FishTank

I have a few. Probably the most functional is the Smartwool 250. Others to look at... Ibex and Icebreaker. The Ibex I have is probably the most comfortable. It feels like silk. Non wool ones to check out.... Patagonia R1 and Capilene Thermal. Both of these are like an oven. Ones I have not liked.... Therramar, REI's branded version, Under Armor tops but the bottoms are great (weird) I have gotten wet in my Smartwool ones before and you still get cold.

So you have narrowed it down to three reels. What rod are you going to put it on and what baits you are going to throw?

If that's the size your talking about any of them will do fine. Like most fisherman, my eyes measure things bigger than they are but it is not uncommon to catch them this size from time to time here in Indiana.... not me, by the way. Stole it from a striper guides website.

I have the Zillion HD and was going to recommend it but the price and its small size would be weird to me for striper. It might be ideal if you are looking for a small reel. I can't say for sure that the gears are any different from the regular Zillion SV so not sure how it would handle big fish. I do know the Tranx and Calcutta will get the job done.

If that's the case, I would skip the Curado and the BB1 and the two I mentioned. I would take a look at Shimano Tranx or if you can afford it, Calcutta Conquest 200. Both these reels will work fine for bass and striper.

Both the reels you picked are great but for the money the JDM Metanium or Daiwa Zillion SV are the best bang for the buck. Between the two, I like the Metanium for jigs and the Zillion for Texas rigged soft plastic.

Congrats. I hope you enjoy it. When you start looking for accessories......If you read another post on here about my adventure of having to jump into the water, you will know a good life jacket is a must. The NRS Chinook I have saved my life. I can't recommend it enough.

My collection of lures grows and shrinks. I have baits where I went hog wild because of hype and ended up not catching a single fish on them (Rapala X-wraps for example). Others have been, I bought one in a basic color and caught fish with it and before I know it, I have 6 or 7 of that bait in different colors. The worst for me has been Megabass Vision 110s. I am a sucker for colors and variations because they all catch fish but I could probably end up using really only a few colors and be fine.

It's OK but I don't like it around wood which is everywhere in lakes I fish. I do use it in heavy cover. It tends to cut through weeds really well. I like 40lb or 50lb for grass jigs, swim jigs, and a punching rig.

I have rods from 6' to 8' and notice no difference in sensitivity. Also when it comes to Fast vs X-fast, I don't notice much of a difference there either. Where I do notice the difference, and this is just as subjective as the rest of this thread, is how soon I notice a bite. I seem to notice it sooner on X-fast rods. The next thing for me with an X-fast rod is that hook sets are faster and easier. Another area, and this is depending on the rod manufacturer's line of products, is some Medium rods will feel more sensitive than Heavy rods (again this subjective). I think all of this depends on how much time/experience you have. A rod, to me, is a way of detecting information and everybody receives/detects that information differently.

35 degrees at 6am. I should have known it was going to be one of those days. ???

I am still trying to evaluate it but so far it's not too bad. It can handle flipping and pitching well and regular casting is great as long as you stick with the rods sweet spot (around 1/2-3/4oz). Sensitivity is what you would expect of any NRX+ but it is powerful and it maybe too powerful for the 4lb (if I'm lucky) and under bass I mostly catch. I have only caught one fish with it and I about took its head off. My thoughts on this are kind of mixed in general with idea of rods being tip heavy. I have tried/bought/picked up several rods that I hear others claim are tip heavy and I don't always see it that way. I think it comes down to what you are use to and your expectations. If you put on a 1/2oz or heavier jig with a heavy trailer (beaver for example), any stout rod it is going to feel tip heavy with a reel that weighs around 6-7oz or less. I feel these rods are more designed to pull fish from heavy cover. If you expect it to feel like a 7' MH or H Fast rod, I don't think you will ever get the same balance with an X-Heavy or some Heavy rods for that mater. If you really want to confuse things, ask me later how it compares to the 904C NRX+ I bought earlier this year. I am still trying to sort this one out myself.

Not quite the same but the Megabass Rock Crawler does come in white. I have tried other colors and it works pretty well.

I was going to wait until next year but I reached out to one my rod sources and got a NRX+ 895C shipped for $470. I haven't used it yet but it is much lighter feeling that I thought it would be. I am pairing it with my Zillion HD.

You should be fine. The rod is the key.

If you order this bait, you might want to keep the feathered treble. I think it helps balance the bait. Also, if topwater works well for you here are three other baits to look into. OSP Louder (small size), Megabass Baby Popmax, and the smaller sized Evergreen Shower Blows. You will need either spinning gear or a BFS setup to throw the first two.

I have seen it on a few boats. If I could afford it, I would put it on my kayak. I also went to a Lowrance demo and one for Hummingbird. The one for Hummingbird seemed hard to utilize but the Lowrance I saw on the water was pretty easy to use as long as it is properly installed and not screwed up from banging around the trolling motor. It was as complex as an Atari 2600. You see fish, you mark the distance, wait a minute and cast. It was like a video game for off shore fishing.

Small poppers have been good for me at some of the clear ponds and lakes I fished these past few years, more so than walk the dog baits and buzz baits when the water is calm early. There is another bait from Megabass that is a walk the dog type bait that is small but you fish it just 6in or so below the surface. I think it's called the Karashi. When I have fished this bait first thing, I always catch something on it but usually within an hour or two the bite stops and I go to something else.

Definitely. Some lines, no matter how invisible it says it is, can gleam in sunlight. You usually see bluegill tag line like this and bass run away. On the extreme end of this would be Stren Original Blue. Great line for everything except clear water, in my opinion. I prefer gray or green lines when this happens but it could all just be in what I have confidence in. Another thing in clear, still water is, sound carries above and below. Popping your line hard can be like hitting a guitar string underwater. That too will spook fish or draw attention to your line.

I grew up fishing strip pits. There are several things to consider.... Cloud cover and wind can be your best friend. Being silent helps a lot. No trolling motor or electronics. Soft lure entry. Long casts with the lightest line you feel comfortable with. Multiple casts to the same spot, where you know there are fish, with different baits. Throw something to make the fish angry. As far as baits go, I like small jerkbaits, weightless Texas Rigged Senkos, and finesse jigs. I stay away from topwater unless its early in the day. I have seen fish run away from topwater baits, even when it's several feet away.

I wanted to come back with some more thoughts on the SD and the Zillion HD. So far I like the combo but not thrilled with power fishing with the Super Destroyer. The handle is slick but the rod is powerful, sensitive and most importantly, fun to fish. With that said, I decided to try something different and I have an NRX+ 895c on the way. I was going to wait but found it at price I couldn't pass up.

Once my heavy body was out, it started rocking. I pushed up on side handle and it popped right off. No, didn't bandon it. I put a bungie cord with a carabiner on the front kayak handle and held it in my hand. When I woke up after passing out, luckily I still had a hold of the other end of the bungie. I was able to get back in once I was closer to shore. I was also lucky not to loose anything.

I say fish it. If you don't like the reel, put it back in the box.

Nice. I will definitely get some on my next order.

If you have the 12, it should be the same. Nice thing about the PA, it's super stable. I slid off the front of the kayak and it didn't even come close to tipping it. Getting back in was a little awkward but I think I couldn't have done any of that in a different kayak.