order. It just won’t be done until that red magforce dial is replaced with a purple one.

Got the Tatula 100XS today and opened it before Christmas. It’s definitely ? Ive been waiting a good 15 years for this reel. All around amazing feel. Just hope it fishes well on a rod. The round gear box is somewhat strangely oriented, but everything else appears too well put together for the price. My first impression is this is what the Smoke should have been. And it smells like a different oil than anything else I’ve ever smelled. More like a synthetic or Teflon smell, like a fresh no stick frying pan set. The stuff is always the easy part. Getting the fish is another story.

In between shopping for the kids for Christmas, a Tatula 100xs for them to give to me for Christmas, to be followed by a Recon Elite rod to put it on for my birthday next spring before the season begins.

Those ratings are like the pound test ratings on braid. I don’t trust any rod rating. I have rods (Daiwa & Shimano) that cast around 2 to 2 1/2 times their claimed weight perfectly and are too heavy for what they claim. There are lots of rods that are way heavier than their ratings.

No way! I almost bought one of those when I saw it on Facebook! Instead, my kids don’t know they just got me a new Tatula 100xs. That will go on your rod nicely. It’s right around your budget at $160. They don’t know it yet, since the Tatula is all black, but they’re getting me a recon elite rod to go with it for my birthday this spring ?

I fish over the winter, even when it’s freezing and there’s nothing to catch but the flu. The only thing that works is waterproof ski gloves. The kind that are big, thick and stitched together, but can be dipped into a bucket of water and still stay dry inside (as long as you don’t dip them in past the opening at your wrist). I don’t know what brand I have, but they cost $79.99 on sale at Sports Authority before they closed down.If you get the ones that are a little small for your hand you’ll still be able to fish. https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/hot-fingers-mens-rip-n-go-glove-15hfimmnsrpngglvxaoa/15hfimmnsrpngglvxaoa?camp=CSE:DSG_pg1052497342_ecom_PLA_452&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3PCWlOHr3gIVA1SGCh3aHQ7mEAQYASABEgJY-_D_BwE smoething like these, but a little rubberized on the fingertips and heavier duty

PureFishing has not done much of anything. Most of their brands are becoming a thing of the past. I like the Abu Garcia low profile reels, but when it became purefishing, they rolled out the “new” styles and did JDM test marketing that even had JDM versions of reels. But all of that was just the honeymoon, then it’s just been pure stagnation. Penn should have top quality products that people want. It doesn’t. They still don’t even make a low profile baitcaster. It’s sad, really. Only Berkley Gulp and Powerbait are actually selling. These were some of the biggest brands. Penn hasn’t done anything since the late 70’s to early 80’s. Stren? Who says I just got a new reel, can’t wait to spool it with some stren braid. Then there’s Spiderwire, nothing special, but overpriced and underperforming. Daiwa and Shimano completely replaced brands like Abu and Penn. I’d love to buy another Penn or Abu, but they haven’t made anything that compares to Daiwa & Shimano in recent times. I buy power bait all the time, but the rest of their products aren’t for me.

It’s good line. I have 20lb and if you bite it, instead of using a scissor, it almost feels like it has a hard shell on it.

I don’t know, I use them all. I, personally, go with gamakatsu most often because they’re almost always available. VMC small trebles are great, though. I don’t think I ever had a problem with a decent brand hook. I have had problems with line, leaders, rods, reels and myself, but as long as the hook didn’t bend or get the tip flattened Owner, VMC, Gamakatsu have all worked for me. I always think hook failures and problems come from bootleg hooks.

For SMB I’m perfectly satisfied with my PB of possibly the record weight of 2.5 lbs.

I don’t know if the mono and FC are visible. But forget it, fish are impossible to figure out. Some days they see perfect, other days they’re blind. +1 I like enough stretch to prevent fish from wiggling or headshaking the hook out. LMB are experts at rolling belly up to shake the hook, with something elastic it makes it harder for them to throw the hook.

Misguided, definitely. I think it has to do with whether or not the water is dark or stained. If it’s clear and bright, it’s more noticeable. Yes. Even human eyes get greened out. Bass eyes adapt much more slowly to these changes. And humans rarely find themselves in small spaces surrounded by a single very bright color. I know that’s how it seems. And that’s why they’ll go for a strange color, but I can see them not able to see it. Try completely crazy different colors when you think this, if only to prove me wrong.

I learned that no matter how bad at fishing I might be, if you don’t go fishing you catch even less.

I don’t usually do so hot with senkos.

I usually use at least a short leader. Because I even see totally stupid, dumb fish looking up and down my braid with one eye like, “LOL there’s no way I’m biting anything tied to this.” That little bit of empty space, IMO, makes a difference.

My advice on casting a baitcaster is to get a rod capable of throwing 1oz at the sweet spot, with a relatively fast, but not very fast tip. Any decent, inexpensive baitcaster on such a rod will cast far with ease. The reason I say to throw 1oz is exactly the reason you said it doesn’t work—because you have to tighten everything down. If you start at 1oz, you can tighten everything down, but you’ll still be able to get good distance all tightened down. You can also use 15-20lb braid no problem. Once you can cast a reasonable distance, practice backing off the settings until you can throw full strength without everything buttoned down. IMO, learning a baitcaster is the opposite of a spinner. A spinner casts light easy. But try throwing 12oz on a spinner. It’s harder than a baitcaster. A baitcaster does heavier easier, so start around 1 to 1.5oz and work your way down in weight. Then you’ll be able to throw a lighter rod and faster reel no problem. It is very hard to throw very light for everyone, and even if you can do it without tangles, you’ll still find yourself cursing distance.

Smaller and lighter is usually better for me. If it’s as good as the regular CT it will be awesome.

?‍♂️ Me too.

So it seems, but from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve read, they have pretty poor eyesight compared to people. Their eyesight is not instantly and automatically infinitely adjustable, like ours. Picture crystal clear water, 2 to 7 feet deep with round rolling rocks all completely covered in green hair algae, so that everything is green. In those conditions, the green pumpkin is transparent without polarized lenses on. The bass definitely can’t see it. And they can’t see chartreuse. Try It, you’ll see that they’ll only take colors that they can see in these conditions and greens, blues and brownish greens will not produce.

I add them. They absolutely make a difference with start up inertia and distance. They don’t slow down as fast, though so it takes a little getting used to. That said, I do not believe the internet videos that go from 10 seconds of freespool to 2 or 3 minutes of freespool. I have never seen that type of freespool increase. You’re lucky if you get to a full minute just by switching the bearings. And I only have bearings that I bought direct from the manufacturer, so I know I didn’t get robbed with bootlegs. The main reason I use them is that after about 10 casts most reels slow down dramatically because the oil gets thrown off and water gets in. Ceramic bearings will continue to cast without losing much distance once the oil is thrown and replaced with water.

It’s the worst color. You’re better off with hot pink. I know other people swear by it, but in water with a lot of light green algae or a green tint, it is invisible to bass. I have seen them hear it hit the water turn to the splash and not be able to see it right in front of their eyes. Once their eyes are all greened out greens and yellows become invisible to them. Go with something super visible and fluorescent. Add silver or gold and maybe a bead to make some noise. Just what I have learned from watching the blind morons not be able to see it.

Nowhere. Fixing staircase brickwork (pointing) all weekend. Then pruning the shrubs and mowing the lawn to get ready for winter.

I have many $500-600 combos. And I might never get a $1,000 combo. The day there is one that is worth it, I’ll get one. But I have never seen the attraction. Except for the it’s expensive feeling or enjoying the stats and marketing materials. I am not a collector either. If I buy it, it might get beat to hell no matter what the price was. But that will only happen if it’s good enough that I fish it to death. I have some $400 reels that look like they got stomped on dozens of times, with chipped paint and missing handle caps. But I still don’t know where all these guys fishing these $1000+ rigs are??? In the last 40+ years of fishing I’ve only seen 2 in real life. Literally only 2. Most of the time most people are laughing at how expensive my $650 set up is for the type of fishing I’m doing.

This is true. Everyone has a different definition or there are a few different definitions for “finesse.” I consider almost all of the fishing I do for fish that normally run under 5 pounds in less than 40’ of water to be “finesse” fishing, because I fish way thinner and lighter than what is recommended from the rod, to the reel, to the line, to the bait.

This is true. A spinner can’t be beat here. But I swore off spinners years ago. And recommend that for everyone. As far as the braid goes, I rarely fish anything thicker than 15lb test braid on a baitcaster and go all the way down to 6lb. IMO, once you get used to braid, it fishes better than mono, co or fluoro on a baitcaster. I just never understand why people say it can’t be casted. The real problem is tying with it when it’s windy out. Super thin braid is impossible to tie if there’s any wind.