MediumMouthBass

Strength definitely is perishable, i got injured a few years ago, actually it was a few injuries that compounded into something worse.... Before i was 21 i had the strength, muscle, and mobility of a unhealthy 60-70 year old.... I lost almost all my muscle, strength too, my mobility was nonexistent as well. Fishing is the only thing that kept my body somewhat moving. The injury didnt cause this, it was stopping exercise/lifting weights. But hey its what several doctors told me to do.... My spirit and will power were gone, this went on for a few years and i finally got sick of the state my body was in. Dusted off the weights, cleaned up my workout room which hasnt been used in years and made a choice. I started from zero weight, just moving my arms and legs. Moved on to 3lbs, then 5lbs, and so on. I now have much better strength, my muscle is still no where near what it was but i have built up mass and definition for certain muscle groups. Im adding new exercises each week, gaining strength, and my mobility is almost back to where it should be. I have to do an hour of PT (at home) each day followed by an hour or 2 in the gym, every day. Even when my body is sore ill just keep at it and do a smaller muscle group or work on grip strength, or core. Your comments about bone density, connective tissue strength & flexibility are very accurate, even while im making significant progress in "rebuilding my body" as i like to call it, i have to go slow because my ligaments, joints, and tissue arent getting the same message my muscles are. I was referring to the guys that ego lift or do reps with improper form and get disc issues, rotator cuff tears, knee issues, among others.... If you dont do it correctly alot can go wrong, thats why anytime i do any exercise i try to aim for 100 percent perfection in form. If that means lowering the reps or weight so be it. Ive been following your thread on exercise for awhile now, its definitely been an inspiration.

I can give up excess/added sugars, seed oils, fast food, processed foods, beer, sodas/sugary drinks, etc.... Without issue as i already have stopped eating/drinking them for awhile. I will never give up red meat. You are stronger than i am. I exercise for a different reason than most, its not weight loss, or muscle gains, but more so longevity, effectiveness, general health, and the strength/mobility i will need to carry on for the rest of life. Im very devoted to this, and even after that its still very hard to keep consistent every day. Eating right is hard for most people, but it really comes down to the recipes. I couldnt stick to a healthy eating plan until i started using the air fryer and buttermilk ranch. Working out is great, until several months or years go by and you tell yourself to take the weekend off, and then it snowballs to a week, etc.... You just have to keep going, and not quit, now now, not ever. This is funny to me, because its a double edged sword. Dont workout = destroy the body. Working out = destroy the body. You really have to find the best and safest way to lift, move, walk, and run, its the absolute key to success and injury prevention. Always gotta make sure every rep is done with perfect form too. Try these and flutter kicks, then just wait for the 6 pack😂

This sounds as sketchy as buying a $5000 Hellcat in Philadelphia off Facebook marketplace..... Between the polygraph comment on the other tournament post and this, are you guys fishing tournaments for the NSA? In all seriousness kayak tournaments seem odd and strange to begin with compared to what little i know of the ones with jon boats and bass boats. I barely could understand most of what i read at first, (again i know next to nothing about tournaments) but if someones in charge, finds spots for themselves and adds them last minute, and fishes along with you? Thats alot of mud in the water.... I would forget about that mess and enjoy the one you are fishing now.

3 years ago i had the best quantity bass fishing of my life. 2 years ago it was the best quality bass fishing of my life. A new pb each week. This year was terrible. Pre spawn was nonexistent, biggest bass caught was 2 3/4lbs. 9/10 days there were 0 bass caught, myself and about a dozen other bass fishermen included. I caught less than 15 fish the entire year since spring, and thats including panfish and trout.... Only thing different is the places were treated with a chemical to reduce grass and weeds. The trout and panfish guys were barely catching anything either.

Is there a difference between the gimmick SLX DC reels promoted by every youtuber vs the better quality DC reels Shimano makes? If not i doubt Daiwa would invest money into that if what they are already making is bringing in lots of $$$$$$$$. Personally i would like them not to bring out a DC reel, i get that both companies already have similar products out on the market, but whats the point in being a Daiwa or Shimano fan if both companies become the same, selling the same reel? I like my Daiwas for the reasons i dislike my Shimanos, and vise versa.

Braid to leader is the only way to do it for spinning gear for me (unless trout/panfishing). Ive went back and forth for years, i stopped using it on my main rods because anytime i break off on a kayak or fishing on the river theres not enough time to pull out fresh line and retie a leader. Well i decided im going back to braid to leader, even with it being a nuisance it just casts farther, and being able to see the line on top of the water is a confidence boost. And in the river being able to see the line while fishing ned rigs is a life saving tool for smallies.

Both. Most jerkbaits cast poorly on my casting gear, but using a SLX with an MGL spool solves this for me. I can cast most jerkbaits even lighter ones farther than with my spinning combos. However i prefer using spinning gear because somehow it lets me work the lure back to the boat/kayak/bank better. It just doesnt feel right with a casting rod....

Big fan of CZ, i still cant understand how they are dismissed by so many that pick the same overrated Glock.... The P07 and P09 are by far my favorite looking polymers on the market. The P10C and P10F when they were on sale for the last 2 years were an insane value, alot of us really thought they were going to come out with a new version.... Then weve got the Bren 2, if you know anything about the Bren 2 then you know its one of the best looking rifles to ever be made in 7.63x39

I started fishing when i was a few years old, didnt take it seriously until i was a teenager. Got big into trout and panfish for a few years, i would catch a few bass every now and then as a bycatch. I found myself heading to the creek less and less, and would end up at the lake instead. My rods started going from 1 out of 4 for bass to 3 out of 4. I then went all in on bass and only fished for trout or panfish a few times a year. I bought a ton of gear just for bass, several kayaks, a boat etc.... Theres just nothing like bass for freshwater, panfish and trout taste good, but theres no excitement in their fight, walleye taste great, but its like reeling in a bag of bread i once heard on here. Catfishing is as fun as watching paint dry. Pike and Musky are fun, but not as populated as bass. So whats left? Bass, smallmouth and largemouth. Its an adrenaline rush when youve got a big one on the line, compares to nothing else in freshwater. And its never the same, you always have to come prepared and adapt quickly on the water, sometimes it might just be a few 1-2lbers, but deep down each one of us is always on the hunt for a big bass. And if you only do something for money, or competition whats the point? If you dont have enough love for a hobby just to do it unless getting something out of it why bother? Most of us just want to enjoy nature, catch a few bass, talk to some nice people, and forget about whats going on with the world.... We want to be involved in fishing, not stare at a screen the whole day and throw bait right onto a fish (talking about FFS).... We like to actually improve on ourselves as bass fishermen, not cheat the system for money. Good day.

Shimano SLX $100, sale price $75 Shimano SLX XT $125, sale price $100 Shimano SLX 70 (with MGL spool) $150, sale price $125 Daiwa Fuego CT $120, sale price $100 Daiwa Tatula 100 (from Japan) around $120 Daiwa Tatula CT $150, sale price $120 Daiwa Tatula SV TW $210, sale price $180 Daiwa Zillion 21 (from Japan) around $210 Lews LFS $100, sale price $60-75 These are a wide range of different reels, for different budgets too. I included MSRP as well as what they go on sale for. Black Friday sales can either be hit or miss from how the economy has been the last few years, but still should have reels with the best prices they have be recently. Stay away from Amazon reels as a beginner, most of the reviews are paid, the rest are bad. Subpar parts, nonexistent cutosmer service, and a warranty that is about as real as the Easter Bunny. And a ridiculous amount of extra bearings, that do nothing but make people new to these reels think they are the best and give them there money. As a beginner for casting reels the experience will more than likely not be pleasant with them. A good quality reel, with much better braking systems, and non plastic frames, goes on sale as low as $50-60. Wait for the sales.

Thank you to all who served! God bless America!

My family and i didnt use our boat once this year, its a nuisance with our driveway and amount of vehicles we have. Its an hour long procedure, whereas our kayaks are loaded and gone in 10 minutes. One option we thought of was renting a spot at a storage place and just hook it up to the truck before heading to the lake. We do it with the jetskis already, may or may not be an option for you if a dolly becomes too much work. Or if you have a quad that would be a good way to get it to and from the garage to the truck. We would hook ours up to the quad after moving several vehicles and saved alot of pulled muscles by doing so. And this was a lighter boat, cant imagine a heavy one.

One is and always was a fighter, the other is a spoiled rich kid that was an idiot on youtube for most of his life. Im all in on Tyson.

For most people its hard to learn in the winter, with most states either being too cold or the lakes frozen. Id like to learn how to move to Florida to avoid this. But for now ill settle with learning what part of the creek the trout will be Dec-Feb. And maybe practice casting indoors into coffee cans or cardboard boxes.

Most budget oriented reels $60-150 from both brands are either made in China, Thailand, Vietnam, or some other country. Only the more premium or a select few popular reels are made in Japan. If you look it up, both brands have "fabrication facilities" in almost a dozen countries.

Whether bank, boat, or kayak i use a small bag from Walmart that costs $20. Its called Okeechobee Fats, it doesnt take up much room, and holds either 20-40 bags of soft plastics, or 10-20 soft plastics and 2 3600 sized tackle trays with lures. Has a front pocket i use for tools but other plastics can fit. 2 side bags i use to put smaller packs of soft plastics in or extra spools of line. I have tried many many ways of storing soft plastics, this was the best (for me). It takes me 20 seconds or less to open the bag and switch plastics, i dont have to dig through 10 containers, and theres no colors running from the heat of summer (like if they were in a tackle tray).

This is how i do it in PA. I feel bad for you guys that stop for the winter, i dont know how you get through it not fishing.

Im a bit odd when it comes to lipless cranks and chatterbaits. I know most people throw both on some sort of moderate rod but i feel like im on a different planet when ive tried in the past. A stiff fast action MH rod (preferably 7'3") is my go to for both baits, i just loosen the drag a bit with the lipless. But if it breaks i have to pay St Croix $60 for the warranty, i usually wouldnt care about that but since their reputations taken a hit with rods breaking and bad customer service and not knowing if they fixed either yet..... The Fritts is one of my favorite non Aird X rods, i love the matte green color on it. The cork handle is very comfortable as well, its ratings are 1/2-1 1/4. Even though its a moderate its not very bendy, most crankbaits dont load on the rod. Even when paired with the BB1 Pro (cranking specific reel meant for long casts) i sometimes cant get the lure out far enough. I have to resort to much heavier crankbaits for it to work like its intended too. This is my main deep diver rod but i wanted something a bit more multi purpose, this St Croix filled the gap but with their qc and reviews lately idk.... And the reputation for breaking is legitimate, like most of the Lews rods under $100. It seems like only some though, if you get a good one you get a good one. Havent pushed the rod far enough yet to know if it will snap. Im sure im going to sell it, but not sure what to replace it with. Ive looked at a few rods from Daiwa, Dobyns, Falcon, Shimano, and a few others but im not very well versed in rods that cost more than $55.

Going to have be a bit more specific. Susquehanna is a big river.

These are post pandemic. Bought 2 years ago. They are goldish metallic orange if that helps.

@A-Jay what is on your reels thats attached to the line? Looks like beads? Ive been using tape on my spools for my shelf bound reels to keep the line from becoming a mess and that looks like a much cleaner option.

Im sorry to be the one to tell you this, most Daiwa and Shimano reels are made in both those countries. In fact probably even the same factory as Piscifun. I looked at a few of their reels years ago, along with a few other Amazon sold brands, between the "paid good reviews" the real bad reviews, and the part about not being sure if the reels could handle bass without being ruined i decided id spend the extra $20. Im sure they make good reels, but if a 10lber is on the other end of the line i want the most advantages i can get. Im also sorry to be the one to tell you this as well, JDM prices are 2x higher than what most places had them on sale for 1, 2, and 3 years ago. Got most of my Daiwa, Shimano, and Lews rods/reels between 30-50% off. But for now with 20% being the best sale i can find, JDM reels seem to be the best option. Unless you like the way a Lews, Abu, or something else feels. Than whatever fits you best is the best option. In fact if Lews dropped their Mach series and went all in on their real reels and rods, dropped prices a bit, and upped marketing they would probably be able to win over the more budget oriented market and do alot better than they are now, without the competition. But i try to be unbiased, so for MSRP no brands worth it.

2 years ago i bought a St Croix Legend Glass 7'4" MH Moderate cranking rod from Midway when they had a gift card promo going, i saw it on here in the latest sales area and bought one. I paid $275 for it and got $200 back. Its sat in the corner collecting dust since then, its rated 3/8-1oz i was planning on using it for bigger squarebills, heavier crankbaits, and lighter deep divers. I bought enough of those cranks to fill 10 or more 3700 trays, well after trying various crankbaits for awhile on a different cranking rod i learned im not too fond of them, and much prefer lipless cranks. So im downsizing my huge collection of crankbaits and deep diving crankbaits, although im going to keep a few trays worth because while its not something i love to fish, it does produce bass. And is also a technique i would like to improve on further. Ive been debating whether or not i should sell this rod, i paid $75 for it and its new with tags and the remainder of a 15 year warranty. I put it for sale locally because even after income tax i can make a bit of money on it. But im not 100% sure about selling it. My only other cranking rod is a Lews David Fritts, love the rod, but they are junk when it comes to reliability and most tend to snap.... The reason im on the fence about keeping it is because after i bought it i heard about the quality control issues at St Croix, and the issues people had with customer service as well. Did St Croix get their stuff together now? Still having issues? And if anyone has this rod or a different one thats still in the Legend Glass lineup is it worth keeping? And if not what rod can i replace it with for under $150? Looking for good warranty, customer service, reliability, not having a reputation for snapping (cough cough my Lews cranking rod), but good enough to cover my cranking needs. Some of you may know this, i mainly only use Aird X rods. Sadly none are made for cranking and since it would basically be free money for a new rod i might as well get something nice.

100% agree, i love my Lews reels. BB1 Pro and LFS especially. Most just cant get over spending that much on a Lews when a Daiwa or Shimano are the same price or less, i was that way for a long time. But there was a sale and i figured i would try a Lews or 2. I dont believe Doyo makes Quantums, i think Quantums are Zebco? And Doyo is Lews, Bass Pro, and Abus?

They definitely bit off more than they could chew. Pure Fishing in my opinion ruined most (not all) of the brands they acquired in one way or another (except Berkley, and a few others). They gave us a refresh with new rods and reels from Abu, except they upped the price on most. Reduced quality parts on others. I loved older Abu products, the new ones? Not so much. They did the same thing the domestic car brands did, they took a $30,000 vehicle and thought they could add a markup to $60,000 thinking it was worth gold. Well people realized they could get a Mercedes, BMW, etc.... For the money instead. Their reels now are pushing Shimano, and Daiwa prices. They dont have the pro staff, marketing, quality, or popularity to back that up. Their rods are snapping like twigs too. Fenwick rods are now having reviews of snapping and breaking on all the major fishing websites, and they used to have a reputation of being great rods for the price.... Pflueger reels have taken a hit as well. The new spinning reels are getting some bad reviews as well. Spiderwire and Stren when checking reviews on certain lines have terrible reviews as well. These are just the brands they own im familiar with, so im not sure about their other brands and more premium stuff. Somehow, with all their issues they were able to turn Berkley into a bigger success than it was before. The new baits they have been releasing the last few years (althought most are copies from other brands) are very good at catching bass and seem to have gotten alot of popularity. And they just came out with updated versions of Ugly Stik GX2's, not sure how that will go with their track record.... Im still a big Abu fan because they are what i started bass fishing with, but its sad what they are now.... But i get it, i have many different hobbies, fishing, cars, etc... etc... And in almost every hobby of mine a private equity firm, or a corporation have bought up most brands. And the ones that they didnt drive into bankruptcy they have destroyed their products quality, while ruining their fan base. Thats why i said in my previous comment its all about having the money and the RIGHT PEOPLE. This whole write up pretty much describes why alot of people were upset about Dobyns being sold, but the guys that bought them seem to be atleast heading in the right direction. Edit, and to add they destroyed their unrivaled budget casting reel. The Black Max.... This was a $30 tank, a savior to those on a budget, a legend. They had the market cornered with this, they literally had to change nothing and could have sold it like it was for decades more. The new Max X is like taking money and throwing it in a dumpster to say the least. The reel feels cheap, line gets stuck in the sides unless using 15lb mono or thicker, the rod handles are plastic? They actually thought it would be a great idea....