softwateronly

I don't think that's a minor quibble. Smooth drag is one of the most important things on a reel, especially one that can't back reel. Maybe there's something wrong and you should trade in on the warranty. scott

Shimano 2 lines - 6 rods St Croix 3 lines - 4 rods Dobyns 3 lines - 7 rods Diawa 2 lines - 2 rods Megabass - 1 rod G Loomis - 1 rod Kastking - 1 rod Shakespeare - 1 rod scott

Here's my stab at it, trying to balance XG/HG and weight. My experience is with braid to leader. Current Rods and Reels: RODS: Megabass Orochi XX Perfect Pitch - Shimano Metanium DC XG This would be my jig/worm rod, should balance well and I would be very happy... -jig/worm - could also do weedless swimbaits, just gotta reel slow - frogs Dobyns Champ DC 734C FH XP - 1 - Shimano JDM Metanium DC HG - spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, paddle tails, spooks, etc almost anything moving really - finesse jigs - secondary jig/worm rod Dobyns Champ DC 736CB GLASS XP - 1 -Shimano JDM 2021 Scorpion DC HG - chatterbaits, underspins, medium cranks, most deep cranks Dobyns Fred Roumbanis Utility Rod DC 703C FR - 1 - Shimano Curado DC XG - secondary worm rod - anything single hook under 5/8oz moving just reel slow - secondary finesse jigs Dobyns Fred Roumbanis Crankbait Rod DC 705CB FR - 1 - Shimano JDM 2021 Scorpion DC HG - traps, squarebills, topwater trebles scott

This is me to a T. I add a snap or a stroke in there too just trying to find out what they want. scott

I mostly throw the 7" backatya, copperfield, gold rush.....Mostly T-rigged but did have success with owner cps swimbait hook. Down to the last minute, embrace the monkey... scott

@A-Jay You should take a look at these for your mods..... https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Nishine_Lure_Works_Original_Outer_Weight_3pk/descpage-NOW.html The eerie darter is jdm pricey, but it caught quite a few for me in limited action. scott

mikeybalzz fishing on youtube uses these rods. He usually says what model and wears a chest cam. You might be able to piece together some action characteristics putting the catches together. He tends to lean toward parabolic and slightly lighter actions for techniques in my opinion. scott ps - this cold blows

I think you're on the right track, but don't forget topwaters and small cranks. Dobyns have slightly softer tips to me and this allows them to be super versatile. The only thing I would be careful with is weedless swimbaits where driving a hook through a lot of plastic and the fishes mouth can be difficult. scott

If you have weeds and clear water a 3/8 oz dirty jigs swim jig w/ a 3.8" keitech fat swing or gambler ez swimmer and a 1/2oz damiki tot double willow spinnerbait, I also use the same swimbaits as a trailer, are great moving baits for me. Skirts that have a blend of white, silver, brown, and/or green pumpkin are my most universal. Virtually weedless, can be fished fast or slow, steady or erratic, all fish attack it, and is extremely fun to fish. You're correct that these are not the first choice for winter but I would never not try. scott

Welcome from Cass county.... scott

Congrats on the bonus....I might be in the minority, but to me the mgl spool is a little better with light baits, sub 3/8 total. Again, just for me, where the DC shines is really bombing mid range weights and any throwing into the wind. I currently crank with this reel because I can just launch it a mile, almost seems possible that someone better at casting could spool it. If this ends up true for you, I hope you'll find it as awesome as I do for all the midrange stuff on windy days. scott

Don't want to get in the way of Toledo talk, but I think this would be the best place for me to get some informed opinions. If you want me to move it, I'm more than happy to. It looks like I'm gonna spend a few days with a kayak on the SW side of Cross Lake first week of February, and these shallow cypress swamps are completely new to me, and I need to bring as few rods as I can. Preliminary plans are to - pitch t-rigged large worms, craws, and jigs at trees or clumps of trees that are different than most, favoring deeper water if I can determine it. Mostly in the black and blue range - slow roll spinnerbait in any deeper water, mostly in the black and blue range - hit shallow water lanes with swim jigs/chatterbaits, mostly shad/crappie colors - speed worms swam through pads, if there are any, favoring dark colors Frogs? Squarebills? 6" magdraft? buzzbaits? spooks? poppers? traps? Any insight on where (probably not able to deal with the big water in this yak), how, and when (daytime only) is most appreciated. Looking forward to catching my first bass of 22 in your neck of the woods. I included the water that I think I'll most easily be able to access, color line is set to 10'. Thanks much, scott

My swimbait rods don't drive weedless hooks home well enough for me, better with open and trebles. At 2oz, I'd throw it/lob it on my frog rod, especially if that was my only braid set up. scott Should have read through before commenting, lots of good advice here, as usual. Side note, I also vote for the Tat300. By far my favorite big bait reel I've ever tried and I usually fish shimano. scott

LM - 3/4oz DJ Cali swim jig, crappie w/ 120mm Dwalker, silverside SM - 1/2oz keitech finesse football jig, gp/blue w/ trd crawz, gp Don't have weights or measurements, but LM is a low 6lb and SM is a high 4lb by my best guesses. scott

Was thinking of grabbing the hydro-flo spinnerbait boxes to hang spinnerbaits, chatters and hair, swim, flip jigs. I have a bunch of silica packs from work for the bottom. Did your hooks rust to the plastic? or just rust in general? There are times when getting things dry before I have to pack up and leave the cabin cuts into my last cast dance that usually lasts an hour. scott

I have had a lot of big bites on a heavy swim jig w/ a 5" swimbait trailer. Stays near the bottom, good sized meal, weedless, can reel pump to get reaction strikes or bang it off the stumps. I'd add it to my list if I was heading there. scott

I have a few of those in my cart right now. Seems like the way to go. Any downsides I might be not thinking of? scott

I like fishing, I like cities, I like my job. I love my current set up, minus late december - early march. Still working on a plan for that. scott

Me too, really like it. Thanks scott

Englewood has been hood my whole life and doesn't look to dramatically change for at least a decade. My FIL is from there. West Lawn definitely stabilized in the 90's. It was tough for sure, but a beating not a stabbing or shooting. It might have slipped again, but I still hit zaca tacos when I visit family and it seems fine. I've been in bridgeport the last 20 some years, still the new guy in some of my neighbors eyes. scott scott

I haven't since it was a small little pool hall 15ish years ago. I do love duck fat fries, appreciate the heads up. So much good food near there and it's always changing. Covid has really messed up my trying new places thing. scott

As someone born and raised on the southside and still living there, please don't forget how absolutely violent the 80's and 90's were. Homicide totals in 91? was over 1100. The city is by far safer now than it has ever been in my 45 years. This tragedy notwithstanding, the city is fine. Violent people with no regard for the social contract are the problem and they are everywhere in this country. scott

Johnnie's is great, but this southsider doesn't get out that way very often. So I'm sticking with Al's. Out of the chains, I think Buona Beef is better than portillo's. But if we're talking sandwiches and you're ever near river west, you have to go to Bari's. That's a never miss opportunity for me. scott

I appreciate the info on the line combo you're using. Are you using sunline FC100 shock leader? I basically lean toward Shimano because of the tws. Currently, I have a tat200 w/65lb braid, and fish it straight most of the time. If I want a leader, the 65lb does not work with the t-wing system and just keep the fg out of the reel. I had mixed success w/ original power pro in 40lb and sunline FC100 in 20lb. I had hiccups every now and then and didn't feel confident. Now the tat300, in my experience, any fg knot will pass through that t wing and it is by far my favorite big bait reel. scott

What an absolute stud!! scott