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So today is my birthday and I got the best suprise ever. Some of you may know, my brother in law was diagnosed with leukemia back in February so he has been getting help from my wife for the past few months. She had to move out to help take care of him so I didn’t think she would be around for my birthday as she’s cant leave him alone. So today I wake up and of course go fishing. Caught a nice birthday bass on a frog , exactly 6 pounds the scale read so that was exciting. But it gets better, little do I know my wife had a suprise for me! She had her mom come up to watch her brother and she came down to lake I fish and suprised me !! She even brought new lures , jigs, topwater , soft plastics etc. that was the best present I could ask for ! So we get to spend the day together and get to fish!! Also got my new rod which is amazing , all in all this was the best birthday ever. Probably going to fish later to ?

Got out Tues. For a few hours and today for a couple more before some dark clouds made me nervous. Not a lot numbers wise but stuck a good one each day pitching a double wide beaver. 1st one from today came in at 5-11 and the other at 4-15 on Tues.

I really was sick today, boss. Don't be so insensitive. It's called addiction.

Patience Grasshoppa!! Half the fun is getting there. As a guide, my advice is to start off simple and given time you will absorb the subtle differences in gear and manufacturers. Because so many here are serious hobbyists they have gone deep into the weeds on gear/baits/applications and many of us have been fishing a long, long time. Pick a price point for rods, pick a price point for reels and do some simple comparisons.....Left or right handed, gear ratio, spool size. Keeping in mind it may not be your last purchase. You are not going to get the best right out of the box because the best for you may not be the best for me. As for rods, at your price point get rods built for the application you want to use them for. Many are labeled with the application....crankin stick, topwater, worm, punching rod, spinnerbait rod etc. Once you use them you will understand better why they are labeled the way they are. As your needs get refined and your understanding gets better, it will all clear up. It's like putting your toe in the water rather than just diving in. You can sell your used gear and step up if need be. Everyone has their own reasons for having their favorite gear but none of that applies to you. Forge your own path and enjoy the journey.

First time out on my new Pro Guide V 165-wt yesterday and was able to christen the new boat with a few of these guys between 2-3 pounds. Late morning Fishing a grass bed right at the edge of about a 10 foot drop off. They weren't donkeys but they were fun catching. Texas rigged PowerBait 10" Power Worm in Green Pumpkin. Didnt keep any of them but did come across a nice bluegill bed later in the day. Took home about 12 good size bluegill and they made a tasty dinner for the family. Love eating bluegill.

After yesterday’s study break I had to go back for more. Got this 4.16 lb one in 3 feet of water on a Siebert Blue Craw Dredge Dock Rocker jig.

I was in need of a replacement part made by Matagi to replace the balancing weigh part made by them. I googled Matagi & came up with a parts supplier that didn't have the part & charged a real premium for the out of stock part & a very hefty shipping charge. I continued to search for an alternate supplier & found VooDoo Rods. THey had the part I needed in stock & were less than half the price of the not to be mentioned supplier. Long story short I got the part very quickly with great communication from their end. It was securely packaged and included a sticker & a handwritten note thanking me for my purchase all for a $18.45 shipped price. I just wanted to publically state what a great way to conduct business by them for anyone needing a source for rod building parts.

Wasn't even at the lake for 15 minutes before I hooked into a decent pike, I went to boat flip it and my dad grabbed the line and the fish was flopping around and drove one point of the treble into his finger on his left hand. He went to stabilize the fish with his right hand and the same hook went into his thumb. I felt absolutely terrible and knew how painful it was. I immediately cut the line, unhooked the northern and assessed the situation. Deemed it best to cut the hook in half so he wasn't handcuffed by the hook anymore. Then we sat down, calmed our nerves and decided it wasn't something I could do in the boat without anesthetics. So we drove to the doctors office where they did a terrible job. They didn't have anything to cut the rest of the hook so I had to go back out to the boat and grab the wire cutters. Then the doc couldn't grip the cutters hard enough to cut the shank so I had to step in to do that.. 2 hours at the doctors. All in all, dad is fine and in good spirits about it. It's something to laugh at now. He's a great dad and person. I just feel terrible it happened on my boat.

Yeah, this is "Their Year", 22 years in a row...

So its official. Staying at the Fort Polk Rec area in Pirates Cove, October 16-21. All paid for by my brothers boss, he knows how much we like to fish so he offered to pay for the lodging and fuel for the entire trip as a gift to my brother. I've never fished TB in the fall, and I've never fished any further south than San Miguel. I'm pretty excited about the change of scenery and time of year. I know its still a few months out, but I'm already excited so I had to post about it.

I started fishing before the transistor was invented, so most of my knowledge came from family, friends, and what books could be found on the subject. I watch YouTube fishing and I have to say that I wish it had been around back in the day. There is a lot of drama and you have to wade through a little BS sometimes, but it is entertaining sometimes. That being said, I'll be the first to tell you that you're never to old to learn. Now, if I could just get on the Pro Staff for Depends or PoliGrip.

Isn't that a song, "I've seen fire and I've seen rain". ?

I have had some pretty good luck catching suspended bass this season . I've been using Berkely Dredgers , because it takes the guess work out of how deep the lure is and they suspend or float up slowly . I even have one that sinks slowly . I reel it down , sweep it , reel in the slack , repeat...Just this past Tuesday I caught several bass suspended at 12 foot off the side of a point , over 22 foot of water with the 14.5 Dredger .

l can tell you from experience I have fished with a bunch of gear over my 40 years of addiction. I was quite happy with my green Shimano Curados and BPS reels till a friend put a Daiwa Exceler (predecessor of a Fuego CT). I have since sold off 9 of my 12 baitcasting reels and have replaced them with 1 Exceler, and the rest with a few Tatula and Tatula Type Rs in different ratios, and some Tatula CTs. I have cast a friend's Shimano Curado K and would definitely not agree that it is hands down a better reel, at least not to me. Both cast well, but we both agreed the Daiwa outcast the Shimano using a very easy smooth casting action. I am not saying he could not cast as far, but it took more effort. I am a big fan of the Daiwa Magforce Z brake system. Many times I have had members from this and 2 other boards come over my house and do some rod and reel casting instruction. Most that are not happy with their Daiwas when they get here are tickled when they leave. These reels need to be adjusted VERY different than any other reel I have ever cast. Once these reels are setup properly the MagForce Z brake system can work like it is designed. Part of it sorta works like the governor on a lawn mower. The other part you dial in on the outside. I rarely have to readjust anything no matter what lure weights I change to. As for their durability. I fish the Chesapeake Bay tributaries. These are tidal rivers with bass, big blue cats and big stripers, oh and I can't forget now big snakeheads. These reels hold up to all of that and my use in partly salty water. Watch these two videos. The first is a video showing how three different Daiwa brake systems work. The last one is a Magforce Z. The other video is from Brett Ehler and he is showing how to setup a Tatula SV TWS reel. All the Daiwas with Magforce Z brakes adjust the same. It is a set and forget reel in my experience. There are no side plates to remove and plastic pieces to push in or out like my old Curados or Chronarchs or dual brakes to mess with. These reels are that simple to setup. Now I still use my educated thumb a bit more than he did in that demonstration but these reels just work. As for the question about the year model vs another. Forget about it. You decide if you can afford a Tatula CT or not. If you can, then go with a new Tatula CT. For all around use choose a 6.3-1 reel. For a more dedicated combo to throw top water, chatterbaits, buzzbaits etc then a 7.3-1. I personally choose an 8-1 only for a dedicated combo to fish frogs and to flip, pitch or punch. If this will be your only rig than choose between a 6.3 and a 7.3-1 ratio. No mistakes here. If the $130 price range is out of your budget then a Fuego CT is the reel for you. No shame either you are not "giving up" much at all. The overall performance will be very similar. One more thing, let me address the nonsense on the T wing not passing a knot. I do use a leader attached to my braid often. I have no issues with my knots passing through the T wing system. First if I use a leader I do not fish with a leader longer than my rod. I usually fish a 5 foot leader or about as long as my wing span from one hand to the other with my arms spread out. This way my leader is plenty long enough, but not so long to get into my reel. Everyone of my reels has a mono backing and is attached to either fluorocarbon or braid using a uni to uni knot. If you are careful when tying that knot and be sure the wraps do not overlap each other then it will sail thru the T wing and micro guides. This has happened several times while hooked up with a big blue cats (my largest was 18 pounds) or one of the 30 inch stripers available here. I hope that helps explain these reels better without all the hype.

I'm totally thrilled by the passion I see coming out in this thread! Two things ring out for me as I digest the out-pouring of assistance: 1) We have to be careful of - "Can't see the forest because of the trees." It's too easy to put equipment on par - or more important - than the best part of fishing. The skill of tricking a bass into taking an artificial bait. This is the #1 pursuit; and much more challenging than rod/reel choice. 2) I'm guessing most of us experienced bass fishermen have started with very humble equipment, and worked our way up. That process is a growing experience, and is best left to evolve on its own. This part 2 is meant for the person receiving advice. Don't get too hung up on buying or doing things from 100% recommendation. Experiment and enjoy the process of bumping and going on your own gut feeling. You'll very quickly find what is best for you. Ok, in context of this thread - hopefully without wasting a ton of money. But bass fishing - by nature - is a sport based much on experimentation, and enjoying the growth process. Karl

Read threw way to much of this. The solution is oh to simple. Tackle warehouse let's you try reels and then return them. Select a few and try them out. First one works out your done. Dont like it try another. Coat you a few dollars in shipping but saves you a pile. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/demoprogram.html

Couple of weeks ago we had to put our “old man” down. He was a wonderful huskie/Shepard cross that we had for 16 years. Today, my wife found a new buddy for our 4 year old huskie/Shepard cross, he was pretty sad for that last week until this afternoon. She’s a 9 month old rotty/lab mix, very well behaved and full of gumption!

What line works best for different Texas rigs? It seems every bass fisherman has an opinion about fishing line and no two anglers agree. Well, here's my guide for pairing the right line for fishing Texas rigs in various situations. Hope it helps!

The rain came in today and got me a day off work. It also made for some killer fishing conditions. Went down to a local pond that I heard was just recently stocked and absolutely whacked them silly. Over 15 fish and the best 5 went for around 16lbs. Here’s the best of the day.

Welcome aboard! Striper bass fishing is def a rush. Good times up and down the East Coast! My first came in fresh water, 14# and 32" long. Since then I've been out in the Chesapeake Bay and York River and had a blast. My youngest caught this beast a year or two back in the James River.

Hello John and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ While most of what goes on here revolves around fresh water bass, I for one enjoyed many years of chasing striped bass so I can definitely relate. A-Jay

Sorry if I offend anyone but some of the You Tube fishing stuff is just so dumb.......un-boxings.....wth? You mean I can't look at the same stuff on fishing tackle sites or my 5,000 catalogs I get in the mail every year? I have to watch some dufus open a box and describe what he bought? And how about the big fella who used to be on here and now is "teaching the world to fish"? Ummmm....that's what all of the fishing shows have been doing for the last ooohhhhh say 50 years.....The Outdoor Channel, Bassmasters, FLW, Major League Fishing, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston etc. etc.....I love it when someone thinks they are showing everyone something "new" when they are just repeating what has been out there for a very long time.......And how about the junkie? Claims to be a fisherman but his boat which is a few years old doesn't look like it has a scratch on it.....My boat is about the same age and I go 4 wheeling through brush, trees, shallow rocky areas, stump fields and anything else to find those little green fish.......bet I've caught a few thousand more fish than that guy because my boat gets used for what it was made for.......so looks like I will stick with the pros and the guys who really know how to fish......Just a silly observation on my part.

How's it going all? Just a year ago recently got in the sport of Kayak Fishing! I picked a Feelfree Lure 11.5 last year. Now addicted to the sport. I want another kayak. Thinking about selling my kayak and upgrading to pedal drive setup.

In a nutshell, the WP 75 size works great, for the most part! First of all, the 1st thing I hooked with the WP 75 was a pine tree, that I forgot was behind me. I had to stand on a bench to get my new lure un-treed. Got my lure back, made 3 casts and on the 3rd cast, started reeling and part way retrieving it...a huge blowup! I knew right away it was a big bass, but didn't see it. It pulled drag, I thought I didn't set my drag but I did. So glad for stout size 4 treble hooks that come stock on the WP 75. Those 2 trebles kept the bass pinned in till I was able to land it, even after a few jumps out of the water. No bent thin wire stock hooks! That's one thing I like about this new WP size. It's shorter, stubbier in length and it's almost guaranteed both treble hooks will be on the fish. That's what I saw when I landed the bass, both hooks were in its mouth and on the side of its mouth. No worries of just one treble on the fish and hoping it does not come off when the bass jumps out of the water or pulls harder. I can tell you that the WP 75 is just shy of 5/8 oz and casts far on baitcast gear. No problems making long casts, it casts better than the WP 90 at 1/2 oz. I did notice that if you reel fast, the 75 will start to barrel roll. This happened a few times. A medium retrieve works good, no rolling. I also noticed that at times if reeled fast, it will swim on its side. Even though it has a deeper belly than the other sized WP, this happens and not too happy about that. I will be adding a black barrel swivel and black split ring to my WP 75, so it won't twist my line. I hope doing this, the action of the lure is still the same. Also I hope it will not add too much weight on the front end that it will submarine. The WP 90 at times will submarine when you start reeling. I did not notice the 75 going underwater when I started to retrieve. The sound the tail makes, sounds similar to the bigger WP's but in a compact size, not as loud as a 130 size. I think the sound is close to the 110 size. I'm glad the sound stayed the same and not any different sounding. It's a good looking lure, the treble hooks mean business and has it has very good body detail compared to the other sized WP's. I don't know if the fish cares for those cosmetics on the lure, maybe color helps in certain situations. Attention to detail in cosmetics, is more for the fisherman. IMO, the WP 75 needs a few refinements so it won't swim on its side or barrel roll on faster retrieves. No aforementioned problems when reeled slow to medium, runs straight. Not sure what R2S can do to improve those problems or what other DIY ways besides adding a barrel swivel. Hope that helps you to decide if you want to pick up the Whooper Plopper 75. I'm a Whopper Plopper fan, I own a few 130's, 110's, 90's and now one 75 size in bone color. I may get a couple more of the 75 in loon and another color. I also own the big and smaller BPS Double Down, dual prop ones. BTW, the new Ozark Trail analog scale weighed the bass accurately. I did forget to measure the bass with its built in tape measure. I wanted to get the bass back in the water ASAP so not to stress the bass too much. I did put the bass in the water a few times before I took other pics and passers by wanting to look and take their own pics. The big bass swam off with no harm. Not bad for a SoCal park lake bass, being that big and hitting a topwater at 6pm. Thanks for reading my review.

That's pretty much the point of YouTube anymore. The more subscribers, the more likes, the more views, the more money the content creator makes. It's all about the Benjamins and who cares about the content. That's why a lot of these "fishing" YouTubers have thumbnails with clickbait messages on them. It gets the attention of people so they click to view their videos. It's not just fishing, it's in all different topics on YouTube, and it seems like the more outrageous and ludicrous someone acts the more views they will get and the more poor the quality of the content is.

Sort of related to the topic...But in one of the early BASS Classics Stren was the 'official line of the Classic' and all the competitors used the same line. I can't play along with the scenario...I go crazy enough trying to slim down to 18 or 20 rods in the boat most of the time so getting to 1 would probably make my head explode ?.

Wow! That's got to be the longest post/rant thing here, no? OK here is the answer; STOP READING. You (as do most younger folks these days) have a good cognitive understanding of the situation, and yet seem to lack the ability to translate that into an effective plan for the task at hand. Assuming you have a rod and reel and some lures now, use that as the starting point (what else could one do). When you go fishing ask your self these simple questions based on YOUR (at this time not extensive) fishing experience: -What do I like about this [fill in any rod, reel, line, lure etc that may apply] -What don't I like about this ......? -What would make this ... better? Then make your tackle choice accordingly, then your equipment will by evolution not only be well suited to the way YOU fish, but will continue to over time as your experience increases make those decisions more efficient and focused. Now if you want the "perfect" combo today, I can't help, (nor can anyone else) YMMV (but it won't)

Another good post.....??I think a big lack of discipline now days is a major problem. I was WIDE OPEN as a kid but i got my butt tore up if i needed it. If it wasn't bad enough for a butt whoopin i might have to sit on the couch for a couple of hours when all I wanted to do is go outside. Or i might get grounded for a week. And when I say grounded my folks would actually look at the clock and say alright, at this time on such and such day if you dont do anything stupid between now and then you can go play, but each time I have to get on to you its gonna add a day to it. And that was it. I knew for a fact that when my mama or my dad said if you do "that" here's what's gonna happen....and you can bet your whole paycheck that it was true. No questions asked I suffered some sort of consequences when I got caught doing something dumb. And guess what? I learned some big time lessons from every single butt whoopin, every single grounding, and every single time more work got added to the work I already had to do. I think that when you are a kid you are like a sponge that soaks up everything. Let the kids drive but take the dang wheel away from them before they crash.

Its a good addiction .

Excellent observation!!! When I throw a Senko.....the do nothing, idiot bait that many claim it is......As soon as it hits the water, I immediately go into what I call "the zone". I get a lot of grief from my fishing friends because of it because everything around me goes blank and in my "minds eye" (that's what I call it), I am watching the bait fall underwater. Because I block out my external senses, my focus is on touch through the rod, a side view of my line at 2 points (1. where the lure is pulling it into the water and 2. where the line exits the water closest to my rod) and the action of the bait as it falls. All of these senses are heightened. They go off the chart when I perceive a bite and go "on point" deciding whether or not to pull the trigger on a hookset. IMHO those who can get to this level of concentration do very well with plastics/jigs/swimbaits, etc. It's almost a Zen experience for me. Nerdy......maybe.......but it works very well for me.

While there are clearly exceptions to this.......kids haven't changed, parents have.

Suspended fish can be some of the hardest to catch for most guys. I've had hit or miss days on them. What might surprise some, is a smaller plastic worm reeled slowly through these fish sometimes can work as well as any hard baits. Count it down to depth.

That right there is a total misconception ? @papajoe222 ever heard of Aaron Martens? What's he known for?

To answer your question. Yes, Ive also been doing strange things while casting for a long long time. I've actually started casting with my feet while blindfolded. This way I don't have to switch hands and I can use my powers to guide the lure where I want it to go. Plus I can avoid the debate about LH vs RH. It's second nature now but requires many years of tedious and grueling training on the planet of Dagobah. It's not cheap either, I had to pay some green goblin creature with hairy ears to teach me the true powers I hold within. But it was the best money I've ever spent in this Galaxy.

I don't take it to the level that you mention. However, I do envision a bass eyeballing my presentation on every cast. It's the way I stay in tune with what my bait is doing. When I loose focus, I loose that connection I have with whatever bait I'm using that tells me what's going on. It's one of the reasons that I like fishing alone. My wife questioned how I can go three or four hours without a bite and maintain that focus or concentration. I told here that there's the biggest fish I've ever caught out there somewhere and I need to be ready when it takes my offering.

I have a Bote Rackham paddleboard. Super expensive paddleboard. Long, wide and heavy. Takes a powerpole micro. I fish from it all of the time. Probably not worth the money as a fishing platform and I would not do it again. A kayak would be a better investment. Any wind and you are wishing you had a kayak. The smaller paddleboards and what not sure you can fish from but you'll also be going for a swim a lot do to stability issues. With my larger board the only time I fell in was when some idiot on a boat blew past me 1' from my board and nearly killed me. If you are in a rocky area paddleboards suck. They get damaged VERY easily. I am constantly making repairs. My board also has stress cracks in the gel coat all over the place. Actually this may have been one of the worst investments I ever made. It may look cool and seem like fun and it is but it's not worth the money. Get a kayak. and or get a paddleboard but get a nice inflatable board that is more durable, easier to transport and so on and don't expect to really enjoy fishing from it much.

Curado's are pretty much bullet proof. Certainly not an uninformed choice IMO. Sounds more like you got some type of bad deal from an eBay seller. The line spooling to one side is usually a worn pawl. External brake sticking doesn't sound right either. Sounds more like someone pawned off a used/defective reel on you. Probably too late to return. If so, I'd send it to DVT or similar and have them fix it up. If you don't want to do that, then sell it here and get a decent chunk of change back to purchase something else. As islandbass stated, they are workhorses. I've got a few that are nearly 20 years old and still going strong!

Here’s something to make it super easy. Stick to the top two reel manufacturers ( Daiwa and Shimano) and pick one that receives high praise for performance/value and offers the features you like. As the old saying goes K.I.S.S Daiwa tatula ct Daiwa tatula sv Fuego ct Shimano Caenan Shimano Curado K Shimano Citica I

If you want simple, Shimano Caenaan or Casistas (80-100), Diawa Fuego CT or Tatula CT (100-130). Gear ratio just hit the middle 6.3:1 or 7:1. Rod's St Crouix, Doybn's, Shimano & Diawa again dang near any of the one's listed on Tackle Warehouse. Decent quality rods will go around a 100. You want to build a selection. Get a couple of medium action 6'8" - 7' (for lighter baits) Medium heavy fast 7'ers for bottom baits (jigs and worms). Medium heavy moderate action for Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Chatterbait etc. Last but not least one heavy fast action 7'-7'4" for frogging and heavy cover work, It is only as complicated as you want to make it. Get one of the above reels and one medium heavy fast rod spool with berkely big game 12-14# and go fish. Fishingmickey

Look it what I stumbled across today. Nobody in the driver's seat to interrogate. @A-Jay coming to a Pro-V Bass near you.....

TLDR. Adderall, maybe? Sorry to be a smartazz...but, you want it simplified, its going to be simple. Couple of Chop's personal observations: -you get what you pay for here on BR -very few product info posts incorporate thorough, honest comparisons...it just isn't every thread that you find someone who has compared the exact two or three models you're looking at -very few of us are professional reviewers -- everyone has different things they value, notice, dislike, etc....so you'll find little unfiltered objectivity -just maybe those tech/feature differences are subtle or negligible to 98% of the novice bass equipment buyers -I'll go out on a limb and suggest that if you spend, say $120 on any rod or reel with specs close to your intended usage...you aren't likely to be disappointed

New Tatula SV

More better ?

New Addiction -

I would suggest 30lb braid. A 30 or 3000 size reel is fairly large and will hold a lot of line. I would even add a little backing And then put about 75 yards of braid on. That way you could fill 2 reels with one spool of braid.

My 2018 starting lineup should be about complete with this latest addition. Gonna pair her up with my new Lew’s Mach Crush for full time mat pitchin’ duties.

They would not leave the spinner bait alone today. Caught fat little dinks up to much better ones.

A buddy of mine who I used to fish with all the time moved out of state a few years ago, but is in town for a week or so, so we hit the lake. Due to a massive weather system moving over the northeast, the radar was looking iffy so we decided to stick to a lake close to home. Sure glad we did, because the fishing was ON. We caught lots of fish, and the average size was very impressive anchored by the 20”+ smallmouth that my buddy caught. Here’s one of the chunks I landed, pitching a Texas Rig to some Lily pads:

Should be fine. To be totally safe, become vegan and starve. I use a lot of lead and brass. Some tungsten in smaller sizes.

So? Do not watch them if you do not like them. Rather easy solution.