little giant

@Phillyfanatic Google Falcon Peacock bass rods. Specifically made for what you're looking for. You can look into saltwater spinning rods for tarpon. Crowder, Falcon, and Bull Bay are great brands for the aamount you want to spend.

The size is comparable to my SLX 71. Smaller than my curado 150. Curado bfs is a great reel. Has magnetic brake and easy to dail in. I use 15 lb micro weave braid w/ flouro leader. Dedicated for neds and 3" weightless paddletails. Have it for 2+ years, no issues. I do maintain it well.

Welcome to the forum! I'm an avid bfs guy but not ultralight. My dedicated senko rod is a Kistler Helium light Medium Heavy/fast with a bfs reel w/ 15 lb braid. It's the shallow spool that allows lighter braid. A med light rod is a good bfs bass set up but more for open water techniques, not heavy cover. I use Kistler KLX ML and a Falcon Clearwater inshore salt ML. ( it is for speckled trout and redfish, has terrific sensitivity and backbone) Hope this helps!

@Phillyfanatic Welcome to the forum. How's the 'Burg?? I moved from Carnegie to FL in '87. You may want to have at least 1 heavy/fast rod. The Peacocks are strong and fight. A 3 lb is a bigger fight than a 7 lb FL Largie plus all the heavy vegetation. I don't use the rods your looking at. Sounds like a great trip! Have fun and enjoy!!

@Banned User No need to make an account as long you have an USA account. It figures out shipping and taxes if any. I did this quite awhile ago.

Yozuri makes diving cranks for the salt. Great hooks and salt baitfish finishes.

Another vote for Falcon low riders. I have a bunch! 5 stars for the swim jig rod!!

Amazon sells small plastic bottles with needle tips. They're great, I have a bunch.

@woolleyfooley I know nothing about the Exprides. That said, my dedicated Senko rod is a Kistler Helium weightless Senko/Fluke rod. Rated as a light MH- fast. Paired with a Dream bfs reel+15lb braid, Owner 4/0 Tournament MUTU light circle hook. It's a big hook and gives a bit more action to the Senko. Rod is very light and super sensitive, and loads very well. Great casting distance because of of that reel. I use Senkos, Wave Tiki sticks, Bamboo sticks and Gambler Ace, 5" and 6". Hope this helps!

Difference between 40 and 50 is minimal. I would use an 8 weave braid. Much smoother and casts better. No flouro leader!

I use Spro 65 and 90 size and Gambler frogs. I like darker colors. I use a Heavy Falcon Cara rod with a soft tip, Zillion HD 8 speed, 65 lb braid, no leader. Walking it is a combination of arm, wrist, and tip of rod. It's all about practice, maybe watch some you tube vids. Also, I bend the hooks out, just a touch for better hook ups. Can throw them to tops of mats, grass, or into lily pads. Nothing quite like the blow ups on a frog!!

I have a '20 ct and '24 100. Both have: 7 bearings, same spool capacity, mag z brake. 100 has aluminum side plates and hyper drive gears. They both cast very well, the 100 is a bit smoother. Hope this helps.

Small edge of a baitcaster, middle of the spool, spinning reel?? Pic??

Get some white or off white zoom super flukes. Not expensive, rigged like a texas rig and they will catch fish. I fish them weightless. Many vids on you tube. And welcome! And enjoy every minute out there!!

My trophies: 12.5 lb Gambler Ace 5" 8.25 bfs smallest Hula Popper you can buy! ML rod, 20 minutes to land it. 7.5 lb RI sweet Beaver weightless. I don't carry a scale anymore.....

That is awesome!! Can't wait to see pics! Have a grand time!!!

I watched a documentary on the Florida Everglades that had a lot of underwater footage. Showed a big LM take a 6 month old gator in 1 gulp!

Not much down here deeper than 10-15 feet deep. Some man made ponds are deeper. The big ones would rather hide in that beautiful Florida vegetation!! Lol

@AbelG So I had to open up my SLX and have a look at the gear set. It's a SLX -A, 71, mgl III, 6.3 speed. It has micro module gears, exactly like my slx bfs an 2 Curados. I have a Metanium 101hg, micro module, its smooth and quiet. Malaysia vs Japan???

@Harpua Lake Ida and its canals, Delray, off Congress Blvd. Lake Osbourn, Lake worth- go to John Prince Park or along High Ridge Rd. I live in Boynton Beach.

Shimano's micro module gears. I have 2 SLX. 1 is "geary", not as bad as you describe, so now it's a shelf queen. Second one is a bfs and doesn't have the issue- yet. And it gets used alot. Try a heavier grease instead of drag grease. It it still under warranty?? Call shimano??

@woolleyfooley I've been fishing south Florida for 35+ yrs, palm beach and broward counties. I've seen a lot of stuff in bass' mouths, not once a crawfish. I fish some really clear ponds and have not seen any. I know they're in Lake O, so probably more central Florida and north. As I wrote previously, big beavers catch big bass. If I do use a craw, like a pit boss, I rig it on a jig vertical so it looks like a fish tail. Although I'd rather use a paddletail, fluke, or zako.

Welcome to the forum! I reside on the east side of south Florida. Same kind of water. I use flouro on my braid set ups. Usually about 6 feet so knot doesn't go into reel. 8 lb in more open water, 12 or 15 lb in grass. No leader for topwater. Hope this helps!!

South Florida here. Beaver baits by far catch me more big bass than craws. Craws as a trailer I make em vertical so it looks like a fish tail. That said, a Gambler BB cricket used to be a great t rig bait but not the past few years. Thinkin the Beaver is a bigger meal!!

Firstly enjoy the reels- they're great! Maybe okuma is phasing out the Hakai?? Dream did make the spool. Then they took the Hakai frame and innards and made bfs reels. Lightened the drag and shortened spool shaft so spool bearing are on the spool, painted them and applied red or blue accents. I have 3 of them and love them. 15 lb braid, casts a mile, no dig in. What was odd, 2 had pinion bushings, 1 had pinion bearing. All have bearings now. Price on Amazon is great! The Hakai is an excellent reel! Built like a tank inside.