webertime

I've been fishing Teckel Frogs for a month and a half and have only found I need to squeeze water out frequently when I was ripping/trying to walk it. I've never ever had it dive. Bait companies do from time to time "improve" or change some baits, but it's not that often.

Daiwa BG is aluminum and direct drive. And $75.

Fuego for 75, is awesome!!!!! Solid feeling and a great caster.

Call Daiwa

I got a pair of Blokes in 580g green mirror. Hands down the best fishing glasses I have owned.

It's like the sketchy photographer offering "deals" to the ugly girl on modeling pictures.

Any of the companies wrapped up in National Pro Staff, I stay away from on principle. It hurts mom and pop shops as well as the guys who try to get legit sponsorship. Carrot Stix, eNigma, Denali. I know guys who get deals from these companies and know that all 3 have significant issues.

Algae blooms galore. Smallies are difficult there, good walleye there

Whoa, whoa, whoa... easy there. No need for crazy talk. lol

I typed a long and winding review of the Daiwa's BG2000 and Fuego CTs and how they performed this weekend over 16 hours of fishing in bad weather and a BFL tournament. My Dickens-esque tale over shadowed the Review soooo, Long story short... BG2000 (+) Weight, balanced great with a 6'8" MXF rod No hint of flex (used 20lb braid and skipped Ikas into trees in Ticonderoga during BFL) Smooth Drag was smooth as well. $75... (-) No spare spool (I'm whining) Weight, if you are a weight weenie. Daiwa Fuego CT 8.1:1 (+) No more flex than any Shimano E reel or any other Aluminum framed/Plastic sideplate reels. Fit in the hand (if you like a Tat CT, you'll like these). No strain in the reel with that high of a gearing. My previous 8:1 reel was a T3 and it felt squirmy when reeling in a bunch of weeds or large fish. Mag Z... I set the reels up within 3 casts during the BFL (because I am wicked responsible). $75... Smooth for a $75-100 reel, Smooth for a $150 reel. No T-wing... Guess what, I saw NO difference in casting between these and any Tatula I have ever used. (-) nothing yet I run TD-Z's, OG Zillions and Fuegos as well. And no the Fuego CT is NOT of the same class as those, they aren't as smooth or "together" as the $$$ reels. However they are 30% of the price of those and with that in mind they are amazing for the money. With the actual actions the reels perform (Zillions, etc. VS the CT's) I see no discernible difference between them (Casting, engaging, braking, drag). The $$$ reels just feel nicer. I'm not a fan boy or a hashtagger, but I am super impressed with these reels out of the box.

Works very well shallow in St. Lawrence. I imagine that the current helps.

BG2000 is awsome and readily available for 75.

They aren't the same blank, it's the same Graphite, but not all the other "ingredients" of the blank are the same. Are you looking at spinning rods? I didn't like Microguides on Spinning gear, I felt there was a lot more line slapping the blank on the cast (between the stripper guide and the reel). That was with braid, so maybe a stiffer line (mono/fouro) might not slap as much OR the guide placement on the St. Croix was smarter than on the rod I tried. But food for thought.

My buddy texts me today and tells me that he's out yesterday on one of his spots (spot on a spot on a spot). While he is out, his friend texts and says he is on the dock. My friend goes over picks him up and when they get back they get one cast in and A-Mart drops off plane and askes to fish it. My buddy says sure and backs off to watch. Boom, bang, smash... he crushes them off one of the few secrets left on the lake.

I did!!!!

7'2" Heavy Fast Daiwa Tatula for biffle/swing heads

Different shafts. Those 2 are round, Ultrex has flats sides and rounded sections.

Shaft snaps... Straight from BASS, flw and costa pros.

The shaft of the Ultrex does not like bumping into things. The Foretrex has a much more durable shaft. I only bring this up as you mentioned Cyprus swamps...

The 80lb spro is tiny and stroooooooooooong.

DROP SHOT

In about 24hours they sold out at TW... Somewhere a hermit that was planning his retirement based on Teckel Frogs is screaming NOOOOOOOOOO! I agree they are very situational. Take them out 10 times and only once will you get anything to write home about. A Keitech is 8 out of 10, a Senko/Ika 9 out of 10. Too many other baits will catch fish more consistently than a spybait... And I really wanted to like them.

Mend-It to repair plastics. I seriously have 3 year old Keitechs that are perhaps 80% Mend-it'ed but still catch fish. Anti-Rust chips/Silica bags in with your hard baits. Don't open anything until you must.

I believe it is the same blank as the others. $300 could get you a NICE custom build...

Tossing a spybait too!?!