fishballer06

That 734 will cover almost anything in bass fishing. I highly recommend that rod.

DT6 Shad Rap Wiggle Wart LC Flat CB DR

I made a topic on this a few months back that received a good bit of attention. Check out what St. Croix has released.

I think it honestly comes down to preference. I've seen some companies list their spinnerbait rod as a moderate-fast action. And then I've seen other companies have an extra-fast action for their spinnerbait rod. So you're on two totally different ends of the spectrum. So as a consumer, you're better off knowing what style of rod you like for certain presentations, and ignore what label a rod company slaps on a rod. So whether you want a jig rod or a spinnerbait rod, you're probably best to hold multiple rods and see what feels best for you.

@BostonMahhk I've had my Frabill F3 suit for 3-4 years now and it's held up great. I've fished in the pouring rain for full days and I've never had an issue. I had a 10 day trip to Canada where it rained 9 of those days and I never got wet at all. So perhaps you got a dud suit? I'd contact Frabill and see if they will take care of you. I believe their suits come with a 3 year warranty. As for the Huk gear, I bought the all weather suit this spring to give it a try because I've really liked all of the Huk gear I've bought the past few years. I've only worn it in a light mist so far, so I can't comment on how waterproof it is. It seems like a really nice suit. It's certainly a much thinner material than my F3 Frabill suit. This thinner material should make it more comfortable to wear during the warmer summer months.

Catching a bedding fish is difficult at times. It could be that the fish saw you and knew better to react to a lure vs a live bluegill in the area.

It's rumored that the JDM Bait Monkey's powers are so strong, that even Chuck Norris himself has fallen victim...

That Avid X should work great for your needs. As for reels, check out the Exsence DC from Shimano. It's pretty much the ultimate frogging reel. I have one and it works great for frogging, flipping, and swim jigs.

The Keitech SIF isn't split belly, but it does have a notch in the back to hide the hook. I run them through thick grass all the time without any issues. If you insist on a split belly, the big/skinny/little dippers from RI are great baits as well.

Skitter Pop 09 and the Pop Max are both heavy enough for me to get good casting distance with them on baitcasting gear.

Fish weights can be all over the place, just like us human beings. Prime example. This smallmouth was 22-7/8" long, freshly done spawning. Only weighed 3.6 pounds. But yet this largemouth was 16.25" long, and weighed in at 3.34 pounds.

I've notice a lot of Berkley sponsored pro's seem to always say they're using the Professional Grade. This I find odd because I know how well 832 performs. But take all that with a grain of salt.

.

My first DC reel. Her partner in crime should be arriving today.

So you're saying just a skosh deeper than a Baby 1-? Which would basically put it in between a standard 1.5 and a 1-, depth-wise.

Maybe I have missed these before, but I recently came across the KVD 1.5 Shallow version on TW. The bill shape on these looks different from the standard 1.5 and I'm assuming causes this bait to run shallower than the standard 1.5. The question I have for you guys is how deep does this shallow version run? The Baby 1- has always been a top producer for me, but there are very few baits out there that only run in the 6-12" depth range. The only other bait I've really found in this range is the Evergreen Ch-1.

Don't be afraid to throw a chatterbait, spinnerbait, Keitech, or a topwater along the edges of those mats. After you work over the fish on the edges of the mats, then go into the mat with the texas/punch rig.

Walleye guys troll jerkbaits all the time. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and there's more than one way to fish a lure...

For all the more Big Game costs per spool, why not buy both and experiment to find out what works best for you?

I know of over half a dozen clubs around Pittsburgh that have yearly due's of well under $100... However, one that is shore fishing only, I do not know of. Best of luck in your start up.

He's exactly correct. Do what's more natural feeling to you. For me, I use left handed reels because I can control the rod, lure and the fish much better whenever I hold the rod with my right hand. I've been using left handed reels since I started using casting reels in the mid 90's. Last spring I bought three right handed reels to try to force myself to learn a right handed reel. Casting, pitching, and switching hands wasn't an issue for me. And reeling with the handle in my right hand wasn't a big issue either. However, the second I used a lure that required rod action from me, I knew I couldn't use a right handed reel. So common lures like jerkbaits, spooks, etc. were completely useless to me. I've now settled on the fact that I'll always be a left handed reel guy. Interestingly enough, my tournament partner is left handed and he uses right handed casting reels for the exact same reason. He prefers having the rod in his strong arm.

I'm now up to 4 Chronarch MGL's. I also own 2 Metanium's and one Metanium MGL. The 2013 Metanium's were my favorite reel until the MGL's came out. The amount of control I feel I have over the line and lure during a cast is something that I have never felt before. I'm even considering selling my '13 Metanium's to buy more Chronarch MGL's. As far as casting distance goes, it's superb. I can sling 1/4oz. rat-l-traps and Baby 1-'s further than any other reel I've owned. Below is my initial review with my first two Chronarch MGL's that I purchased. I've been fishing these reels for almost three months now. If you have any further questions on this platform, feel free to ask.

I have no experience with the Cabelas or BPS gear, but the Frabill F3 suit is a great suit for the money. I've had mine 3+ seasons now and no issues what so ever.