Banned User

Is there a difference between those $20 glasses you have and the $75 glasses your lookin at?

My Zillion from Midway showed up, just shipped in a bag, no padding or foam or bubbles, not even in the reel box. For a $370 reel You'd think they'd package it a little better. Was open box but there were a couple dents in it (the box), don't know if that was before or after shipping. Never had a reel this nice so even if it's not at 100% I wouldn't know the difference haha Hope it blows me away regardless, thanks for supporting my monkey yall

There's a small overpass/bridge that I fish off of that holds Some really solid fish. Ive caught more 3 pounders and up out of there than anywhere else in my life, a couple of 5 pounders, 6-7 pounders are known to be had, and I've heard stories of up to eight. The problem is that the fish literally bite right at the bottom of the bridge, so hook sets are awkward and almost vertical to the fish. There is a little bit of room on one side down near the water, but then you kind of blow the spot up getting down there and depending on the weeds your retrieve angle is not quite right. Its very short span of water that opens to a decent size waterbody, and depending on recent rainfall the water can be moving from the backside over a small shoddy dam or stagnant. Either way its bonkers weedy, every kind of weed you can think of has somehow managed to congregate around this water. And its so thick in some parts that you can really only fish the few less weedy areas in between. Both sides definitely house some solid fish, and there are only a few other spots available from shore between the two bodies of water. Its absolutely beat to death all over with people fishing, and I bumped into a guy who says he drives 45 minutes to fish there, in those little shore spots because boats aren't allowed. He's been fishing there since a kid, and still makes the drive because big fish lurk in the murks there. Now here comes the heartbroken tale of my second once in a life time fish lost. My chances are steadily decreasing of actually catching my once in a lifetime fish, but I'm trying to remain hopeful... it's a struggle. I was fishing there after all other anglers quit for the night. I was supposed to just go home after hitting the other shore spots with no luck, but I decided it was close enough and I had to at least cast a few times there and I can say I tried, so I loaded up the car again and drove around the bend. It only took a few casts to get a solid bite on a buzzbait. Now the angles of lines and hook sets and the absurdities of landing a fish in this area come into play. I lost the fish. It felt too solid to just reel up and over the guard rail, either shake its way off on the way up or snap the rod. While I was debating the best course of action I took too long to think about it and it spit the hook, just as I decided to try to walk across to the other side and hop over the guardrail. Because of this I decided to stick around and keep at it. After a while, casting to the front and backside of the overpass, switched to a spinnerbait. A perfectly placed cast in the dark landed just outside the weedline and activated before it hit the weeds underneath. As I was bringin it in and getting closer to the bridge I wanted to bring it in as close as possible across the mouth of the water, so I had to lean over the guardrail a bit, angle the rod tip down and sideways while slowly walking backwards. As I did this a baby freshwater greatwhiteshark mistook my spinnerbait for a baby seal and nearly pulled me over the rail and into the water when it attacked. This time I was ready in my mind how I would land it. I have never experienced a bass pulling drag on a baitcaster before (I keep it pretty tight and use trebles on spinning set ups), and this thing actually took line out. My heart was absolutely pounding and I'm pretty sure I got a little light headed, but I had a plan in place after the last lost fish. Looking past the cartoon stars circling my head, I quickly hopped the guardrail ready for action! In the darkness, with the higher than ever water levels, I couldn't discern where the waters edge was. It has been storming and raining here off and on for weeks, the waters have been their dirtiest, highest, and fastest (where applicable) than I've ever seen. Because I was blinded by the black of the night, and the weeds on the water's edge blend into the grass/ground, I couldn't tell where the water was. I had to take a second to make sure I knew where to step. One second. I hesitated for one second in the name of safety. One second can be divided into two. The remaining half seconds can be further divided in half each as well. That half of a half of a second can be divided in half. Do it again. Do it again Do it again, for infinity. Infinity is contained in one second, and that is how long it felt when that monster fish broke my heart. It felt like forever, when I had the fish of a lifetime on the end of my line, and then it jumped, and there was nothing. And nothing, sometimes, can mean everything. Everything was lost in that moment, that never ending heartache. After infinity passed, in desperation, I casted the spinnerbait out again. Like a high-school boy left dateless at the prom as my girlfriend dumped me on the dance floor for my best friend I begged for that big girl to take me back. I casted to the weedline, I casted to the clearing in the middle, I climbed back up and casted into the weeds. Frustrated, infuriated, depressed, I quickly grabbed my buzzbait again. Nothing. I threw it a few times and switched to a weightless t-rig. Eventually I got a bite in the same area and this time, thinking I maybe didn't set the hook hard enough last time, I set the hook so hard I lifted the fish out of the water and lost it. I stuck around another 45 minutes or so, knowing I'll regret it in the morning and its hopeless to begin with. I did find one more bite on the spinnerbait, and set the hook perfectly. The feel of this fish only reinforced how massive the big one must've been. The worst thing about all this is that the conditions had to be perfect for this monster to be in a spot that it could even have a lure presented to it. Like I said, the spots are limited and very busy, often. I might buy a machete to make my way into the woods to find another spot myself, but an accident in the woods alone might be worse than losing the big one. I was experimenting with set ups and was using a rod that I think was just too parabolic, I forgot how parabolic it was. I pulled the next hook through the top of the face of the next bass though, so obviously it could do it. Maybe the trailer hook was just too small for the big bass? I think the angle and not wanting to pull it out of the mouth straight up made me set it weird too. I have another post in mind because of all this, I'll get to that when I can. Is the bottom line to just always keep tension and reel it to shore asap and deal with the consequences? Or if I let up on the tension would it have tried to swim away instead of jumping? It's like I almost instantly forgot how to land a fish, if it felt like a regular bass I woulda just brought him in, like I always do, but I really wanted to make sure I did this right and had to think about it, and just lost it instead.

Which exact lines are you using (brand/#testetc) What knot? What are the water conditions (visibility, weeds, wood, sparse/thick)? What are the specs of the rod? Specs are bs, how does the rod power and action feel relative to others in your experience?

Hopefully the same is said for the zillion you guys sold me, except midway says it'll be here about 10 days after ordering...

Jk man, I think your posts are okay ? There's some good feedback so far, I'm new to jigs. Never caught fish on'em so I stopped throwing them and never caught fish on'em. Caught a few chunks this year on'em, but so far only 1 body of water round here has done it. Others too much muck or weeds, my take isbthey catch less fish in general but larger fish on average. I plan to try to drag some at night this year if i can find more water with a bottom comp like the one that worked, firmer and less veggies. My goal now is to catch less fish Seriously I want to catch bigger fish from now on. I'll take one 5 poinder over ten 2-3 pounders nowadays. So that's where my heads at throwin jigs and 10 inch worms, lots of skunks but grateful for my best year for numbers of 3+pound fish. Lotta top water in the mix, but I'm hitting my target I'd say, Set your mind to your target bro, and get it how you get it

You sold me man, but are you sure that's the zillion G? Every other website makes that clear except midway.

ML fate black Spinning way to heavy, more like light medium heavy. But I respect their hustle. If Rapala works this right they stand to make a lot if money, considering the market and mark up on repeat reels and rods through China. I have a concept Z and A and they're solid. Wish the ML rod was actually ML.

I would've got one,.,.,., but if you posted it I probably would've missed it. 218 would've got me to spend the most ever on a reel... 250 and I can't justify it.... ?

Pic of the blue pick?

People used to get capped on for sayin things like that, if somebody got capped on and they didn't take it well the other person got capped > no ? What was the memorial day sale? Feels likeb they only run 15% off sales for a while now. Plus I'm lookin mostly at reels, everybody got sales on lures. Get bit outdoors got some killer deals on blanks right. Anybody know a place with a good sale on rain gear like jackets and hats, I been getting soaked fishing with no ?

You know what they say about boating etiquette, "if I can reach your boat you're too close"

I only stroke the jig at night, to keep my casting arm strong for the next days fishing.

Could you or anybody else with the experience/knowledge compare this (the 7'2heavy mod) to the 7'3 heavy mod fast flipin rod in the same line? I grabbed it because I have really liked a swimjig and spinnerbait and chatterbait on the 7'2 MHMF target crank, but feel I want a little more back bone. The lure range kept me away from the ripnchatter, but then again those can be a little arbitrary and misleading. Does Croix stay consistent within lines? Will 7'3 h MF kind of be a middle ground to the 7'2mhmf and 72HM, or a totally different blank and mandrel and feel?

What is his explanation for that claim? Regardless of the technique it's all about current, cover, and lure weight. True Ned's at 1/16 oz and 3 inch plastic in a swift current river vs a 1/4 oz 4 inch tube in the same location... depends on how you like to fish.

I'm not sure if the 7'3 is XF but the 7 and 7'6 are. I have the 7, it's so sensitive I spent a good chunk of time learning not to set my hook into every piece of grass it bumped. It's definitely a solid stick with real backbone, hybrid line for me. I think a little give somewhere in the system helps keep fish pinned, xf with braid would really require some attention not to rip lips pff.

All they have going for them now is selection, but I'm not too picky. I buy where the best price is and to me GP/red fleck or GP/gold fleck are similar enough. TW hasn't had a good sale in a while it seems.

So you sayin or has or hasn't happened in 30 years? And do you just re spool every backlashed reel and not pick it out?

Most of the waters around me have warnings to limit consumption of the fish. Some or just a couple a week or month, more are only one unless your a child or pregnant then it's 0, or just 0 - the sign just says "dont et the fish hear iddiot" But if I hit Maine waters, maybe this might come in handy. I'll do some youtubin just to have in the tackle bag

Beautiful fish bro, at least ya did something. I wouldn't know how to filet a fish, so I woulda just got sad went home and thought why do I even fish for a few weeks. Like hitting a unicorn with your car... uuhhh you think it taste liker Sherbert? It's actually pronounced sherbet ya a****l*

Has this spool ever experienced a backlash? Could have damaged some of the line. I also will never put 20# braid on a baitcaster. Line dig could also have damaged your line, doesn't happen as much the higher # test you go. I throw 30-40# and I'm exploring brands, one of the spiderwires I tried was solid, but not the basic. Suffix 832 and power pro are being tested presently. Also j Braid has been fine. The biggest difference between braids of reputable companies is the coating and how abrasive it is, aside from whatever # they rate to thickness. All contributes to how it fishes and performs, but random break offs with no previous damage... new spool to me.

When's the last time you tried it? Android? It's my main browser, but night mode is absolutely priority for me on absolutely every site I visit. I hate the white backlight. Second is privacy, Firefox has the best add ons to eliminate trackers and ad garbage. Firefox has done everything I need adequately, I've tried a number of browsers and if it's been a while for you I recommend you give it a second chance.

Use Firefox, everything I view is in dark mode always regardless of the site's settings. @Glenn thanks for the tip on adding to my home screen... you just changed my life... again

Some Really good advice in here, I have a few questions that'll hopefully result in further advice: What are all of your current combos (brands & specs [instead of Mh or Heavy etc share lure ratings] for rods and reels)? How dense is the vegetation? What hook were you using (size, type, xx or superline)? We'll tighten up the recommendations considering all the previous info you shard and these answers. We've all been there, I'm still heartbroken like 6 years later after watching a fish I would've married spit the hook at me, flip me the middle fin, and swim off. I'll never knowingly let a fish jump again.

Thanks for the tips yall, I threw an old reel's clip in for now, I'll makeshift one if I feel so inclined on that old one... but u really ain't using it anymore