Big Hands

I have the Feather ML/F and have owned the Feather L/F. I also have a KastKing Zephyr BFS and a Kestrel BFS. The Feather rods are serviceable with the KastKing BFS reels, but I also picked up a Phenix Classic BFS rod and THAT ONE is a great match for either KastKing BFS reel. The Feather rods are good light action rods, but for something more toward actual BFS, the Classic BFS rod is an easy choice for me if I want to throw something like a Lucky Craft Pointer 48 or a Texas rigged Tiny Brush Hog with a 1/16th or 1/8th oz worm weight. If you want a true ML/F then the Feather would be my pick for baits from 1/4 to 1/2 oz. I actually like them (the KastKing BFS reels) better than the Curado BFS, especially the Kestrel BFS. Even though the Curado BFS has a better build quality, I would rather fish with the KastKing BFS reels because they cast better with lightweight baits. JMHO.

Sometimes I just wanna see if I can make whatever is there bite something. Topwater, jerkbaits, crankbaits, several different types of spoons and slabs, flukes, bubble/feather. Various retrieves from burning to soaking, and everything in between. I start every fishing day with somewhat of a plan, but my plan can change at any time. Sometimes it goes just as planned, sometimes it goes nothing like I thought it would. There are times I would definitely sit on that bait ball and see if I can get them going. . . Or not. I have often found that when there is a ton of bait in the water and all a fish would need to do is to swim around with their mouth open, that downsizing to really small baits, or supersizing can draw strikes.

BOC played on the shores of Castaic Lagoon. The show was very poorly promoted and as a result, only a few hundred people were there in a venue that could hold 20,000. They said they got paid so they were gonna play in spite of hardly anyone showing up. As for gut hooking wacky rig Senko's (assuming small hooks), I don't really set the hook, but simply reel in until I feel pressure, and lift firmly while continuing to reel. I find setting the hook like I would with a larger hook, will pull the hook out before it has a chance to find purchase inside the bass' mouth. Once the fish has the bait, I can go ahead reeling, with no need to wait, thus minimizing gut hooking. If a small hook does get stuck further down, it is easier to remove than a larger hook.

The occasional fatality happens. If you're gut hooking on a regular basis, you might want to think about why that is happening. I would also suggest that every bass angler that wishes to have the best chance to mitigate harm done when we hook a bass, that you have the tools that will make that easy and quick to accomplish. If I could recommend one such tool, it would be a pair of straight long nose (needle nose) pliers, and a curved pair. I think the curved pair is the most useful are the Booms 11" Stainless Steel Long Nose Pliers. They have a slightly different bend than the carbon steel version and they are simply amazing for removing a hook that is way far down into the bass' mouth. Of course, the best thing to do is to make sure you're not being careless in some way that results in more bass being hooked in a way that jeopardizes their well being more than necessary.

I live less than 2 miles from Castaic Lagoon, and another mile or so to the upper lake. My 40 hp four stroke practically makes it's own gas. On a long day of running around, I might use three gallons, but usually a gallon to a gallon and a half for the boat. This year, I have been throwing many more hard baits than plastics, which is crazy talk if you know much about the way I fish most of the time. I used to figure that plastics are cheaper to fish than hardbaits, but after this year, I have been rethinking that logic. I was even going to start a thread to discuss just that. Normally, it would be a $25 launch fee per day, but I volunteer at the lake so I launch for free. I can go for a few hours and not feel too bad about doing so. My fishing budget has been pretty modest lately TBH.

I prefer the LT2000 size with whatever line size is referred to as 10 lbs braid (apologies to @bulldog1935 , I'm trying, LOL), and then 6-8 lbs fluorocarbon leader on my spinning rods. But, if I were you, I think I would go hippity-hop to the tackle shop with my rod in hand and try one of each in the 2000, 2500, and 3000 size to see which one feels most balanced on that rod. To me, balance is at the top of my priority list in most cases with spinning gear. I HATE fishing a rod that feels tip heavy, and I also don't care for a combo that I have to fight in the opposite way. I will also say that for me, I would look for a non-USDM reel with a shallow spool. Line is too expensive these days to be careless with how much it takes to fill the reels they sell us here with deep, and even 'regular' depth spools, and you'll never need 1/3 of what it takes to fill a LT2500D-XH and futzing around with backing is a chore I don't need to deal with. JMHO.

Way back when. . . a friend and I were helping a popular local lure maker make his 'jointer swimbait with a plastic tail' make baits because he couldn't keep up with demand. Big swimbaits were the rage to say the least, and there was all kinds of petty drama going on with hordes of anglers descending on Castaic from all over the country (and the world) hoping to catch the fish of a lifetime, and possibly break the world record. People were accusing others of using live trout. Some may have been, but I saw people accused that definitely were not doing so because from a distance, these large swimbaits dangling from a rod may have had the appearance of a live trout. Remember that most anglers had never seen big swimbaits like this (the ones we made were about 11" long). We bought a length of 3-1/2' fence rail and turned it round on a lathe and proceeded to make a 30' version of the popular plug. It actually swam pretty well. We would tie it on to a roller guide tuna rod and stick it into a rod holder on my friend's Skeeter with this monster plug dangling from it while we launched just to watch people point and whisper. Then once we left the launch area, we would put it in the rod locker until it was time to pull the boat out at the end of the day. I made a custom 13" plug for a friend. A week or two later, I came home from work and he was waiting for me on my porch. He was literally shaking. He said a bass ate the 13" plug and swallowed it so deep that he couldn't see it in the big bass' mouth as he got the fish next to his boat, and then it broke his 20 lbs Trilene and took his 13" plug with her. He said he had caught almost 80 lbs of bass that day before losing the plug. Obviously he wanted me to make him a couple more. As for the shaking. . . . well, if you know, you know. So, while a 16" plug seems slightly ridiculous, even to me, I wouldn't bet against it where big bass roam.

I would guess mid to late 80's. Early 80's were models like the SM2 and PMF 1000 and PMF 1500 (among others). They clearly look different than the next generation like yours. I had a set of four Procaster PT ZX (2 @ PT 10 ZX and 2 @ PT 15 ZX) reels from around that era.

I like them both, but also prefer the SLX 70 MGL.

I have fun every time we go! I hope you enjoyed your birthday dinner.

I have a lot of love for monofilament. The only reason I use any fluorocarbon these days is for finesse braid to leader rigs, and that is because the connection knots tend to be a little larger when using mono. This helps to keep my current Bait Monkey Matrix more of a linear, or at worst, sometimes a 2D concept rather than a much more complex 3D construct.

I will skip a bait (like a weightless wacky Senko) up to a bluff wall, and then let it sink down the bluff wall.

There might be a washer/shim/spacer missing somewhere between the non-drive side plate and the tension knob on the drive side plate.

My first double digit (10 lbs, 10 ounces, I think it's the one in my avatar) largemouth was caught on a 5'10" medium/fast spinning rod with a Shimano TX Aero ULS-A (slightly bigger than a 500 size) loaded with 6 lbs monofilament line. My PB (12 lbs, 14 ounces) was caught on 10 lbs mono and a 6'6" casting rod and I've boated a 22 lbs channel cat on a spinning rod with 8 lbs mono. All that said, I would generally prefer to set a hook with and play a fish to the boat with casting gear.

I'm guessing it WILL make a difference in the cost to insure an event for a promoter. It might even make a difference in how liability is assigned if or when a disaster does occur. There are also some states that do not currently recognize and accept approved courses from all other states, and that will make things extra interesting for national level tournament anglers. IOW, just because you have taken a boater course in one state, you cannot assume you'll be good to go in every other state.

I'm on my 4th transducer (about one per year) on my Striker 5cv (GT-20 transducer). Mine is trolling motor mounted, so it is in a more vulnerable spot. I tried a different way of dealing with the spot where the shaft swivels, which has been the spot where they eventually give up. You won't always see obvious signs of damage, but when it goes to the error state, I can wiggle the wire around in that area, and find right where it has failed.

Is this it? 10,000 Fish Death Stalker Blade Bait You're welcome, LOL.

My understanding is: "NO", not legally. But, I could be wrong. I know folks that may have tried. . . . . possibly using clandestine gear made by Ronco, and they may or may not have fiddled around and found out, LOL.

I have three "BFS" reels and all three will hold enough 6 lbs mono to cast so far that any farther, and there would just be too much line out. The 6 lbs mono can pull the bait towards me just lifting the rod tip much past horizontal when I fish with a bait like a Tiny Brush Hog with a 1/16 oz or even a 1/8 oz tungsten sinker. I did have 6 lbs mono get under the side plate one time due to a nasty professional overrun with one of the KastKing BFS reels I have, and it was not the cheaper one even though I have owned it twice as long as the other. I don't know how long the KK's will last, but at this point, for the way they perform, I would buy either one again without hesitation. Both of the KK's outperform the Curado BFS with lighter lures. The stock spool on the KK Kestrel BFS weighs only 5.5g and the reel weighs 4.41 oz. I am determined to try some quality braid on my BFS gear again at some point, but it will be after several rounds of some thorough analysis paralysis and hand wringing before I invest. If you're determined not to go with reels carrying a BFS label, I would consider an SLX 70 MGL. Great all around versatile reel that casts well in a smaller size and I think it can be had for somewhere near $120 these days.

The Daiwa Tatula 7'3" Multi-Purpose MH/F is a dandy rod, especially for the money (about $150), and they make a 7'3" Tatula Elite Multi-Purpose MH/F for less than $200 with the same intent that is very nice. You might be able to find an Expride that has been previously loved within your budget.

It's not unusual in my experience for a trolling motor prop to be a little stubborn to remove for one reason or another. The shear pins are also prone to bending, which can make it difficult to remove the prop, and you may need to bend the pin a little to get it out. It's a good idea to keep an extra pin in your onboard kit. It's a good idea to remove your trolling motor prop regularly to remove debris that can get twisted around the shaft without you having any idea that it's there. I would say that it's rare for me not to have debris wrapped around the shaft any time I have removed the prop from the shaft. If I have been using it anywhere that there might be grass or moss, I can bet some has found it's way in there. And don't even get me started about fishing line. In spite of fishing line and trolling motor shafts having no magnetic properties, both of these things seem to be magnetically attracted to each other.

Karmic forces in the universe may be totally non-existent, but in this instance, it's as if they were in full force. It was proven that such a fish did exist, but nobody gets to have an official world record for having caught her. And she got to live out her life in the waters where she came from instead of being an exhibit in an aquarium. RIP Miss Dottie!

I have a 1648 Grizzly (tiller steer) and it is night and day beefier than the 14' Valco it replaced. The hull weighs around 650 lbs, and seems plenty sturdy for me. I definitely appreciate it when it comes time to put it in hilly and get back where others dare not to go. I carry two. . . a short one and a longer one.