MediumMouthBass

My 733 paired with a SLX MGL with 30lb braid could cast it, but those reels are meant for being able to cast lighter baits. Not sure if it could or how it could with a normal casting reel. Probably could do it but the distance wouldnt be the same

Im the opposite, ive got my 21 Zillion right now being brought bank fishing, its being throw on the ground, carried with about 4-6 other rod and reel combos, and any time i step over something the reels slam into each other. The finish on it should be worn very quickly. I bought it to enjoy and use, anything of value i dont use or think ill use anymore is getting sold. But for my original Abu Black Maxes they are too nice to use, i have 1 still in its box and the other 2 on my fishing room work desk as a display. Sometimes good memories are worth more than a price tag. A reel with that was made to be great, whether spool technology, braking system, whatever it may be doesnt do anything to help you on the water if its at home.

This reminds of me some parts of my local river, the state biologists are predicting the catfish (invasive ones) cant remember which species of them will eventually destroy the bass fishing in a few years to a decade in some areas.... Alot of people have been catching them and then throwing them on the side of the bank, in the summer it starts to smell, thats how they are dealing with them i guess. Id recommend you get a group together and catch as many as you all can, take them home and eat them. Might be all thats needed to reduce their population. All fish species are cool and interesting to me, and i think each one has a purpose (even those from the esox family) but when one gets out of control its usually bad for every other species. And any fish can do it, whether its the largest or the smallest, i once saw a pond get destroyed just from bluegill overpopulation. They were also trying to get as many of them to eat to fix that problem.

If panfishing its hard to beat anything from ACC Crappie Stix. Shimano also has the Sensilite and Daiwa has the Presso if you want something that looks a bit nicer.

@Pat Brown a big bass on a lipless crankbait from the bank? I see you too are a man of culture These are all bank fishing a lipless, ive tried the same lake in a kayak and all i did was get blown around and my lures stuck in trees on the other side. I love my kayak, its one of the best river kayaks ever made. And for the river its amazing. But for lakes and ponds i still love kayaking or using the jon boat, but theres nothing like bank fishing. It teaches an angler so much, builds will power and determination, and when i finally got off the bank and on the water, it gave me a different perspective, and a greater appreciation. If $10,000 was on the line id rather fish with 5 fellow bank fishermen than 10 guys with boats, somethings you just gotta learn by not staring at a fish finder for 3 hours a day.

1. Tackle addiction, its real and its serious. When the sales were good, i bought way to much. Most of it ill never use and have so many things i dont even need, or want to fish with. Along with countless thousands wasted. I now am going through the process of starting a LLC/business for myself to sell off most of it either locally or online. But the one upside is atleast ill be able to learn a few things about a business, taxes, shipping, and ill get to tie flies (which is another one of my favorite hobbies) and sell them. So for me the rising cost of lures is keeping me from buying more, bad planning on my part but it taught me alot about making better financial choices and proper planning. 2. Pickerel.... The guys even more north will say Pike. What else do i need to say? We all know how evil they are. Check my profiles signature down below for an example of them. 3. The lazy fishermen who leave tons of line, bottles, containers, and other trash everywhere, theres really no reason for it. Even had a few of them starting campfires along the bank right under lots of trees.... 4. Having a kayak with no anchor trolley, the wind can get bad, very bad. 5. Jetskis, my parents will come near my kayak at a slow speed to check on how the fishing is, and even slow it causes such a wake i get blown 15-40'. So the other people going really fast gets to the point you have to reel in and paddle to dodge getting blown into a dock.

Been thinking about maybe doing a move near there for many years, family's wanted to go there for decades so i think it might be the time depending on different properties for sale. They obviously have the world famous Salmon River, id sure like to fish it alot for the seasonal salmon, steelheads, and brown trout too, but as someone who likes fishing for bass more than any other fish species im curious about the bass fishing up there, i dont have a preference of large or smallmouth. I know theres the Salmon River Reservoir (Redfield), Lower Reservoir (Altmar), Kasoag Lake, North Sandy and South pond (Sandy Creek), along with the estuary, and Ontario/Oneida being nearby as well. Along with hundreds of smaller ponds. So if anyone who has been up there or lives nearby can comment on those areas or even the surrounding ones id greatly appreciate it! Id also be willing to make the trip to Onondaga in Syracuse from time to time if i make the move.

Same with the Fish and Boat Commission/DCNR in PA, they would rather the bass population to cease to exist if it meant they could stock another 10 thousand trout more than what they already put in 1 lake in just 1 year. We had people snagging bass on beds right off the bank to eat and they wouldnt care, just checked to make sure the guys fishing for trout had their licenses for it.

@Butterland from what youve said so far i think either a Medium Heavy Fast or Medium Heavy Moderate Fast between 7'2"-7'4" would be your best bet. if you fish 1/4 on the bottom and 1oz at the top try finding a rod with as close to those ratings that you can get. The Aird X and Tatula CT have matching colors in some spots if that matters, sometimes Ark does buy 1 get one free sales on rods, Lews has the TP1X and KVD rods, theres several different Falcons that have been getting really good reviews on here lately too. Pay attention to the latest sale thread as well, alot of good rod and reel deals have been posted from time to time. I would check out some rods in person in the next few months and see how you like them when you are actually holding them instore, what i and others think might be a great rod might feel the opposite to you. You want a rod that can load up enough with the lures you will be throwing, too stiff it wont cast well, too wimpy and it wont either. Finding a good balance is the key. But for me i think the reel and line are also just as important. And forget what i said about the other reels, if you are getting backlashes and want to be able to throw 1/4oz lures better but also be able to go up to the higher ounce baits too check out some videos on the Shimano SLX MGL, they go on sale between $110-150. This is a fantastic reel for preventing backlashes, same with the Tatula SV TW 103 but thats a bit too expensive and the Shimano casts farther and costs less. I have 30lb braid on my SLX MGL and i can go from casting a 1/4oz texas rig to a 3/4oz Chatterbait (its 1/2oz but after adding a trailer its closer to 3/4oz) and barely even have to make any changes to the brakes, it casts extremely easy to where i barely even have to keep my thumb on the spool. Very user/beginner friendly reel. It has a shallower spool than most reels but if you use braided line it wont really matter, casts really far too. I praise this reel all the time on here, its that good. And they just came out with the new generation that has some more features added to it. I will add another rod suggestion as well, look at some stuff from Dobyns, i have a 733c (bought it from Dicks Sporting Goods actually) they sell between $90-130 depending on sales. Now the thing with Dobyns is the rods arent rated properly, the 773 i have is called a Medium Heavy, but its more of an inbetween of a Medium and Medium Heavy, its ratings for lure weigh are 1/4oz-3/4oz but ill throw 1/8oz Texas rigs on it and also 1oz Whopper Ploppers with no issues. I have this rod paired with my SLX MGL (even tho it doesnt match colors very well) its a really great setup and covers alot of different areas of my fishing. Ill use it for Texas rigs between 1/8-3/8oz, topwater poppers and walking baits, 3/8oz Chatterbaits and Swim jigs, 3/8-1/2oz football jigs, some times ill even throw a 1.5 or 2.5 sized crankbait.

$200 really give you alot of options, and since you said probably until Christmas, that gives you alot of time to find some really good deals and sales, so you might be able to get even more for the money.

Thats not normal, everyones worried about AI taking over the world. They were wrong its the 2 brain catfish. (Probably some type of mutation or maybe a tumor, we get fish in the river every so often that make the news, most times the fish have softball sized lumps on the tops of their heads)

A 7' Medium rod would be better if you fish alot of weightless soft plastics, lighter crankbaits/jerkbaits, or smaller paddle tail swimbaits. A 7'3" Medium Heavy would be better if you want it to be similar to what you are already using, for lures like bigger crankbaits, lipless cranks, chatterbaits, top water baits, some frog use, Texas rigs, jigs, bigger paddle tail swimbaits, etc.... So first thing you should think about is do you fish more lighter/smaller baits or the heavier and larger ones? Next thing is fishing from the bank, youll need to get as much casting distance as possible. A longer rod will get you to cast further, a 7'2-7'4 with 7'3 being the most ideal will help alot. Then theres weight ratings, once you figure out what Power (Medium/Medium Heavy) rod youll need to figure out how much your most used lures weigh, and look for a rod that can cast the lightest-heaviest. Then theres the action, if you fish alot of moving baits like crankbaits maybe a Moderate rod would be better, or maybe its just Texas rigs, or bottom fishing. Then you would want a fast. But maybe you want a rod that can do bottom fishing with jigs or Texas rigs but also be able to fish a crankbait and other moving treble hooked baits. Well a Moderate Fast rod would fill that inbetween gap really well. Then the budget, rods can go from $20-500, for an absolute budget rod the Daiwa Aird X $55 is my absolute favorite rod, and ive got rods that go up to $275.... Next up from there youve got the $100-150 range, this widens your choices by alot, Lews, Daiwa, St Croix, Ark, Falcon are just a few companies that all make really great rods. And for the reels, If you fish really slow moving baits a 6 speed ratio, If you fish really fast maybe an 8 speed, but if you would rather be inbetween (most versatile) a 7 speed would be ideal. Look for something that has a aluminium frame. Idk your budget so ill recommend some more budget sided reels first and go up from there. Lews LFS is a great beginner reel or even if youve been using casting reels for a decade, its on sale alot between $70-75. Daiwa Fuego/Shimano SLX A are also good, those go on sale between $80-100 (the SLX A doesnt have an adjustable exterior brake adjustment but its a really good and tough reel). Daiwa Tatula CT/Shimano SLX XT (has exterior brake adjustment) between $115-125 This is where youll have a big increase in casting and a smooth feeling reel. Shimano SLX MGL $150, this is a reel that excels for people who are either new to casting reels, have issues with backlashes, or like fishing lighter lures (not BFS light). BB1 Pro $200 (sale is usually $150) if you like being able to cast as far as possible this is the reel, its a cranking reel so it has a deep spool, (more line=more distance) Sorry for how long and detailed this is but it should give you several ideas, on priority's and options. Along with a few things to think about. I dont think i ever had anything from Zebco for bass fishing, might have had something from them for panfish/trout but that looks like a nice combo for the money. I started on a Abu Black Max from Walmart for around similar price, i still have that same rod and reel all these years later, it still makes me happy when i take it out to fish.

That Dobyns rod i recommended is 1/4-3/4 ratings And it can do lighter or heavier then those ratings with no issues. And the reel can either be a huge part of it, or not at all. When is the last time you cleaned it? I had a Tatula CT that used to cast to the point i was almost always getting within 2' of the trees on the other side of the bank, now it needs a cleaning very badly since it cant even get half of that. Try switching to 10-12lb Hybrid line, similar diameter to mono but has far better breaking strength, atleast for me. the 12lb would have the same feel as 14lb but have better casting distance. I tried mono but i felt a difference in strength when ripping chatterbaits out of grass. I have 30lb Braid on my MGL i mentioned above, the learning curves not too bad, i started using a baitcaster with it. (Black Max) i cant get as good distance as with Hybrid but its close enough, plus its easier to cast for me. Idk how shallow or deep your reels spool is but braid would give you alot more line than any mono/hybrid equivalent. I personally have different rods for certain purposes, ill throw my 1.5s usually on a medium cranking rod, but sometimes ill go out with only a few combos and just throw them on whatever has a lure tied on i dont like anymore for that day. If you have to throw them on the same combo (as a kayak angler i understand only being able to bring so many) maybe you should look into the new SLX MGL. The MGL spool can cast lighter lures really far and with little to no backlash, even using braid. But it can also fish heavy lures with just adjusting the spool tension. Amazing reel, its my 2nd favorite reel now next to my Zillion. I would actually be using mine for jerkbaits and crankbaits if it wasnt in the 7 speed ratio....

@August i doubt it, i have a coat that had some cologne and deodorant get on it, after 1 month of not wearing it i put it on and smelled them both as if i just put it on that day. Most chemicals have to be wiped or washed off, unless they are alcohol based then they usually dry/evaporate. Some dish soap and water mix should get any off, but thats only needed if its actually on there.

For me the reel is just as equal as the rod. I have a Dobyns Fury 733c paired with a Shimano SLX MGL 70. I use my 733c sometimes for 3/8oz chatterbaits (i like fast rods for them), and also 3/8oz swim jigs, when im not using those its 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4oz texas rigs. It casts them all very easily and very far. The 733c is a inbetween of a medium and medium heavy rod, i think if you got their cranking equivalent of it, it would be exactly what you want. Also this is a great rod for walking baits, like the Heddon Zara's or Strike King Dawg's, ive used it alot for them from time to time. Also from my experience my 7' rods are bad for distance, regardless of what reel, line, or lure im using. A 7'3" rod makes such a difference.

Fishing in the Susquehanna river taught me nothing you have on you will be more polluted or have worse scent then whats already flowing in it. (Sewage, waste, toxic mine water, etc....) The bass keep biting. Alot of residential lakes have boaters and swimmers in the water constantly during the summer months, im betting tons of sunscreen/tanning spray/deodorant/cologne/perfume is getting into the water, ill go by a bit after and catch a few on a ned rig. Now if we are fishing for trout, they are extremely sensitive to scents, bright colored clothing..... I dont think ive ever worn cologne fishing though.... But next time i go to the really nice lake where the homes cost between 250k-1mil ill be sure to put some cologne on and ask the rich women if they think the bass mind it. But as the bass pro's say, if you dont smell like half a bottle of $50 cologne you're not catching bass.

Savage Gear makes a small bluegill swimbait, it weighs not much. I can cast it on a Medium Black Max rod, its a bluegill shaped swimbait with a boot tail. Does amazing on bluegill beds. If legal in your state a live bluegill will also catch some big bass, just make sure you take the proper precautions to avoid gut hooking the bass. If the bass fishing doesnt pay off that day, catch some big bluegills and put them in the frying pan.

The river lately has been low, but dirty like it always is. A guy was catching a ton of bass on green pumpkin flukes. Id however prefer white/pearl with a chartreuse tail. But i think thats more of a me preference than one of a bass.

I took the year off fishing early last season for other hobbies and organizing/getting a small business started so from September-February i think i only fished once.... Well when i returned to bass fishing this spring every time ive went out either from the bank or on the kayak almost every rod if not every rod has some sort of search bait tied on, even if i was in the same spot for the whole day. I caught bass doing it this way but for the slow days when the bite was almost non existent i caught little to no bass. And i know for sure im missing alot of fish by not slowly fishing soft plastics.... Fishing fast is now practically burned into my brain, and slowing down or fishing a soft plastic is somehow difficult. The weathers getting nice and its almost time to take the kayak to the river, and that means ill be fishing a ned rig constantly. And with the grass growing in the lakes and ponds ill be needing to start fishing either a wacky worm or texas rig along the edges. So i gotta overcome this soon. Heres my problems Fished a wacky worm, i used to love fishing them. Well i tried it several different trips, most of the time i ended up reeling it back in before it could slowly sink to the bottom even once, the other times i cut it off and tied something else on after a few minutes. Tried lighter Texas rigs, between 1/8-3/16. And if its not atleast 1/4-3/8 weight i feel like i know for certain that 90% of the time im fishing them they are too high in the water column. In my mind its like i always feel no matter how long i wait for it to sink to the bottom its still not even halfway there, so ill retie with a 1/4-3/8 weight. I atleast know its on the bottom, but its so heavy and sinks so fast that the bass in 6' of water dont want it. And when i do let the lighter weight Texas rigs hit the bottom, i bring them back way to fast, and thats why i think they are too high in the water column. Then with flukes, even in the dirt shallow water the big bass have been cruising along the bank, ill cast it out and have 0 patience to wait for it to go down, i tend to just work them on the top of the water and they swim away.... Ugh its literally 10-20 seconds but i just cant wait that long for it to sink. Fishing slow with finesse baits used to be my #1 way to fish for bass, and was also my favorite way to fish. But now if im not reeling the line in at mach 1 speeds i just cant do it. Its just so boring, i know some people prefer fishing slow, and others only fish fast .And i guess im turning into the second option, but id prefer to retrain my brain to be able to fish slow as well, i need to be able to fish both ways, i know its the best way of catching more and larger bass. On one hand i can cover lots of water in just one quick retrieve of a lipless or Chatterbait, vs casting a Texas rig, waiting a minute for it to fall, and then taking 5-10 minutes to bring back to the bank. On the other hand, that 5-10 minutes might let that bait have better chances of being picked up by a big bass. What are you guys who fish fast doing to slow down? And what do you guys fishing slow do to not speed up? I gotta slow down again, but idk how.... Please help, before my reel handles start falling off. My best option so far is to use my Abu 5500 in a 5 speed ratio, but i really dont want to do that.

I have a 733c, one of my first expensive rods i bought, it was a big step up from a Abu Black max. They are really great rods, but for a medium heavy its ratings are low, they say Dobyns rates their rods 1 higher then they should be so i guess thats true. If you want a true MH get the 734c, the 735c would be more like a heavy frog rod as others have stated. If my 733c breaks ill be replacing it with a 734c for football jigs.

Every rod is going to have a different feel to it, even if just minimal. If you ever had a rod break at the top and cut a few inches off and glued a new top guide on the rod would feel completely different, so a shorter rod/longer will have a different feel to it, even if just an inch or 2. And for different rod powers and actions, they have to make the rod bend in a different area, that can affect it quite a bit, and for the power they have to make the rod stronger/weaker, thicker/thinner. Quality rod, made with quality material, paired with the right line (braid/fluoro) will give you the best sensitivity. Im no rod expert or builder, im just someone who has dozens of rods and this is what ive learned about fishing them, even ones from the same brand and model line. Best way to find out about the St Croix's are to call their customer service and ask them, they will have all the answers.

I have 1 ML spinning rod, i use it for crappie and creek trout, some guys swear by ML rods for bass fishing but i really cant imagine fishing for them with it. For me they are just too light, i can understand some wanting to use them for ned rigs. But even for those i still dont get it, 1/16oz for me casts already great enough with a M rod, and can handle any sized bass. When im fishing a ned rig or something like it im going after smallmouth 80% of the time, but those largemouths for some reason will still bite it and i want to give myself as much of a chance of getting it back to the boat or bank as possible, especially for river smallies, wow can those bass fight. A 2lb smallie fights about as much as a 4lb largemouth in my area of the country, taking 10 minutes to reel something in just isnt it for me. Plus have you ever had a bass decided it wants to turn around and run for the sunken wood or rocks? With a ned or something like it the drags usually loose, good luck keeping that bass from diving under some sort of cover and wrapping the line around it. And for the ML for shakey heads it depends on how thin/sharp the hook is, but still id rather give myself the extra strength and backbone of a stronger rod, i really dont get what advantage using lighter rods for bass fishing does unless using really small or extremely light lures. Shakey head hooks on the jigs are usually really thick and strong, and the soft plastic is usually buried in the hook point.

They are great reels, but wait a bit more. They went on sale alot last spring-summer at a few places around $66. Next step up from them is the BB1 Pro, but thats when you want to take cranking to a new level.

All the times i was in Maine i never thought it would have so many unpressured spots loaded with nice sized bass, i honestly only ever thought about trout, panfish, or mackerel off the docks. Maine really is a nature enjoyers paradise, even for people who dont fish.

@Leeboy heres the post about it