FishTank

I use to always say that I would only buy a rod and reel in store but now there are so many reviews and videos, I am able to make an informed guess at what I am getting. Rods though are tough. I feel like I have to go on a little faith with my favorite companies and hope they get it right. I have yet to order a rod from over seas though. I have kind of drawn the line there but on reels I have had great luck and would order again.

I guess it depends on the reel your looking for.... Stock fluctuates a lot with these guys. It seems they may get 5 or 6 of one line of reels in and if you don't get one when they arrive, you have to wait till they get their next shipment. Across the board, the new Shimano Nasci and the Stradic have been hard to come by since last year. The Vanford is hit and miss. On the Daiwa side of things, it seems it's even more hit and miss than anything from Shimano. Your best bet may be to just order what you are after from their website.

I kind of don't care as long the rod is not white. Sensitivity, balance, warranty and especially the "Fun to Fish" factor are what I want in my rods.

G.Loomis 783c IMX. A little more than your budget but a great rod. Not split grip though. If 6'8'' is doable, there are a lot more options.

The few times that I have either ordered or reached out to them, they have been awesome. What I like the most about them is that they are very knowledgeable. They know their stuff and are passionate about it.

Finesse and CXX are like vinegar and water. It's good line for jigs and swimbaits but 10lb would be hard to manage with finesse tactics. I would want something softer with less memory. I would look at Sunline Defier (both versions). It's pricey but good, long lasting mono. Also, the X-bites didn't strike me as a finesse rod when I held it in hand. A great jig and worm rod but it wouldn't be my first choice. The Bait Finesse comes close.

I have you tried putting some oil on it (just a drop or two). I would then take a small rubber band and run it over the bearing running it back and forth. The rubber band should work the oil in. If you hear the noise still while running the rubber band, it definitely would need to be replaced.

It's not bad. It's not as good as Invizx but it might be better than Red Label. I have used it a few times over the years and never had an issue with 12lb on a bait caster. I like 6lb Trilene XL 100% FC for spinning gear.

What rod is it specifically? It might help....

They are not anywhere close to me but when I have contacted them, they were great to deal with. The last time I called, I talked to a very nice, maybe older lady, that was very sad to see the store close. It made my heart sink. You could tell it was a close-knit family business. Hate to see it happen.

Tackle Supply Depot is having a Going Out of Business Sale with 30% OFF the clearance prices. There is very little left but still a few good things to be found.

Good deal. I don't think you could have gone wrong with either one. In my case I held 822 Shaky Head and it felt like the 803s JWR I have, from a power standpoint. The rod I was intending to grab but no one at the show I went to had stock, was the other rod you have, the 822 DSR. I ended up with the 821 NRR instead. I was going to use it for bot Ned Rig and Drop Shot around 1/8th oz and under. Seemed like the kind of finnese set up I wanted. I caught a couple little ones with it yesterday and it maybe the funnest rod I own. Just a pleasure to fish.

Shakey head, (depending on speed) Senko wacky rigged, Tubes, and a Carolina Rig.

I have the Curado K and the Chronarch MGL. Both are great reels but the Chronarch is smoother and slightly more powerful. Is it worth the extra money? Maybe. I like the feel of the Chronarch better but not by much over the Curado. Which would I choose? The Chronarch but if money is a factor I would get the Curado and invest the extra cash in a good rod.

Supposedly the TG is Tungsten and has a different sound and action but my guess is that it's pretty subtle. We will see.

The last order I placed with them was during the summer of 2021. Everything showed in stock but was later informed my order would be delayed. It took about 5 weeks to get. I like them but if I need something I have other outlets to feed my tackle obsession.

The deals stink. I would rather support some of the site sponsors.

That wasn't the plan but it sort of worked out that way. And if you want to see sexy, you should see the Shimano Bantam Macbeth Big I got. It's a ghost gill color. It has a transparent shell with a holographic internal reflector. It is beyond cool. Another gem in there is the Megabass Robin Blade. It's Megabass's version of a chatterbait. I will also put this out there.... I heard through the grape vine that the TG Jackhammer is the next "got have it bait". A dealer I talked to is buying them in big amounts. Why? Not entirely sure yet.

Some JDM stuff arrived today. I should have picked up everyone of the Jackhammers. The Emaraldas is insanely light, like nothing I have ever seen before. Combined with NRX+ 821S, it's sort of ridiculous. I tossed around a 1/16th weight in the yard and it's like a BFS reel but spinning. Can't wait to get it out on the water.

Tatsu has been the best for me so far.

I turn 50 this year so I have had some thoughts about it.... I want a natural burial with a tree I can feed planted on grave. And this played at my funeral....

Find the channel, find baitfish on the fish finder, look for some bigger fish around or under the bait fish, mark the spot, troll past this spot and repeat if possible, come back and fish the spots you marked on the graph at different depths.

I was about 12 years old fishing with my dad and my brother. We were fishing an off the beaten path strip pit at our campgrounds. Our car was parked about 3 miles from the pond and we were 5 miles back to the nearest road. We had to carry our john boat, gear and motor to the pit. Fishing there was awesome and often untouched except by us. So after a long day of fishing we start to pack it all up and head back. My dad, still standing in the boat, says "Hand me the keys" to me, standing on the bank. So I toss him the keys. He reaches up to grab for them and they go flying over his head into the water. At the same time he is reaching for the keys, his shorts fall down to his ankles. Gathering himself, he falls overboard. When he crawls up on to the bank out of the water, his shorts are gone. There we were looking at our dad realizing we had about ten miles to hike back to our camper and we had to carry the boat and equipment with my dad without his shorts. Luckily by the time we got back (1am) nobody saw us. The next day we went to get the car and my Dad said, as usual "Don't tell your mother " but some how she knew and so did everyone else.

The Chinook has been my go to for a few years know. Love it. I too have a dislike of shopping for them. You never know how they are going to feel until you wear one all day. Prior to the Chinook, I was using an Angler PFD from Gander Mountain. I had a few of them that lasted about 5 years each.

Same here. I would add that on just a cast and retrieve in deeper water, I have better luck with chatterbaits. You would think it would be the opposite.