FishTank

Yes.. The bottom of my empty bank account.... ?

For light weight, I like my St. Croix Legend Elite 7' M Fast. I had to look it up but it's 4.1oz and with a Daiwa Steez, it's super light. I can fish it all day and not feel a thing.

I use to like both BPS and Cabelas for different reasons. What they have merged into ain't exactly great. They use to be stores that celebrated the outdoors.

OK that's cool. I am not sure how the fish will react to it or how it will act in the water but it will definitely catch fisherman.

I have had great luck with them over the years. If you're going pick up some new ones, I going to suggest the Curado K or the Curado DC. They have both been pretty much bullet proof for me.

I like and own both but personal preference is Shimano. You really can't go wrong with either.

I believe these will sell well initially. I do agree that $50 is a stretch but they will be on sale at some point. I think it will be hard to judge the long term sales on these boxes though. There have been several over the years that have come and gone... Falcon FTO's (my favorite), Shimano high end boxes, Plano's Flipsider, Lakewood, etc. I have a feeling that these will be in the same category a few years from now.

I purchased the STX Gen4 from Amazon at the beginning of the year and had a similar issue that started back in May. Amazon took it back no questions asked. I had fished it a few times in a couple of tournaments but it did not get any type of daily abuse. I was never exactly thrilled with this reel. I have a Revo Winch Gen4 that is awesome. The STX never felt exactly right. Then one day I pressed my thumb down to cast and when I cranked the handle, something popped. It turned out to be the clutch spring. It would not stay attached to the clutch cam. I thought about ordering the part but since I wasn't that happy with this reel to begin with, I returned it. I think I was trying too hard to compare it to my Curado K and figure out why it cost a few bucks more. The K, to me, is just a better reel for the money. But with that said, I think the Winch is probably one the best technique specific reels I have fished> great power for moving fish and the breaking system is perfect for crankbaits.

I had several of them but over time they have been either lost or just worn out from being fished. They are great baits though. I picked mine up when they were discontinued for like $2 each. I wish I would have bought all of them they had at DSG. My favorite was (I think) blue chrome. If you can find them new and they work for you, $11 for them is not bad but there are many alternatives (Lucky Craft LV500, Strike Kings Red Eye Shad, Yozuri Rattln Vibe, etc.) at that price or cheaper.

If I was putting together a setup for weightless flukes....... St. Croix Avid 7' M Fast and a maybe a Curado 70 but the new SLX DC would be great.

I like the SLX but at $189 it's a stretch. I have the Curado DC and I picked it up for $199. The DC option is really cool but I think in the SLX it should be around $150. It's not worth almost double the price and you can pick up the regular Curado for less.

The best advice I ever got was on this site...... Don't try to learn it all at once, figure out you equipment one set up at a time, and learn one technique at a time. And most importantly, you can learn more from your line in the water than anything else.

I know it's over your budget.... I would save a few bucks and go for a St.Croix Avid 7' MH Fast. This rod will do just about everything. I have no complaints. It's sensitive, well made, and dependable.

I too fish from a kayak from time to time. I have been using 6lb Trilene XL 100% FC or Invizx 6lb. I have not had an issue with break offs. I just make sure the drag is set correctly and try not to over set the hook. Another thing to keep in mind is when you get the fish close to the kayak, is to lift the rod up and back with one hand and grab/net the fish with the other.

New this year. So far so good.

I look at braid as a choice for a specific task...... Topwater because it floats and fishing in heavy coverage (weeds and slop). Other than that, I don't use it for anything else. On hook sets, if I pull too hard with braid, I am ripping the lips out so I guess you would pull less. I tend to use FC more than anything and have gotten accustomed to pulling just enough to get the hook in. I don't think with bass you need supper hard hook sets. If you get the lure in a fishes mouth, it will pretty much hook itself with a little help. I see these guys on TV and in videos pulling so hard, they look like they are hulling in a tree stump. If you want to see hard hook sets, go tarpon fishing.

For me I sort of look at it this way...... Middle of the road.... If I was fishing in tournaments every week I would have 5 different St. Croix Avids paired with Shimano Curados. I know what I am getting and I can depend on them like a tool to get the job done. So I guess I would start here.... $200-$250 for rod and around $200 for the reel. High End...... G. Loomis GLX or St. Croix Legend Elite on the rods..... $350- $450. Reels> Dealers Choice.... Shimano Bantam, Daiwa Zillion, etc. $300-$400 Enthusiast..... $450+ on both rods and reels. At this point, what ever I get, I am just increasing my fishing fun factor.

Thanks. The Plasma Tail has been great for me.

5in Black with Blue Flake Senko with a 1/8oz bullet weight Lucky Craft Flat CB MR in Chartreuse Shad Megabass Vision 110 any color Zoom Lizard in any dark color Owner Jigs with Zoom Chunks as a trailer Fat Ika when all else fails

Depending on how deep it is, I use 1/8oz hair jigs up to 1/4oz with a trailer. My personal favorite is a 3/16oz Owner (black and blue) with a small craw trailer.

Curado DC. Works for everything.

I see it on my drive to work as well. I have lived here most of my life and people do drive crazy here. The thing that was so weird was the guy that caused the accident got away on foot on the highway.

I was taught as a kid to think of bass as sort of an under water cat. They are smart until predictable instinct kicks in. I compare it to a cat that won't come near you but will chase a laser pointer every time you get it out.

There was an accident involving Kyle Cortiana. Never heard of the guy until this happened but it reminds me to be careful when hauling a boat around. https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2019-06-29-cortiana-recovering-from-wreck