Swimbaitstud

Oh yes….in talking about anywhere besides digitaka. I know they split the tariff fee with the customer. But to my knowledge they’re the only business doing this. Even if you go on eBay and search for a product that’s coming from Japan, you’ll see it’s impossible to find shipping to be less than $40 and is usually $70-$90 on a reel that used to be $15-$25. I’m wondering about buying items from other sites. Here’s an example. $58 to ship one of these reels. This would have only been like $20 to ship last year. However, the other one says free shipping. All that means is that the selling isn’t charging no you shipping. But it doesn’t mean that when it reaches the U.S. customs won’t hold it and send you an invoice to be paid before they release it to the carrier. So you might think you got a deal on a $200 reel and end up paying customs $75 to release it. I’ve not heard of anyone but digitaka doing anything to help customers on this. It’s a pile of horse trash if you ask me…

The tariffs didn’t kick in til around September so if it was prior to that it was a non-issue. Since then it’s been absurd

The tariffs aren’t killing you?

Still 3 hours haha. I’m up about 20 minutes north of Augusta

Scooped up a good deal on a used Dobyns champ 705cb. Prob didn’t need it haha. But I could use a second jerkbait rod and I know it’s good for spooks too. Gave me a good excuse to buy a new tatula elite as well lol

I still think the tatula ct is a workhorse for the money.

To my knowledge it winds up being much more than the supposed 15%. I’ve heard of many guys buy ~$200 reels and getting charged $100-$150 in tariff fees. Really putting the screws to us. I tried to ship a package to France in October. A $300 value and they wanted $90 for customs after I paid $34 for shipping. But I’m curious also. Aside from digitaka, how are guys still buying Jdm??

I wanted to come down but it’s about 3:15 drive for me. Not quite worth $50 in gas just to go spend another $300 on baits and stop to eat for another $50….haha. Just hit the sales and get more crap I won’t fish haha

Just my take, but I bet if you went with a Dobyns of the same value you’d have liked it more. The Kaden series would be on par at $200 and you can VERY often find em on sale for $160ish and is a very nice rod. I’ve never had a Dobyns break on me and been using them about 15 years.

Oh I do love a Dobyns. I have about 30 of em haha

Just grabbed a tatula elite xs on TW for $172 to go on the Dobyns 705cb I just picked up. Should be money for a mid size Jerkbait setup as well as top topwaters!

Oh man we are loaded with giants up here in summer. Docks, concrete pilings and bridges, and anything wood. I grew up in a log house and it was festering with monsters. Nothing says trauma like being a little kid and lacing up your shoes in your lap and having a hairy spider the size of your hand come up out of your shoe lol. Yes, I have nightmares at 41 still 🤣

One of my absolute biggest fears. Nothing like bending down to rinse your fishy hands off the end of a dock at night and turning on your headlamp to see a 5” around spider 1’ from your face 🤮

I don’t understand why a tatula 80 wouldn’t work perfectly? You say holds “too much line”. I don’t think that’s a thing. If you don’t wanna use a whole spool of braid up just run some cheap mono for backing. But it sounds like that’s what you need. Small diameter braid is always going to dig into itself but that’s inevitable. Unless you can find something with a specific shallow spool maybe?

Haha that’s funny. Some people think stretching it weakens it but I haven’t found that at all. These days I’m fishing mostly braid but still do it with 25lb big game on my big bait rods

Reel magic works just as well. I also tie off to something solid and run out a long cast worth of line and stretch it good. That’ll do the same thing. Been fishing big game for 26 years

Never fished st croix. Been a Dobyns guy for many years. I will say Dobyns are very well known for being well balanced so I haven’t had any issues with feeling tip heavy. I do remember fishing Okuma and Irod and both feeling very tip heavy and it sucks. I think the biggest thing you’ll notice is your hookset is going to come a lot faster. You pick up so much more line with a rod 5” longer. Once you get used to it, it feels much better. I also feel like you have more power over a big fish. I don’t think you’ll dislike the change.

Good question! Gonna be a toss up between a black/blue 5/8oz jig with a zoom super chunk or a 9” ms slammer

Keep in mind, KVD talks about when he was younger buying a couple dozen crankbaits in hopes to get one or two that ran a little funky..

My first of the year often comes at night on a wake bait before the ice is even fully off the lake. For daytime as soon as the ice goes, Drt tiny klash, Jerkbait, red trap, red crankbait, jig, bladed jig. You best shot at a true giant is usually from ice out thru another 3 or 4 weeks.

A swimbait has been known to catch a night fish….or two

It’s so true. I spend so much more in winter

I’ll have to check them out. I live in central Maine and our sporting goods stores are usually the bare minimum when it comes to fishing tackle

Only been fishing a bladed jig for a couple seasons. I’ve really dialed in my setup now. But I find I’m often unsure on colors. I like throwing 1/2-3/4oz just for castability, but how do we decide on colors? Obviously light colors when around bait but when might I throw black/blue vs GP? I’ve never fished black/blue and only GP variations a few times. Since last year I am usually throwing red as I find it seems to be a big fish color. So when do I grab blk/bl or GP over red?

Copperstate tackle has 20% off right now. Just picked up some dredger 25s, 6xd and 8xds, chatterbaits for great prices