The Reel Greg

So yea I did this, and the subscription thing seems like it's more for updates and use of their app. Also seems like it's mostly for Garmin products you can load all your different Garmin products on the app. The subscription in my opinion shouldn't really affect my problem. But I have registered and everything for the subscription anyways just to make sure. However the helix even though it says on the box it has wifi it actually doesn't so you can't really connect the app to the helix unit. I guess I will have to get in touch with either company and see what they say.

Hey all, So I got a new helix 9 Si g4n unit over Christmas. I'm in southern Ontario Canada so bass season just opened for me yesterday. We decided to go with the navionics+ map card because multiple salesman from different fishing stores all seemed to recommend or at least lean to it. Maybe cause it's better for where I live? Anyways our problem is the card doesn't seem to load. I plug it into the slot and on the screen it says card encrypted or enabled successfully but when I'm over a body of water it doesn't really change at all. I'm doing this from my driveway, I didn't think it would matter if the boat was actually in the lake I've zoomed in on, maybe it does? Anyone wanna help me figure out how to get the map card to work? Thanks

Hey y'all, So I got a pretty amazing gift this year at Christmas from my father in-law. He gave $400 gift card to bassproshops. Unfortunately where I live BassPro is t my favorite fishing tackle shop nor even my closest. I live in southern Ontario, Canada and my only BassPro is more then an hour away and the online site has very little on it. Seems like the US stores are far superior. That being said I still need to figure out what to get and I've had a few things come to mind. 1) big / bigger then magdraft swimbaits or a glide bait. I've not got into this game pretty much cause of the price of these baits but now maybe I can get into it. Any suggestions on a starter bait? 2) BFS - I am very intrigued by this trend and figured maybe now I could get myself a rod/reel combo and give this a try but I'm worried my BassPro won't have any stock on rods or reels cause the website shows nothing. But I still want to go to the store and see for myself so which rod/reel would people suggestion for a first timer?(curado BFS?) 3) terminal tackle/line - then I thought maybe I should just get a bunch of terminal tackle, some storage and or bulk line? 4) this is a long shot but for xmas me and my dad gifted ourselves with a new humminbird helix 9. We only have a very old Lowrance unit that doesn't really work so we decided to upgrade. We are planning to mount this new unit at the steering wheel consol so I thought what if I got another unit to mount up at the trolling motor. Downside would be the amount of extra money I would have to add in to do this so that might be too expensive for me at this time. Anyways I still have to go make the drive to visit the store in person but I kind of wanted to have somewhat of a plan before I went and was hoping some people could share their opinion to help me spend this wisely instead of just getting another rod/reel combo or a bunch of baits. I already have a mountain of tackle and for the type of fishing I do I have more then enough rods and reels already. Thanks Greg

So I should go with which card....... Again please remember I'm in canada

Awesome tips man thank you! So I ended up getting us the humminbird helix 9 mega si+ g4n. It was seemingly the best deal for me where I live. It was $800 off so it was more then we wanted to spend but it was only a couple hundred more then the 7 so why not get the bigger screen. Now my question is should I get the humminbird map card or go with navionics? I was told by the guy at the store navionics is slightly better in that they update there maps more frequently (keep in mind I'm in southern Ontario Canada). Anyone wanna weigh in on what mapping card I should go for?

Thanks all for the words of advice! Definitely helped me. Search continues but I think I've found my path!

Yea we are going to most likely go for the Minn Kota, so we are currently looking at the hummingbird helix 7 seems to be at the top of our list. Neither of us really know what to look for in terms of technologies included that make one version a better value then the other. Feels like there's multiple versions of a hummingbird helix 7, so it's hard to know what's the best unit for what we want now and possibly in the future. I know there's tons of options out there, that's why I'm asking for help! 👍

Hey all, My dad and I are looking to upgrade our fish finder and maybe on Black Friday depending on the pricing. We have an old aluminum boat, nothing fancy so we're not looking for the biggest screen, latest technology. We are looking for something of good value and does a decent job for a couple guys who go out once a week or something like that. We do want it to be able to connect to a trolling motor (we currently don't have a trolling motor that is compatible with a unit but that's in the future plans). We want GPS and mapping, and a good view of the lake contours. We live in Canada so I think we have to buy a seperate card with lakes on it, seems like most units are only made with US lakes built in. Anyways let me know if there's anything else I need to provide to help narrow my search. Our budget is hopefully around $750 CANADIAN.

I found at my local shop a 13 fishing omen black 3, 2 PC 7'3 M. It's regular $179 on for $89. Anyone got anything to say about this line of rods?

So just to be a bit more clear I'm definitely going spinning with this as this will mainly be for a 2.5" - 3" underspin. 1/4oz pretty much. Again I'm in Canada so I don't really wanna order this online cause shipping and boarder charges will blow this budget.

Yea I've heard that new Shimano reel is supposed to be legit. So many choices! I'm looking at that 13 fishing fate, it's available at my local shop where I am in Canada my local stores don't have Ark, Dobins etc

I just found the slx M at 3/16 - 5/8 on FB marketplace for $85 brand new! Might go for it

Again remember I'm in Canada here by I'd like to keep it around $200 for the combo. I could be talked into spending a touch more if it really makes a difference.

Yea your very right on this one. So let's say this is more for a 2.5" to maybe 3-3.5".

This sounds like what I'm looking for. Your setup can still cast a small underspin a decent enough distance?

I'm back again with another combo setup question. So I'm now beginning my research for a dedicated small swimbaits/underspin rod and reel. I feel like this is going to land me a spinning combo or maybe a BFS type deal, not too sure for this particular application. I live in southern Ontario Canada so I find myself using an underspin alot more these days so I may be interested in a dedicated combo for this now since I have so much confidence in this lure nowadays. Definitely not looking high end for this, actually looking for something on the cheaper side, but quality. I think I want something a bit softer, but still need a bit of power to help me in the grass. Where do I start?

Hey y'all, I got a couple reels that really need cleaning and maintenance done before the summer. I'm located in southern Ontario Canada anyone know a good place to go? Shimano and Diawa reels are what I need worked on. Thanks

Thanks for all the help guys. I try working a TR along the edge maybe that might work. I just tied a fluke on yesterday so I'll give that a go as well. I always have a senko on deck even tho I hate fishing like that lol but it always produces!

Thanks for your thoughts. Chatterbait hasn't really worked well for me. Plus even in the channel there's big weed clumps so it's not really great. Just get hung up constantly. Tried every frog you can think of and it was working well but I'd say in the last 2-3 weeks that bite just died off. I only have access to like a 12 foot little tinner, so it's not the easiest to flip or punch with cause I don't have a trolling motor so it's super annoying to drop the anchor and pull the anchor every 5mins. But yea all good suggestions and I'll keep at em I guess!

Hey y'all, I just wanted to jump on here and get some people's opinions on fishing my waters right now. Seems my most favorite style of working a frog any and everywhere isn't producing for me anymore. So if you look at the picture I live at the first bend of where a pretty big (for this lake) river opens and flows into the main lake. Very rarely does the water push from the main lake into the river. It's nothing but Lily's and cheese now on either side. With submergent weeds everywhere else. It's very shallow water. I'd say 6-10 foot at the deepest middle point of the river channel, and up near shore on either side 1-3 feet. The water is clear but also kinda that tea stained stuff and the bottom is super gunky/silt and soft. Like if the water looks to be 1 foot in depth if you stood in it you'd probably sink another foot or so into the muck. So far this year I've been smashing them on a frog. Usually my bites are on the weed edge or isolated lily clumps. But now the weeds have really grown in and the only open water is down the middle of the river, what was once open pockets in the Lilly's has now been filled by cheese type of stuff. We also have had insanely hot and humid days of late and little rain in weeks. But just the other day we had a front move in and blow out the humidity so we have had 2 or 3 cooler nights that I'm wondering if it's changed things up? There used to be tons of bluegill hanging around especially off my dock and the surrounding area. I still see a few but with the weed growth it's hard to tell if they are still about or not. I can still hear some areas of Lilly's "popping" so I think still might have some about. Anyways I've tried alot of different stuff but the weeds and Lilly's are so abundant that I can't really get much other then a frog or Texas rig in there. What do y'all think?

Snagproof bobbies perfect frog - all white colour. Hands down my favorite

Well guys I did it! This afternoon off the dock!!! On Lake Scugog. 5.7lbs on a frog. Couldn't have asked for a better way to get my new PB

My story isn't any different from anyone else but I had to share it with people of like minds! I've been fishing all my life but it wasn't until I'd say 2016 that I really got the bug hard. Ever since then I've been on a mission of something 5 lbs or more! Keep in mind I'm from southern Ontario Canada so a bass of that size isn't super common, to my knowledge anyways. (Except our smallmouth, they seem to be growing to epic sizes these days) Anyways over the past week or so I've been hooking up with alot of 4 pound fish, biggest was 4.12 but I just couldn't seem to get anything bigger. Today I just had this feeling that they were around me and at 12:33pm, slick calm and hot out I was getting ready to cut the back lawn but first I had to toss a line out to a clump of Lilly's 10 feet from the dock. Three twitches later, it happen. She just came pounding thru those lillies and choked it. My heart almost exploded when she jumped and I saw her. I knew this was going to be close. I was so unprepared didn't even have a net or anything so I got her to the dock, saw I got her good with both hooks so I tired her out a little more then flipped her up. Sprinted with her in hand to the house to grab my scale. And there it read.....5.7lbs!!! In my haste to get a few pictures then get her right back in the water I forgot to take measurements for a wall mount!! ? All in all I'm still shaking now and can't get this dumb grin off my face! So many hours put on the water for this moment, I still can't believe it.

Sadly I did this already! Did that last night too! Boiled it for 3 mins. I have no idea how long to boil it for lol

So I live on a lake but where I live is actually off the mouth of a river that flows into the main lake. I have this perfect little area for frogging, it's my favorite way to fish. I've spent a few dollars on a bunch of the more popular frogs and I have likes and dislikes with most of em this Gavacho is just on another level. I love everything about it, the size is decent, it walks like a dream and it's also a popper so really is good. EXCEPT my hook up ratio. I have the worst hookup ratio with this frog over anything else in my box! I'd be more then happy to cut it off and store it away for good if only it didn't generate as many bites as it has for me. I tested out the megabass this morning and got nothing on it, retired this Gavacho on and almost right away got 3 big blow ups and couldn't pin a single one of them. The hooks look like they are already pulled back if you will. So do guys still bend these out even further? I managed to boat one on it today but I noticed instead of sinking the hooks in, this time it kinda ripped along the roof of its mouth. That to me tells me the hooks are angles too far back already. I dunno anyone got any tips for me, other wise this one's coming off and I'm going back to my Bobby's.