MediumMouthBass

The one thing about DSG and plastic boats/fishing kayaks are they are very rough on them in transporting them, My family and i were at our local one checking out kayaks and found a nice Old Town Sportsman 120, now we had just bought 2 Crescents so we didnt need a 3rd one, but this kayak looked like it was used by the military over in Afghanistan, it had mud on it, beat up on the sides and bottom, etc.... We went to the manager and asked if it was a used return? He said no, when they get them they arent covered in any type of protective wrap or box, and that when they take them out of the trucks it gets a bit rough.... The kayak retails MSRP for $1200, we got it for $600. So before you go to BPS and buy one just head over to DSG first and find out if any of the boats you want have some well lets just call it character.

Have your reels been soaked in water recently? (dropped in water, rained on, etc) My Shimano spinning reels and them only have the exact problems you described any time it rains or my paddle drips water on them too much.

The VMC Neko hook is the best option for wacky rig hooks in pike/pickerel waters, the hook is longer than most for this type and it really makes a big difference between hooking the pike or getting the line cut by its teeth.

The chains go out the back or the front, but when using a dumbell or regular anchor for kayaking most people clip or tie it to the side of their kayak, which can be very, very dangerous. If theres a strong wind or boats going by causing a wake the kayak can be pulled to its side causing it to flip. If you do decide to use any type of anchor aside from a drag chain use a anchor trolley that would send the anchor to the front or the back of the kayak. And make sure you can cut the rope or unclip it quickly if needed to for safety. But for your question the anchor chains and the dumbell will be the best option for not getting stuck on the bottom.

Idk if you like more expensive/sensitive rods but if you want to save a bit of money heres my setup for flipping, pitching, and frogging, Daiwa Aird X Heavy rod $50, and for the reel i will change it out between (1) SLX with 50lb braid for fishing near grass and vegetation, or (2) Fuego CT with 15lb Yo Zuri hybrid for fishing near docks or areas with less vegetation. The SLX is good when fishing close quarters and doesnt really need to be adjusted but if you like the SLX and want to be able to adjust it the SLX XT is a great real for $130 (has adjustment knob). My Fuego CT feels like a really tough reel compared to my Tatulas so either reel should work very good for what you want.

When most people get into fishing, they usually dont know about most of the tackle shops online that most of us use, so they go to Amazon (where they go for almost everything these days) type in baitcasting reels and the first few that pop up are going to be the Kast Kings or the other brands reels, since they are newer to it they might not know how much of a difference there is between a $50 Kast King, a $30 Black Max, or a $210 Tatula SV TW 103, so they will check the reviews or go on to youtube. And sure they might have decent reviews on Amazon but most of them if not all of them will be incentivized reviews, same with the youtube reviews. So between the large amount of bought and paid for reviews/videos and the marketing of these reels, people buy them. Now these reels might be alright/decent but if you know what better companies have to offer just wait for the SLX or LFS to go on sale for an extra $25.

The year is 2025, Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas is now closing all stores in America due to bankruptcy because of having to replace millions of reels damaged from line spooling problems. How did this happen you might be asking? A 2023 Bass Forum gained popularity about how to get them to give you a new reel or a gift card if the reel gets damaged. So millions of Americans lined up waiting outside like a heard of cattle to get their reels spooled with line to maybe, just maybe get a new reel.

Another good alternative to putting chemicals made of who knows what on you or your clothes is plain vinegar, I would go bank fishing a few jungle like spots full of deer and ticks/mosquitoes. Applying the vinegar on a paper towel to the skin as well as dumping it/spraying it on clothes and boots works for both insects. (Just reapply every 2 hours). Vinegar might not be as great as the other options but it works, and it is 100% SAFE FOR HUMAN USE AND AROUND PETS, you might just smell like a french fry for a while.

I have a Crescent Shoalie, Crescent Light tackle, and a Old town 120 sportsman, and really really dont want to drill holes in any of these kayaks, does anyone that has one of these kayaks have an anchor trolley system that doesnt require drilling into the kayak?

Arent the gen 4 revos the ones that 70% of the users had the side plates falling off and dumping the spools in the water, and Abu recommended to put tape over the side?

Bought a bunch of these lures to use for pre spawn this spring, many different brands and weights etc... Didnt catch any bass on them, but then i started throwing a Berkley Warpig 1/2oz, when i started using it i wasnt really sure how to fish it, i would just cast as far as i could and let it fall to just above the grass on the bottom of the lake and then use the rod to lift up, pause, let it fall, lift up, repeat. Doing this caught a couple really nice bass, so i started to use the warpig almost every time i went to this lake, and it became and is now my favorite lure, even over the ned rig. Over and over again this lure kept achieving PB bass after PB bass. Some days it took awhile to get a bass to bite but either lifting up and letting it fall or just reeling it in really fast worked great. Finished the prespawn period on that lake with a 7lb largemouth and several more 4, 5, and 6lbs.

This will be on the cheaper side, but during pre spawn i was using all kinds of lures on all different types/brands of rods and reels. Then i started using a Berkley Warpig 1/2oz on a MH 7'3" Daiwa Aird X rod with a Daiwa Tatula CT reel and i was able to get an extremely far casting distance compared to everything else being used during the pre spawn fishing. It also held up to ripping it out of grass very good until the lakes grass became so terrible that it covered almost all of the water columns (including the top of the waters surface) that i had to start using other lures. This rod/reel/warpig combination was the reason i had several 4-5lb bass and my new pb of a 7lber.

The Dobyns Fury rods have much better reviews than the Abu rods, since pure fishing took over the quality control on the rods and reels went down hill quite a bit for most of the brands they now own, but if you like the Abu rods try one and if you break one they cost $15 to $20 for a new one under warranty vs $80 for the dobyns to be warrantied. Ive had a Fury MH casting rod for several years and its a fantastic rod, but alot of people say they are a weaker power than what dobyns has them, but my MH is more like a Heavy.

I have had my Dobyns and St Croix rods from $130-$275 stored in the fishing room so far this season but almost every time i go fishing i take SEVERAL Daiwa Aird X rods, i have 14 of these rods from ML/M spinning rods to M/MH/H casting rods, have fished for trout, panfish, bass etc.... these rods have handled every lure and bait ive throw on them and have handled every fish from a 7inch trout in a shallow stream to a 6-7lb bass out of a extremely grass infested lake. These are great rods especially for the price of $55. To anyone that is on a budget this rod is for you, and if you have expensive rods and have a higher budget, then still buy one and try one, for $55 use it as a truck rod. Only problem with these rods are they dont offer a casting rod in moderate for crankbaits. There is a very big and very well known fishing/tackle store that if you go to there promotions page the Daiwa Aird X rods are buy 3 Aird X rods get 20% off, buy 5 Aird X rods get 30% off ($44 and $38.5). Hint recently people have been complaining about how long it takes to get the order shipped.

Havent ordered or even heard about this place before, but they have some good deals, can anyone give any knowledge on if the place is legit and good to order from?

I have many many reels that are the same make/model duplicates, and since i have to make a quick decision on what rod/reel im taking i took different pieces of string or thread and tied it around the handle of the reel, cut the tag end close and it works great for different line sizes, and if its mono/fluoro/braid. When you want to change to a different lb test, different type, or brand you can cut it off and retie when you want to change it to something different. This way works the best when you have many reels that are the same.

I have several lews reels from $100-$200 and they are all great, but the Mach series reels feel very cheap, they are priced at way more than they are worth. Dont have a SLX DC but alot of people like them, since you are interested in those 2 reels im guessing then your price range would be between $175 and $200, there are alot of very good reels from Lews, Shimano, and Daiwa in those price ranges and even as low as $100-$150. In Shimanos line up the SLX at $100 is very good but the SLX XT is supposed to be fantastic for $150. For Lews the BB1 Pro for $200 is excellent if you can get one on sale, it holds a ton of line and casts extremely far. The Daiwa Tatula CT is $150 and is a very good reel and is pretty much a do all type of reel, the Tatula SV TW 103 is $210 a little more than the SLX DC but is a really nice reel, it can cast light lures far and without much backlash, and also is supposed to be great for skipping, pitching, and flipping. I dont know how good you are with a baitcasting reel, but the SLX DC is more for people who dont want to backlash much or are beginners, if that is what you want the Tatula SV TW 103 is the way to go, the SV spool in that reel does a great job of being able to go from casting light lures far to heavy lures even farther with almost no backlashing. I have alot of reels from cheap budget walmart reels to some of the nicer Lews and Daiwas, whether you get a Shimano SLX/Lews LFS at $100, or a SLX XT/Daiwa Tatula CT at $150, or get a more expensive Lews BB1 Pro/Shimano SLX DC, at $200, or Daiwa Tatula SV TW 103 at $210, all of these reels are great reels that fit a wide variety of budgets and would be good for alot of different purposes.

Hello, theres alot of the newer Revo Gen 5 baitcasting reels on most fishing tackle websites, but not many reviews. And theres not much info on them from people who have them. Most newer Abu reels arent as popular as the Daiwa, Shimano, and Lews comparable reels. And the gen 4's were talked about by many as being bad if not terrible reels, people constantly talking about the side plate falling off etc.... Even though theres better reels for the money like the Tatula or even the cheaper LFS or SLX models of baitcasters but the Abu Garcia Black Max from Walmart is what got me started in baitcasters and id like to try some of Abu's better/more expensive reels. So for anyone that has one of the newer Revos or just has some thoughts or opinions on them please comment so myself aswell as anyone that may be interested in getting one of them might be able to choose to buy one or not.

Went fishing yesterday and brought some big swimbaits to try out (2-6oz) using 30lb Berkley Big Game mono. The knot i use for almost every lure and every type of fishing is the palomar knot, except for the clinch knot when fly fishing. Instead of doing the palomar knot around the whole large swimbait i just tried to tie it to a snap. Tried to tie it several different times, used water on the knot to help and even had to try using gloves to get it to synch, but the 30lb mono is so thick i couldnt get the knot to synch down. Kept retying it over and over, but then tried using a clinch knot, which actually worked. Threw some of the lighter swimbaits for a little bit but didnt want to cast to hard or use the heavier swimbaits, because i am not sure the clinch knot will hold up to lures that heavy. Question number 1. Is the clinch knot strong enough to hold up to the weight and casting of these lures? Question number 2. When using heavy and expensive lures, what knot/knots would be strong enough for the weight but also be able to be tied with such thick line?

Heads up to anyone that likes shopping at Dicks Sporting Goods, they have Strike King, Z-man, River 2 Sea and other brands buy 3 get 1 free. Yum soft plastics buy 5 for $10 ($2 a bag). But the good sale they have is the 42 piece Strike king Rage swimmer only pack and the other 42 piece kit that has rage menaces, swimmers, toads, bugs, craws, and ochos..... they are usually $20 for the 42 piece kit but with the buy 3 get 1 free they come to $15 each. (Around 0.35 cents each for a strike king soft plastic) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since this post is for just the SK Rage Swimmer, heads up Dicks Sporting Goods has a 42 pack of the 3.25 and 3.75 rage swimmers for $20 but for only a limited time sale they have them buy 3 get 1 free so pretty much $15 for each 42 pack, (Around 0.35 cents a swimbait)

@newapti5That Tatula is over $200 right? i bought these Lews products because they were 50% off... And to @Tatulatard and @PhishLI i did some research just now into what you both posted and its making sense and seems alot of people have those sounds, even found a post of a picture from lews saying that sound is normal. so thank you both for giving me confidence back in this reel. Appreciate it.

Joined this forum recently and have made some posts and have gotten alot of help, so to those of you who have offered advice thank you. Just opened up my new Lews reels tonight (BB1 Pro, Super Duty LFS, and the regular LFS). The LFS and Super Duty LFS seem really nice but the BB1 Pro however seems off, when i reel in slowly or shake the reel it makes a sound that none of any of my baitcasting reels make and the other 2 lews reels dont have it either only the BB1 Pro, its hard to describe it but its kind of like a metal clicking/springy type of sound. It makes the sound only when reeled in slowly, or shaken. This is one of my first over $200 reels and i only have experience with the budget version of lews reels before this purchase. So maybe this is normal for lews reels or maybe its a problem. This may sound stupid to some people, but a strange noise coming from a $200+ reel is making me concerned, so would really like to know if this is something, or nothing. Also dont know if this matters but, the handle on the BB1 Pro is much looser than the LFS/Super Duty LFS. Any help on this would be great and appreciated. Thanks.

If you like the gold and black combo that spinning setup is very nice, but for baitcasters the budget Lews Classic Pro Speed Spool matches with the rod very nicely.

The Daiwa Aird X rods and Revros reels are a great budget combo. I have a couple of the reels, and have several spinning and baitcasting rods, i have around 5 rods now, from Medium light to Heavy and inbetween. The rods are great, ive been using the Aird X MH mainly for prespawn, and have caught some really nice and big bass so far and the rods held up fantastic, ive also thrown lighter lures and some heavier lures and the rod holds up good for that as well. But 2 of the rods, 1 M spinning and 1 MH baitcasting rod that barely even had any fish on them started to make a bad grinding noise when reeling in line, then the rods started to cut and grind down the line, thought it might have been the reel but after using a few different reels the rods are causing the issue with the line. But the other rods have been great so i just bought another one and would like to buy more. They are great rods for the money, and if they break or have problems they can be replaced anywhere from $40-$55. Any rod can become damaged or snap regardless or where its made or what its made of, But these rods are great and are budget friendly. Also if you like Shimano reels but are on a budget the Shimano Sienna reels are $30 and are also fantastic for anyone on a budget.