Seafury

Lol, I guess there is some "collateral damage" after all. Sucks losing gear, stuff can be expensive for sure! I recently lost a $9 Rapala minnow, a $4 Panther Martin spinner, and a $8 Booya frog. Granted mine were lost to structure and poor casting on my part. Always something heh.

So far from what all I have seen and read here in NoVa, DC, and MD..... There has been no negative impacts from the Northern Snakehead infestation. Just more fish to catch, and more fun for more people. The bigger issue I find is lack of decent sized, and quantity, game fish, and or how intelligent they have become, everywhere publicly accessible. Especially in water that does NOT have Snakeheads. Waters all pressured, few fish, and they are all super smart / lazy to bite.

This is a little late, but.... Put on the Daiwa SV, go fishing, and forget those other old fashioned reels. Daiwa, and the T-wing are greater then all others. I would never even look at another reel now with there tiny line guide old technology. It's sad really. Then buy more Daiwa T-wing reels if you feel you need different setups. I've got and used the Abu Blackmax, Abu Promax, and Daiwa Tatula CT. I wish I had never bought the Abu reels / rods. They are junk compared to the Daiwa, and I could have afforded the Tatula CT SV I really wanted. Shimano is great, if you like old tech with short casting distance. For bank fishing I find distance to be a key factor. Just imho, ymmv. Tight Lines!

Daiwa Tatula CT OR the SV model. I did not jump for the SV, but I may next year.... 8 ratio for frogs/topwater, 7 ratio for spinners etc, 6 ratio for slower lures, cranking etc 5 ratio for cranking etc. I don't really understand all the ratio options nonsense personally, just reel faster or slower as needed..... Guess I am old school. You learn to adapt your fishing with a 1 speed ultra light spinning rod for all things.....that's what I grew up fishing on, everywhere but salt. Can't go wrong with Daiwa, love my new reel, its light years ahead of every other brand imho.

Daiwa Tatula CT 100h 6.3:1 Updated post with this also. Sorry about that. My Abu Garcia Promax is 7.3:1 so I went with 6.3:1 for the Daiwa. Seems plenty fast during testing. 7ft MHF rod. This will be my do it all rod, and so far, I am very pleased. I may up the line when Spring comes around for Snake head and big spawning Bass.

Final update : Thanks to everyone and your great advice! I got my local Cabela's to match the Bass Pro Shops Daiwa Tatula CT 100h/ Pro Qualifier combo deal. 6.3:1 reel. 7ft MH F rod. $199 plus tax. This setup is awesome! Much smoother then the Abu Garcia Promax / Veangence setup I have. Loaded it with Spectra Pro power #20 braid. Great tiny, smooth line, no backlashes in over an hour of fishing! This thing casts like a dream, way farther then Abu Garcia setup on 12lb mono. I can easily out distance cast every other person at the fishing hole. No more missing fish because I can not reach them. If you are also irritated by the short cast distance of baitcaster reels, the Daiwa T-wing is your salvation! It really works and you will be amazed. I hate to be a fan boy, but this is why I always used Daiwa growing up, simply the best. No other reel that I have seen on the market has offered another type of line guide aside from the standard round hole or oval hole, except for Daiwa and it's T-wing. If you have never tried one, you are missing out on the best innovation in baitcaster ever. If you fish from a boat, ignore the above as you can always reach the fish lol. Shore fisherman rejoice, you need this. Don't think I will ever buy another brand again. Completely satisfied. Tight lines gang!

Thanks for your advice. I am right handed but have always casted left handed and reel right hand. Though I fly cast right handed. Go figure lol. I do try to mix it up with the baitcaster though. Think I am ok with 1 piece rods as long as they are under 7ft. Prefer new, on sale, recon, open box, or closeout etc. I Normally buy lots of things used but I want new so I know it will last 20+ years like my old stuff did. Daiwa is what I grew up on and trust, I know there are lots of brands now and everyone likes different things, so hard to choose. I also understand they are still a premium brand, which I prefer also. For truly light stuff I have my Ultralights and Fly rod. This is about large and smallmouth bass and Snakeheads. I live in North Va less then 30 miles west/south of the Potomac River. Thanks, I have been looking at this option. Not available in stores near me of course lol. Right on the money price wise. But I am wondering if the SV reel is better for me? I also don't feel like baitcasters cast as far as my spinning reels, especially the Abu Blackmax, it sucks. Procast is not bad, but still nothing like my spinning reels for distance. Is this normal, or I just need higher quality reels like I am asking about here? Yes, I am new to Baitcasters, always thought they were dumb and overly complex and always nested for me years ago when I last looked at them. Not so bad now I am learning, although I find the rod grip uncomfortable and hurts my fingers, probly due to not being used to them heh.

Thanks everyone, great advice! Which gearing is best for all around compromise, the 6.3 or 7.1 etc? Getting closer to a reel decision now. Forget a rod for the time being, let's just focus on a good reel staying well under $200 if possible. Do I need the SV special spool setup, or will a regular one be good enough? I mostly use mono, but do have some spiderwire 20lb braid, don't really like it, brittle and chaffs easily, nests like a mother, on the Abu Procast. Seems everyone uses some crazy imported line I've never heard of theses days? Thanks again!

Hi everyone, I just got back into fishing. Grew up with my dads handme down Daiwa ultra light spinning rods and reels. Love them. Recently bought a Abu Garcia blackmax combo. It's ok but does not cast far, hates light lures. 12lb mono. Also bought a Abu Garcia promax on a silver vengeance rod. Much smoother, casts farther, stiffer rod for sure. 12lb mono also. I fish creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes, anywhere the bass are, large and smallmouth, snakeheads on my to do list asap also. Mostly from shore, or renta jon, until I decide on a kayak or small plastic bass boat or jon boat. Still have my ultra lights for when i need them, mostly in creeks. What Daiwa baitcaster would yall recommend for me? Like to keep it at or under $200 with a good rod if possible, but open to suggestions on just reel. Needs to be all around for all baits, senko worms, bass spinners, crank baits, jigs, frogs, etc. I prefer rods no longer then 7ft since 1 piece is all the rage, they are a pita to transport and store. Used to my short ultra lights in 1 piece and 2 piece. Thanks for any guidance!

Hey there Choporoz, Nice to talk to you, thank you for your service. You know that phrase intrigued me so I did some research. All the Navy training videos showing Basic Training my wife and I watched while our son was in the process clearly had them all saying Booya. At graduation, same thing, Booya, pronounced "B". Googling says the official slogan is Hoorah for Navy/Coast Guard, Oorah for Marines and Army/Airforce says Hooah. Can you shed some additional light on this? If you go watch the official Navy Basic training videos you can hear it yourself. Perhaps something changed? Wiki is not the Offical Government, but this is what a basic search comes up with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooah Notice the "See also" section listings. Son is out in San Diego now almost half way through Sonar Tech school. We are very happy for him. I understand the county pays for maintaining that water, and I guess they built it to. I just don't like double taxes, and taxes on nature use. But some one has to pay, so I am somewhat torn on this issue. Rubs me the wrong way. Like most instances you can't ever be sure whose legal and who is not, but they usually have that vibe, and almost no English. Either way it's always Hispanics, I have never seen anyone else take buckets of fish home, or use cast nets to harvest them, though I am sure some do, this needs to stop, one way or another. I don't mind some one taking a fish or 2 once in awhile to make diner, but my thing is the managed fisheries are depleted and stunted, everywhere up here, only the best pro types get anything close to decent fish. For this reason, we need a moratorium at least for a few years to let these fisheries recover, and then strict very low take out limits, and civil enforcement of poachers as best we can. It was not like this 30 years ago when I was a kid growing up and fishing all over this region, it's bad now, all bad. I can't say I agree that fish need to be harvested for health, how does nature do it before we come along then? Doesn't make sense, unless we severely alter their environment some way that causes them to over populate and starve, which I literally have never seen or heard of in fisheries around here, or anywhere. We have the opposite, lack of fish. As circumstantial evidence of this, look at the Snakehead invasion. Most affected fisheries had a bass boom in the years following confirmed invasion. This seems to be due to the bass eating the ridiculous over spawning Snakeheads many thousands of fry. I have yet to read of any fishery destroyed by the invasion. In fact most are well off now is what I have been reading, almost a bonus. The Potomac River is rated the top bass river in the country apparently, and it is chock full of Snakeheads from all available evidence, yet doing fine. Nature is very good at it's own balance, minus outside forces of course. The cleaners buckets most always contain some large fish, along with many many smaller ones. Obvious reasons, large fish are harder to catch and smarter. But regardless, they take them all, and often, and everywhere. It's a huge problem from my somewhat limited perspective. Side note: I even went fishing for lunch today at Waples Mill Meadow Park pond. 95% clogged with algae, mostly direct sun, no sign of fish, granted all I threw was a Booya frog for 30 mins lol. Didn't have anything but ultralight and didn't want to lose a lure in that muck. All that aside, great talking to you! Look forward to more stimulating conversations and gathering more info on the area fisheries as time marches on.

Good work raising money for our vets. My stepson graduated Navy basic training in July, Hoorah! Just posted a NoVa report in this category, perhaps I could have put it in this thread, but wanted it to get exposure I guess lol. Fished Pelham once about a month ago for an hour or so from the boat ramp shoreline. 1 decent Crappy and several pan fish. We were not overly amused. Then found out the crooked county of Culpepper charges extra fees to fish there, and every body of water in their county, and hauled ass out of there. We never keep fish anywhere, unless we were to catch a record, which is only pipe dreams lol Doubtful we will ever be returning to fish anything in Culpepper, can't support that behavior, you don't own Lakes, rivers and streams, they belong to every American Citizen, and we must all take care of them together, not with your iron hand of taxation. That's my opinion. On another note, perhaps when we see cleaners, aka illegals and other visitors abusing our fisheries, we should all ask them nicely to put them back, if It's legal take out, and if needed, and your a person of means, pay them food money to put them back. If their taking illegal, call the cops on the spot and bust them out whatever it takes. We have to reclaim our fishing resources. They have taken over, and overburdened enough systems.... Ask, then enforce by any lawful means possible. I knew this was going on for years now but had not been fishing so turned a blind eye like a fool, but this sucks. I hate to say this but there also needs to be a total state ban on taking most all fish on all fresh water fisheries that are basically dead now, certainly all of NoVa waters, idk about South VA. I grew up in NoVa and remember fishing with my dad when fish where still here and big, great memories reduced to sparse minnows now.... Anyway, looking forward to hearing more about local NoVa fishing, now that I reawakened my fishing spirit after being dormant for 4 years. To many hobbies lol.

Yea, sucks though. All of what should be our good area fisheries are all way over fished and "cleaned out" in the last 10 years. I don't know why we stand for this bs... Need to find some decent 2 man bass fishing within reasonable drive, and snake heads lol.

Hello, New to the site. Long time resident of NoVa, all over from Fredericksburg to Falls Church, currently Manassas. Mostly ultralight spinning bank and wading. Working my way to a tiny bass boat or kayaks or combo. Bank fishing about 3 weeks to a month ago Goose Creek off Evergreen Mills Rd Bridge. Many tiny bass and panfish in the rapids, almost zero in any slack water or pools. Lots and lots of trash, everywhere. Popular for Hispanic beach parties..... Did not wade down stream but could have, upstream goes deep fast and may need kayak most likely as it heads up towards Leesburg. I hear good fishing closer to the Potomac which makes sense.... Recent wading within 2 weeks in Cub Run off Compton Rd. Very low water, few pools and areas over 1-2 ft deep. A few tiny bass well under 1lb and down to fingerling. Some small Bluegill and Creek Chubs. Lots of trash along and in creek. Recent bank fishing within 2 weeks Bull Run creek at rte28 Bridge border of Centerville and Manassas, including upstream 1 mile at Ordway Rd, aka Hispanic Beach city. Lots of trash by Ordway Rd no fish, don't waste your time. Some decent sized bluegill under rte28 bridge in rapids. Barely any tiny bass fingerings, almost no fish in deeper slack water. Few turtles. Lots of medium carp in deeper pools that won't even look at lures. Today Lake Brittle rent a Jon boat 2 men. Absolutely horrible. 4hr dawn outing, 4 bass under 1lb, 4 medium pan fish mostly yellow bellies, 2 small warmouth under 1 lb, 3 decent yellow perch about a lb or so (rock bottom areas) 1 medium turtle, zero real bass, zero snakeheads, maybe 1 missed blowup. 1 guy caught most of those fish, on Rapala f3 original on ultralight. Threw every bait I had, chatter, senko, buzz, Rapala, spinners, boya frog, top water, shallow diving, bottom dragging worms, deep chatter, trolling chatter, nothing! Done with Lake Brittle, 3rd trip, all been horrible over last 5 years lol. Always welcome advice, tips, tricks, or good bass ponds. Also dreaming of my first snakehead! Thanks and tight lines.