GetFishorDieTryin

The picture doesn't do it justice. It's smaller than it looks. When I got to fondle one the Tatula 70 was right next to it. So naturally I compared the 2 in hand. Width, height and weight are clear just looking at them, but in hand the difference was substantial. The larger Bates reels have been gaining popularity for inshore wading in the south and have held up really well so far in a tough environment. The Hundo could be different, but what's clear is Bates knows to design a reel that will last.

The new elites have both cork and eva options in the new models, depending on the particular rod. Blank wise there isn't much difference at all between the Tatula and Elites. The Tatula uses a Fazlite, Elite uses Alconite and Elite AGS is obviously AGS.

SBs will grind and bounce trough cover you wouldnt expect them to be able to get through...within reason. Getting a crank that doesnt dive too deep is key though.

Isnt that strange how that works during the coldest parts of the year. A buddy of mine used to do that and I would fish off the back of the boat. He would always find a couple fish that would hit and most were way better than average.

No experience with BKKs light trebles, but the diablo and ball head jigs are sticky sharp and well made. Duo Nanos are great and IMO equal the finesse nano on every level although they may be a tiny bit heavier, but perfect for JBs. If you want to stay with a light wire hook Ichikawa RC light wires are a solid option, I use them on 110 Jrs.

I swap my roller and knob bearings out for bushings when I can for my SW reels. I don't notice any loss of performance and I don't have to replace a loud roller bearing every season. I could see a BB being better if I was using straight FC, but I every reel I've swapped them out on is spooled with braid.

How much PP you they take?

Booyah and Zorro make solid SBs, but my favorite so are Picasso. Molix looked too so I got a couple of them over the winter, but havent used them yet. Time will tell. I like Picassos Invizwire Thunder SBs. Theyre pretty much the same size as war eagles finesse SB, but I much prefer the Picasso. They come in 2 wire styles, both fairly light. Ones is stiffer than the other.

Its a legit weight. I was floored when I picked it up. I dont think its a metanium killer, but Aldebaran on the other hand? It actually feels like a mini metanium which is hard to believe because the mets are so small, but this thing makes a 70 look big and feel heavy. I was checking out at TD when the guy said, "hold on you have to see this" and put it in my hand. They had the raw machined frame too as promo and it was impossibly light, but one solid piece AL. The only reason I didn't buy it is because it was the last 1 they had and it was a LH model. Also I blew my planned budget x2.

Tough one, but my favorite might be the sub and flat P. Theyre great for the entire prespawn. The sub p is great for shallow lily fields and it deflects great for a rounded bill crank.

The new Nasci is a great reel for the money. Never even held a miravel but they're probably pretty good since most people seem to like them.

Yeah they look great, I like Ryugu, they make quality gear.

I've seen them, but never tried them.

If it's an older Avid like 10 yrs or more don't expect a similar action. The SC3+ is noticably softer in the tip. I really do like weight and balance, but they don't feel the same IMO.

Might want to consider a MH...IMO.

The blanks are good. Check out the new lancers. They moving away from the heavy clunky Fazlite guides and going with SS and Zirconium. I think the SS guides are cheaper, but they're lighter and I've never had any issues with Alps or Fuji SS guides trains.

Not of fan of the Googans, but I can't deny that the rods feel great, especially at their price points. I don't know about the components, but they're light and comfortable in hand.

Just got a rod from TW a couple days ago. Other than a return from Ark, it was the worst packing job I've ever seen. The taped the tip with bubble wrap and suspended the rod by the plastic factory sleeve. That's ok if you brace the mid section and immobilize the rod. Eventually the weight of the rod against the plastic gives and it bounces around. In this case the tip pushed through the bubble wrap because it was supporting all the weight. I think it's ok, but I wouldn't be shocked if I blow the tip section of that rod up flipping a fish onto the jetty.

More times than not, the rod is what you want to invest in. You shouldn't totally neglect the reel though. You want a reel thats good enough. 100-150$ will get you that. The rod is your connection to the bait and what's going on under the surface. One thing about certain high end rods are they have lifetime warranties.

These are nice, especially the super rounds with the small limerick bends. The keepers work well enough, and the collars can separate after heavy use, but by that time I feel like I got my money worth out of them. The decoys are nice too, but you have to tie an effective keeper on them. The shrink tube does make it easier. I like the hover heads, but I havent had a chance to use the #4 yet. The line tie is actually above the hook point, which im not crazy about. I'll probably bend them out a bit when I get to use them.

The Gammi ballhead is really solid, but the smallest hook available is a 1/0 which isnt ideal for alot of the baits I use.

If you know the water, you definitely dont need FFS to tightline or hover rig. Its more time consuming, but the effectiveness is undeniable.

Breathables are really the way to go, but they do cost more and leaks are little harder to deal with. Just make sure to get a pair that you can layer clothes under. Just like everything else you get what you pay for. There is a difference between good quality polyester and low quality polyester, particularly with durability, breathability and mobility. A good pair will feel more like wearing bibs then waders. When it comes to waders you get what you pay for the vast majority of the time. LL bean makes a great pair, theyre not as much as simms, but they pretty much have all the benefits. I think the fastest I've had them leak was 2 years, but climbing up and down a jetty a few dozen times a day to release fish will do that to any pair. As far as boots go I like korkers, but just about everyone has interchangeable soles now.

Im sure you could catch on it working it like a standard JB, but its optimized for FFS. Its interesting to see how many companies are building baits specifically for FFS. Now it seems everyone has some kind of 3" finesse bait and 90* jighead combo.

2.5" ring craw 3.5 bubbling shaker 3" rockvibe 2.8" Beast Coast Slowflow