FishTank

I've have known a lot of people that have owned them, especially the original. None them lasted over a year or two. Don't know of a single person that still has one. They sort of became a joke on one of the lakes I fish. Sound carrys all over this lake. If you heard a crack followed by some curse words, we would say... "Well there goes another Carrot stick." 🥕

I just received an order of 11 custom jigs from Johnny C's California Reservoir Lures. Great jigs. I really like their attention to detail with matching painted heads and weed guards.

I also fish from a kayak but about 50% of the time. I usually take 5-7 rods and have several NRX+ rods. Here is what I have. The ones I have highlighted I would consider essential to my fishing and what I use the most. 802C JWR- 1/4oz jigs, some small swimbaits and shakey head. Love this rod for 1/4oz jigs. When I fish this rod I am using it in shallow water and in tight quarters. 853C JWR- 3/8oz jigs, Dark Sleeper and T-rigged soft plastic up to 1/2oz. 894C JWR- 1/2 - 3/4oz jigs and some soft plastic. This has become my favorite jig rod. Plenty of power and sensitivity. 895C JWR - 3/4oz and up jigs, punching and heavier flip and pitch baits. Sensitive but more power than I will ever need. 843C MBR- Swimjigs, soft plastic, topwater and just a great multipurpose rod. 904C MBR - Topwater, my favorite for football jigs, heavy soft plastic. Another great all around rod but for heavier stuff. 873C CCR - Another great all around rod. I use this for when I want to switch from jigs to spinnerbaits to even topwater. The action of this rod rest somewhere between the 843C and the 894C. 883C BJR - By far the best Jackhammer/bladed jig rod I have used. I was skeptical when I got it but fished it and now it always goes with me. It is also my favorite spinnerbait rod. Technique specific but pretty much perfect. Hate the hook keeper. 821S NRR - This is my essential finesse spinning rod. It's sensitive and throws light stuff, like neds, small drop shot and small swimbaits. Just a fun rod to fish. 872S JWR - By far my favorite spinning rod. It has more power than you would think for a 2 power rod. It has a soft and quick tip but the power from the middle down is fantastic. It is oddly different from the rating but in a good way. 803S JWR - Short dock fishing with Senkos and free rig baits. This was my first NRX spinning rod and it has never let me down. 842 SJR - Jerkbaits, drop shot, swimbaits, senkos and spybaits. It's similar to the MBR casting rods. Just a good all around rod but it's not the best at any one thing. I am considering the 822S DSR, 902S or the 901S. I have had a chance to fish each one of these now and they sort of hold a spot in my head but don't necessarily fit a need. We will see what the bait monkey says.

Dirty Jigs Mini Underspin. Works great. Strong hook.

Correct. The Spot Lock/Anchor Mode is a big plus. Also on the Motorguide, I have paths stored in the remote. I just hit a button and it takes me to a waypoint/route. It's not 100% but it's pretty close. You also have a the nice feature of going in a straight line despite wind and current. I use this feature all the time as well.

I've seen guys running the Bixby motors and the ones Newport. Not sure how they are setup but they are moving faster than me.

I have a Motorguide Xi3 on my PA14 and it's been great so far but it does have a few odd ball things with it. The GPS isn't always perfect so anchor mode can be challenging. You also need to reinforce the install as the screws that old the plate in are not enough. And there is the cost, around $2000 when it's all said and done. With that said, I don't know if I could fish without it know. It was a game changer.

I have a 2018 Ford F150 Super Cab. I can fit up to a 7'6" rod in the cab and my Hobie PA 14 travels fine in the bed. It has a V8 so gas on the highway, I get about 21-22 miles to the gallon. I average about 16-17mpg all around.

This looks like a good place to put this gem.

Megabass Live-X Leviathan. It was a deep running shad bait that had this pitch and roll but would also dart and suspend. It came in a lot of good natural colors. I was lucky recently to find 3 new in package unopened from 2005.

I have the Super Destroyer. It will do well with 1/2oz frogs and buzz baits but it's not my favorite frog rod. It's pretty stout rod for small frogs as well. There is also the Steez 6'7" Frogger.

I will second this. This past few year I have been using YGK lines and love them so far. You have to get use to ordering by line diameter and not pound rating. For what you described, I like YGK Zone Cover. I use PE #3 for small jigs. It's equivalent to 10lb mono or 12lb FC in diameter. For neds I would step down to PE #2.5 or even #2. I would also use a leader, especially around timber and rocks.

By what I read, this sounds like two different rods one for 3/8 to 1/2 oz cranks and one for 1/2oz to 1oz deep diving baits. There is one rod in that price range that I can think of that might fit but I do not have experience with it. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Megabass_Orochi_XX_Casting_Rods/descpage-MBOXXC.html The Megabass 7'11'' Orochi XX Launcher. These are getting replaced and can be found on sale for $200. Another one but it might be out the price range.... Megabass P5 Super Destroyer. It will do all that but even at the JDM price it's still around $325 shipped.

I saw this a few years ago and thought it would be a good swimabait reel. I am surprised to not find or hear much on it. It looks like a good reel. If I saw correctly it has Mag Sealed bearings, all Hyper Drive tech with brass gears and a big spool. Amazon has it for $255 for a 100 size RH. Looks like a bargain.

What is the one from AE called? The Rock Vibe from Reins looks cool. I have not tried that one. For me, I wouldn't pick them up at $7.99 a pack but if I find it on sale or at a JDM site, then maybe. Take a look at the X-Zone Swammer, again this bait is expensive at regular price but is often on sale. It has a great tail kick, works well on a 1/8oz ball head, and comes in a couple of really good pearl/white colors.

Yes Steez CT. I bought the 894C and was waiting on the Steez SV Limited Shallow Spool to come in so I stuck the CT on it until my new reel came in. I was fishing a tournament and hooked into a nice 4lb keeper that was stuck in a laydown about 15+ feet deep. I was using 12lb or 14lb fluorocarbon. I never lock the drag down but I put my thumb on spool and tried to winch it out. I got it in without breaking the line but the reel took a hit. Here is the jig. I just straightened the hook (it wasn't bent too bad) and repainted the head. Notice there is no weed guard. Lesson learned.

Here is the handle.

I bent the handle and the main shaft on a fish in cover using a 3/4oz jig on a NRX+ 894c. It's sort of my fault. I have parts on the way. Plus the screws on the inside frame are stripped from Daiwa and they also have blue Loctite on a few other screws that will need to be replaced. I do have it worked out with them but it is not made for that type of fishing. I also hinted at this in a few posts but I have been waiting for parts as they are back ordered from Japan.

I picked mine up 4 years ago. It came out in 2019. I throw mostly light stuff on it but not BFS. I would say around 1/4oz. I have tried heavier stuff and this is not the reel for it. The Steez A2 and Steez SV TW I have are better suited for this style of fishing. I also have the Steez SV TW Limited Shallow Spool Edition and this reel is something special. I have been using it for heavy jigs with 50lb braid and it has been amazing for it. I am not sure what Daiwa did to make it a limited edition but it is a jig fishing beast. It feels more solid and casts effortlessly. I thought the same about it being a more BFS oriented reel but from what I have heard, this reel can go down to 3.5 grams and up to around 12 grams. Ideal line is 6-8lb FC.

Same. I have the 2019 and it's been a work horse. Smooth and solid since the day I got it.

Not much to go on yet but it looks awesome...

The Vanquish would be my choice unless you are fishing salt. Like I said, in hand the Stella wasn't that impressive. I really like the two Vanquish reels I have though.

I'm confused... What are the other choices? 😃 That would be an awesome set up.

That's a great deal. I had a pair of their waders. The fit was odd with them and they did not have a relief zipper (didn't realize it when I ordered them). I ended up returning them but I did have to wear them once for a trip and they were great despite the fit issues. Also, I felt bad taking them back but they offered after I explained my issues. Awesome service. I would buy these if I didn't already have a good pair from Simms.

In my 25+ years of bass fishing, I have either purchased or been gifted lots of BPS stuff and a few random others. I have not been impressed with any of the lures but I do like BPS's rain gear, tackle bags, and some of their hooks. As far as the best price goes, I order stuff from Japan. For price and quality, you can't beat it, especially terminal tackle. For senkos, I still like the orginal. I wait for sales, like DSG's buy 5 get 5 free. On a side note, I was gifted a few baits from either Temu or Ali Express last year. They may look like junk but I have caught fish them more so than any house brand bait I have tried.