Rocky998

That size looks perfect then! Thanks for the visual! Would these also work? https://discounttackle.com/products/vmc-spring-baitkeeper?_pos=14&_sid=cecd04781&_ss=r

This is great to hear! Thank you!

Wow this forum has a lot of North Carolina people! Nice!

This is good to know!! Thanks! This is an AMAZING visual! Thank you so much for showing me! Looks like it will be perfect on the 5/0!

I don't have the underspin or the swimbait yet. I'm just wondering before I go and spend money lol. I'm also getting a size 3/0, so I can try that. I thought about using the 3/0 size before, but I thought that would lead to a lot of short strikes. Hopefully someone has put the size 5/0 together with the swimbait before and knows!

Good to know! I guess I'll just have to spend some money then and find out! Loll. Don't know when I'll get to getting it, but I'll be sure to report back here when I do... Until then, I will say that this thread is open for anyone with experience on the matter! Lol

I'm not ready to use that size swimbait and I've doing research on the actions of different swimbaits as well as the colors. I like the action and color options of the gambler ez swimmer over the keitech. I appreciate the recommendation though! I'd just like to know if anyas tried what I'm doing and knows if the 4-1/4" ez swimmer will work on that size underspin by owner

Been learning through this past year and these are my more "recent" catches.

Welcome from NC as well! Lol

I'm really loving how the owner flashy swimmer looks and the fact that there's an option for a gold blade, as well as the price compared to other brands... The one thing I don't like is that there's no 4/0 option. Would a 4-1/4" ez swimmer pair well with the 5/0 option? I don't want to use a 5" swimbait as I'm still gaining confidence in these sizes. I'm taking a leap of faith by using a 4-1/4" as it is 😆

Just arrived today and spooled it up

Update on the thread here! So after talking with a member here and some research, I figured I should get a reel meant more for saltwater since the rivers I usually fish have varying levels of salt content (some low, some high). I decided to go with the Daiwa Coastal SV TW. Which normally is around $270, but on Tackle Warehouse they had a sale that brought it down to $150, so I decided to bite the bullet on it and spend the extra $40 on a reel made more for salt. It was built for the intended use to be inshore saltwater fishing for red drum, speckled trout, and Bass, which is exactly what I fish for. So it just seemed to fit my needs. Plus that blue is absolutely awesome looking. Should be arriving in 2-3 days as far as I know

I actually have a question regarding them. Do they normally come pretty dry? And when they do are they still pretty smooth? And after you lubed/oiled them did they run smooth and stay really smooth?

I took a look and those are some awesome deals!! I'll have to consider it for sure! I'm pretty confident in receiving a perfect performing reel, I just want that "just in case something happens" reassurance that I can get my money back if something is wrong. Well that's cool to know! Yup! Definitely agree! I'd want to try doing it... But I can be clumsy and I'm scared I'll screw it up some how 😆 I could do some looking into it, but Im really not sure if I want to do that. I'm looking at spending another $100+ on line and lures/baits so I'm trying to be careful with spending lol. This is really good to know!! Thank you so much for letting me know! I have an slx xt 8.1, but I got it used and it was already kinda broken. It still casts pretty good, but pretty sure it doesn't cast well due to everything that's wrong with it. I don't want another one cause I'm kinda leery of the quality. I dont want it to break quick. I want a reel that will last me a good amount if time. I love the magforce brakes. I have a daiwa lexa 100h from like 2013 that I got at a thrift store and I can cast a 1/4 oz a mile on. I put the spool tension as low as possible and then have the brakes on like a 5-7. So smooth casting. Issue with it is that it's a 4.9 gear ratio which is way too slow. For me that just shows the longevity of these reels. Really? I've seen a video of the Zillion being put to the test againt the tatula 150 and they were casting extremely far. That's surprising to me I really love Daiwa cause I've had an amazing experience with it, but I also do like Shimano and I think the xt is an amazing reel, I truly do, I just wonder if it will last as long as most Daiwa reels. I saw the CT and it looks awesome. I had done research on it in the past, but some people said it wasn't as good as the 150 so idk. The new tatula 100 looks awesome and also reportedly has the same gears or at least same gear cut as the Zillion. The Fuego seems like it's one of those reels where people will say "it's such a good reel, it's amazing awesome," ect, ect, and then add "for the price" at the end which deters me away. It was one of my options, but I just feel like the tatula would be a step up and better in general. I know I can cast a weightless senko on my daiwa lexa 100 (2013) a long distance considering the weight. I don't have good enough lures rn to sell them off for extra money lol. I sold off some collectibles of mine so I'd have some wiggle room when choosing a tatula though. I'd want to kinda try out a Zillion before hashing out that kind of money lol. Try a 1/4 oz, 3/8 oz, and 1/2 to see how well it handles different weights. Maybe I'll get it someday. As for the rest of the replies debating about "yes it can cast far" or "no it cant" I think everyone just has had different experiences. Line and what weight you're using is a big factor. Someone using 17lb flouro/mono isn't going to go as far as someone using 30-50lb braid

Alright! I've just heard of the jdm reels and the usdm reels having differences, some very minimal and some fairly major. I know, at least from what I've heard, that the JDM zillion uses aluminum gears rather than brass to save on money and their reasoning was that the bass in Japan are smaller. I want to make sure the reel I get will last for a long time and keep casting/reeling in nicely over time. Yup! Very true. I don't like the risk of "no returns" especially when I'm spending this much. I saw that! Very enticing prices I will admit. I just want to make sure I don't waste $90-$180 on a product that is malfunctioning

Thank you for your insight! I checked Aliexpress, and while I like the prices, I would just get it from somewhere more reliable like Amazon. From what I've seen Aliexpress also doesnt accept returns. The price isn't too far off though. Amazon sells it for $112. Plus taxes its $120. Sold by Daiwa straight from Japan. The only thing I'm worried about regarding that is what the differences are between the JDM version and USDM version are

I've been doing a ton of research and I've been looking to get a reel I can use for flipping, swim jigs/paddletails, bladed jigs, Texas rigs, frogs/poppers, and possibly something I can use to learn how to skip. I want something that can handle 1/4 oz if need be but also be able to cast 1oz if I have to punch some cover and pull through the weeds. Right now I have an original 4.9 Daiwa lexa 100. It's awesome and I've loved learning techniques with it, but I need something with a proper gear ratio to do the stuff I want. I've been heavily considering either the tatula 150, or the JDM version of the tatula 100 2023/2024. The problem I'm having with getting the JDM is I'm not sure if there's differences between the USDM version and that one. Are the gear boxes the same? Is it the same quality? Amazon is selling the JDM for $112. So I'm definitely considering that for affordability. The 150 would be for if I need something a bit heavier. Whichever one I get I'll be spooling it with 50lb sufix 832. I'm also considering using an fg knot to tie a 17-20lb mono leader to the front

I just caught my first bass of the year on a big bites craw!! I'm so happy!

Thanks! Yah, they're probably up there in with the biggest bluegill I've caught. Definitely most colorful, probably! Absolutely stunning fish. They remind me of cichlids... In fact they may be in the same family, I'll have to do some research on that. Yah! I'll have to try the lure in other places... But I might have only caught those ones cause that pond isn't fished at all really. (I got permission from someone before fishing it. There's not a sign saying you can't fish it, but it's not really meant to fish if that makes sense...) It's hard to fish with a ton of those slimey weeds... Makes sense top water would work best I suppose lol. Easier to navigate weeds

I'm definitely known for that on everything I do 😂😂 Haven't gotten a bite in it yet, so I'm thinking its probably due to the color or times I'm using it. I did put a soft plastic on it and it gave some pretty good action. I'll show a photo of everything I'm working with later. Lol. I wish that was the case for me. I tried using the worm today and nothing bit it at all. BUUUT, I did use a topwater Rapala minnow lure and caught two big blue gill!! Here's some photos (first two are the same under different lighting):

Awesome! Thank you so much! That sounds good! Should I reel in the chatterbait bu doing a stop and go retrieve where I reel up until it vibrates, then let it drop and repeat? Today I'm going to a very small pond. I know there's bowfin, but I'm not sure if there's bass. I know there's other fish besides the bowfin, I just don't know what else lol. But I literally would love to catch anything. A bowfin would be cool! I know people catch them on chatterbaits, so maybe I can try different reeling methods with that. But yah if I showed a picture of all my tackle, I think you'd also be saying I need to get more stuff. I have stuff I rigged up really badly as well from a long time ago lol. Maybe I can share some photos later today of my lures. I have a medium sized collection, but I'm slowly finding out from reading about bass fishing online that I'm needing a better selection. Like I have no black/blue or junebug cause I always thought nothing would bite it, but i know now that's wrong thinking lol. What type of trailer should go on the Carolina Craw styled chatterbait? Or should I not have one on there?

I don't know yet if I'll get the o-ring kit. I want to stretch my money as much as possible and try a good amount of lures/baits to see what works to expand my small collection of bass lures. Also what type of weight are you talking about? I can't find it. Or maybe that was a typo?

That's my overthinking brain for ya 🤪😂 Kinda hard as I can't get out to the quarry lake as much as I'd like to... I feel like the senkos won't do much for me in the river, which is why I want to try a large lure/bait selection to see what works, but also be careful about picking the selection so I'm not just throwing out money. I'll try this! Thank you! I'm using a 3/0 offset worm hook on it but idk if I'll be able to get the dye. And sadly at the quarry there's barely any visible holes or grass lines in the water (I'm a bank fisherman) Sadly I don't know where a good place to start for that would be. I guess I could try the river section at the quarry which is normally very calm water. It's a rum off from the main river and I remember a year or two ago using a black rooster tail and seeing a MASSIVE bass following it but then it saw me and got scared away. It was a day where we caught nothing, so I was frustrated LMHO Hm someone else said Okeechobee worked great for them in NC... I would think so with the bold/dark coloring in the murky water. Especially with the large amount of dark blue. I just feel like GP and Watermelon would blend right in with the water color, right? Or am I wrong? (I overthink. Sorry for all the questions and talking, I really like having people to bounce my ideas off of) That's AWESOME! Thank you so much for sharing that! Were you using a trailer for that one? I'll definitely be trying what you say with the senko

This is a great idea!! Thanks! I'll look into that when I do my lure/bait shopping! Also, quick question... So I'm wanting to use the Yamamoto zakos that are 4 inches, but the jig I'm wanting to use (strike king hack attack, and strike king swinging hook jig), uses a 5/0 hook. Do you think that will be ok or is the hook too big? If so, what jig should I get that would be good for cover and also 3/8 oz?

At the moment looking for 3/8 oz heavy cover skirted swim jigs with a 3/0 hook. Wishing strike king made some in their heavy cover hack attack model. I want the hook size on that weight of swim jig to get through heavy cover with a 3-4" zako but the size 5/0 hooks are massive for what I want to fish with