PhishLI

If it was from TW, they'll take care of it without you dealing with the shipper. I've had the identical situation once before and it was painless.

Coincidentally, this just popped up in my shorts feed.

Is it really a downside though? They're independent contractors who get sponsorship dollars to promote product. It's a side hustle in a business where's there's no salary otherwise, up front expenses are high, and a tournament check isn't a guarantee. If done right, many can and will make more from promotion than they do in tournament winnings. The most financially successful ones are ultimately fishing-product salesman who happen to fish professionally. If they're competitive enough to cash checks and in rare cases win, that's just gravy.

I have "real" swimbait rods and reels out the wazoo. However, I really can't use them in several tree lined lakes where I like to fish. No boats are allowed, so my only advantage is to wade, but I can't get too far off the bank in many cases. This leaves me close enough to overhung tree branches above and shrubs behind me which excludes all of my longer, dedicated swimbait rods. With those I'd clip branches overhead or get snagged on bushes during the back cast. For these occasions I have a Tatula Elite 6'9" HF rated to 1 1/2oz and a Tatula XT 7'3" HF also rated to 1 1/2ozs. I use the JDM equivalent of the current '18 Zillion HD which is called the Catalina TW 100. The length of those rods limit casting distance, so line cap isn't a problem. 20lb Big Game mono provides adequate stretch while being stupid strong, and properly set drag does the rest. Together it works well enough for throwing treble swimbaits up to 1 1/2ozs and occasionally some baits up to 2 ozs. I very rarely lose hooked fish because of the rods, and I haven't broken either one. I bought the XT in '17. So yes, use what you've got to see if you like this type of fishing. If you do, go nuts buying "proper" gear. Everyone here will be happy to help you spend your money.

I use these hooks more than any others. Unweighted and weighted, from 1/0 to 6/0. If they get discontinued, I'll puke violently. Then, like a demon, I'll sift through the interwebs buying up every last one I can find.

Camp & Grind It's the opposite of run 'n gun which, as I've found, doesn't yield the same results in my particular spots. The ones who can't help themselves but to fish this way get their souls crushed consistently around here, just like I used to until I wised up. Since I figured this out, I'm able to find something more often than not in places where it's hard to find anything at all. It doesn't mean I never switch spots, just not until I've sifted through one area almost painfully, slowly. I've learned to like it, fishing this way, even though it's against my nature. There have been so many times where I was about to give up on a zone but didn't and the hunch paid off nicely, and occasionally very nicely. They're mostly hard-earned moments, but adrenaline is an amazing anesthetic.

I've done my fair share of beatching about TW, but I've gotta kick it to ya real and say my last few orders shipped super fast and came very fast, and that was using the free shipping option including a 2 rod order.

I have too. It flies. Weighs a whisper under 10 grams and not very wind catching either. No problem using a Tat 80 or even the 150 for this bait, but I'm not disputing that the Alphas isn't better because I don't have one. Just saying I've had no issues slinging the Frittside 5.

I went with this for the same things. If it matters to you, it balances midway on the reel nut with a 6.2oz Curado/SLX BFS. 13 Fishing Muse Black Casting Rods | Tackle Warehouse MBC610ML Fast 6-12lb 1/8-3/8oz 10+Tip ***/2" Muse Cast C

Yes, and I would know.

100 sized reels typically have spools of 32-34 mm in diameter that can weigh from 21-30 grams loaded with line if that line is braid. Add some weight for straight plastic line. They can cast 3.5grams or 1/8oz total weight effectively? Define effectively. Is that more effectively than a spool with a similar diameter topping out at 10 grams or less with line? On a side note, how many times on this forum have we heard that rods cast, not reels, and that reels just wind in line? Has everyone who's listed their BFS setups been duped?

You're correct. I went with the SLX/Curado/Scorpion BFS, which are all essentially the same reel with different paint jobs and bearing counts, as a borderline BFS setup simply because I wanted to use straight fluoro, coploly, or mono. The SLX's 9 gram spool can deal with the sqeeze and associated stress that plastic lines put on a thinner-walled spool. This is discouraged on 4-5 gram spools like AMO, Roro, etc, as is can distort them. So, I'm doing this borderline BFS thing with 5 grams being the lightest weight I'll be throwing. I've been resisting buying the Roro for my Tat 80 and using straight 8lb braid, but I'm getting wobbly by the minute with the monkey whispering sweetly in my ear: "You know you want it, dumbazz"

Just started to dabble. I'll only have from ice out until late May to use it as weeds become way too much here afterward. JDM SLX BFS/13 Muse Black 6'10" ML/Omen Green II 7'7" M Sufix 6lb Fluoro I've had it out for just two very cold one-hour sessions on the Muse getting a feel for it throwing finesse TRD neds on 1/16oz heads, light cranks and jerkbaits, and 1/16oz bitsy bugs with small trailers. Spool bearings weren't flushed for the demo seshs, but they will be. This will be my boat/yak setup for shorter work mostly in one of our two smallie lakes as it really can't compete in the max-distance department with a 3000 sized spinning reel spooled with light braid to leader on a 7'M. But that's not why I got it. I got it to be able to use straight fluoro without dealing with leaders or with the headache of spinning reel line twist.

It's reallllly bad when a levelwind freezes. No such luck here. We'll be frozen over any moment. I'll be filling cork handles and U-40ing to feed my jones. It's fishing related anyway. Either way, it's OK. I firmly believe that spring fishing is better served around here by a good winter ice-over. The remaining dead or dying weeds get knocked down completely by the cold instead of lingering endlessly and slowly rotting away causing dead zones where they ordinarily wouldn't be. Spring will be here in the blink of an eye. Scary how time flies.

I just found where they're explaining it. ping @gimruis Scroll to the 16:50 mark if it doesn't begin there automatically. Explanation concludes at the 19:20 mark

It was the 2022 Lake Fork Tourney. Can't find specifics doing a normal search, but I believe it was one 24"er for 8lbs allowed in the live well for weigh ins. Something like that. There were marshals in every boat weighing fish. That was the one where Livesy, Palaniuk, and Swindle all got century belts with swindle and Palaniuk with the same final weight and Livesy winning.

Randall Tharp seemed ready and excited about going into the EQs on yesterday's IKE Live. It's worth a watch. Said he was glad it's 9 tourneys now instead of 3. Also said he qualified 3 times for the Elites before he accepted because he felt that under the old minimum 3-tournaments-fished requirement, he wasn't ready for the big leagues. He also reflected on how many guys who made it in the past under those rules but who bombed out badly and left broke and discouraged. He felt that they weren't conditioned for the big time or built enough of a sponsor base. I thought it was a great template that they might adopt going forward, and a reasonable compromise to what they do traditionally.

They are though. They did a catch, weigh, and release tournament a few years ago per that states DNR with the exception that one bass 8lbs or over would be allowed at weigh-in. Taku was killing them and brought in a few if I recall.

Did you break down the reel to get to the spool bearing in the handle side sideplate?

On today's IKE Live with Randall Tharp, Mike announced ABU as a new sponsor to IKE Live. A reward for not going with Rapala/13 Fishing and sticking with ABU? Could be. BTW, good episode. Tharp is pumped about the Opens EQs.

No. SS Magforce is quite different than SV found in the Steez Air.

Randall Tharp's entering the Opens. On IKE Live now.

No, typically only the metal side plate models. They have a groove machined into the bearing well to receive the spring clip (15). However, all models have the spring clip retainer on the palming side plate. The star shaped friction fit retainer (49) is found on recent plastic handle-side side plate models.

Amen. Gotta say, I saw far less new dudes this past year than last though. I suppose they got discouraged because of the low catch rate due to the overwhelming poaching pressure. Whatever caused them to quit, sorry to see them go, NOT!

Yes