JGBassinAL

So you have used both and prefer the Tatula HD, why?

I'm a Shimano guy but looking for a reel to throw big swimbaits. I can get a Tatula Type HD for around $150 and a Shimano Curado 300E for around $200 on the bay. Just wanting to know you guys' thoughts that have used these reels. Is the Curado worth the $50 over the Tatula? Thanks for all the responses!

I never said I didn't care if I win or lose. I said there's no reason to brag and I could care less if I catch more than the next guy. Fish is a humble sport, you could come in last in one tournament then in first the next. You can't win every single tournament. That is what I was insinuating. But from your response I see you are the guy that takes offense to everything. Pretty much everything you turned my post into was wrong. Nice try tho. I like how you say I speak loser talk when 1. You turned my words into something I didn't mean and 2. There have been two tournaments this whole year that I didn't cash in. I just see no reason in you saying you are better than everyone when most people on this forum probably don't even fish tournaments. Keep sitting behind your computer talking about how much better you are.

If the Elite Series is on a lake with a primary jerkbait bite, I'll bet you KVD is throwing a Megabass Vision 110. There was actually an Elite Series event or Major League Fishing event (can't remember which one) in the last year or two that had KVD on camera throwing a Vision 110. You are oh so naive to think he never throws a hard bait besides Strike King.

I don't think one brand is sufficient. To me I believe that there is a time for flat-sided crankbaits, and not every brand makes flat-sided cranks. Now you could use just one brand and catch plenty of fish, but like I said I think there is a time that certain baits are better than others. And to the guy who can catch more fish than anyone else with just Strike King cranks, cmon man....what was the point in saying that? You just want to brag or something? That's what is most wrong with fishing these days, everyone thinks they are better than the next guy. Yeah I fish 2-3 local tournaments a month and do very well in most of them, but I could care less if I can catch more than the next guy. I fish them because I love the sport and the competition and the camaraderie between the guys who fish these same tournaments that are not like you.

I didn't know how good a price it was cause I don't deal with round reels. I already have a couple Scorpions, probably gonna add a couple more with the Christmas money I got this week Fishing drains my wallet too fast!

Just letting all y'all 50 size Calcutta and Conquest fans know about this one. Y'all probably already know but figured I'd post this in case you hadn't seen it.

What you didn't know is that chatterbaits catch more fish without a skirt on them....

Practical experience? I've seen many instances on clear water lakes where fluoro has outcaught braid by a longshot.

The lake is full of 5 and 6 pounders. I mean you can find schools with 20+ 4-5 pounders in the summer. There are a lot of big fish weighed in in the 6-7 pound range but not a lot 8 or above. I fish a tournament at least twice a month against most of the best fisherman on Pickwick and I have seen three fish over 9 lbs be weighed in this whole year and two of them were this summer during the FLW Tour event on Pickwick and the other was during a BFL on Pickwick. I'm not bragging at all because catching a fish like I did is pretty much right bait, right place, and right time. I'm just pointing out that the "a lot of big fish" that Roger Stegall is referring to are more in the 6-8 lb. range.

I use 10 lb. Sunline Super Fluoro for all deep diving crankbaits and I use 17 lb. Sunline Defier Armilo for my 1.5 and 2.5 sized squarebills. The stretch with mono is good for trebles when you are using a stiffer rod. I personally use glass rods for my deep cranking and the stretch of monofilament is too much when using a glass rod IMO.

Yep! Have all of the measurements and pictures and I am going to call the taxidermy after Christmas to get it started!!!

I hope it does buddy! Haha thanks! If it does then it will be close to a lake record!

Thanks everyone! And yeah my PB was 6 lbs 6 oz so it bumped it up 3 lbs 11 oz!!!

Many pictures were taken to get all the distinct features of the fish and also a bunch of measurements were taken to get a replica mount made. I couldn't kill her, she is too beautiful. I'll let someone else catch her in a few years if she ever bites again!

You are exactly right. The bass where you are fishing are eating big baitfish so you need to throw big lures. You should check out the 9" Bull Shad in gizzard shad, I think that would do the trick and btw bass can eat something up to half its own size, so don't ever think what you are throwing is "too big"

Yeah I won big bass...by 5 ounces haha. Bass like this are not pulled out of Pickwick hardly ever, especially in tournaments. Thanks everyone for all the congratulations!!

Thanks Jeff! It was on Pickwick Lake, I was throwing an a-rig on a 7'6" heavy/modfast Tigerodz custom rod and Shimano Curado 200G6 with 25 lb. P-Line CXX. I set the hook and it felt like a stump for a couple seconds then it took off. We have a bunch of saltwater stripe (average about 20 lb) here so I really thought that's what it was when it started fighting but after about 10 seconds or so she came to the top and never jumped, then my partner netted her. Personally I am glad she didn't jump so she wouldn't throw the hook.

Thanks man! She bit the good ole a-rig

I feel beyond blessed to have caught the fish of a lifetime today. This is why I fish, and it makes all those days of bad weather and bad fishing worth it. She weighed 10 lbs. 1 oz. on the tournament scale at weigh in and on the scale in our boat. This is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life!

Here ya go...

I caught one today and measured it to get a mount made. It was 24 inches long and 19 1/2 inches around the stomach and it weighed 10 lbs 1 oz on the tournament scale at weigh in. So if your measurements are correct then it should be around 10.

I was thinking the same thing!

I used to throw my a-rigs on braid but I switched to 25 lb P-Line CXX and it is much better for the a-rig. The a-rig is thrown so much here on Pickwick and Wilson that it seems the fish won't eat it as much when you throw braid. Me and my partner threw the same rig with the same weight heads and same swimbaits and he used P-Line CXX and I used braid and he outcaught me 5:1. You can also throw swimbaits on this line if you wanted to. But for me, I throw my Basstrix and Shadilicious on 20 lb fluoro. BTW the 25 lb P-Line CXX has bent several hooks out for me, and if you know how to work an a-rig when it gets hung it's very easy to get off. I hardly ever lose any.

I have the Kistler 10XD rod and I use it to throw a-rigs. I have thrown a 10XD on it though and I have also used the Dobyns 806CB, the Dobyns is a lot better for the 10XD.