Jrob78

Same, I ordered enough to get free shipping and got a couple of free bags

These are available on GYCB's website

The Dark Sleeper and Sleeper Gill have been good baits for me. I picked up a handful of Craws to try out. We'll see if they produce like the other 2 have.

These are live at The Hook Up Tackle

The videos I've seen look awesome. I will definitely be trying this bait out.

I use backer so I don't waste a bunch of premium line. I only change it out when it gets low enough to need changing. I don't think I've ever just stripped off good line because I thought it needed changing because it had been on a reel too long.

I add the extra bearings to a lot of mine but I don't think it makes that much difference on a reel that already has 1 per knob. On reels with no bearings adding 2 does make a difference. I change out a lot of knobs and bearings are cheap, so why not.

I don't know honestly. It's probably a supply and demand thing as much as anything else. I haven't thrown one yet so I can't comment on the action. I just happened to catch a couple of releases and figured I could probably get my money back out of them if I don't end up liking them.

The Braillist is another good option if you want a longer rod.

I primarily use copoly for cranking, with Pline CX and Izorline Platinum being the 2 I use the most. I've also been experimenting with Defier and Defier Armilo but don't have much cranking time with them yet. The copolys are strong and handle well plus have a little stretch that I like when fishing treble hooks and for popping baits free from snags. I am a fluoro fan for a lot of techniques but it never seemed that beneficial for the shallow cranking I do. I would never use braid for this.

I should have said literally ?

This seems like a recipe for disaster. I'm surprised they would make a castable sonar transducer that weighs 2 lbs. I definitely wouldn't use braid for that. If you haven't already bought it I would look for a different option. 2 lbs is a ton of weight to try to cast.

In the United States lol

I might not keep them both but I got suckered in to the “get them before they’re gone, we might not get more for a year or two” sales pitch. Lol

Picked up a few Rafa glides, a TK and K9’s over the last couple of weeks.

I've never used Assassin but Sniper is my go to fluoro. I have used Sunline's budget fluoro, just called Super, and found it to be a great cheap option. Their mono lines I've used were really good too. In other words, Sunline makes good line and I'm sure Assassin is worth trying out. In fact, I have 4 spools of Sniper and 3 spools of Defier Armilo being delivered today or tomorrow.

They are dropping here on the 24th, I'm definitely going to try to pick up a few then.

Do tell

Did you mark your own post as the solution? lol I never worry too much about leaving plastics rigged up but I will always retie if they're still rigged up from the last trip and I wouldn't personally rig and tie a bunch of stuff up randomly. The day before a trip though, for sure.

The balance on the 743 is great and the rod is a pleasure to fish with. It’s not great in the sensitivity department though and nowhere near an NRX. I hate these balance pictures but it’s the best way for you to see. Lol Also, I noticed you said 1/2oz t-rigs, that sounds more like a 744 to me. The 743 isn't super powerful for a MH. Something in the Megabass P5 line might be a good option as well.

It's not that I can't palm it, I have pretty big hands and can comfortably palm larger 300 size reels. The gear box just sits lower/differently on a lot of Shimanos and the ergonomics just don't always work for me.

I don't really fish Neds or drop shots but lightly weighted T-rigged finesse worms, Trick worms, Robo worms and other straight tail worms have always been a staple for me. I fish them weightless a lot too. They sink really slowly but I've caught a ton of fish with them. You can also almost walk them like a spook, really versatile baits.

I didn't know there were people who didn't t-rig finesse worms

I've got all the newer Daiwa reels and as soon as Digitaka gets an 8:1 Bantam in stock I'm going to buy one. I'm curious to see how the newer Shimanos palm. Previous models didn't always palm well for me because of how the gear box sits. I'm hoping these will be better, other than that the ones I've had have been great reels. Daiwa reels just normally fit my hands better.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Off the bat I don't like it but I really don't know why. I remember when down scan and side scan were new, technology doesn't go backwards. This isn't the ultimate sonar tool, it's just the best one we have now, there will be something better at some point. Pro tournaments have been filled with dudes staring at their 4 or 5 giant screens for years now so that isn't new. I don't fish pro tournaments anyway so that doesn't change anything for me. I hate that there are 1000 boats crawling all over OH Ivie every day looking for the next teener and what that might do to an amazing fishery. I guess ultimately that's what it is for me, I hate that it takes some of the mystique away from catching a once in a lifetime bass and I hope it doesn't do long term damage to some great fisheries but I honestly don't know that it will.