Big Hands

Of the reels you mentioned, I have the: Daiwa Tatula SV TWS Shimano SLX 150 DC I also have: Shimano SLX MGL 70 Shimano Curado 200K Shimano Curado BFS Daiwa Tatula 100 Personally, I would rather use the Shimano SLX MGL 70 than the SLX DC 150, even for use with a MH/F rod. I like it more for four reasons: It casts better It takes less line to fill it It's plenty strong It costs less I like the Daiwa SV TWS better than the SLX DC 150 too. They are all excellent choices though. JMHO

I've eaten thousands of meals off of paper plates, and I've never eaten even a bite off of a gold platter, but then again I am not a fish.

I typed most of this up last night, but I see that, in my desire to be as verbose as possible, Team9nine has beaten me to the punch ? I can agree to the general premise that sometimes it doesn't pay to skimp. But the math on this stuff is a little difficult to. . . . fathom. People hem and haw about the cost of Tatsu, and I think it's super pricey as well. I generally use 8 lb leader and have been using Red Label and some Daiwa Samurai in 7 lb and usually buy leader in 200 yard spools usually going through a couple per season. I can't say I'm thrilled with Red Label, and I like the Samurai a little better, but I have lost some fish to broken line and knots even though I try to be very careful. I was contemplating giving something like Tatsu or Abrazix a try for leaders. A 200 yard spool of Tatsu is on sale for about $30 right now and normally goes for around $42 with a cost of $0.21 per yard for Tatsu at full retail and about $0.15 per yard on sale. Gold Label goes for around $16 at the popular outlets that shall remain unnamed, and around $13 at my local tackle shop for a 25 yard spool, yielding a final cost of somewhere between $0.52 and $0.64 per yard. Is there something about this that makes it preferable. . . . way more preferable. . . . than regular fluorocarbon line?

I have the Feather in both L and ML and a Curado BFS on each of them. Both of mine have 15 lb braid and leaders will generally be 6 lb to 8 lb fluoro. The drag on these reels is such that I would be very hesitant to go higher than 8 lb for the connection to the bait. You'd have to crank down pretty hard to break off anything heavier than 8 lb.

I was able to find a Daiwa Fuego LT2000S-XH on the bay from eastern Europe. Took a gamble and ordered it on a Friday afternoon and it was delivered for $15.00 on the following Monday afternoon. I don't think I could have ordered it domestically and had it quicker (if they even sold that model in the USA). I always check to see if I can find shallow spool versions for the same reason as you. If not, I use that stretchy athletic tape to take up space before spooling. On the Daiwa models that offer both a 2000D and a 2500D version, they usually both have the same diameter arbor on the spool, but the 2500D spool is a tiny bit larger on the outside diameter. On the the ones I have tried (Kage and Tatula), I could interchange the spools, but I wouldn't count on it working across the board.

I think these are great rods for the price. It's interesting that Daiwa actually has two separate rods at this price point ($79.99) that are aiming for the same market, with the other being the Fuego series. The Procyon being offered in a more traditional styling with the cork butt materials, and the Fuego being more modern with the EVA handles, and they are complimentary to the aesthetics of their wildly popular Fuego casting reels. Both are very good IMHO and punch above their weight on the value scale.

I can only speak for myself here, but having you attend the zoom calls has never had any negative effect that I am aware of. IMHO, we just tend to be kind of mellow all on our own. I tend to be a little on the quiet side when topics don't directly relate to what I do, mostly because I can learn more than I can offer anything of substance because I simply don't know what I don't know. And, most of the participants are not from the same area and the lake I mostly fish is quite different from most other areas of the country.

You can just launch, but the boat will need to be inspected. The main things they are looking for are clean and dry, and that includes everything , including if they drop the motor and it drips, that can be a reason to turn you away. Generally, it isn't as strict and meticulous as some may lead you to believe, but make sure your lower unit doesn't drip, and the inside of the boat (including deep down in the bilge) is dry. If that's the lake you plan to fish again next, get it tagged on the way out, and you won't need to get re-inspected if the tag is still intact.

It's currently at 1436', so it's 17' higher than it was on New Year's Day. Launch ramp is currently clear, and even the West ramp now has water on it. The lagoon is also getting some much needed water.

Only 9,477 replies to sort through, LOL. That has to be one of, if not the biggest depositories of information on fishing Toledo Bend in existence. And it's all your fault. Well done.

Did some 'research' lately on deep cycle batteries, and batteries in general. A few things I found out: Optima is now owned by Johnson Controls, and manufacturing of those batteries has been moved to Mexico. Quality has been said to have taken a hit. There are batteries being manufactured in the USA. The two biggest manufacturers in the USA are Johnson Controls and East Penn. I believe Exide/Stryten/Atlas is also one of the bigger brands of USA made batteries, but JC and then EP are the two top dogs (with regards to sales) in this type of domestic battery manufacturing. Johnson Controls is said to have over half of the domestic market, so they are the biggest supplier. I have read of some of Walmart's batteries being from East Penn, but all I have seen are from JC. In addition to acquiring Optima, Johnson Controls also owns the Interstate brand, Duralast (junk IME), and many others you see at some large chain auto parts stores. East Penn is also doing that same sort of thing where they make batteries and put the names of various retailers on the same batteries. Some large chain auto parts retailers, such as Napa will sell East Penn batteries in one area, and batteries from Johnson Controls in another area, depending on what distribution channels are available to them. DieHards could come from JC, Exide, and I have heard possibly East Penn as well. The prices and warranty can vary significantly for the same battery, depending on where you buy them. For example, there is a Super Start Group 29 AGM Deep Cycle battery that O'Reilly sells for $209 with a 12 month warranty, and Sam's Club sells the same battery labeled as a Duracell with an 18 month warranty for $159. Both are made by East Penn/Deka. I have one of each. Had I known about the Duracells at Sam's club before purchasing the Super Start from O'Reilly's, I would have two Duracells. It's good practice to buy batteries from a seller that moves a lot of batteries rather than from one that may not sell very many as the small seller may have had battery on their shelf for a while as opposed from a bigger seller that is getting new shipments much more often. After looking into them for a while, you should be able to tell the difference between a battery made by Johnson Controls vs East Penn by looking at the cases. They're not really trying to hide the source much as it's generally just the labels that look different in most cases. My conclusions after doing my research: If money is very tight, you could get some $100 flooded cell deep cycles from Walmart as try to take care of them. Keep them topped off with distilled water, and don't overcook them. If you have a little more budget to work with, the East Penn manufactured Duracell AGM's you get from Sam's Club at $159 (for the Group 29) are hard to beat price wise, and AGM batteries don't need to be topped off (they are sealed) and should last longer than the flooded cell batteries. I have also run Trojan flooded batteries, and found them to be of very good quality, but you do also have to keep them topped off, or they won't last. I have been running two Trojan 6v golf cart batteries (in series to make 12v) on my travel trailer for several years. I also had them in my 19' Ranger many years ago as it was a 12v system (42 lb thrust Merc Thruster anybody?) and had good luck with them in that situation. There are some relatively boutique branded AGM batteries that the car audio types are into that are very respected that also cost more that could perform very well, but I don't have experience with. If you have a fair amount of disposable income, you could look into lithium batteries as they have many strong points with regard to durability, mounting options, light weight, and the ability to discharge further than even really good deep cycle batteries. BUT, I have read about needing to be very careful about how you use them with some of the fancy trolling motors that would also be found on many of the same type of boats. Do your due diligence about that as I have only heard about it, but don't have personal experience with the latest Gucci offerings. For most people, the way the batteries are treated and maintained will probably have more of an effect on how long they last vs what the source is, but I tend to lean toward the East Penn camp if I need to choose.

I had a 400 Tranx for a year on a Phenix 869H with 25 lb line for my swimbait rig. It was a beast and in hindsight was on the overkill side. I ended up getting rid of it, which is a rare thing for me to do. I think an 8' rod that had a lower power rating than the 869 I had, with a 300 size Shimano with 20 lb fluoro, would be a sweet spot for as big of a swimbait as I am willing to throw. As WRB mentioned, that is what BB throws (on the same water I fish) and if it's what he uses to crank in the monsters he does with that rig, it would certainly be good enough for my needs. I say 300 size Shimano reels (for me) because when I was originally looking at these rigs I found that the Daiwa 300 equivalents were closer to the size of a 400. That is in the area where reels start to get to be a handful and if I can fish with something more compact, that is going to be a big plus for me. I like Daiwa reels, and own several, but that size penalty of their 300's is a deal killer for me, but YMMV. The other thing is that the Tranx 200 drag is rated at 13 lbs compared to 18-22 lbs for the 300 size. If you envision yourself playing these large bass, you should probably also envision yourself losing several of them as well. Water skiing a ten plus pounder across the surface with heavy line tied to a heavy swimbait isn't what we dream of, but that is what will get them into the boat, so you should have your drag pretty much locked down and try to get them directly into the net if possible. The bottom line is that I don't think a 200 is going to have the line capacity or drag you'll need for 20 lb fluoro and cranking in big bass on big swimbaits. JMHO.

I've got the X-14T, the X-13, and the X-12. I throw some relatively smaller swimbaits with the X-14T that is rated up to 3.0 ounces. But, I haven't put hands on an X-15, and Phenix's ratings on the Composite X series are kinda weird IMHO. If I do pick up a swimbait rod for the heavier swimbaits in the future, the X-15 is one I'll look at before deciding. I originally picked a Phenix Black Diamond PSW 869 H wrapped deckhand style with a Tranx 400A for the heavier swimbaits. In hindsight, it was nice for 3 to 6 ounce swimbaits, and I never worried about overwhelming it when casting it. But it was a beast to chunk and wind with for extended amounts of time. Fantastic pieces of kit, but that combo would be better suited for slinging the iron off of a local cattle boat in the ocean. With that experience under my belt, I think the X-15 would probably be about as heavy duty as I am willing to get at this stage in life. Chunking monster swimbaits isn't likely to be my jam going forward.

The 'Californian' rods? I believe they are phenix feather blanks. The actions, powers, and lengths match up identically. I have some too. I don't necessarily see myself as being brand loyal. I just like what I like within my means. I'll fish whatever I find that I like, that I can afford, and has a spot to fill that needs filling. My starting lineup (four different brands; three if you count the Californians as Phenix): Casting Rods: Californian H/F Daiwa Kage MH/F Californian MH/F (fishes closer to a M) Phenix Feather ML/F Phenix Feather L Cranking Rods: Phenix Composite X: X-14T Phenix Composite X: X-13 Phenix Composite X: X-12 Jerkbait Rod: Shimano SLX M/F Spinning Rods: Daiwa Kage M/F (6'10") Daiwa Tatula M/F (7'1") Californian M/F (7'1" - fishes a little lighter than my other mediums) Shimano Zodias ML/F Shimano Expride L/F Current favorites: I really the Daiwa Kage 7'3" MH/F casting rod and the Shimano Zodias 7'2" ML spinning rods. Depending on what the fish are wanting, I see me giving these two rods a lot of action this coming season. I feel like I have pretty much everything I care to fish covered well enough for me at this time so I don't foresee any changes for a while.

I'm not aware of any law that requires you to reel them in quickly

Lever action Browning?

Savage. Truthfully though, he has something that is supremely valuable that no one on the face of the earth can buy. Enjoy it while you have it.

Although the BG MQ is more than a decent reel for what is designed for, it's strong points and not-so-strong points don't seem in line for the same type of fishing as the other reels in the discussion. Buying a reel for inshore saltwater fishing is a completely different kettle of fish. The BG MQ isn't even listed with their 'regular' spinning reels and is instead listed with their 'saltwater' spinning reels. The tatula and kage do exhibit some flex in use, but it isn't anything that will cause anyone to lose a fish. The 8.2 ounces (of the BG MQ) vs 6.2 ounces (of the Tatula LT2500) is about a 25% difference in weight. Two ounces is very noticeable on a finesse rig. Even an ounce on a lightweight rig is noticeable enough for me to spend more for a Tatula or Kage over a Fuego. The BG MQ is way overkill for bass fishing that would be done with a 2500 or 3000 size reel IMHO. If it didn't, I would just use all Revros or Regal LT2500's and be done with it. I could deal with the weight if I had to, but would prefer not to. For inshore saltwater fishing though, with the monocoque body and the sturdiness of that all aluminum frame, there is no question that the BG MQ would be a more appropriate choice and a fantastic reel. A complete steal at $134.99.

They should be following the rules. They are there for all, and are intended to make it as fair as possible for everyone. I'd be salty too. Not too bright of them to put up a YT video that all but incriminates them.

I was mystified by weightless wacky Senkos in my recent past, but since I decided to give them more of a chance, I have became quite enamored with them. I really don't know why I was struggling with them. For half of 2021 I was burning through bags of them at a rapid pace. I even bought a light action Expride spinning rod that will basically be my 'Senko rod'. Prime Senko season will be here shortly. ------------------------------ As for my own fishing aspirations for 2022, I would like to get jig fishing figured out. I think I have had a bit of an epiphany on how to fish them after a recent outing with a fellow BR member. I am very much looking forward to making jigs a strong point for me rather than have them be the bane of my fishing existence as is currently the case. That said, I have seen over the years, that we don't always get to dictate what the bass will prefer. Some years, they go ape crazy over a certain technique, and then the following year, it just doesn't materialize for whatever reason. I don't know what patterns will bear the most returns this year, but I hope I keep learning how I can unlock them and then home in on it consistently. Last year, the lake I literally fish 98% of the time was drawn down 140' in five months. Oddly enough (to me), the fishing was fantastic during that time. Now, it has risen over 55' in the past couple months, and no one knows exactly what it will be in the near future. I will just have to take what it gives me and figure it out from there. There is only one other lake that is ten times further away that I can fish without having to quarantine my boat (yay California), and I don't generally like it nearly as much as the lake that is just a few minutes away. So, I am kinda stuck in my choices and yet I still feel fortunate to have a decent lake very close by.

My Kage LT 2000 knobs do appear to be coated. After having the reel for over a year now, I have no complaints. I don't even notice them, which is possibly the best thing I could say about them.

I like 'em both. Sometimes, when the conditions are very calm, I try to position myself where I can toss out a weightless wacky Senko and purposely let the braided line lay slack on the water where the sunlight lets me easily see the line on the water. The line often jumps or just starts moving. I am amazed how far a bass will swim with this bait, and many times, when they feel the pressure of me taking up slack, they will pull even harder as though they think their prey is trying to get away from them. I find that fishing weightless Senkos on slack or semi-slack line is what works best for me on the steep banks of the water I fish. If I try to keep a tauter line, the bait just ends up coming up off of the bottom and away from the bank (where they don't get bit as much). OTOH, I also enjoy fishing a carolina rig with a 3/4 or 1 ounce sinker in order to keep the line as tight as possible, and then a 3 to 4 foot leader to let the bait do what it does. I feel even the slightest tick, which is when I point the rod at the fish, put it in free spool and let them take some line before I sweep on them. I also enjoy fishing a texas rig worm. Feel the 'tap-tap', take up the slack and bust them. No waiting around. Tap-tap, lower the boom. Dropshot fishing, the bites can come several different ways; slack, semi-slack, tight, pressure, swimming away, tap, tap-tap, line jumps, on the fall, on the bottom, deadstick, moving. When I feel it, I can just reel up into them and see what turns up. I'll take the bites any way I can get them. It's all good, and it's up to me to figure out how to pin them and get them into the boat.