GetFishorDieTryin

The SLX and Curado are so close, it wouldnt be a worth while upgrade. The least expensive way to break into the upper level reels is to go JDM. For what you pay for a domestic Curado DC you can get a JDM Zillion or 20 Metanium. While Zillion or Metanium aren't flagship reels, theyre on another level when compared Curado.

Look for stickbaits with a lower salt content. They wont have the action or weight of the Yamamoto, but they wont have the price either. One of the better knock offs IMO is BPSs stick o, theyre cheap and they have some mass to them. Yums arent bad either, theyre considerably lighter so they dont sink as fast, which makes them good in shallow water. I really like Zinkers, IMO their action is close to that of the Yamamoto. They are super durable and are great for wacky rigging as they dont need an O ring. The only hang up with them is the density changes the more they are used and or more fish are caught on them. As the salt content decreases, the sink rate slows as the worm becomes more bouyant due to the nature of Elaztech. It doesnt happen fast and usually you can get half dozen fish before you have put a new one on, which is far better then using a Yamamoto. Not only that the used Zinkers make the best Ned rig, SH and weighted T rig baits you can get. Its the same effect as soaking TRD overnight before you use them. A bait you may want to check out are Zooms Mag finesse worms. Theyre pretty much interchangeable with a senko. The bottom is flat so they glide well. They have enough salt and mass to fish really well unweighted, but they dont have as much salt as the Yamamoto which makes the zooms considerably more durable.

Braid allows you to get away with lighter gear, because you dont have to pull through any stretch on the hookset. Although braid has nearly 0 stretch you still need to get the slack out of the line before the set. There are a few things you can do to other then changing the line that will help. You should always do this, but make sure the hook is as sharp as possible and check it every dozen casts or so, by running it against your finger nail at several different angles. The hook needs to immediately bite into the nail with very little pressure. If not, take note of the side of the point thats dull and sharpen it until it bites. A longer rod will allow you to move more line on the hookset. Just be aware that longer rods can be a little softer due to a longer tip section. I like a rod that has give in the tip but transfers quickly to a midsection that has some power. That way I have a chance at setting a hook even if I dont get all the slack out before I swing. Some 100 and even 150 size reels, especially in lower gear ratios have short handles with small grips. A longer handle with a bigger grip makes it easier to take up slack quickly.

Cant beat Gliss for distance, but if youre lazy and dont check for abrasion or tie the right knots, you'll be sorry. Gliss technically isnt a braid, but if you need distance its unmatched. If you need something fast, that you can get locally x9 is pretty good. Its not nearly as thin as it claims, but it casts and handles really well. If you have time, then look into Varvias. Never used it, have some on the way, but a buddy of mine whoes big into BFS and super lightweight gear has been using it for about a year and swears by it. Ive seen him cast a trout magnet about 60 feet on a stock Curado BFS.

If you have any good gunsmiths around, try them.

All the Fate Blacks are somewhat tip heavy and on the stiffer side. Both the Fate and Omen Greens for whatever reason have considerably lighter tips. They both share the 30t blanks, but power and action wise are very different and the suggested weight ratings reflect that.

These work really well for mojo rigs. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Vike_Tungsten_Carolina_Weight/descpage-VIKECAR.html They come through rocks and grass much better then the short wide carolina weights. I do wish they made them in 1/6 or 3/32, but since they are thin and long the weight disperses pretty well. The rubber insert takes alot of the sensitivity away, but I like knowing that the light FC I use. VMC makes them too, they just dont have the inserts. If you dont mind using lead go with Phenix, they also make them in 1/16.

Hayabusa Brush Easy or Baby Shooting Ball

Although I dont use lizards a whole lot, my favorite was the Biffle O. The hollow body hurt durability, but made it a versatile bait.

Jigging rod

Be cautious of the longer fate blacks, as they can be really tip heavy.

Ive got just about every size nail, bullet, DS, cylinder, neko and wacky tungsten weight in from 3/64-1/2oz, since the water is shallow and I don't really punch. My most used/if I could only have 1 weight are as follows Bullet 3/16 DS 1/8 Nail 3/32 Cylinder/Mojo 1/8

I do it all the time. Fish cooperating is the hardest variable to control, so if you are getting bit every cast take advantage of the situation. Keeping the same lure on may guarantee a few more fish, but in the long run, using that bait as a crutch isnt going to help you become a more well-rounded angler. I fish with a guy who catches numbers like you wouldn't believe but hes one dimensional. If his 2" grub on a 1/32 1/16 or 1/8 doesnt work (which seldom happens) he will come up with the most far-fetched excuse to explain why he isnt catching and I am.

Ive never seen an SLX MGl in person, theyre always sold out. How does the size compare to Curado 70?

Most of them cast pretty well, but I have noticed some SLXs and curado DCs have a little variance in the braking IMO. Some run tighter then others. The variable that is a constant between all reels regardless of which braking system them use is the rod. If you have a rod that doesn't recover well, you're not going to cast anything very far. I like to run my reels with as little spool tension as possible. With the DCs I've found that too much play in the spool actually hurts distance. It seems like the IDC 4 needs a little more spool tension then I like to normally use, to work efficiently.

Ive gotten pretty good at eying it, especially with the 2500 LT spools. The other way is to reverse spool, which ive never tried. Go out any buy some 12lb big game or something you can actually use and use that as backing. Since 10lb braid is so thin you will want to almost completely fill the spool with mono, then add the braid. If you run out of room and dont have enough line on the spool then open the bail and wrap the braid back on the filler spool with your hand and take the appropriate amount of backing off. You can get a rough idea of how much braid you're putting on by counting the number of times you crank the reel multiplied by the inches per turn, then convert it to ft or yards. Since the diameter of the spool is changing slightly as more line is put on, its just a ballpark figure.

There a few JBs that use the Vision 110 mold.

10lb braid is more than enough, it breaks at about 15lbs and casts much better then 15 or 20. Theres nothing wrong with not using a leader, but if you can tie a connection knot, a leader provides some serious advantages. Since the vast majority of braid floats its not ideal for tying direct to finesse baits. FC and mono help the bait move more naturally, especially lighter baits. A leader also protects the mainline from abrasion, allows you a breakaway point in case you snag, and preserves the mainline from constant retie deductions. Its hard to say where or when the fish may be line shy, but I cant see a leader doing anything but helping the situation. Most of my small FW reels only have 60 or 70 yards of braid on top of the backing. Odds are you're not going to cast farther then 30 yards, and its really only the first 15 yards that see the most wear. Once the line start to wear out and get ropey, I just reverse the braid, pulling it off and tying the used end to backing and respooling it. That way there is very little wasted line. When you use a whole filler spool 120-150 yards, the majority of line will never see the light of day, even if you reverse the braid, there's still 50 yards of line that never gets used.

Weightless senko, light shakey head/neko, mojo rig, finesse swimjig, t rig

Ive got the SW. (smaller Spheros only available in 3 and 4k) Its an outstanding reel for the money. Its essentially a Stradic FK. If I were blind folded I really dont think I would be able to if I was fishing a Spheros SW or FL.

Max drag for smaller reels isnt very important IMO. Just because the company claims the drag can handle that much pressure doesn't mean its a good idea to test its limits. Max drag tests are very hard on reels and likely to cause damage. In reality there isnt a scenario I can think of where I would need more then 8lb of drag with a 2500 reel, and even thats high.

Ever since TW got that warehouse in the SE, I have gotten multiple packages more times then not. It doesnt really bother me.

Fished a bunch of a buddys Dobyns, Fury and lower $ Champ spinning rods, rest were casting. The Champ was nice, action was a little slower then I was used to, but rod loaded and performed well. I just couldn't get past the lack of a locking nut on either of them. If the reel seat was rear locking it wouldnt be nearly as much of an issue. IMO I think you can get a better rod for the $, and if you add another $20 you could get a Tatula which IMO blows Fury away. Honestly, I would take Bass X over Fury.

I start throwing a chatterbait in mid to late Feb and fish them heavy into the spawn. I start to rely more and more on a swim jig instead of a chatterbait. I will throw a chatterbait if have enough wind/clouds or rain, otherwise Im throwing a swimjig. Towards the end of the prespawn I start to fish mojo and t rigs, especially on tough days. A couple days that started rough turned out to be pretty good, for me anyway. Not very durable, but that Berkley water bug is great on a mojo rig. Ive done really well with a Palmetto Bug on both mojo and t rig, they really last too.

Toad Thumper Craw Gill Never tried them or even heard of them, but they look solid. The proportion of body to fin size is just about perfect for a bluegill and they arent to long, just under 4".