Big Hands

Reasons for some to favor Fluorocarbon line: Fluoro has a tendency to sink (more so than mono) and many feel it gives them an advantage in keeping the bait in their desired strike zone as well at affecting the angles the bait will operate at.

Higher prices?

California is a big place and in a lot of areas, far from flat. When the Mississippi river or Miami or New Orleans or Houston floods, that's an entirely different scenario. The floods here in California are generally in relatively isolated areas and sometimes affect larger areas when they do damage in a particularly vulnerable location. Looking at the larger picture, floods and fires are mostly minor in comparison to our other issues affecting our quality of life but it's a great way to distract us from solving the issues that affect us in our daily lives.

I am not Tom, but I have heard that Piru has come up quite a ways. I can't quote any specific figures. Wouldn't that be nice though to have another viable option like Piru when it has a decent amount of water? IF the restrictions due to mussels aren't terribly restrictive.

TL/DR: I would like to have the bases covered that I have interest in, and redundancy where it makes sense at a price point I am comfortable with. I only need to like that particular rod, and don't particularly feel the need to be loyal to or encumbered by all of it's brothers, sisters, and cousins if it doesn't make sense. --------------------------------- Details: I wish I could find a rod line that was within my price range where I simply loved all of their rods in each category. Life would be so simple and easy. The steps between each power and action would be consistent, the intent of the design would work for me, and I would love the handle layout, and reel seat treatments and placement, guide trains, etc. Similar to picking out a set of golf clubs, but I think it's more important to start with a full set of irons and a set of drivers, and then fill in some specialty clubs like putters and wedges. But so far, that has not happened for me. I have found some rods that I can live with from the same brand and model line that are in a price range I can count on for the performance I get from it. Currently, all of my rods come from the $120 to $220 price range with the single exception being an Expride that I bought used for $200. For me, once I would get much over the $220 mark, the returns on the investment aren't what I consider to be worth it and I can generally find what I am happy enough with at that price point. I wouldn't rule out an exception if I found a rod that I wanted for a technique that I spent a lot of time with and that could be much improved with just the right rod, like (for me) throwing weightless Senkos. I have tried to look at my quiver in the overall sense so that when I am done, I will have a set of rods that can cover all of the bases I am interested in covering, which is pretty broad. Once the price point hurdle is cleared, the search can open back up before it narrows back down. I have usually looked for the niche I am looking to fill within lines I am familiar with. Within my 'first team' set of rods I have: 1) a set of fast action spinning rods (in L, ML, and M) 2) a set of fast action casting rods (in L, ML, M, MH, and H) 3) a set of crankbait rods (in M, MH and H) 4) two heavier swimbait rods (1 for treble hook baits and 1 for single jig hook baits). I have three niches that I have two rods for, and that would be M/F spinning, ML spinning, and MH/F casting as I am more likely to have days where their versatility might have me using two different baits where the same rod would excel. Brands vary, and I think that allowing for not feeling the need to stick to one or two brands has made it possible for me to get more of what I want for an individual type of application. I also haven't been in a position to be able to just go out and get a bunch at once. Models lines get updates too, so I have just accepted that I won't be on the matchy-matchy train for numerous reasons and I am fine with that. I don't have a rod locker on my boat and normally just grab three to five rods and that's what I'll be using on that trip. I have rods from Daiwa, Shimano, Phenix, St. Croix and Dobyns. At this point, and although Bait Monkey may have other plans for me, I don't feel that I have gaps that are not adequately covered. But, it's only one in the afternoon here on the left coast.

As a former project manager, I remember one of the questions we ask in the earliest phase of the project is: "What will happen if we do nothing?" I also include that in the funding presentation (if it got that far) as one of the options that can help to explain why we need to do something. In this case, doing nothing sounds like a viable option to me.

I enjoy anchoring up and dragging a Carolina rig. I usually retrieve it as slowly as possible, and then try to go a little slower than that. I take three to five minutes to retrieve a cast. Being anchored really helps to stay very connected and focused on detecting the subtlest bite. Sometimes I even close my eyes during the retrieve and just focus. Leader length from three to five feet long. Fishing the C-Rig with these guys is my default. Baits can vary quite a bit. However, the Keitech 4" Swing Impact, which is generally regarded as a swimbait, is my go-to default.

My top color for Keitech Swing Impact (non-fat for me) is Electric Shad, followed by Electric Shad. And, if I feel like experimenting, I will sometimes see if they might prefer Electric Shad. I have tried other colors and they are OK. Bluegill Flash Pro Staff Special Shad Pro Blue Red Pearl

For me it does. Maybe it's an acquired skill and I just have not fully acquired it yet.

Since you mentioned $75 swimbaits, I am imagining these baits will generally be closer to the 3 ounce end of the spectrum, correct? I have the Curado 200K and up to around 2 ounces, I have very little concern for the ability of the reel to chuck and wind these baits with no issues. Once you get up around three ounces (remember that 3 ounces is a 50% increase in weight from two ounces rather than thinking it's just 1 ounce more. Lots of 1 to 2 ounce baits with an occasional 3 ouncer, it'll certainly do well. If you're wanting to throw a lot of 2 to 3 ounce baits, I think a 200 or 300 size Daiwa or a 300 size Shimano would be better. My Curado 200k has a 6.2 gear ratio which equates to 26" (ipt) where as the 200XGK pulls in 36" (ipt). I have to turn very slowly as it is to get my glides to swim the way I like them. A larger ipt makes it easier to take up slack from a charging fish. Name your poison I suppose, but everyone has their own take on that issue.

I feel like the DFG used to be into the bass fisheries in a positive way. A much more positive way than is presently the case. It seems to me like they are much more concerned with finding and protecting a non-native mythical newt with three reproductive appendages. The vision starts at the top food chain, and our overlords have crosses in their eyes.

Something is definitely weird. 1) They show the capacity of the Tatula 300 with 12 lb and 14 lb mono, but nothing more, and then show the capacity for 30, 40, and 50 lb braid. Why would Daiwa choose to tell me that the Tatula 300 will hold 260 yards of #12 mono on a reel built the way it is and features a 287. lb drag, but not tell me how much 17 or 20 lb mono it will hold? 2) Maybe this shows my ignorance, but are there a lot of potential buyers that need 780 feet of line storage on a freshwater reel? More buyers than will be using 17-20 lb mono? 3) It APPEARS that someone hasn't really taken the time to actually fill their reels with the line they are stating capacities for. Example: How does the Tatula 300 hold exactly twice as much 12 lb mono as the Curado, yet only 8% (15 yards) more 50 lb braid? 4) Is it possible that the Curado 40 lb braid capacity is only 5 yards different than it's 50 lb braid capacity? Not promising I know the answer, but it is certainly . . . . odd. . . to me.

Maybe things are not well organized there or maybe they just don't care that much, or maybe there are just a few there left to do the work of many. I recently bought a Daiwa Kage Swimbait rod (which is why I was going down the swimbait reel rabbit hole myself recently) that had relatively little information on it other the model (KAG861HRB "SWIMBAIT" rated for 20 to 50 lb). No lure weight parameters. I called Daiwa and was able to be put in touch with someone that was supposed to know about these things. He said there was nothing about it in any of their catalogs. IIRC, the store I bought it from had one other similar model that I haven't found listed or mentioned and I think it was a heavier power but just 8' long. He did find that they still had a couple of them in stock in their warehouse, but had no other information other than it looks to have been discontinued sometime in 2021. I have not seen anything about on any of their websites and only found one website for a tackle shop that had it listed as discontinued. I know the background on the whole idea of why the Kage line is supposed to exist, and I get that most online retailers are not even supposed to have them or sell them online, but it should at least exist in one of their catalogs.

Daiwa has some 'splainin' to do. The box does specify "J-Braid" so that could be their out, but why all the mystery and inconsistency?

There are definitely some inconsistencies in the capacity ratings. If you look closely, I know some of these are not accurate; they can't be accurate. Someone is spewing high grade bovine fecal matter ;~) (in spite of the fact that these numbers are quoted directly from the manufacturer's websites).

Having recently gone through a similar, if not pretty much the same, search for a swimbait reel(s), I am sharing a spreadsheet I put together to make it easier than jumping around back and forth between web pages. I find it quite interesting to compare the (alleged) specifications between reels of the same brand as well as between brands. Note that a 200 class Daiwa holds as much or maybe even slightly more line than a 300 class Shimano, but their specified drag ratings are more comparable between 200 vs 200 and 300 vs 300. As for price, and I know that the specs don't always tell the entire story, but IMHO, there are winners and losers here depending on what is important to you and exactly where your priorities lie.

It's not unusual for me to use an anchor at times. Sometimes using the TM into the wind puts me at a difficult angle to fish the way I want to. Sometimes I just want to stay put in one spot and may need to re-rig. I fish more using the TM most days.

Got Wood?

and "private lakes"?

(In case you were thinking of heading anywhere near here) the Magic Weather 8-Ball laughs in your general direction.

I used to be a Trilene and Palomar knot kind of angler. These days I have dropped the Trilene knot in favor of the San Diego Jam knot for line to lure connections, and still the Palomar for hooks and swivels (when I use them for a Carolina rig).

Something about them looks . . . . vaguely familiar, LOL.

(Even if it's the most effective tactic in the universe) imagine if that became popular and everyone was beating the bottom of their boats all day with a broomstick to make the fish bite. Maybe there will be a market for a device to mount to the floor that you beat to make the fish bite. You'd probably need a quiver of different broomsticks to go with it and a locker to put them in. Then the wake boats would need more powerful powerful stereos so they could be heard over the racket of those darn dirty anglers beating the bottom of their boats with broomsticks.