kikstand454

Normally a c-rig. . But last weekend the deep crank was the ticket. ....

Yeah! Wtg!

If you want a flipping switch, then get on that auction site and pic up a quantum accurist. Great reel, fairly cheap. I have three. They are awesome. I've had them a long time and they have never let me down. I NEVER use the flipping switch. But then, I flip and pitch with a left handed reel, so. ......

Agreed! I would spend almost all my time this time of year on those docks and the drop offs on sandy beach road. Shaky head those docks.... try to find some irregularities on the drop off and fish those with cranks and a c-rig. Throw a 1/2oz jig EVERYWHERE along there. Come fall that same area may be teeming with shad, and they will be moving back towards that shallow end on the north. All winter long, that bank is still the best place. The only time I wouldn't focus most of my energy there would be late winter and spring when the prespawn and spawn are on. Good luck!

The bps extreme is an OK reel at around that price on sale. But he PQ is light years better. I'm sad to hear they have a mettle 2 now. .....I didn't know. Now I'm scared it won't be as good. .....

Well just keep reminding yourself that the 10# yozuri is actually #15 line. Lol. Take your time, make sure your knots are clean, your drag is set, and check your line often. I'm sure it'll be fine!

Yeah. ...I can easily carry 6 rods on my kayak- and I could just as easily add a very nice depth finder. With GPS and side imaging if I wanted. The only reason I haven't is I rarely take my kayak bass fishing- I go with someone in their bass boat normally. I do agree however that using your baits to research the bottom is a very important skill to learn.

^ and that's exactly what you should do OP. With all due respect to the other posters- and I do respect all of you, especially Raul- you have absolutely zero need to spend more than your quoting on a rig . None. You have a budget of "x" and you don't need to spend more than that on a part time hobby, which at this point- no matter how passionate iu are- that's what it is. Being in college and on a budget, plus just getting into bass fishing at 18...... you're not fishing tournements, and you expressed no desire to. You just want to catch some fish and enjoy learning the trade. I'm not sure if some of the other posters think its better for you to just not fish at all, until you have a 2-300 dollar rig, but that's asinine. Its about getting out there and enjoying nature and developing the skills (and addiction! ) that further your desire to get better and better. Are you eventually going to want to spend $200+ on a bass rig? Probably! Lol. It comes with the hobby. But its that way with any hobby. You start out with what you can afford, and then as your skill develops ( and hopefully your financial security increases) you can afford to move up. The reason I posted the old 70s pic of Bill Dance is that those guys used equipment that was cutting edge in their day- and we would consider it armature crap today. They did just fine. Thousands of bass are caught every day on Walmart Shakespeare combos! Of COURSE the entire thing is more enjoyable when you have top of the line gear..... but you know what? I DRIVE a helluva lot more than I fish- and I do just fine in a 98 Cherokee- I don't need a Ferrari to get to work. That's where you're at right now- just getting to work. Find a 6'6"mh rod, a good (research a bit) reel in a 6.x:1 ratio, and put some decent line on it and go fishing man! If you find that you love it and can find the time and money to invest in it- so be it. Then you can buy better gear. Until then its just posturing and wasting money.

That's how I would do it.

*shrug* This guy did alright with fiberglass rods and 3bearing reels......

Wow man! Wtg! Those are some fat pigs!

<$120? No prob! Get this reel.....preferably on sale: http://m.academy.com/shop/Product_10151_10051_903505_-1__true?N=20001+274871093# And put it on this rod: http://m.academy.com/shop/Product_10151_10051_161451_-1__true?color=Blue&N=20001+101394130 Done. Awesome set up for the budget minded.

Awesome man! That's a nice fish! I love the warts! Crankbait bite must be on. ....we got into them pretty good on cranks last weekend too! Congrats!

I have never used one. .... but I'm interested as well. Watching. ...

If you're only going to use some combination of the rods and reels listed. ... then I think you have everything well thought out. I personally would change out your 7'M villain for a 7'mh+ 6.x reel for more versatility. But that's just me. Good luck on your tourney! May all your fish be 3+#!

Now that I think about it. .....I kinda wish we hadn't brought this up. Lol. The mettle feels like a little secret to me- and I kinda hope it stays under the radar so academy continues to put them on STUPID sale. I have seen them as low as $25. Honestly, if they had different ratios, I would get quite a few for rods/techniques that I don't use as frequently. They are solid reels.

I admittedly have a weak hookset. Well, compared to others. I'm not sure why. ....and im also not really worried about it. I don't miss too many fish. If I do miss one due to a weak hookset, its way out at the end of a cast on a jig or t-rig. Otherwise I do pretty well. All that being said, best thing I did for my hookup percentage was not cheap out on line and hooks. Especially hooks. When it counts, I always have trokars on. When I'm fun fishing, I never go below gammy for Texas rigs. While it may breed bad habits. .....switching to a low/no stretch line (flouro, maybe even braid..) and some trokars may increase her hook ups with her current skills. Otherwise, try to let neither of you get frustrated, and gently preach the skills she needs to learn. Sounds like she really wants to learn and excel, I'm sure she will put in the effort.

Ill tell you what. ... that mettle reel is awesome. I saw it recommended on a Texas kayak site, they gushed over this thing. So when my local academy had them on sale for $29- I had to get one. It was great! Small and smooth, and casts better than many of my MUCH more expensive reels. I took it out and on its first trip it caught multiple 25" redfish and handled them with authority. I was in total love. Then I found that no matter what the kayak guys said, it does NOT play well with salt. At ALL. So I got in there and cleaned it all out ....and it still casts like a dream. ... like it will almost spool itself. But the gearing isn't as smooth now. I must have compromised it with the salt. I will say this though. .... for strictly freshwater- I can not imagine a better deal than the mettle. It performs every bit as well as my proqualifier at half the price. That's the honest truth. I have no idea about availability of replacement parts or service or warranty ......but I know this- when they go on sale again around Xmas, I promise you I'm picking up 2 more. I just wish they came in different gears. In the scenario you described, I say buy it. You will NOT regret it. ( assuming you don't get a lemon. ...which is a possibility among all reels under $150 or so. ) EDIT : It would be very hard to beat the deal catchandgrease posted above! That looks great!

A jig is great for this, but I think the ultimate technique in reading the bottom is the c-rig. Everything down there feels different. Mud, wood, sand, rock, mussels. ...hell I've ridden with a guy who could tell what TYPE of grass was growing. You just get a feel for it. Its no different than anything else you learn through your senses. Experience+positive affirmation= knowledge.

No the temp change is important. .... but this time of year its a good thing. Some middle 70s water probably turned them on! STROKING a jig is when you cast a jig out then rip it off the bottom violently- letting it fall back down. The chatterbait bite "dead sticking" would've made me personally try this for a few minutes to fire up the school. Jmho.

Yeah!

Experience. Really, that's the only way to explain it. Describing the bite will sound exactly like ticking rocks to you. You will know, and when you hook up a few times successfully, it will start to become ingrained in you what the difference is.

Booyah. Strike king. Sometimes they have war eagle. .......

Which $100 rod? Any of them.

Awesome video! I'm coming down to palm bay this Xmas and want to sneak away south to catch me a peacock! I'm bringing the kayak. Can't wait!