BrianMDTX

Point to consider...when you are snagged beyond repair, do you want to lose 6’-8’ of mono or fluoro leader, or braid?

I believe Pucci (P-Line) made a GG mono. It was Golden Gate, or GG for short.

Compared to some, not much. But all these rods and reels were new this year (soon to be next year lol). Three baitcasting rigs (6’6” Daiwa Aird-X MF & Garcia Black Max; 6’6” Daiwa Aird-X MHF & Garcia Black Max; 7’ Fenwick HF and Daiwa Fuego CT) and three spinning rigs (6’6” Fenwick HMX MF & Daiwa Revros LT2500; 6’6” Daiwa Procyon MXF & Shimano Sienna 2500 and waiting on a longer 7’ Fenwick HMX MF & Daiwa Revros LT2000). Here’s hoping 2021 brings some great fishing with these rigs and some new ones as well!

Nice. I just got my first Daiwa baitcaster a few weeks ago and just spooled it up with 12 lb YZH yesterday. Haven’t been able to play with it yet but I’m anxious to give it a workout soon.

I guess I vacillate between S-3 and S-4. I have no one whom I could progress to S-5 with (although I do like to try and help younger folks I run into when fishing from the bank). I am willing to forego catching any bass for the sake of catching bigger bass, but I do like to fish the way I like vs what may be a better option. Unlike you, A-Jay, I’m not a guy who loves casting and cranking, casting and cranking, all day long. I’m more a soft plastic and topwater angler. I may miss opportunities not using certain baits, but if I’m enjoying my day, that’s all that counts.

Catch it again! ?

Reminds me of bowhunting. Some will buy a new $$$$ bow every year to gain an advantage but the technology doesn’t advance that fast. Plus you have to tune and tweak it vs the bow you already shoot well. I have no issues with paying good money for good equipment, but many simply chase an advantage with their wallets that never reap dividends. But $850.00 for a spinning reel? Wow. What’s it do? ?

Trust me, your English is way better than my Spanish! Sounds like you have access to a great selection of tackle. That’s good to hear. Happy New Year!

Yesterday I ordered a Daiwa Revros LT2000 and a Fenwick HMX 70M-FS for another finesse rig. Today I stopped at WM and somehow...somehow...I ended (started) up in the fishing section. Bought some clearance Trilene XL 6 lb mono and some Strike King Ned rig kits (Rage Cut R worm and Rage Ned Bug) in Crawdaddy.

I know. But I got more than one new one lol. But yeah, the topwater would be awesome!

Come to think of it, I may have more than one! ?

Ditto! in a few days I hope to catch my first “January” bass. I already notched the bedpost for November and December. As far as PB, I know the big one I caught in May was without a doubt my all-time PB by far, but without a scale I cannot be truly sure what it weighed (by measurement it should be between 6-7 lbs, but that’s not good enough to be certain). So my goal is to catch and weigh a bass in 2021 over 6 lbs.

Welcome to BR! Just Googled the Ebro. It has invasive American crayfish, as well as Zebra mussels. Sorry about that! What’s it like as far as rods, reels and tackle in shops? Is bass fishing a niche market that’s pretty much served by mail order or do you decent stock in local stores?

I knew aircraft was in there somewhere calling it safety wire lol. I still have .020”, .025”, .032” and .040” in my toolbox at home, of which most is probably 30-40 years old. I bet my safety wire pliers are over 40. Comes in handy making wire hangers for large picture frames and mirrors!

Just remember...star drags are found only on best reels. Like that fine Super 88 dual drag spincast reel! So if you have a star drag, you’re golden!

Probably junk fish!

That depends (no pun intended). Do you remember the 70s? The 60s? ? I remember when anyone who was anyone had to have a Arbogast Hula Popper, a Arbogast Jitterbug, a Heddon Torpedo and a Heddon Zara Spook in their little, painted steel tackle box. Whether you ever caught a bass on one or not (I never did), at least you looked like you did. Remember this ad in the back of comic books “back in the day”?

Leaders were only for fly lines or steel for toothy fish. I used to hear “artificial worms” a lot decades ago. And artificial lures, which is a bit redundant. And most certainly plugs. If it was hard, it was a plug, whether it floated, dived, popped or zig-zagged. I heard “poles” quite frequently. To me, a fishing pole was a rod with no guides, like a long cane pole with the line tied on the end.

0.020”? Inconel? You sound like an A&P to me!

I really had to think about this, as although I basically fish 100% solo, I know I “talk”, especially when I lose one lol. And having thunk about it, I believe this is what I say the most times when I get a bite, set the hook and a fish is on. Actually a strange thing for a Ravens fan to say!

I use both. And from my perspective, equally well. One nicety about a L/H reel for a right-hander is not having to switch hands for holding the rod. Not that switching is hard, but it’s one less thing to do.

Never fished either, but I do like my Fenwick HMX 66M-FS-2.

I got home from work, grabbed one rod and some essentials and headed for the pond. A couple were fishing my “usual” spot on the bank so I went further down. After 20 minutes they moved halfway to where I was so I packed up and headed to that spot. On the third cast I had a light strike on a weightless Senko TR (that was it for me). I saw the male half catch a dink, but a few minutes later he hooked a decent bass. It got caught in weeds and I thought he was going to either lose it or fall in, but he got it. He started heading towards his better half so being gallant, I grabbed my scale (I remember being scaleless lol) and headed over. It was a nice bass that weighed 5.8 lbs. He was happy to know how much it weighed (he thought maybe 4 lbs so bigger than he thought). His wife took pics so now he knows how big that bass in the pic is! Good for me was that he shared info that he caught it on a Z Man TRD Ned rig. And that he uses a Ned rig a lot in these ponds. I guess I need to satisfy the Monkey and get some mushroom heads and some Z Man TRD’s!

I think (other than legality which is paramount IMO) the main thing is that the OP is looking for something for reservoirs. I have a Sea Eagle Packfish7, which while a little over his price point is perfect for the 2-3 acre ponds I fish. But I would not consider it a good choice for reservoirs. Bigger waters and trying to row/paddle for distances would not be easy.

Even though I got away from fishing for a long time, I also dreamed as a boy about catching a bass as big as Perry’s, or taking a typical whitetail bigger than the Jordan buck. Speaking of which, if you think this debate was “uncivil”, Google Mitch Rompola lol.