softwateronly

We bought as everything/prices were falling in 08 but they certainly crashed even more afterwards. It’s a little less than 2 hrs from our home. Might have been the best decision or the worst, depends on the day. A second property pretty much excludes traveling. You see the payments you make and it’s hard to justify going to other places. The Mrs and I get out somewhere new every few years or so in Feb. The fishing and time spent fishing have done nothing but get better. You can always take your boat to a new lake if you need a change. Waking up or spending all night on the water is amazing. If the ecosystem of the lake doesn’t crash, it’s a pretty good place to put your hard earned money. Scott PS - we spent years renting it out by the week. Really helped make ends meet.

I feel similar. The things that give me confidence or keep me guessing are profile, speed, action, and sometimes color. scott

Those baits sound good to me, maybe there's deeper hydrilla or other structure holding bait and bass in this water. Isolated patches near breaks are usually my best targets. If you're sure the bass are there, you have to try a jig and or worm. scott

This is great advice. My two cents, I have the DRX755 and it is fantastic and very different than the DC735 in my hands. It is so light weight, it really feels like a MH in hand but has some real power once into the backbone. When talking to the human, I'd bring up the question of a 4 or 5 power. scott

I enjoy fishing a lot with a boat and no sonar, but I spend upwards of 90 percent of my time on 3 lakes totaling only 435 acres on natural bowl-ish lakes. So between maps and time on the water I do pretty well, but I'm pretty sure I'd do better with modern tech especially mid summer off shore. When I'm done saving/spending on my house, I'll jump into the game. SI and mega360 is what really piques my interest. scott

Don't forget China's belt and road campaign in Africa and SA because thats where the largest underutilized deposits are in aggregate. Since they are mostly into refining and transportation, the numbers probably wouldn't show up in that list. They are future proofing their manufacturing dominance by having access to and relationships with these land owners. scott

What went wrong? Personally, haven't run into any issues yet, but would like to keep an eye out. scott ps - I finally scrolled and see your response; disregard

In da couch is fun too, can feel like each cast is 10 min long... scott

https://www.digitaka.com/items/5/4/2/SCORPION+MGL

Single Ply!!???!!!!! You heathen!

Agree ^ One thing I noticed about specific swimbait rods is they tend to overrate their ability to throw and set the high end. If you want to throw 3-4oz single hook, I'd look into rods that top out around 5-6oz. Dobyns, Irod, Okuma, and Diawa DX get a lot of love on this site for what you're looking for at that price point. scott

I use mostly Shimano and definitely prefer the reels with the mgl spool. To me, cast control, line management, and distance are all better. scott

@A-Jay From Michiana; with love

If only we could figure out the gravity of this tangent....

3/8oz 3/0 dj guppy head w/ a bit off gambler ez in hammond's herring slow rolled on the bottom. scott also tied on or backing up; because I'm a junk fisherman jerkbait 1/2oz blade bait 1/8oz gambler ned w/ 3-4" plastic (hula grub, jerky j, stick bait) 8" glide bait 1/2oz jackhammer gp/shad 3/4oz swim jig crappie A-rig no blades w/ 3"& 4" swimbaits

I have 3 Medium to High end rods that I would personally use and really enjoy, but I usually top out at 3/4oz grass jigs in cover. Expride 173XH Megabass Tequila Baccarac Diawa Steez 172H Power Pitch I barely used the Steez before ice in, but that rod seems perfect for the 3/4oz grass jig use that I want. From my limited experience, 1oz is doable and way more pleasant than your 844 and DX 745. The Steez is slightly tip heavy, but has amazing sensitivity. I have a jdm bantam 8:1 on it, approx 225g, and it feels much more neutral in hand than a lighter reel. I like 7'6 rods for football jig dragging and would definitely consider the Poison Adrena 7'6XH. I find the PA line to be crazy comfortable and sensitive, but I don't have experience with the XH model. scott

Out of what I've used, a Dobyns 734 can do all those baits very effectively. If you desire a shorter rod, I'd be inclined to drop down to a 3 power. scott

Me too! scott

@WRB Take your time, but hurry up! I love gleaning everything I can from your experience and skill and hearing a history I know very little about all while being entertained. The internet is simultaneously the best and worst of humanity. scott

I would definitely follow everyone on this thread, but I wouldn't leave the water without spending some time mid-lake, just W of the large rounded point, on that 6-9' flat on the N shore, concentrating on the sharp 3-6' breaks. It's the type of do nothing water that has continuously surprised me over the years in prespawn. scott

big fan of...

Throw anything real heavy on that yet? like 2.5-3oz? scott

You're not wrong, but these ain't cheap either. Currently, in my world, these are high end and you definitely know what he's asking. scott

I have no idea because I've only used 1 from that list, but I really like the JDM Met MGL and own 5 of them. I do have a gear monkey that keeps telling me to buy the usdm Zillion SV G though. scott

I definitely need to try it now. Moretti's/Nonno is what my SIL/BIL get when we're there, decent to good. Condolences and nice new tradition. Mecca was always a quieter weekday watering hole, more my speed.