Big Hands

I don't do it as an entire theme day sort of thing, but I occasionally break out some locally legendary plastic worms just to see if they still produce (yep, they still do). I still have a box full of hellbenders and waterdogs from (40 years ago) back in my trolling days when I thought consistently catching bass on plastic worms was largely a myth, LOL.

It would be nice to know how things worked out, and it is appreciated when it does happen. But it's not unusual forum behavior. Once a problem has been solved, most just move on to their next dilemma.

Curado 300K, Tranx 300 and Tranx 400 all went up $10 as well. I imagine most prices went up. On the other hand, TW is selling the SLX 150 for $74.99

My local tackle shop has the 7'11" Heavy / Moderate Legend Glass in the shop, and I put hands on it just about every time I go in there. It's a very nice, light weight rod, especially for a glass rod.

Reel in a fish. Once a fish has taken the bait, a baitcaster I-M-H-O is a much better tool.

I still have my dad's white 1961 Merc 700 FGS sitting in my garage waiting for me to either find a lower unit of may end up selling it. He bought it when it was 6 months old. He made his own 12v electric hydraulic "jack" as we used to call it. Today it is known as power trim.

I agree 100%. I use #15 mono on 150 and even 100 size reels, but not to throw heavy swimbaits on a consistent basis. I could get by with less, probably close to half that much line capacity TBH. It could hold more 20 lb Big Game (@ .460 mm) than I would need. Line capacity for me, just had to be somewhere near 100 yards. I got it more for the: stronger drag (vs other 200 size reels) beefier gearing (vs 150 size reels) ease of casting adjustments (vs a Curado 200 or Tranx 200) the $142 price tag

Another data point to add to the dumpster fire that is trying to figure out exactly how much line these reels will hold: I spooled up one of my Tatula 200H reels last night with 15 lb Big Game that is listed as being .380 mm in diameter, and my ultra-precision $16 line counter said I put 140 yards on it. I could have put 5 or 10 less yards on it and still called it full.

Mostly, I use these (they all have their place at times): Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Owner Jungle Wacky Weedless - Green Camo Owner Jungle Wacky - Green Camo Gamakatsu Octopus Hooks Gamakatsu Octopus Hooks Light

As long as we've got the measuring stick out. . . . The spool diameter of the Tatula 200H is 0.085" larger than the spool of the Curado 200K The spool width of the Tatula 200H is 1.112" vs the Curado 200K at 1.108 (0.004" difference) The spool arbor diameter of the Tatula 200H is 0.481" and I'm not going to take the line of to measure it on the Curado 200K, but looks like PhishLI has measured it at around 0.640" (difference of around 0.159"). Measuring the side plate height, the Tatula 200H is 1.650" tall and the Curado 200K is 1.700" tall. The Tatula sits higher on the reel foot than the Curado does. The length of the Tatula 200H is 3.004" and the length of the Curado 200K is 2.750", so the Tatula 200H is about a 14" longer. Measuring from the bearing cap on the drive side to the outside of the opposite side plate, the Tatula 200H is 2.982" wide and the Curado 200K is 3.087" wide. The Tatula 200H has a narrower spool arbor and slightly larger spool diameter that combine to give it more line capacity than the Curado 200K. As for physical size there is some degree of give and take with the Tatula 200H being about 1/4" longer (which is visibly easier to notice), but the Curado 200K's overall dimensions show that it is slightly taller and wider. The drive-side side plate of the Curado 200K is is more contoured, which I think helps to make the Curado 200K appear less bulky even though the Curado 200K is wider. The handle of the Curado 200K (90 mm) is not as long as the handle of the Tatula 200H (100 mm). I will say that the drag on the Tatula 200H seems to be noticeably . . . "stronger". . . than that of the Curado. I have to crank down much harder on the Curado 200K's star drag to achieve the same amount of resistance compared to the Tatula. When I compared the drag on the Tatula 300P vs the drag of the Tranx 300A and the Curado 300K, the drag of the Tatula 300P was easily significantly stronger as well. As far as actual maximum line capacity, that may be of ultimate importance or more of a non factor depending on what you want to do with a reel. I would bet good money that the line capacity of the Tatula's are off quite a ways somewhere, and the Curado's might be too. I bought a line counter yesterday, but it'll be a while before I get a chance to check out that aspect. of their differences. I have two Tatula 200H's, a Curado 200K, and a Tatula 300P I will conclude that to me, the Curado's seem to be kind of in between the sizes of the Tatula's (or vice versa depending on how you choose to view it). ========================================== I also recently went down the 300 rabbit hole and ultimately, I chose the Daiwa Tatula 300P over both the Tranx 300A and the Curado 300K for a few reasons: Stronger drag that is easier to adjust at the strong end of the range Easier to adjust casting controls (externally adjustable of the Tatula 300P vs internally adjustable on the Tranx 300A and Curado 300K, and the Tranx side plates have proven to be easily dropped (sometimes overboard) as you have to pull it completely off. A little more line capacity The Tatula definitely feels a little bulkier and some folks talk of being able to palm the Tranx easier. However, for me, when I am fishing with a swimbait, I am not 'palming' the reel. My hand sits more behind it when retrieving a lure so it is a non-factor for me. The same applies to the 200 size reels for me as well since I am using them for the same thing, YMMV. As long as you're not at the ragged edge of the capabilities of any of the reels I've discussed, they are all fine choices. As for the original question, it would be easier answered with some context regarding the intended use. They all have their own personalities, quicks, strengths and weaknesses and a question posed as it was leaves a lot of room for interpretation as to how to quantify "favorite".

Don't tell this bass he's a coprophagiac. Poor sap thought he was eating a Chicken McNugget, or a crawdad. . . . . Or did he?

Food or some form of a threat is my best guess. Either way, they deal with it the best way they know how.

It's sometimes hard to acknowledge that the biggest impediment to catching fish stares back at us while brushing our teeth. I was on a party boat and people were complaining about not being able to catch the bluefish we were sitting on. I watched a deckhand proclaim that he could load up a 10 hook gangion using only pickle chips from the galley. And he did it within a few minutes. I was at a baby shower with my wife on the Queen Mary in Long Beach harbor. As luck would have it, I ended up sitting at a table with a party boat skipper. We talked fishing and then when the veggie platters arrived, he grabbed a plate of fresh broccoli and cauliflower and we went to the stern of the boat and began dropping pieces down into the water. Enormous perch, sand bass and calico bass were soon having a field day on raw vegetables. We went back for several helpings and had a good time feeding the fish.

Or sitting in the back seat watching the guy up front standing there looking down at a screen all day holding a spinning rod with 6# line waiting to get all excited when a 1# fish comes swimming by.

So much loathing for two of the three baits I am most productive with; the Carolina rig and the dropshot. On the other hand, three of my most unproductive techniques are probably favorites of many here; a jig, a chatterbait, and a ned rig. I don't loathe them. I'm just not skilled or lucky with them. If I had to pick a bait I would be OK with if I never threw one again, it would probably be the chatterbait, but I can't say that I don't have any desire to ever use one again. But if I never used one again, I wouldn't miss it.

I had a bass fishing mentor back in the 80's-early 90's that I worked with. He is the one that taught me to nose hook live crawdads and slowly walk them along the bottom (among many other techniques). He told me that when he had crawdads that had big gnarly claws, if they were not getting bit, he would remove one or both claws. He contended that bass will also smash crawdads with their mouth closed to stun or try to otherwise incapacitate them before actually eating them. I can't verify this to be true, but I know that his, his wife's and both of his sons were among the very best anglers I have ever known and their results verify that. Keitech makes a pintail bait that catches fish. I have them and use them. Bass will eat a piece of perfectly cubed piece of meat. I know this because I have seen them do it. Sometimes I have no idea why a bass would eat some of the things they eat. My conclusion is that bass will strike for more than one reason and they are apt to eat anything they perceive as food.

What type of fishing are you wanting to do with it? I have both a Tatula 200H (I actually own two of them) and I also own a Curado 200K, as well as a Tatula 300P. The Tatula 200 and the Curado 200 are actually close enough in size for me not to have an issue with both of them being labeled as a 200 size reel. If you look at the specs from their respective websites closely, as I did, you almost certainly have to conclude that somebody either hasn't actually loaded their reels with line to measure what they will actually hold. I removed both spools and measured them with my (rather ratty looking) dial caliper. I posted the pics in another thread recently. I can post them again. I bought a line counter earlier today with the main reason being that I want to strip the line off of the two reels and use the counter to determine precisely how much they do actually hold. There are other reels that hold similar enough amounts of line and can cover various types of fishing needs. They all seem to have their pros and cons and there is a reason that the Curado and Tatula are popular choices. That doesn't mean they are always the only choice or best choice. So, that is why I asked the question about what type of fishing you want to do. I would prefer to know the real (pun?) question so I could offer a thoughtful answer.

Maybe this is TMI, but there was a period in my life where I had recurring dreams of catching bass is strange places within unknown catacombs inside of buildings that I worked in. ________________________________ I don't even own either one of these baits (Bait Monkey, I curse in your general direction), nor have I seen any in person. In 2021, literally every bass I caught succumbed to a soft plastic bait. That changed a little in 2022, but not too much. I have fantasies of giving reaction baits more effort this year and reaction baits have given me more big bass than any others. So, what the heck, I'll go on record and play with this offering: Daiwa Prorex Bessie 170 (either floating or slow sink) - color: Muskie or Cisco or it's baby brother: Nishine Abino 110F in juvenile bass color

I like the hoodie style Aftco Samurai shirts and I wear a hat with them. I only occasionally have the hood on, but like having it because it protects the back of my neck more than a shirt without the hood. For the shirts I have without the hood, I sometimes wear a buff around my neck to accomplish the same thing. The buff can do many things depending on what you might need it for in a given situation.

My local shop carries Aftco, and I have been pleased with their shirts, love their tactical fishing shorts and the Reaper windproof pullover for when it gets cold. The long sleeve hooded shirts are even comfortable in the summer when it feels like I'm half a block from Hades.

I am looking to creep the Gilly along the bottom, stopping it occasionally to rest it in one spot here and there. Like a jig or plastic worm. It does sometime rest in an upright position. I was looking at the Bellows Gill, and I still might try them. Thanks for the tip on the Wild Eye Sunfish.

I occasionally go down to the lagoon where you can fish off the fishing pier 24/7. Shoreline fishing is not legal after the park closes. My nephew fishes some of the city park lakes, but not in the daytime. Only late at night. Takes his great dane/greyhound mix with him. That is a big dog that can really cover some ground. The dog chases coyotes while he fishes.

I picked up some of the middle sized Gilly baits and two of the Megabass Sleeper Gill baits and went to the lagoon for a few hours of casting practice about a month ago. The Megabass Sleeper Gill baits had a nice swimming action right out of the package. The Gilly baits just come with no rigging at all. I watched some YT videos and had an idea of where I would start and went from there. Straight out of the package, I rigged a wide gap worm hook horizontally, and the bait wanted to flop over on it's side. I re-rigged the hook to be inline with the diagonal position that is molded into the side of the bait. That was better, but not great. Next, I pushed in a tungsten nail weight diagonally into the bottom of the bait and now it was getting there, still left room for improvement. I pushed in a second tungsten nail weight and that's when it was swimming pretty nicely. It did want to swim up near the surface and it was a bit of a balancing act to keep it swimming nicely, and still under the surface. Overall, I think the bait could get bit as is, and it has a lot of potential. I can't wait to throw it some more under better conditions. I actually got the Wild Eye Sunfish with the crazy idea of putting one or more on an Alabama rig mixed in with the Keitech Swing Impacts. . . .

The drag slips quite a bit when I set the hook. The drag on the Curado BFS is not strong by any stretch. I would not fish 10 lb main line with this reel as it would have a VERY hard time applying the pressure that 10 lb line is capable of applying. A 2 lb bass can take a few runs before I get them boatside. A 3 lb bass is almost a PITA. Since I have caught bass over 10 lbs on 6 lb mono, just under 13 lbs on 10 lb mono and channel cat over 22 lbs on 8 lb mono, I feel like I'm not terrible with drag adjustments. I'd be willing to try 20 lb braid. It should still have enough line capacity for for the stock Curado spool. Otherwise, I'll probably stay away from braid for that application. I'm not using particularly tiny baits and tiny thin wire hooks. Some hooks are a little on the thinner side, but not ridiculously thin. I'm setting the hook more traditionally and not really a sweeping hookset, but the drag does give a fair amount. Whenever you get towards the extremes of performance, it can get very detailed to pick the fly poop out of the pepper. In bass fishing, it's BFS and Swimbaits at the opposite ends of the spectrum. It looks like many have decent outcomes with 20 lb braid, but smaller than that, things might get iffy. The level wind/line lay subject is interesting and has my gears turning upstairs. Do the coatings on these braids wear off over time?