Bass Junkie

If I had to choose, it would be Mag breaking.

So you don't think say 30lb. braid will withstand the inscidental pike?

Nailed it.

Make sure to post some pics when you do, and good luck out there!

Either this, or move to the shade. If you start on the West bank and move to the East when the bite dies, you buy yourself an extra hour or more of topwater.

Plano 3700 series have never failed me.

Minimum of a MH rod and you need braid. Those two things make a world of difference, and froggin without them is extremely frustrating!

Out of the ones you've mentioned, by all means pick up a Gen. 2 Premier while you have the opportunity. While its not a Steez, it is a tremendous reel.

My main purpose in using braid is to eliminate the need for a leader of any nature, and reduce or eliminate bite-offs. I have heard good things about Samurai, along with a few mixed reviews of the line having a low shock strength. I have heard similar about Kanzen as well, but have no personal experience with either. Thanks for the recommendation!

You, sir, need to treat yourself to a Revo!

I understand the concerns with the braid digging into the spool, by as long as its wound under tension I have not experienced issues going as low as 30 here and there. I'm really wanting to keep the line profile as low as possible to help reduce visibility. I plan on throwing some suspending jerkbaits and other slower presentations, and want to avoid sacrificing any more bites than I have to. What is the ROF on the 832? I'm not entirely sure I want a sinking braid for top waters or suspending lures. Thanks for the input!

This is so true... If I could have back the money I spent on lures laying around....

Great job! Jigs are deadly all around, but one of my favorite methods is swimming them. How are you liking the Beat Shad? Very nice fish too!

Nothing wrong with that, I started there myself. While I have not amassed the collections some members have, I have found that getting the best you can is always wisest, even if you sacrifice quality for quality. So many anglers seem to think they must have a technique specific rod and reel for every technique they use, and acquire five or six decent setups when three good setups are capable of doing all of the techniques, and at a higher level. While I have never personally used the Pro Qualifier, many members here have, as I have yet to hear one negative report. $80 will indeed get you a very nice reel! On a separate note, congratulations on servicing your own reel! Many guys that own fleets of expensive reels don't have the skill sets to do that. Glad to see someone who has the initiative to take care of their investment!

My first options, depending on the conditions, would be as follows. I don't fish chocolate milk that often, but these would give me the most confidence. Big jigs Spinnerbaits Rattling Square Bills Buzzbaits Lipless Cranks One Knocker Spooks

Don't feel too bad, I'm sure you're not the first person! I took out a window as a youth, with a 5'6" spinning rod and a spoon....

Great job, glad to see its working for ya! Nice fish as well!

I am going on an extended fishing trip shortly to upstate New York, and am running into an issue I thankfully do not have to deal with here in North East Ohio. The issue is Pike. While I will be pursuing Bass, pike are predators as well, and I anticipate hooking with a few hammer handles. While I don't necessarily resent this, I despise the idea of seeing a pike swimming off with a Sammy or Pointer. At the same time, however, I don not want to use a wire leader, due the the adverse affect it can have on action, suspending profiles, and visibility. My thought is to use straight braided line as my main line on a couple rods and use those primarily for my hard baits. I know braid will hold up to teeth, I personally have caught a 38 1/4 Muskie on 30lb braid with no issue, and had a fishing partner land a 36" Pike on the same line. My questions are as follows: 1. What braid would you recommend? I have used both Power Pro and Spider Wire stealth, and never really had a reason to change. However, with the advent of some of the newer lines, such as PP SS8, Sufix 832, Kanzen, and Sunline FX2, I am open to trying the "latest and greatest" 2. What pound test would you recommend? I will primarily be throwing a 2nd Generation Revo Premier and a Daiwa Fuego, but would like to keep the diameter down for casting sake and visibility issues. I'm thinking either 20 or 30lb. but am open to suggestions. 3. What color would you recommend? The waters I'm fishing are somewhat Tannin stained, and somewhat resemble a weak Tea. I'm thinking Moss Green or the like, simply because it blends into a quite a variety of structure, and is an unobtrusive color. Thanks and Happy Memorial Day - Bass Junkie

Personally, I'd pick up a Revo with a decent IPT and crank it down. You'll break the line, hook, and rod before that will slip

I personally went from a Quantum Accurist to a Revo STX, and the difference was literally mind blowing. Trying to be fair, I pitted the STX against a Re-Ax... Not even close! Quality makes an undeniable difference. You truly do get what you pay for, and a good $200 investment will last infinitely longer than four $50 reels.

Buy one (keep the receipt) and use it for a couple trips. You'll understand

Duckett Micro Magic. Built from the ground up as a micro guide rod, and I LOVE mine! Lightweight, great action, sensitive, powerful and yet very versatile.

I use whatever I find suits my needs, in texture, colors, profile, action, and price. I have at least nine different brands in my bag right now.

Go with a good quality hook, and make sure your connection to the fish (hook, line, knots, swivels if applicable) is in good shape. Set your drag correctly, and swing for the fences. I've used 4/0 EWG VMC's myself, and am underwhelmed with them. The triple barb isn't worth the lackluster performance IMHO.

I will echo the loop knot suggestion. Also, try using a stiffer leader material, such as a hard mono or even fluorocarbon.