Bigassbass

Electric filet knife makes it easy if you have lots of fish to clean but a standard blade sharp filet knife works well too. The best way to learn is get someone that knows how to show you and you practice while they are looking on and guiding you.

I use finesse fishing gear to catch big fish I like that style of fishing and I've been doing it way before someone tagged a name to it. I know how drags work and they are important, I've had 200 dollar Shimano reels that the drag was sorry and I've got Shimano reels that the drag is perfect. I've caught more big fish on my crappie rigs than my bass rigs. Drag does matter and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

There is a big difference in spinning reels, price doesn't always make for the best but usually the cheaper reels aren't going to last, they aren't smooth, the drag doesn't work flawless. If you've been fishing lower price spinning reels and buy a super nice one you'll never go back to junk! Shimano makes some usable lower price reels and so does Pflugger, I've never owned a cheap Daiwa spinning reel, I have a very expensive Luvias and I wouldn't buy another one. Guess I'm just not into Daiwa. The other difference and the MOST noticeable factor is resale, you can't sell a cheap reel, you can give it away! Shimano, Daiwa, ABU, and Lew's have been the easiest to resale for me, so you have to decide which reel you like and how much money you want to spend, sticking to known products that have been bought and sold for many years lets you know those brands should be good. The drag is important when you're horsing in a 10lb fish and who wants to use a slipping ill performing reel with a sick drag? There is a big difference in spinning reel brands and those cheap ones that Walmart sells will not cut it if you're into real fishing. Bass jump on live bait and people using cheap reels baited up with worms and such try reeling in a huge fish with a cheap reel. Even some of Shimano reels on the lower end will not last when using it heavily. Buy a reel with all the fixings you need to crank in a big fish just in case one gets on your line!

I have a beautiful brother that gave me the fish itch, he took me fishing in a mountain pond baited the hook and helped me pull them in when I was maybe five years old. I caught lots of brim! Last year I gave him a rod and reel and showed him how to catch brim with a floating fly. He's a super guy, cause later he gave me a boat! So I've been fishing all my life because someone loved me enough to share their passion. None of the stages really fit me, I've just fished all my life because I love to catch fish and no I'm not into showing anyone how to fish unless it's my brother.

A friend of mine and myself were crappie fishing Sharan Harris Lake in NC one summer, some guys waved us down as we were headed back to the dock. A child was on a boat by himself and they were afraid to go see what the problem was and help. Long story short, the child had been out on the lake for 3 days by himself, his father and cousin had drowned as he unfortunately looked on. This was before I had a cell phone so my friend stayed with the child and I went to the ramp to find someone who had a cb radio in their truck, called the rescue squad and the rest was dragging the lake for bodies the next day. Never be so lazy or afraid to help someone on a lake or anywhere else, life is precious and you never know what has happened. The child ate snacks and drank water and Pepsi from the cooler they had brought for lunch and survived. His father was a school teacher, he jumped in trying to save the other child that was floundering in the water and drowned himself. Life jackets people! Teach your children to swim! And never leave anyone stranded on a boat on a lake. The law of the water is to always help those who need help, it should be the law of the land and it is for me.

I have 2 Major Craft rods were the handle comes off and I have a Benkei love these rods, I have light and UL. I've caught as many bass on them as I have panfish, they will work well for a kayak rod. The Shimano Zodias rod is made in 2 piece with the handle removable. I bought all mine from Asian Portal.

I went fishing on the hottest days of July and caught 3 bass over 5lb in the same day. Next week I caught a 6lb-7lb I could hardly hold up to take a photo, gotta work on a system to take those pics or buy a go-pro.

70 today in central N.C. just as warm tomorrow, I went to a pond and took the water temp 42 in the shallows, 48 in the deep and that was maybe 12'.

How about a nice spinning reel and rod, there's lots to choose from in your price range. Every rod maker has a UL or a Light. Bait-caster look at combos; Bass Pro, or Lew's and others. IMO I think spinning reels are the best for this kind of fishing. Shimano makes super nice rods and reels just for pan fish and I"m sure you can get one under or right at 200 bucks.

In North Carolina use to be at 55 you could get a free lifetime license, then they moved it up to 65 (I think) then they did away with it all together. So I bought a lifetime license between 55-60 my age (can't remember how old I actually was) it cost 32 dollars for fresh and salt water. I haven't paid for a license in a long time! Best thing to do is buy your children and grandchildren a lifetime license when they are babies, it's cheaper that way. Yep I have a Senior Lifetime N.C. fishing license and I'm proud I do.

Buy a Shimano rod and stop looking for another brand that's like it, problem solved.

All of them, I have many good rods and reels that work for whatever technique I'm fishing. My favorite is hard baits.

Harris Lake is my favorite lake in N.C. winter fishing is tuff there as it is in every lake. Crappie are stacked up catch them with jigs and minnows down deep, plan on keeping them, they die when you yank them up that fast from the deep. Bass fishing is a hit or miss at the time you're going but enjoy the trip!

Winter is here in N.C. yuck! 9degrees this Christmas Eve morning.

I have a spinning Ti-Pro rod and I love it, found it on sale at Midway super nice rod, love the handle, color, and the way it handles heavy bass. I'm sure the bait caster version is just as nice. I bought a 7' Med has lots of backbone. As far as the reel goes it's soposed to be their best reel yet, I'd buy it if I can get it on sale. 400 bucks for any reel is high, Japan reels can be bought for way less than that. If you have the money you should go for it!

And although I didn't answer about a Dobyn's rod, I can give my opinion and that would be if I was choosing between the two rods listed I don't think either one would be high on sensitivity. Waymont wants to throw cranks and I don't think you need a real super sensitive rod to throw cranks, you need a stout rod that gives in the middle. I love to catch bass on cranks, I use a med 7' Lew's Ti spinning rod with a Shimano Ci4 reel. Fish what you like, there is no hard set rules in what you use. Pro's use what manufacturer gives them, (their sponsors), those rods and reels don't make them catch fish, they already know how to catch em.

Thanks guys for all the input, all my rods I fish with now are sensitive enough for me, I gave away or sold all my cheap rods that fished like broomsticks. Glass rods and graphite rods are made to fish for whatever line and lure you choose to tie to it. If you're good at fishing, reading the water, throwing the lures, etc, you'll catch a fish on any rod you're using, it's just more fun using a super nice rod and reel made for a specific technique but it really isn't necessary.

Glass rods are more sensitive, you feel every tiny movement or twitch that's the difference in glass compared to graphite. If you're bottom fishing or using finesse baits it's super nice. I have two glass rods I love the feel because I finesse fish a lot. I do throw small cranks on them but for all around bass fishing I use my graphite rods.

No a lightweight reel doesn't change the feel if you've mounted in on a lightweight rod. You defeat the reason you're fishing lightweight if you use a heavy reel on a light rod. I love LW setups I have 4 high end 1000 size reels on LW rods, 6'10" - 7'2". One is a ajing rod made my Shimano, I love it but it's truly a LW I never target any fish but panfish with it.

Get caught? I've never had my license checked not once in my entire fishing life!

I have spent a fortune on jigs and never done any good catching brim, but I tear them up on live bait and small hard minnow plugs.

Curly tail jigs, Gulp minnows, live bait, worms, minnows.

Academy sells Shimano reels ul ones and they fit your budget go look at them, they are lots better than anything Lew's make. For UL honestly any brand of rod will work, go to Walmart if you're looking to save money, they have some Shimano reels and cheap rods.

You can catch fish from ponds in the winter, use live bait or soft plastics, fish slow and be patient.

I have two Zodias light spinning rods, they are super sensitive and I think the ML would be a great rod for throwing the lures you have listed. You have to like the slick feel of the rod handle which I'm not crazy about. One of my rods the handle can be taken off to make it easier to transport I bought it from Japan, it's a really cool rod, in the US they glue the handle on and it's one piece of course. My light has a lot of back bone to be a light rod, I've caught lots of bass on it.