GetFishorDieTryin

Daiwa is the way to go for budget reels for sure. The Regal is one of the lighter budget reels. Not many sub 7oz reels under $110

What lb tests were you using with the PE lines? X9 is the best casting line of the 3. Even the 15lb test casts pretty well, so it may be something other then the type of line your using thats causing issues. I would guess its a line lay issue.

I really like the Rattlesnake and Airtail Rattler from Grandebass, they make a good straight tail as well. For creature baits its hard to beat a Biffle Bug

Unless your having issues with the #30 braid digging into the spool, I dont see why you would change it as long as your happy with its performance. Your going to lose some depth on your JBs and CBs if you to mono.

The Avid X looks a little more modern then the Avids. The SC that would compare to the Expride would probably be the legend. You getting more with the Expride for the money, never dealt with Shimano as far warranties go, but SCs has great warranties especially for the upper end rods.

The Chronarchs are great reels, but personally I would take the Curado MGL over a used Chronarch. I wouldn't be shocked if Shimano has a new Chronarch in the works for 22 or 23, not because theres anything wrong with them, but because the design is going on 4 years old. Have you considered going JDM? You can get a 20 Metanium for $300 or less and its more then worth the extra money.

come on man, judging by the size of him in your profile pic I would think he would be sleeping through the night by now.

I didnt think you good ole boys used fairy wands

What SC is that? Its not the Rage Series is it? I was looking for a rod that had a similar action and feel to SCs ML XF and I couldnt really find a rod that had a similar action for under $200 that wasnt a SC. If youre set on a SC XF get the 6'10 Victory, its a good rod, but I can honestly I think my Tatula 7'1 ML F is more versatile and I prefer the tapered grip to straight grip on the Victory. There is a 6'10 M XF Tatula which has the same ratings as the 7'1 ML F, either one will throw just about anything you listed other then full size chatterbaits. If you want to look at rods under $150, check out 13 Fishing. When it comes to the Omen Black @ $120, Fate Black @ $80 and even Defy @ $60 I think you get a lot for your money and if you break one you get a new one for just shipping costs. Dicks sporting good carries 13, so if tackle shops near you dont have them check out dicks. As for a reel, I dont think the Exceler or Fuego can be beat for the money. As long as you get a handle that doesnt have too much slop in the knob they feel great. They dont feel as refined as the FK, but the FKs sold for about double the price. Ive got an Exceler 2500 on my 7'1 Tatula and a Fuego 2500 (same weight as Exceler) on my 6'10 Victory both balance perfect.

Its nice to have light weight gear, but what really matters is felt weight. You want the balancing point to be where you grip your rod.

They sure do, I start out with craw and creature bait trailers on the back of chatterbaits in late winter. At that point I fish a CB more like a jig and I do better then my buddies who use ktechs and baits with lots of action. I like to use smaller creature baits, like smallie beavers to eliminate lift.

Yeah I thought the Hudd tails were referred to as "Vortex"

Thats my favorite way to fish, in the Ocean anyway. I just wear boarding shorts and if I can get away with it, I wont wear anything on my feet while Im in the water. Most of the time im fishing an inlet so its not a good idea to go above your waist. At night I usually dont go deep then about knee height.

I think so too. Its easy to fish slow for a little while, but when your having a rough day it can be hard to stay slow.

You ever think about getting a 7 speed? Its much easier to slow down with a 7 then an 8, but thats just my opinion.

Years ago I would have said cork was my favorite without hesitation, but now Im not so sure. Some of the newer EVA material companies are using are dense and resist absorbing slime and water which makes it much easier to clean. The higher quality EVA feels infinitely better then what was used when I was a kid. I dont know how I could prove this, but I think high quality EVA transmits vibration more efficiently then cork. That may be one of the biggest reasons why you see some of the top companies using synthetic materials on their high end and flagship rods.

You can take a good pair of scissors and cut away all but 1/8 or 3/16 of the clam shell around the perimeter of the bait. You wind up with individually shelled swimbaits that wont kink.

Dont worry about water temp, once the water is in the 50s the prespawn is well underway. Your going to find some fish will be pushing shallow where others are still on secondary points. If you know the areas where the fish like to spawn start shallow and if you cant get bit go a little deeper to secondary points, ledges and or cover thats closest to where the fish usually bed. If you can get out there just as the pressure starts to change you can really get into them. Most of my best days have been cool rainy/windy days in March. When I think of a rainy day the first thing that come to mind is a spinnerbait, rain just seems to make them even more effective. You can fish them like a crankbait in cover like that standing timber without worrying about snags. Keep jigs and shakey heads in mind around cover, this time of year Ive found bottom contact baits produce numbers and size.

The baits meant to be fished on a ned head like the TRDs and Hula Sticks dont have as high of a salt content as the Zinkers because I think the ned baits are designed to be fish with a jig head or nail. Zinkers have more salt to add weigh so they are easier to cast. Zman has baits with very little or no salt at all for maximum buoyancy out of the bag like the floating worms, tubes and TRD hogs. Ive never used the bang sticks, but I would assume they are just a longer Hula Stick with the same salt content.

Personally I think the best time to fish a spinnerbait are rainy days. Often the fish are holding tight to cover, so I want to fish as close as I can to it. I can throw a spinnerbait in wood and be confident that it wont snag up, where as a CB will. Its not that Im worried about losing the bait, Im worried about spooking the fish trying to get the CB out.

The majority of the time when Im using a weighted wacky head or nails its just to cover water faster. A little extra weight goes a long way, the heaviest I use is 1/16 and most of the time im using a 1/32. Zinkers wont float right out of the bag. Zinkers density will decrease as it loses salt content so the ROF will gradually drop until the bait wants to float, at that point I use save them for ned rigs.

I like darker CBs and if the blade isnt matte black ill color it black with a sharpie. GP tiger will work just about anywhere. By changing the color of the trailer you can change the way it looks. When Im throwing a spinnerbait 4 of 5 times its going to be white or pearl

I learned this knot in the late 90s for teaser rigs. Ive heard people refer to it as a teaser knot but the guy who taught me called it a dropper knot. He may have confused it with a dropper loop because thats essentially what it is just without the loop. I think its more efficient then the palomar or uni. You dont have to pull 10" of tag through like a uni or palomar and it seats the perfect every time. It naturally wants to seat where the eye meets the top of the shank. If you use a cover shot or rebarb carefully hold the belly of the hook with your teeth and slowly tighten both ends. Keep a bit of tension on the hook so that knot will seat the top of the eye instead of the bottom. That way you have a little more room to T rig your bait.

Both good rods, but the Tatula is so much more comfortable to fish with. The 7'1 ML F can do just about anything.

check out world worst fishing on YT, he has a few videos where he melts down baits and remolds them. If you think molding your own baits may be to involved, try mend it. Its fantastic for expensive plastics like keitechs. You can at least double the amount of fish per bait.