Received my TW order.  My .99 cent hooks feel great...sticky sharp conical points reminiscent of Owner.  They wanted $8 a pack when they came out last year.  I picked up 8x #6, 4, and 2 sizes of the short shank EWG's...wish I would have bought more.  Couldn't pass up some Stanley dirty water spinners for $5 a pop...and a cpuple of KJ Flats.

 

16 hours ago, Cbump said:

Anyone used that Braid?

Found a few reviews from 2020 on TT. Not good ?

No I have not, thought about buying some. I have only used the tx-1 I think it is in 7lb test for my bfs set up. The tx-1 was ok. Sorry I couldn’t be of help.

Given the exchange rate, I just put in another reel order to digitaka.  I like the zillion, but I think I'm going to like this one more.  Shimano Metanium 20.  Will update when it comes in (in like 3 days).

More a fun exercise in photography than lures of wide interest.  These are very specific lures for imitating winter glass minnows under dock lights.  The largest is 55 mm Rolling Bait, an 8-g bullet for prospecting deep.  The smaller lures are all 3-g metal jigs, all but one with glow patterns added. 

This dim top-lighting shows the glow patterns, and makes a pretty good impression of what these lures look like 6' below the light. 

Note the blue lure doesn't have glow, but you should be able to see why blue is the best night color - it reflects dim available light, the the color wavelength is penetrating.  Pink of course is for transmitted light and fish guts. 

Ordered from Digitaka late Sunday night.    Product actually shipped Weds.   It's on track to be delivered today.   From Kobe, Japan to central Alabama, it took 3 business days.

 

Combine the huge pricing discounts, with the fact that somehow this place ships quicker to the US from Japan, than US companies can do for the US.......yeah Digitaka won a customer for life.   

 

I don't think I'll be able to refrain from getting a nice spinning real I need if these rates hold.   

5 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

More a fun exercise in photography than lures of wide interest.  These are very specific lures for imitating winter glass minnows under dock lights.  The largest is 55 mm Rolling Bait, an 8-g bullet for prospecting deep.  The smaller lures are all 3-g metal jigs, all but one with glow patterns added. 

This dim top-lighting shows the glow patterns, and makes a pretty good impression of what these lures look like 6' below the light. 

Note the blue lure doesn't have glow, but you should be able to see why blue is the best night color - it reflects dim available light, the the color wavelength is penetrating.  Pink of course is for transmitted light and fish guts. 

I've never even seen lures like that with the hook placement especially, very cool.

 

Interesting about the blue.     For whatever reason I've always had the most success off of purple, red, and black at night.   

 

Had some luck on pink/black spinnerbaits though.

@AlabamaSpothunter

I tie this fly also with blue chenille and blue-dyed marabou. 

The white bass stringer was mostly caught on consecutive casts using the blue in the half-hour or so before first light (and a few from there to sunrise). 

Absolutely wow'd over my JDM and Digitaka experience.    Less than 3 full days from Japan to Alabama.     

 

Can't wait to fish it.     Thanks to all the wonderful members who educated me on JDM, and Digitaka.      

Seriously folks, if you are pondering a Digitaka/JDM purchase, do it!   Let the Tackle Monkey caress you ever so sweetly and whisper Japanese into your ear  

22 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Absolutely wow'd over my JDM and Digitaka experience.    Less than 3 full days from Japan to Alabama.     

 

Can't wait to fish it.     Thanks to all the wonderful members who educated me on JDM, and Digitaka.      

Seriously folks, if you are pondering a Digitaka/JDM purchase, do it!   Let the Tackle Monkey caress you ever so sweetly and whisper Japanese into your ear  

 

 

really hard to beat the value right now.  MSRP $400 reels for $225 delivered.  There isn't a $225 USDM reel to touch them (zillions or high end Shimano).

1 minute ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

 

really hard to beat the value right now.  MSRP $400 reels for $225 delivered.  There isn't a $225 USDM reel to touch them (zillions or high end Shimano).

Absolutely, and the only downside to this whole transaction is the monkey screaming Japanese even louder into my ear ?

 

One thing that's not mentioned and doesn't really matter......It's darn cool getting a package from Japan.   I was tickled over the Japanese Sports page in my package.   

 

Directions are all in Japanese, no English option......it's just a unique, authentic feeling shopping experience to top off the quick deliver and unbeatable pricing. 

4 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Absolutely, and the only downside to this whole transaction is the monkey screaming Japanese even louder into my ear ?  One thing that's not mentioned and doesn't really matter......It's darn cool getting a package from Japan. I was tickled over the Japanese Sports page in my package. Directions are all in Japanese, no English option......it's just a unique, authentic feeling shopping experience to top off the quick deliver and unbeatable pricing. 

Just to make sure you hear that monkey. I'm a dedicated Shimano guy, but holy smokes that jdm Zillion HD may be my favorite reel now. I still love my mets, alde's, bantams, chronarchs, tranx's and curados, but if I didn't already have too many reels I'd be adding a couple more Zillions. 

 

I hear you about the packaging... they seem to put quality work and effort into everything.

1 hour ago, NorcalBassin said:

Just to make sure you hear that monkey. I'm a dedicated Shimano guy, but holy smokes that jdm Zillion HD may be my favorite reel now. I still love my mets, alde's, bantams, chronarchs, tranx's and curados, but if I didn't already have too many reels I'd be adding a couple more Zillions. 

 

I hear you about the packaging... they seem to put quality work and effort into everything.

After fishing it for a couple hours this afternoon, I'm starting to believe all the reviews on these Zillions.

 

Don't have much experience with the newest stuff like yourself, but this reel is silky smooth, and casts a mile.   I think a $350 MSRP reel should come with a reel cover though like my steez or calais, but when that's all I can come up with for complaints....Daiwa did a fine job on these.    It's also exactly the same Daiwa level of quality I remember in the early 2000s, and late 90s.    

 

First few casts with it I caught a nice 3lb+ fish on it with a chatterbait.    If I threw heavier baits I'd have to get the HD like you, but as it is I don't throw much stuff over 1/2oz.    I do plan on throwing some finesse A rigs though....darn you monkey lol. 

 

Small TW labor day sale order finally arrived today as well.

 

 

Picked up 20 or so packs of neds, ikas, senkos and shad shaped worms during their recent sale.

 

(Hopefully) my last jdm order for a while. Stocked up on some more OSP's, bullflats, swimjigs, spinnerbaits, a couple swimbaits and the bonus jackhammer.

On 9/16/2022 at 1:17 PM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Absolutely wow'd over my JDM and Digitaka experience.    Less than 3 full days from Japan to Alabama.     

 

Can't wait to fish it.     Thanks to all the wonderful members who educated me on JDM, and Digitaka.      

Seriously folks, if you are pondering a Digitaka/JDM purchase, do it!   Let the Tackle Monkey caress you ever so sweetly and whisper Japanese into your ear  

Will you guys PLEASE stop posting about these JDM Zillions? I have more reels now than I'll ever need, I certainly don't need another. I don't. I really really don't. I mean it this time.

6 minutes ago, Dash Riprock said:

Will you guys PLEASE stop posting about these JDM Zillions? I have more reels now than I'll ever need, I certainly don't need another. I don't. I really really don't. I mean it this time.

I’ll be waiting for when you post a photo of your new JDM Zillion on here in the next several days ?

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I’ll be waiting for when you post a photo of your new JDM Zillion on here in the next several days ?

On 9/16/2022 at 10:04 AM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

From Kobe, Japan to central Alabama, it took 3 business days.

 

2 hours ago, Dash Riprock said:

Will you guys PLEASE stop posting about these JDM Zillions? I have more reels now than I'll ever need, I certainly don't need another. I don't. I really really don't. I mean it this time.

Ok how about a Zillion HD?

 

Riprock sometime between now and midnight...

 

Went to the St Croix factory store and picked up this blemished Legend tournament inshore rod for the price of a victory. It fills a hole in my spinning rod line up. Hoping it will help me get the bass out of the reeds without them wrapping me on a reed. Test casted a 1/4 ounce slider on it and it casted fine. 

After getting a fish on it in tough conditions I like the sensitivity and the extra long handle like a musky rod. Having a cranky wrist from too much golf back in the day, it is nis to lock the handle in between my body and arm to support my wrist. Accuracy is decent with the slider head but I can dial that in. Heavy cover forces trade offs. 

 

Not exactly tackle but I finally got around to picking up the electronics and battery for the kayak.

 

1 minute ago, NorcalBassin said:

Not exactly tackle but I finally got around to picking up the electronics and battery for the kayak.

 

Very nice, and yeah you can buy a brand new top of the line rod/reel setup for the same money.....but buying sonar a month ago was the best tackle purchase I've made besides a recent rod.    Both things instantly boated fish.

 

Caught lots of smaller fish because of it, and almost caught my first bigger fish today because of it.   Side scan wasn't around before I took the long break from fishing but man does it make a huge difference, and the images are super cool.   First time I saw a 75 ft pine laid out into the water with all it's limbs in perfect clarity I knew I spent money wisely.

 

Congrats, that's a big purchase, you should be excited

Maybe not my most responsible purchase…but I’m an adult and I do what I want ?

Grabbed a husky jerk, a few provokes, head hunters, and kvd 200s/300. Really excited to try the Kvd 200s and the provokes. Jerkbait season is here and  I couldn’t be happier.

On 9/22/2022 at 4:22 PM, BlakeMolone said:

Grabbed a husky jerk, a few provokes, head hunters, and kvd 200s/300. Really excited to try the Kvd 200s and the provokes. Jerkbait season is here and  I couldn’t be happier.

What is that top middle? And what color is that?

1 hour ago, fin said:

What is that top middle? And what color is that?

He can correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the 6th Sense Provoke in Live Shiner.

Nothing too crazy. Just slowly stocking up for next year.