Master Bait'r

Main themes in advice so far seem to be: 7’ is too long for that caliber blank 30 is too big a reel I’d personally look for something 6’ maybe up to 6’3”ish and an extra fast blank. Also at MOST a 20 reel if it’s a tiny reel but more likely a 150 or maybe even a 50 size if it’s a micro rig on a short rod.

I use CXX for almost everything but I am just wishing for clear braid so I deal with the stiffness etc. I honestly never have a problem with the handling tho, as it’s all about rock solid confidence in the line

Dude. The question was whether or not the “Tranx” came in a left handle variant. It does. You were non-specific in your desire for a lefty 500. Please move on on with your life now. Thanks.

Well you can stop sighing, they definitely come in left hand configurations!

Striper and blues are awesome

I imagine it as torsional rigidity, stiffness and rebound transposed across lightness and in respect to a properly situated fulcrum to a taper. With the right attributes (matched to the individual of course, everyone feels things differently) you will be feeling every fish fart and sneeze.

I have two setups: Shimano Exsence DC reel on an 8' Shimano Crucial swimbait rod (green blank w/ cork, fast, 1-3oz) with 40# Smackdown for lighter tackle- super spooks, daiwa SPs, ima big stiks, sub 2oz ronz jigs etc. I also have a cheapo abu Brutus combo at 9' and 1-5oz that I have 50# braid on that I use for chunking and big 7-9" Docs.

Can you be my uncle?? Pretty please???

Looking at the Super Sammy 10lb vs. the Sammy 128... Is there a difference besides the name? The Super says it's a one-knocker but the 128 has no detail on it from what I can find. Any clarification would be great, thanks! Nevermind, the Super is a 132. Thanks anyways

20lb mono or 30-40lb braid. You'd be well served to buy a pack of #6-8 octopus hooks and some 2-3oz weights. Think "massive drop shot" and use some clams as bait. (the clams stay on the best). From the kayak that'll be about the best you'll get. Maybe pick up a Daiwa SP type bait and twitch around rocks- but watch yourself, you can get smashed over those rocks in a hurry too. Another way could be to do live eels but that can be a headache & learning curve is involved. May not be worth it from a kayak. Dont buy buy too much tho- hooks, weights and meat will get you there. Maybe a jerkbait and a topwater like a super spook but that's all I'd recommend until you figure out the next step after you get your feet wet.

Plain and simple- if you fished the rod and caught pretty much anything between now and then, it broke because of damage sustained during ownership and not a manufacturer's defect. Only you can honestly say whether that's the case or not. Maybe it sat in your closet untouched BNIP for all that time, but it's not likely.

Yeah, it's a nice summertime getaway treat for sure. There's so many different things to go for. Delicious, delicious things.

Party boats are where fishing dreams go to die. Worst. Thing. Ever. Imagine the line at the DMV- Now imagine that line but populated with the most annoying fishermen you've ever seen- captive together for hours on a boat, and everybody's got a crappy fishing rod and they're all casting it over your line. Even if you catch a fish you're also catching 12 other peoples' lines- which is even more infuriating than it sounds. You're also way more likely to watch a whole group of people puking together like some sort of vomit choir... I went on one once, and never again. I stopped fishing an hour in and took a nap. Total waste of money.

Went out to a buddy's cabin out by the cape for a few days and hooooooooooooooooooooly smokes... My shoulders are SHOT. I don't think I've ever seen so much fishing action in a week as I just saw in a couple days. Surf casting spooks, chunking with fish finder rigs, jigging out on the boat... You name it, the fish were slammin' em. Just the sheer number of the fish, the ferocity they strike with and the fight they put up in heavy surf was unreal. I've been fishing in salt before, but NOTHING like that. Black Bass fish fry tonight with the crew, couldn't think of a better cap to my fishing season, as it's not panic time at work and I likely won;t see another day off until after XMas. I guess my only question is who wants to buy a bunch of freshwater bass fishing gear to fund a Van Staal? Lol

To give your all in order to provide for and protect a child- no matter whose it is- and to earn their love and adoration is the single most rewarding thing a person can do with their life. Good on you Raider, and cheers to anyone out there working hard and making tough decisions to provide for those who count on us.

Sweet, that's exactly what I was looking for thanks @Montanaro! I'll be sticking with El Smacko!

I am a big fan of 8 carrier braid's characteristics in general, and have been a Smackdown user for a few seasons now. I've been looking at the G-Soul X8 since someone I believe on here mentioned it being thinner than Smackdown... I've never seen it in person so any real feedback on the stuff's overall quality and handling would be appreciated. Thanks!

Slug-go does make a sinking model. Nail weights or clipped pieces of welding rod let you dial dial your sink rate too.

I like em on a weightless t rig, you can dart them through super heavy cover and even walk the dog if you catch it right. I could never get into the wacky rig. Maybe someday.

Only if it's Big Game. I heard that stuff is spun from Zeus's beard, forged in a volcano, extruded through a diamond and cooled under a full moon at high tide! ???

I use as low as 20lb braid for frogs- but it's 1/4oz customs being thrown on a medium rod and only onto the very edge of the heavy cover. If you want to throw 1/2oz frogs into cover you're going to want 40# minimum. Even up north you really need that extra beef to stand up to the weight of the fish and all the weeds.

Meh. You should want to be impressed by the rod itself imo. Should have named this thread "I want to pay more now and then just a little more again later to feel like I got a deal on the rod I got after the rod I got". ? All joking aside though- if youre considering an Orochi XX, you won't be disappointed. They are incredible rods- better than many offerings costing significantly more IMHO.

Youre entitled to your opinion but I wholeheartedly disagree. They've gotten good with traditional braking but pair it against the same year's DC and it's out the window. Also I don't want you thinking I am saying anything else stinks, just in the fine degrees of flagship reel performance there's no messing with the on-the-fly calculations of a D.C. system. Moreso if you're switching baits a lot or the weather sucks which is always the case for me.

Opinion? It's a matter of opinion until you realize ONE company and ONE COMPANY ONLY has a computer controlled electronic breaking system that is sealed, self-powered and samples/applies braking forces 1000 times per second... And everybody else uses fixed-setting magnets and hanging weights like they have for decades- whether or not they work well, that is not exactly "cutting edge". Whether or or not you're buying a DC reel, they exist and nobody- not even Megabass- can touch it with all their bells and whistles, crackle paint, carbon fiber and clear panels on top of already sexy Daiwas. I personally would rather pay the extra money for a functional DC system than sexy bits that mostly just look nice anyways. Shimano is fishing's NASA. Everybody else is fighting for second place. Until of course you add a DC system and then its' laser light shows and pyrotechnics. Refinement. Lol

Apples to apples when considering conventional braking technologies, and complete personal preference. Where Shimano pulls way out ahead for me is their DC braking. I've now bought two (Essence and Antares) and don't see myself gravitating away considering how expensive high end reels are even without the D.C. system. Very noticeable difference in distance and management. Again though, to each his own. I'm sure there are people who aren't interested in DC, but for me it puts the crown on Shimano- and until daiwa creates something on that level they're just tinkering with old tech. Thats because they aren't even stopping to think about the level above what they own, since it's their experience they're commenting on mostly. Daiwas have an awesome smooth feel and I love my pxlr, but I'd set it on fire for a DC Aldebaran. (are you listening Shimano??) DC is simply on another level and a lot of people haven't tried it- most dont even know what it is. I've had a guy tell me my reel needed oil when he heard the whine- I explained to him what it was and he acted like I was about to fly home on it like a witch's broom haha