MediumMouthBass

Power fishing works everywhere. Finesse fishing also works everywhere. If you are fishing deeper water, just go 1 size up in weight. Example 3/4oz-1oz bladed jigs, 3/4oz lipless cranks, 1/2-3/4oz spinnerbaits. 3/4-1oz football jigs, 5/8oz swim jigs. And to add on to this, if i were to travel around the country i would fish what im most confident in. Its easier to change your retrieve speed/cadence then it is to learn a whole new technique/lure/bait. Cheaper too. Fish what works best for you.

I have several Black Maxes and 1 Max X, never cleaned a single one and not one has had an issue. I did however buy the newer Vengeance reels and that drag came non existent from the factory. On these cheaper reels quality control can be hit or miss, still great reels for the price but sometimes you might just have to exchange them or work on them. If the reel was working properly before and now isnt, more then likely something might have been put back together in the wrong order or the grease. I just did a quick google search on that grease and it doesnt look like grease made for fishing reels, that might be the issue. Try to buy a bottle of grease and oil meant for fishing reels, i like the Lucas Oil ones that were rebranded by Lews, the Super Duty ones. Affordable and sold at several places. If that doesnt fix the issue then just try reassembling again. If that doesnt work either call Abu's customer service or send it to a reel shop. But that itself might cost more than the reel.

SLX MGL, its been mentioned by myself and several others for a good reason. It excels at casting lighter crankbaits/lighter chatterbaits/weightless soft plastics/anything light. And it also excels at heavier stuff like chatterbaits, big crankbaits, jerkbaits, anything heavy. And you know what, the MGL spool also does good with those spinnerbaits too. Try to find one of the last gen models they were going on sale at some big discounts the past month, just not sure if any of those places have any remaining stock. If not the new version is even better. And you arent sacrificing usable line capacity much between a 150 size and a 70. (keyword is usable, ive got a reel that holds 200-300 yards, i only cast it about 30). 10lb line gets 100 yards on the SLX MGL, unless you are casting 90 yards and plan on hooking a tarpon thats more then plenty. And if you use braid or braid to leader like i am with it, im able to cast even the same distance that most of my larger long distance casting reels can, and theres still plenty of line left. If its line capacity was a problem we would be hearing about it, i dont think ive ever heard 1 person on here talk about how they made a cast and were able to get down to the knot. I just started using it this season for chatterbaits/swim jigs and i really like using it for them. If it were a 6 speed ratio reel it would be moved to my main chatterbait combo.

I dont know a single thing about Phleuger other than their name, so i cant give any advice on that combo, but personally i would rather buy a rod and reel separately. Theres alot of good budget rods and reels out there (well in the US atleast). This way you will get the exact rod and reel you want, ive had a few off the shelf combos where i might have liked the rod but hated the reel, or the opposite. But if you want a off the shelf ready to fish combo, not sure if they have Abu Black Max/Max X combos in Canada but here in the US they are one of the top (if not the top) budget combo. They have proven themselves time and time again for years. Also a Daiwa Aird X rod is one of the best rods under $100 (my opinion) and goes for around $55 US dollars, pair that with a $30 Black Max reel from an auction site or old stock and that'll last a long time. They have a 2 piece rod as well. Another piece of advice, if you plan on only using it for a little bit and then upgrading any budget combo would work, but if you plan on using it for awhile get something that will last, even if you have to wait awhile to save up some more money.

Ill leave my plano boxes under my kayak seat, or in a bag if im on the boat. But theres really no need unless fishing 100 degree days all the time. From summer through winter even ill leave bags of soft plastics and Planos full of lures in the car. That stuff gets hotter than any day in the sun could get it, and then frozen like its in a freezer in the colder months. No soft plastics melted and no hardbaits deformed. Even the 6th sense stuff i left in the car during the summer is still good. And that itself is just wild. Theres more of a concern for line being damaged while in the heat/sun than lures. And the kayak warping slightly. But they are designed to handle that.

Local shops, Tackle Warehouse, Bait WRX, Midway, Omnia, DSG, BPS/Cabelas. Ive got line from 3-4 years ago thats still good, as long as it was kept out of the sun/heat while being stored its like new. Being on a shelf or in the back of a warehouse for most of its life those should still be good. Also for Big Game, that line will live forever. 3 years is nothing for that.

Jerkbaits/flukes on the outside of edges of the growing grass or weeds. Throw a lipless/chatterbait in or past the grass, and rip it out of it or burn it over it. If there are any lily pad stems (not grown but starting) run a square bill through them. Dont be afraid to throw a popper or walking bait in the afternoon or evening either. If they dont want moving baits try a texas rig or jig. Ned rig or shakey head for the finesse side of things, will catch either species of bass too. Try a wacky worm or even a big ribbon/curly tail worm if you have them. If none of that works texas rig a tube, and hop it very fast off the bottom.

Jokes on you i use 3oz jigs and paracord for line. I then take a whole pack of Zman TRD's and mix them in a bag with senkos. After 3 days in a hot car i stick the melted baits in the freezer, 2 hours and then i have a 3 foot long ned rig. Midwest finesse has been replaced. Get over it.

Try the old, pull 40' of line off the spool and put tape down over the rest trick. Should make skipping the frogs easier. And try the non popping ones, they (poppers) will catch water and stop the skip. The $1 Walmart frogs skip decent enough under docks.

Take a modern Daiwa reel and put the Megabass name on it. Add 25% if not more to its cost. It would either be the rich or collectors that would buy it. Most people wouldnt think a different color makes it worth more than something thats the same for alot less. And if they made one themselves it would probably be even more expensive. They dont have the supplies, contacts, machining, plans/blueprints/schematics, decades worth of parts, tools, knowledge. Starting from scratch would be quite an expensive leap for them. And they, well any company is in the business of making money. If it costs them alot itll cost you double. Most modern reels require little to no modifications, sure some people like to go all out changing some of the internal/external parts to their liking. But thats not a large group. They wouldnt make the money now they made then. Since well these reels already come out of the box amazing. But it would be really great if a group of people started doing really cool custom painted reels, ive always customized the paint/decals/graphics on almost anything ive ever owned, in every hobby. Except fishing, ive just left everything the way it came.... But if there was a place i could just send my frames to get some really unique designs painted on, and then just get it back and put it together that would be great. These reels all look the same, plain, basic, boring. Even my Zillion could use some color.

7'3" is the way to go for MH rods (unless using a jerkbait or crankbait). I have tons of them, from Dobyns (733c but this rods rated odd, its more like a inbetween of M and MH) and several Aird X's. But ive also got a 7' Lews TP1X and a 7'2"/7'4" Lews KVD, along with 2 more 7' Aird X's. I like the 7' rods for casting jigs or spinnerbaits, everything else id rather have a 7'3". For distance you just cant do better. (i mean you can if you get a longer rod, but youll be hitting the rod into ceilings and smacking it into trees). A 7'3" MH fast rod is one of the most versatile casting rods you can get, paired with the right reel and line you can cast even way below its ratings too. It can do so much, Texas rigs, jigs, chatterbaits, spinner/buzz baits, jerkbaits (just dont hit the ground with the rod), crankbaits (just loosen drag), lipless cranks, flukes, toads, topwaters (ploppers, poppers, and walking baits), paddle tail swimbaits.

Academy runs sales alot throughout the year, you can get some really good deals on their brands fishing gear. They have a $5 weight scale, its amazing. I broke mine in the kayak so ill have to get some more. Their hooks are very budget friendly but hold up quite well, i did alot of research on them last year when they had a sale and bought several bags of them. I cant remember the amount but as an example lets say i bought 100 of their hooks for the price of 20 hooks from a name brand company. The soft plastics are good too. I really like their flukes and finesse worms. The crankbaits and jerkbaits are really amazing and super cheap. I have yet to try out their rods or reels tho. But they seem very affordable. And they also have alot of their own tackle bags and tools. I cant remember if the stuff i have is H20 or H20x, i bought them right as they started to make the change.

I wouldnt call 1/8 BFS.... but i like the spinnerbaits from Berkley(Power Blade). I agree on the Strike King and Booyahs, its almost like a joke. So flimsy. The Power Blade comes in many different blade variations, lots of really nice detailed colors. Great keeper for trailers, comes in 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 for the smaller ones. I have 2 and fish them for pickerel, but i think they would do great for bass.

Northern part of the country.... Youve got alot of great suggestions already. And im guessing since you want 2 rods only, that you want them to be more versatile than specific. For me personally tho, i cant stand medium casting rods. Thats what the spinning rods are for. So ill recommend this, a Dobyns Fury 733c. Perfect balance between medium and medium heavy. Paired with a SLX MGL or Tatula SV with 30-40lb braid this combo can cast anything lighter but still do great casting heavier baits. I didnt use mine for a year or 2 but im using it a ton so far this season. Im really enjoying throwing lighter texas rigs and even weightless soft plastics, as well as finesse jigs on it so far. I just end up fishing them too fast and have to remind myself to slow down.... For the second a MH 7'3". Any rod from Falcon, Ark, Tatula, St Croix, TP1X/Black, KVD, Dobyns or even a $55 Aird X would work. The 733c and this rod might have the same power but the ratings are so much different (Dobyns rates their rods weird). Pair it with Tatula CT, SLX XT, or LFS and 12lb mono or hybrid. Crankbaits, lipless cranks, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, heavier Texas rigs and jigs, swim jigs, topwaters would all be doable on this combo. For the crankbaits just loosen the drag a bit. I take about 3-6 rods with me whether im bank fishing or on the kayak and i use 2 rods the most. Sometimes i aks myself why i even bring the others if i barely use them. Both of the rod/reel combos above are my 2 most used. A heavy rod isnt really needed, unless you do a ton of pitching or throwing big baits itll just sit in a corner of a room collecting dust. So for the 3rd if you absolutely need one get a moderate or moderate-fast rod, between 7'-7'6". medium or medium heavy depending on the ratings. You only really need this if you specifically plan on doing alot of cranking. If you only do it from time to time the 2nd combo with loose drag i mentioned will do fine.

I dont get skunked. If the bass arent biting ill go for trout or panfish. If none of the above species want to bite, ill throw a lipless in the worst vegetation the lake has. Ill catch between 25-100lbs of grass, weeds, and slime. If thats still not working ill count the mosquito bites. Some people are in debt for life (college) just to get an education like i just gave.

The KVD series is nice whether you go casting or spinning, I dont understand the ML rod trend so ill recommend this, get a medium rod thats between 7-7'3". You can go longer but 7'2"-7'3" are about the best there is for distance, without having to worry about hitting the rod into the ceiling or smacking it into trees. Pair that will a 2000 sized reel, and when you get back you will still have a nice combo. But you will be able to use it for any type of bass fishing technique that doesnt require a MH casting rod.

@ardeact now that you know what to do, try a finesse jig or swim jig. They are even more fun to fish. Learn how to fish those and youll be able to catch a bass on a jig most of the year, even when the bite slows down.

I had a huge snapper chase my Texas rig senko at a pond a few years ago, any time i brought it back to the bank it would swim towards it. Thing was massive, but i did hook a small turtle on a Adams dry fly awhile ago too.... Just a tip for the other kayakers on here, if you dont know already. In the summer months dont put your fish on a stringer over the side of the kayak. Youll get all kinds of turtles and snakes to go along with your catch. But hey i guess thats just more protein, whos got the seasoning?

I have 3 kayaks and 1 jon boat, and fish on them alot along with bank fishing, and theres no electronics with me when im fishing. I am probably the one of the few people here, and probably only 1% of the younger generation thats against technology. Whether thats on boats, cars, homes, etc.... I dont even have a phone. And now with AI, have any of you seen any of the terminator movies? I bought a fish finder last year just because i wanted to know the depths, well i returned it instead. A 1/2oz jig tells me everything i need to know about the bottom and how deep it is. Time on the water is the best way to learn good spots and what the bass want. I like to fish the "old school" way i guess, if im fishing im doing it for enjoyment and relaxing. Staring at a screen for 2 hours of a 3 hour trip doesnt seem that fun, nor does having to spend extra money on batteries, time to charge, connect the wires, etc.... And a fish finder isnt a game changer either, theres been days the guys with 2-3 screens on boats that cost more than i could make in a year came back to the launch talking about how the bass werent biting that day, i didnt share with them that i caught several already.... When fishing becomes more of a job/chore than a hobby whats the point? But for the guys on huge lakes i can totally understand the need for GPS and depth so they dont run aground. (but they seem to be using it more for navigation than fishing)

I only have 1 lake i fish with pike, they usually are caught (by others) in the same areas. Even though they might be near each other they are often spread out from each other.

Pike and pickerel are in 80% of the lakes and ponds i fish, some you might only catch less than a few a year and others theres a 40% (bass) to 60% esox ratio. For years i either didnt fish hardbaits, or used cheap house brand ones from DSG, Academy, or BPS. When i did use lures i used a steel leader. This resulted in almost no bass and even less pike/pickerel. This year i decided i dont care if the lure gets bit off i just want to catch more fish, im fishing everything i got. Id rather lose a $5-15 dollar lure and have a great time, then have a $5-15 lure at home on the shelf and catch little to no bass. Academy jerkbaits and crankbaits while on the budget side are actually good, Strike King/Berkley crankbaits are often on sale between $3-6 per lure. When theres a sale buy in bulk. And often the pike/pickerel dont bite the lure off when they grab it, its almost always when they are right next to the boat/kayak and when you go to grab them they slice the line. Invest in a good net, that way atleast if they slice the line you can grab them and unhook the lure. This is my experience others may vary. I know you said crankbaits, but you will lose them heres some alternatives for stuff that hurts less financially. If you want to save the most money when fishing waters with anything from the esox family of fish, a paddle tail swimbait, toad, or a craw/creature soft plastic with lots of movement are great alternatives to hard baits and dont cost you much if they get bit off. Oh and spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are great as well, you catch either bass or pike on them and usually from how long the wire on them is the line gets saved.

When im going for them ill use 4lb mono, but ive caught alot of them only 8, 10, and 12lb line when fishing smaller stuff for bass. The reason those of us who panfish alot use smaller diameter/lighter line is for casting/tieing it onto such small lures, also its more fun to bring them in on 4lb or 2lb than any other type of line. Now dont go to light if you are using a weighted bobber, i throw only trout magnet bobbers on mine and the line does fine, but when im fishing anything weighted (like a rocket bobber) sometimes the line can snap very easily if you cast a certain way. So maybe 6 or 8 would be ideal depending on the bobber. They arent line or human shy, a few years ago when i first got into fly fishing there were dozens of monster bluegill right off the bank, we could both see each other. And the bright orange floating line kept slapping the water right on top of them, well they didnt seem to mind that much. 10-15 of them are now in the freezer.

Fish them the way you said either weightless or with a nail weight around bluegill beds, on different moon phases the bluegill will return to their beds for most of the year. It does good then too. I havent tried skipping one yet, but i think theres some bass at my one lake that would bite it if i could get it to the hard to reach areas under the docks.

Cheapest option, buy a bag of Strike King baits and just put a few on your hands, that coffee scent will last hours and several hand washings. Plus youll have baits to fish wish, try fishing with a bottle of scent.

Its only a concern if you dont have guide inserts, most modern rods (except Ugly Stiks) have them. And i always bring a pair of gloves when using braid, it might not be needed, but id rather have them and use them when dealing with that line. Theres no reason to use braid if you arent comfortable with it, fluoro/hybrid works fine by itself. If you want to watch the line use either hybrid or mono with a fluoro leader. But braid is a great line if you do chose to use it. 10-15lb braid to a 6-8lb fluoro or hybrid leader, i only used fluoro for years, but i cant stand using it anymore so im sticking with hybrid for my leader material. And go with the longest rod you can, my normal ned rig rod is a 7'2" M F, but its no longer made so i only use it from time to time, i was fishing my other ned rig rod today at the river, 7' M F Daiwa Aird X (usually those rods are stiff but for some reason this one has alot of bend to it) and the distance was horrible. So ill stick with my extremely stiff 7'2", because it can go atleast twice as far casting even just a 1/16 with a TRD.