MediumMouthBass

The words they are using make me wonder if im having a stroke or are they....

I love my Tatula CT's, paid about $120ish for them on sale. The color alone is worth missing out on a Japanese reel for me atleast, since i have several Aird X rods. Now the rods are black and gold, but theres a section of these rods that has the exact same color on it. I love color matching combos so thats a win for me. At the time i bought these the Tatula 100 was hot garbage, and the majority of the reviews backed that up, hence why i didnt buy one. The new gen 100 however seems to have fixed any and all of the issues since its getting great feedback. I would probably go with the 24 Tatula 100 for $110-120 through Amazon JP or some other JDM website before getting a Tatula CT for what you want though. MAKE SURE ITS THE NEW 24 MODEL An SV spool is hit or miss for certain people, some love it, some dont. I dont, i much prefer a non SV spool or an MGL. Because the MGL does the same thing, but i can cast far with it. Which is a huge difference for me. I cast long distance as much as possible, because when im fishing from the bank at a pressured lake, being able to cast 5 yards more than the guy before me can result in a big bass or a skunk. I dont know how the 100 is for distance, but my 2 CT's are right up there with my BB1 Pro when it comes to farthest casting reels i own.

Thanks for the info, i would probably love an older Daiwa casting reel, since my SV spooled reels im not very fond of. Im a long distance caster over everything else, although i do like skipping, casting as far as possible makes up 80% of my fishing banks. Any places you prefer to get parts from for these reels?

Since alot of you guys use and still buy older reels would you say they are still adequate to fish today? I guess what im asking is how big of a difference do you find using these reels vs whats available currently? I have no clue how any of these reels were to fish or what they were even like since most were made before my time, only reels i have that are older, are really old. Ones an Ambassadeur and the other a Daiwa Black Widow from the 80's my dad gave me.

I have 24 casting reels currently consisting of prices between $30-375 MSRP (US Zillion is a bit steep in price huh?), i bought almost all of these between 20-80% off with the majority being 30-60%. The prices i paid blew the discount from ordering from Japan away too (even for the Zillion!) Only one reel outperforms them all, the last gen SLX MGL 70. Shouldve bought a bunch since the new ones are smaller (what i heard), and arent getting the best reviews😌 But even this truly amazing reel has a flaw, its shallow spool that gives it the legendary status in my mind is also its downfall... Only reel i dislike is the Tatula SV TW, i just dont like it. Only one reel i was disapointed in and underwhelmed with was the 21 Zillion, it does everything my other, cheaper, supposedly not up to par reels can do. Only thing it does better is cast a lipless, however it does do that better than anything else, but its only that. Its too light, feels like a plastic toy (not that, thats a bad thing i just prefer having something substantial feeling in my hands), its also a bit too small and causes hand cramps after awhile. Still a nice reel, but very overrated.... Out of all of my reels i would only ever buy 4 if i had to for MSRP, the Fuego CT, SLX XT, BB1 Pro, and SLX MGL 70.... They have the looks, they are dependable workhorses, and they fit my hands which is more important than any tech a reel can have to me. Still love my other Tatulas (minus the SV) and the rest of the SLX/LFS line, but these are special to me. I will admit Lews is taking meds they shouldnt be with their MSRP, its absurd. But for some reason people keep paying it or else they wouldve lowered it by now. They must be doing something right? But i think most of us know Lews rods and reels go on sale many times through the year for dirt cheap. Example i bought 2 BB1 Pros for $100 each, Superduty LFS $100 too, and got my 2nd LFS a few weeks ago for $25 including tax. Find me a Shimano or Daiwa from Japan with an aluminum frame for $25? Also got 3 Team Lews Custom Pro rods for $200 (again including tax), MSRP alone would be $660 for them. Im a bigger Daiwa and Shimano fan, as ive used Daiwa for a long time and have been a big critic of Lews in the past, but they keep drawing me in with their sales. Because i can live with not having the newest and greatest tech to save a ton of money. And guess what? The reels still catch bass, even without the tech. Serious question though, aside from Shimanos truly amazing MGL spool (that like i mentioned is also a con since unless using braid theres not much room for line) what do either companies offer thats so much more advanced? Because i havent noticed it yet.

I promise you the things here are not nearly as bad as the new words and languages the people my age have created out of thin air. My last job i only understood half of what my coworkers said, its not even slang or abbreviations anymore.... But to stay more on topic with this post, thanks the for video making for enjoy to us.

I see on here, FB, Youtube, and Reddit that a large amount of people only buy one brand and wont buy anything else. I dont get it, am i the only one who spreads the wealth evenly and buys everything? I have reels from Daiwa, Shimano, Lews, and Abu. From low-mid-higher end and i dont have a favorite reel, nor brand. Now i do have favorite reels when it comes to specific uses, like weightless plastics and lures that arent aerodynamic, or bigger stuff around the 1-3oz, or even 4-8oz range. But when it comes to choosing only 2 reels to take with me to the lake for all around casting purposes i struggle deciding if i want to take the Tatula CT, Zillion, Fuego CT, SLX A, SLX XT, SLX MGL 70, BB1 Pro, Superduty LFS, or LFS. When i go to buy a reel i dont filter it by brand, more so by the discount i can get one on sale for (i only buy stuff on sale since i was taught my whole life MSRP is a scam, and it really is). As long as it has a warranty, isnt a terrible color, fits my hand, has an aluminum frame (although i have bought a bunch of plastic framed ones that im happy with), and isnt plagued by terrible reviews, if the price is right i dont prefer one to another. (Theres no way i would pay $40 or more extra for a certain reel thats comparable/equal only because it has a different name on its side, whether its a higher end brand or the opposite). Now if i find a reel thats $40 more but has something very different inside of it to back up the price increase thats another story, but in todays world of fishing reels even the budget reels are starting to become loaded with features. I know some guys go really far down the rabbit hole into looking up materials used, spool tech, braking systems, etc... But thats not for me, as after fishing for several years with most of these reels theres not one brand in particular that blew the rest away, or made me cast farther, had less backlashes, etc... Now theres certain spools/tech out there that do certain special applications very well, but every brand makes something with that in mind these days, im talking brands as a whole, not one specific reel here. And i also understand theres people out there who want a streamlined, and organized system. Using all the same reels, and thats cool, since they all use the same parts, feel the same too.... But does anyone else buy whatever they want without being held back by a brand? I for one am glad i fall into this category, because each brand offers something different. And i like that, even if its just a slight difference. It freshens up the fishing and keeps me from getting bored too. I also like having options, the more the merrier.

1. Stick baits. 5" SK Ocho, 5" Yum Dinger, 5" Berkley General. 2. Craws. SK Rage Craw, Netbait Paca Craw/Paca Craw JR, 3" and 4" Berkley Chigger Craw's too, Z Hella Crawz. 3. Craws with lots of action. Gambler Burner Craw/Missile Baits Craw Father, Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw, Z Turbo Crawz, Zoom Ultravibe/Magnum UV Craw. 4. Creatures. SK Rage Bug, Missle Baits D Bomb, Netbait B Bug, Z Palmetto Bugz, Berkley Pit Boss. (Will vary from 3" to 4" sizes). 5. Other Creatures. Missile Baits D Stroyer, SK KVD Game Hawg/Magnum Hawg. Colors are called different things across the brands but ill go with anything thats Black/Blue, Green Pumpkin, Magic Craw, Summer Craw, Orange Craw, Okeechobee Craw, PB&J, Black, Sapphire Blue. If i had to pick just a select few, going from first pick to last it woud be: #1. 5" Ocho, #2. Magnum UV, #3. D Bomb, #4. Paca Craw, #5 D Stroyer. In Okeechobee Craw, Summer Craw, PB&J, Black/Blue, Green Pumpkin. Hooks: I like Berkley Fusion 19's (although you may need to sharpen them), or VMC bulk packs for EWG's. Sizes 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0. Weights: Siebert tungstens 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2oz. So much less bulk towards the front of the bait, and much more sensitive. Line: Varies from 12lb Yo Zuri Hybrid to 40/50lb Power Pro. Knot: San Diego Jam. I will add my opinion on this though, ive realized the most important part of a T rig is the weight. How fast or slow it falls beats any scent, shape or color. But more importantly it has to be a tungsten weight. Ive fished T rigs for years on Aird X's and Ugly Stik GX2's... Very cheap and not the most sensitive rods, after switching to Lews, Dobyns, etc in the more expensive $100+ range ive definitely noticed a difference, but not nearly as much as using a tungsten. It almost supercharges it.

Alright you have a Medium Aird X (which are very underrated rods, fantastic for the money!) so its rated 1/4-3/4 ounce. There really isnt a minimum as depending on the way you cast, what line used, and the reel its paired to can go even lower. The maximum is the one you want to pay attention to, because no matter what line or reel you use that wont change. Here is where some math is involved, 3/4 is the total the rod is recommended to be used with. And almost all soft plastics for bass weigh around 3/8 (like senkos and creature baits, but smaller craws, and swimbaits will be less), now say you pair that with a 3/8oz weight for a Texas rig. You are currently shy of 3/4oz. But with a 3/8oz jig that has a skirt you will be at max or overloading the ratings since it weighs more than what they state, as they only weigh the lead. The Aird X in medium goes farther than most other brands mediums. They usually stop at 1/2oz, this one goes to 3/4. This rod even goes farther than a Lews rod i just bought thats a medium heavy, goes up to 5/8. Unless you have a reel with an MGl spool (Shimano) or SV spool (Daiwa) you will have a hard time throwing lighter stuff like ned rigs (since the most common size is 1/16 ounce for ned jig heads). For ned rigs 1/8 or heavier a casting combo may work. Most medium casting rods (and reels too) however can usually cast poppers, as long as they are 3/8oz or more. Crankbaits will work great on this rod as well, just have your drag a little loose or else the bass may come unhooked.

A rod with max ratings of 1 1/2oz is very limited for glides and swimbaits, you will be overloading the rod constantly. Resulting in poor casting, and then how long will it last before breaking from the stress? If you cant afford another rod just for them i understand, there was no way i was buying several $150 rods for baits i would only throw seasonally. So i bought a Daiwa Beefstick (one of the nicest looking rods i own, wish they made one meant for bass) for $40 on sale. Ratings 1/2-4oz, very bendy rod works good for treble hooked baits. And also got an Ugly Stik Tiger rod that goes up to 6oz for $50, along with a Berkley Big Game rod for $20 thats rated from 1/2-3oz. These 2 work great for jig hooks. All rods i bought are labeled catfish, steelhead/salmon, and striped bass rods, hence the lower price. I would highly suggest getting a bigger bait rod for well, bigger baits (if thats something you really want to get into).You can do so without breaking the bank, as so many dont realize.

Just watched some of it, which is something i have barely ever done. The commentators were talking about how Lebrun picked up 50 more pounds of bass after turning it off. Seeing them have to use their intuition, best guess on where to cast and target, while casting farther than 5' from the boat, using something other than a FFS minnow. Relying on skill, talent, and luck actually makes me want to watch this series. Is this what is was like in the old days?

Hard to find someone who doesnt have the hive mind today. I agree 100% its a personal preference niche, not a game changer. Low end combo $100-200, higher end non Amazon house brand special junk $250-500. Its not worth it to me, because a $30 Sienna paired with a L/Ul/ML rod for $30 does everything i need all the way down to 1/64, which is the lowest i go. If i wanted to have a more premium setup maybe $200 in total for a spinning combo that i know i will use. BFS only gives you an edge over spinning gear if using very very light weights, think about the very small baits from Japan. In recent years on Reddit, and Youtube mainly the term BFS has been hijacked by these "influencers" throwing 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 baits on these "BFS" rods and reels. As far as i know BFS weights are much lighter. Both the Cashion rods you mentioned are a bit high in the ratings, L is 1/16oz low end, ML is 1/8oz low end. In those ratings i dont see any benefit that BFS would have over the equivalent spinning combo. Its hard to sell used gear to begin with, without taking a major loss. Something this much of a niche would be tougher or easier depending on where you go to sell it. But you are alienating 80-90% of people on the market looking to buy a casting combo, BFS is the minority, not the majority. All this being said, it doesnt matter what i, the guy above me, or the guy below me think about if its niche, or worth it. What do you think? Do you want it? Do you think it will make your time on the water more enjoyable? More fun? Give you something new? And you can afford it? Then go for it, you wont know unless you try. You might love it, or not. Only you will be able to decide. (if you arent sure you will like it, buy a Tatula 100 and put in an aftermarket BFS spool, and buy a cheap BFS rod) This is the cheapest way, and if you dont like it. Atleast the Tatula will work for what you are currently using for casting gear,

I fish a 20 some acre lake, i know the place like the back of my hand. Each year the fishing is completely different, certain baits no longer work, certain colors are all they want, and other times they want everything. Their behavior changes, even if just slightly. A 150k acre lake that someone fished a year or years ago means very little, small changes will eventually be big ones. Will it give them a better reference point for looking to target bass? Yes, but thats not a guarantee since bass move. And since theres so many resources, maps, and the advancements in electronics, makes knowing a lake pretty much null and void today. Heck, i can buy a Garmin tomorrow and buy a chip for it that already has other peoples spots they loaded onto it for certain lakes and fish it like i was a local. And this would be for one costing around $500, imagine what the several thousand dollar setups they have can do. There are several people on this earth that can catch more and bigger fish than elites. These guys are literally throwing money away to see who can catch more 1-3lb bass.... But competition isnt for everyone, nor is the polygraphs, ridiculous rules, new controversial drama each week, spending all day fishing, ruining the fun, eating junk food non stop, flying and driving hundreds of miles constantly, staying in cheap hotel rooms, bankrupting yourself, leaving behind your family, to make very little isnt for most guys. Would any guy be able to walk onto a tour and win? Doubtful, because what guy sitting on his couch has several hundred thousand to spend just to try? Very few, even fewer that love bass fishing with that passion. This is basically high stakes poker with a 100k buy in, you can take a guy who is better at poker than anyone else ever has been, if he doesnt have the funds it wont matter.

I wouldnt know the first place to go to find one. I do remember a local tournament on the river a few years ago, but that was just a small local group. And fishing in the river here isnt much competition, since its like fishing in a barrel where everyone is a guaranteed winner. Theres just too much fish (which is not a bad thing at all). And if find a local one at the various lakes i fish, my boat is just a simple 10' Jon, a small hp engine next to a trolling motor. No fish finder. I would be at a big disadvantage, as far as how much gear i can bring, speed i can go, and id have to find fish the old fashioned way. Then for kayak tournaments (again i wouldnt have a clue how to even enter one) are just too weird. From what i understand a group of people fish different lakes across the state? or country? And just post pictures of the bass. Thats just too odd for me, and seems a bit unfair since i know for a fact i can fish one lake in particular that holds big ones, where a guy fishing 20 minutes away from me might be fishing a lake that is know for having small bass that dont bite often. If all the kayaks where on one lake that might intrigue me if it wasnt too much $ to enter. If i had a better boat, and more money to spend maybe i would try it. But honestly i would get more enjoyment out of spending that money on new gear, and take a few trips across the country and fish for my own fun. To me theres no competition in who can catch the most amount of small bass, i love to challenger myself however. Im always trying to beat my PB, and catch giants in a state that everybody else thinks doesnt have them. Why would this even be needed? Even if it did work, thats ridiculous. Are they trying to make sure you arent a foreign spy or terrorist? The government even acknowledges they dont work, and are faulty, but they only still use them because they invested heavily in them, and dont want to look stupid. The irony.

Its been completely frozen over left to right here for the past few weeks. Have only seen it like this once before, it was years ago and one of my friends was able to walk out on it. Weather sure is odd this year, it went from 0 degree nights and 10-15 degree days to 40 degree days and 20-30 degree nights for the upcoming week. My dad wants to go ice fishing, but this weather is way to bipolar for me to trust it. I really thought for sure id be fishing through winter at the creeks and rivers but everything is frozen over. Wouldve loved to fly down south and fish, but somehow Florida got more snow than we did?

Im in my 20s, i was born in the wrong time. I hate all this tech they keep putting into everything, so ill shun it too. Whats new is junk, there i said it. Lets hop in a DeLorean and go back! I would carry 5-8 rods, and 4-8 3700 sized tackle trays filled with lures, along with 50 bags of soft plastics. This was fishing the bank BTW, not on a boat. 9/10 times i wouldnt even use 80% of what i brought, and at home i have lures i dont even know how to use, in colors im not even sure why i bought. Im going minimalistic from here on out, just a few rod and reels i love paired together, with a select few baits and lures i know i will use. I realized when i did try different things i brought too much of i was way to overwhelmed and would change lures every few minutes to try and "spread the wealth". Hard to learn a new bait or fish one you know with only a few minutes to use it. @Swamp Girli fished out of something like that for years, it was so much easier, simpler, and took way less space. Make sure you throw some desiccant packs in there though. Will make drying and rust prevention much easier.

@hunterPRO1 This is the most common sense thing ive read this year. Spend a fortune (basically committing financial suicide), alienate your family, eat junk food nonstop, staying in cheap hotels, always on the move, just to break even or make pennies, its just not worth it. No matter how good you are. Its a much different time than it was a decade or 2 ago..... Even the guys who were born rich, how much do you think they have left? Theres just no money in it, unless you are among the best of the best. But even then, its not very much for a professional level sport/hobby. Most of these guys are either catching maybe 1 dink, or a few 1-3lbers on average. Spending their free time fishing, then hiring a buddy to edit the videos. All while doing what they love, without any of the negatives or cons. Getting rods, reels, lures, thrown at them by the sponsors and making money from Youtube, donations from fans, the sponsors themselves.... And the cost of entry is marginal, a phone (which almost everyone has), or a gopro/camera, a laptop. And about $300 worth of gear to start. All thats needed is a personality people can relate to, or like. The issue though is that this is now severely over saturated from stuff like TikTok making everyone think they will be the next big thing.

Advertised in store? Or didnt show till checkout?

Heard alot of good things about the Chad Shad along with the DRT Klash. But thats too rich for my blood, so i just throw the 13 Fishing Glidesdales when i want to target big bass. Sadly i got into 13 Fishing baits at the end.... Now that they arent made anymore ive been thinking alot about the Chad Shads, even though its about 4-5 times what i paid for the glides im using now, ive seen many big bass caught on them.

Some years im excellent and better than everybody else at the lakes im fishing (not a brag but a statistic ive noticed). Other years im the worst fisherman i can be, and get skunked a lot. Where everyone else feels like they doing everything right and i have no clue what im doing. Sometimes i have it, and then i dont. But when its on. Its on Im just saying, if i was going around the whole lake (in PA our lakes are very small and extremely over pressured) my chances of catching bass can go either way. If i showed a random guy a 5 minute video on how to use FFS and he went around and found a school. He would outfish me no matter how good or bad i am. I personally dont care whether someone uses it or not, if they have the money for it and that gives them enjoyment then i support it 100%. But it shouldnt be used in tournaments, it has no place. Its like sterioids in sports, or imagine if in golf they added a drainage pipe that you could just put the ball into that would guide you directly to the fish, i mean hole.

If Shimano can make gears for a bike change ratios im sure they can make a reel do it too! It would undoubtedly be heavier/bulkier and its first quarter sales would more than likely be a flop, but it would be interesting. I would like a company to come out with a quick change gear set, but even that would probably go the same route. As today most anglers carry several reels with them no matter where they fish off of. Whether bank, kayak, or boat. But you never know, todays advancements in reels are pretty great. And to me theres not really much more room to move up since for the average angler who spends $100-250, what else can they add? Not too long from now these companies will have to think of something new (or old just brought back with a different name). And what can they offer that the masses (not the few) would want? A reel that can change ratios might fit that, for marketing atleast.

Like you said, percentage is very low. Only those with extreme talent make it in most sports. This is very different, its like what Pat said several times, modern day bass tournament fisherman are more salesmen/influencers than they are fisherman. Because its not a sport, its a tv show at this point. Add on the never ending drama its a soap opera. Entertainment is the key, hence why they took all the skill out of it and only use FFS. They want people paying attention to the tv, phone, computer staring at people catching a bass every minute. No one (except me) wants to see guys actually fishing, learning the lake firsthand, guessing where the bass are, guessing depth, using only their natural born talent, and skills. Because that would take to long and be boring to most people. I get it, but that doesnt mean i have to like it. Imagine if sports went this route, whats the point? Its basically turned into a video game. If you took away all the tech that does most of the work at this point, and made people actually fish. I would bet on the dedicated angler who gives it all hes got after coming home from work, than the guy who took gold in the glorified VR simulator, who is only there because he was the few that showed up with a rod, reel, and 200k in cash, with all the free time in the world. Edit. I will add this, im sure theres still a bunch of guys and gals with god given talent fishing for bass at the big leagues. Who put in time, dedication, sank a fortune into it, and are struggling with their families who miss them. Sadly the few who cant catch a bass without it are catered to over the many, which in my opinion completely ruins it. Because i can take a guy who knows nothing about fishing, put him on a boat with FFS, and within 10 minutes he will be catching more than me. So even those who made it there with that talent, its pointless now.

This is a great post! Ive been wanting to paint my reels for some time now, since i used to do custom paint jobs for stuff in my other hobbies when i was younger. But havent got around to doing it yet. Cerakote seems like the best option, but my inner creativity would rather use a sprayer to get some really cool custom colors. Shouldnt be much work involved, aside from tearing down the reel and prepping it.

What... You can join a basketball team in high school, which isnt hard. You wont be working or have a family to take care of so time wont be an issue. Its relatively easy to join and doesnt cost much, if you are good and have the talent you will be (more than likely) given a scholarship to go on and play it at the college level. From there if you stay with it and have the talent the sky is the limit. Bass tournaments at the high school to college level are alot harder. Not many places have these programs, and the ones who do will only be accepting smaller groups. Bass tournaments are no where near as popular as most would think, especially compared to every other hobby, profession, etc.... If you start after college age like most do, you have a job, maybe a family, bills to pay, etc.... And the entry cost is sky high compared to the cost of team shoes, clothing, and maybe money towards trips for any sports would be. You need a boat, a truck/suv to tow it, yearly fees for both, maintenance costs too, were already at $40-100k before even buying tackle, rods, reels.... Rods, reels, tackle, electronics just to compete and now add another 10-20K. Then theres the gas you and you only will be paying, no team to help split the cost of gas, hotel rooms, food, etc... Give up your job, leave your family, travel like a truck driver, bankrupt yourself and for what? Any talent you have would be negated by a guy staring down at a screen watching fish dropping a lure in front of him? And if you win you make pocket change compared to other hobbies, sports, or good paying jobs. Then go on to spend every bit of spare time you have promoting every item a sponsor (if you are lucky enough to get one) makes, competing against a stacked deck with people who have equal, better or worse talent but because they have more sponsors, more money they already have you beaten. Anyone in their right mind no matter how good they are would chose to not go forward. The lucky few who have a family thats understanding, or were very fortunately born rich might be able to. Thats not the majority of people.

Ill echo Sieberts jigs too. Much, much nicer than whats on the market for similar or 2x the price. But i also buy the Bitsy Flipping jig, better materials than the Bitsy Bug, and it doesnt rust as easily. Throw a few desiccant packs in and you're good to go. With BPS having the Spring Classic soon they usually go on sale around $1.70ish. I really like my jigs from Siebert, but these are more appropriate for throwing into stuff they might not make it back from.