promax200

.45 Semi-auto. Easier than an 870 to wield in close quarters and it hits like a mack truck. Like throwing a brick at someone at 700 feet per second.

Any soft plastic paddletail in any pattern that resembles a mullet.

Carrot Stix Gold MH/F 6'2" (Yeah, I'm a short guy. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?) with a Quantum Tour PT (silver) 7:1. 30lb. braid. I also run a double fluke rig fairly often, for which a make the leaders out of 14lb. mono or flouro. Favorite bait is Berkley Gulp in white.

Milfoil and Hydrilla growth is cyclic. It'll run rampant for 10-20 years, then die off for the same length of time. From everything I read about Back Bay, the place was crammed full of weeds through the 60's and 70's. Conversely, it was practically non-existent through the 80's and 90's. Early 00's it started coming back. Now, from all accounts it has a firm grip on the place again. I'd say we can look forward to the next 20 years or so being very good bass fishing in Back Bay. For my part, I can't wait to pitch some creature baits in some thick Milfoil next summer.

Money aside, posse-affiliation aside. No "well, Daiwa this" or "well, Shimano that". Just reel vs. reel opinion. Same weight, same gear ratio. Which are YOU pitching light jigs with?

If a 5.8:1 Alphas/Sol, etc. take in 23ish inches per turn with an 80mm handle, what is your best guess as to what a 100mm handle would increase that figure to? If you've done it already what was the result?

Certainly look at upgrading your tow vehicle. Like said above, the 4.3 is capable of pulling it, albeit with terrible gas mileage, but that size truck won't have enough @ss to stop that rig in a pinch. Stick with Chevy and get a Silverado 1500.

Yep.

I like mine, but that's probably just because it's mine and it's the only one of it's kind I've seen in real life. I'm a snob that way, though. I like having stuff that no one else has.

OK, what about the Alphas-framed reels, like the Sol? Or, the Steez?

Thats kinda my attitude toward it, Wander. Having never used the Daiwa products on the water, I was hoping to get some pros & cons on the popular models. Especially compared to, say, my Quantum Tours.

Use the 7'3" for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits/like lures and the 6'9" for plastics. I haven't messed with the new E21 rods. I'm still partial to the previous gen LTX and Gold, and buy them whenever someone offers one for sale. I just don't like the almost-micro guides and the silly hook keeper on the new ones. Carrot Stix rods are great rods, though. Bravo. Oh, almost forgot. For your 3rd, look at a 7'6" hvy for frogs/flipping. It's a shame they did away with the 7'9" X-Hvy. I have 2 of those and its the best flipping rod EVER!

Okay. I'm seriously considering taking the plunge on my next upgrade and buying some Daiwa reels. I'm a Quantum guy right now. So, Daiwa guys, tell me what I need to know. Especially guys who have used both brands. I'm looking for objectivity, here. Opinions are cool and all, but I'm just looking for the facts. Which reels are good. Which reels are better. I already know that the TD-type frame doesn't feel good in my hands, so that sorta rules out the Zillion. What say you guys?

I once had a winch strap break and, luckily enough, my trailer was still far enough in the water to where the boat slid back into the water and was not deposited onto the concrete. Moral: No matter which way you do it, sh...stuff still happens so always pay attention to what you're doing. Once you know your rig well enough, you'll know just how much of your trailer needs to be in the water and just how much speed you need to ride perfectly right up to the stopper. Then, just hook up and tighten down. Winning!!

YUM

Meh.......different strokes. Thats the beauty of a rod with a weight port. It becomes custom, basically.

I use a 7'9"xh counter-weighted with 6 ounces, matched with a 2nd gen Quantum Tour PT 7:1 for flipping. It balances perfectly for flipping, keeps the rod tip up effortlessly, feels light as a feather and can pull up the friggin' lake bed with 65 lb. Power Pro.

Tungsten. It's really nice to use a flipping weight that's not the size of a small orange.

Reds will surprise you, Snook. I've caught slot reds in residential canals in the Lower Keys, and back in maybe it was '03 or so, I caught a 22 lb. bull red just outside Lynnhaven Inlet in Virginia Beach, VA. Sometimes they show up where they're not "supposed" to be. Awesome jack!! Those things pull like trucks. Really fast trucks. Any idea what it weighed?

Cortland Master Braid is not new stuff. Saltwater anglers have been using it for awhile. I started using it off and on (when I can find it) on my saltwater casting and spinning rigs around '06 or so when I lived in Key West. I don't know of any places here in Jacksonville that carry it, and I desperately wish there was because its fanfreakintastic line. I would strip the PowerPro off every one of my rigs right now if I could go out today and buy some Master Braid. I'm an instant gratification kinda guy so buying it online doesn't excite me very much. I haven't tried Samurai yet, although one place in Jax carries it. I should get off my duff and go get some.

Hey, I sure do appreciate it, brother! I was stationed up there from '98-'04 but I was more interested in booze during that stretch of my existence. At any rate, it looks like I'm hanging on to my rig.

Navy guy here. Talking to the detailer tomorrow. Have the feeling he's gonna send me back to VA. I was stationed there before but didn't do any bass fishing. My question is, realistically, how much bass fishing is there to be done within an hour or so of Norfolk/VA Beach for a big motor bass boat? I know all the city reservoirs are 9.9 HP. Would I be better served to trade my rig for an offshore rig and drop a couple grand on a jonboat rig? What say you?

Wish I could this weekend. I'll be there and Santa Fe the 14th and 15th.

yep

I spent maybe 30 minutes flipping and missed 3 fish. Most of the day I threw a Rage Toad and a chartreuse sexy shad spinnerbait, which is my new go-to, by the way. You can just seemingly catch fish at will there right now. I've never seen anything like it!