FishTank

Got the same box. I see I am not the only one that didn't get the Gizard Shad LV 500. Looked like an awesome color. On the swimbaits....The One Up Shad is a pretty good bait. I have had good luck with it. The others I have not tried but the Osakana Swimmer is supposed to be a great bait. It doesn't look like it would have much action. We will see. I have not used the Whip Worms but they look good. I have used the Battle Hog and the Buggy Craw. I have caught fish on both. The Egu Dama is a great finesse jig. I've caught several good size fish on it. Looking forward to using this stuff but it's going to take a while.

Christmas Monkey delivered.... The BOTTOMUP baits came in 5 packs. Both great free rig baits. I also picked up a couple of Ryugi bait bags. These are amazing for what they are. Also not pictured are about 20 jigs from Beast Coast. More to come.

Not at all. If you go back 10-15 years ago, most 2500 sized reel were around 8oz+. Now you have reels that average around 6oz. So to compare say the Vanquish to the Twin Power, you're looking at about 1.5 - 2.0 oz difference depending on the model. The main difference between the two is the drag start up. The Twin Power is almost immediate and the Vanquish is slower and slightly smother. With the Windbuster's soft tip, I felt the quick start up of the TP would be slowed and so far it's working for me. I can use this setup up for whatever. Here is the balance point on the Windbuster with the 2500 TP. It's just about perfect if that's your thing. All I know is that it loads well. The balance might actually be better with a 3000 sized TP. Also, not really a fan of the new Stella or the previous version. The one I tried out was not as smooth as either the Vanquish or the TP but it was powerful and balanced like nothing else.

I recently purchased a Windbuster as well. I have had it maybe 3 months and have it paired with a Shimano Twin Power 2500S. I really like it so far. I have also tried a 2019 C3000 MHG Vanquish and a 2024 LT FC2500S-DH Certate. All have felt fine. The Twin Power just seemed like the right reel for it. Also, with this rods soft tip, anything around or over 1/2oz makes it feel sort of tip heavy. It's just how it is.

I probably have several but the baits I have used as of late that I knew when I saw them that they would bring them in...... OSP Hunts Jig, Bassday Mononofu 50S, and the 6th Sense Whale. There was no real hype with these baits when I saw them and I really didn't see anyone using them. All three have caught fish under the right conditions.

I would choose the one you are most comfortable with. The advantage to having a 3000 size reel is the extra line capacity, potentially (and it's minimal) longer casts, and a stronger drag which is not exactly necessary. The only downside I see is having a bigger spool and wanting to use a small diameter braided line. You end up wasting line and costing yourself a few extra bucks. I do know seveal people that prefer to fish with 4000 sized reels. In one buddy's case, it was because his hands are the size of oven mitts and 4000 size reel fits his hands better. He also fished with a few 5000 sized reels as well. If you go back to you local shop, put a 3000 and 2500 reel on some rods and see what it's like. The only problem with this is that there is no real standard between manufacturers and even some reel lines. You may have a 3000 reel that is the exact same size as a 2500 but just with a larger spool. In the end, I think you can't go wrong either way.

Buy a new JDM Metanium. You can get one for around $250 or less shipped.

@bulldog1935 That T-handle is a great idea. This is what I usually use. I've had good luck with it but the screws in question are rounded out. I'm going to try to use a really thin piece of silicon to put over the bit and see if I can force them out. Next step would be to cut a slot with a Drumel tool. The screws I need to get out are a fuzz bigger than an eye glass screw. I'll post some pics when I get to working on them.

Every year about this time I start to work on my reels and some for friends that fish in my local tournament group but this year I will work on mine and only 5 or 6 others. A lot a guys I use to see have gotten out of tournament fishing or have bought new equipment. I always enjoyed the challenge though. Also, I stopped taking spinning reels apart. They have become a little more complex and each reel is different in how it is designed. I still do the basics on mine but intend to send a few to DVT in the future. This years challenge is to get a few screws out of two reels that were stripped from the factory. Luckily I got the parts I needed for free despite them both being JDM reels.

@bulldog1935 They have some of the Seabass Si-x at JLS for $32. I almost got some on my last order but really didn't need it just yet. All of my YGK line is pretty much like new. With using leader, it might last forever.

I have tried two of the WPX1 lines from WGK, Shinji X9 #0.8 and Olltolos Lure Special, and they are something special. They don't look any different than any other line but they cast easily, hold up like iron, and both are super sensitive. I have been wanting to try Avani Sea Bass PE Si-X but just haven't had the need yet. Maybe next year.

I have not used that one but have seen it listed on a few JDM sites. It looks like it's their entry level line. Price seems good though. Also, I haven't found a line from them I haven't liked.

So I made a typo above, I have the 894c not the 854c. Between the 894c and the 904c, both are great jig rods but 894 is more powerful and has a stiffer tip. I like the 894 for quick hook sets especially in thicker cover. The 904 is no slouch though. Its softer at the tip and has less power. I like it for deeper football jigs. The big difference between the the two is versatility. I can use the 904 for more baits, like topwater frogs and paddle tail swimbaits but straight jig fishing, the 894 is my favorite. Also, I would not use the 904 for bigger swimbaits like the 6in Magdraft. I also have the 903c. It is not my favorite crankbait rod but it gets the job done. It does do well with 3/8 -1/2oz square bills, chatterbaits and lipless. It is a little faster so it's better suited for shallow baits. The 866c works better for crankbaits than run 6' and below. For small 3/8oz baits, I like the Megabass Z Crank Elseil. It works well with cranks and jerkbaits up to 1/2oz but no bigger. Very sensitive, versatile rod. If you're looking for the most versatile spinning rod, I recently picked up the Megabass P5 Windbuster. I'm having a hard time finding something I don't like to throw on it. The handle is different but the rod can do just about anything. The tip is soft and loads really well and it's pretty sensitive but it's not NRX+ sensitive. The 872s JWR and the 842s SJR both are better in that department with 842s being the most versatile of the two. The 842 is more like the 822s in some regards. For a short jerkbait rod, I use a 783c GLX but Megabass P5 Z Crank has sort of taken its place. Still like the 883c BJR NRX+ for chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater (not frogs though).

@Ohioguy25 What line are using? This is dependent on water temperature.....For me the 110 hits around 5-6 feet on 10lb test FC and 4 feet on 10lb test mono. I fish the Tippecanoe river in Indiana and it can be all over the place when it comes to current and depth. For shallow water, I like the 110jr. It will stay around 3 feet deep. For quicker current and wading, I like trout lures on BFS gear. My favorite is the Bassday Mononofu 50s. This bait sinks but as long as you keep it moving and popping, it catches just about everything. Including this guy.

I think I am up to about 12 NRX+ rods and if I had to pick four casting and two spinning, I would go with the following...... Casting 1. 904C MBR - Jigs and topwater 2. 883C BJR - Spinnerbaits, Swimjigs, and Bladed Jigs 3. 853C JWR - Worms, jigs and senkos 4. 802C JWR - Picked this one for its versatility with light baits. I toss small paddle tail swimbaits, shakey heads (roboworm), and 1/4oz jigs on this one. If this isn't your thing, the 894C JWR would be another one. I like flipping and pitching with this one. Spinning (this is a tough one) 1. 872S JWR - Doesn't feel like a 2 powered rod. Great for wacky worms 2. 821S NRR - Ned rigs, spy baits, and all around finesse Honorable mentions 866C IMX Pro Deep Flex - favorite crankbait rod 803S NRX+ JWR - Great for windy days and power fishing/skipping around docks. This rod and the 872S trade places often 842 NRX+ SJR - Good do all rod for light baits. The tip is soft and works for small cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and even small worms

I have been using 10lb Sufix Seige for medium size poppers and some topwater and 16 Sunline Machinegun Cast for the bigger stuff but most of my topwater fish have been caught on 6lb Sunline Invisible FC with small poppers like the Baby Pop-X. I know FC sinks but as long as I don't let it sit too long, I'm good. This little guy below has probably brought around 150+ fish in the past two years, all on FC. I also am using a San Diego Jam knot. I get plenty of action out of it.

@August Do you have a plan for rods yet? To me, this is the place I would make my biggest investment. I would also start there first and then fit the reels to the appropriate rods.

I have the 872S NRX+ and I have it paired with a Daiwa Certate FC LT2500S-DH. Awesome reel. It has plenty of power and is really smooth. With that said, I also have a 2000 and a 2500 Shimano Twin Power and between the Twin Power and Certate, I would go with the Twin Power. To me it feels better than the Stella. As far as size goes, I think you can go either way with a 2500 or 3000 size reel for the 852S NRX+ but my personal preference would be a 2500 (just feels better to me and I don't see the advantage to the bigger size). To me, my 872S is way mislabeled. It seems to have a lot more power than what it is listed as. It feels more like the 803S I have in that terms. Also, a word of caution if you buy a 3000 JDM Twin Power. Pay attention to the model and spool capacity. See below.

Megabass P5 Z Crank Elseil. Works great for small cranks but excels at the Vision 110jr and it can handle a regular size 110 (this would be its max though). It has the perfect tip that is soft and recovers quick.

I've been fishing Shimano spinning reels for over 20 years. I have never had this issue or even heard of it. I also have not had this issue with any Daiwa reel I have. I always close the bail by hand and when I cast I use the line roller as my guide. I open the bail, use my pointing finger to hold the line, I then place my finger near the line roller as it is pointing up towards the rod, and use my finger to feather the cast. I then extend my finger to stop the line and my opposite hand to close the bail. I can also do this same process with two hands to get more accurate casts. Should look something like this. This guy goes a little overboard but idea is there. His seminars are supposed to be legendary.

For me their in-store prices and selection are hit and miss. The old school Cabalas and BPS are long gone. Also, when they do have a sale it's like they mark stuff up, just to mark it down and the stuff mark down really isn't that great. I will say that their branded clothing and rain gear are pretty good. My local Cabalas does have a good group of guys working there though. They are helpful and somewhat knowledgeable. The Cabalas/BPS I remember had guys working their that were on a different level when it came to bass fishing, almost pro level.

I have used both. I was not a big fan of the Daiwa Samurai clear but the camo color was good, almost like a different line. I came to like Sunline Sniper Invisible better. The clear Samurai started to get what looked dings or kinks deeper in the spool. It caused it to cast oddly and I was always concerned that I would brake off at some point so I just kept cutting line off little by little. It never made it through a whole season. The camo version was fine. Lasted all year and held up well. As far as R18 goes, I have only used the LTD version and really like it. It has lasted a year and has been issue free.

Have you tried Machinegun Cast? You would need to get it from a JDM site. I tried the old version and hated it. The newer offering has been great. It is similar but different from Deifer Armilo. It doesn't last as long and is not tough. I'm not sure how the larger sizes will handle swimbaits though. I use it for crankbaits and topwater.

Thanks... no big deal. These jigs are situational for me. I like to fish them mainly in local ponds, down the edge of shallow banks but have fished them on my kayak around shallow water docks and in coves. You're right about them being dink magnets but on BFS gear, it's just fun fishing anyway. They do catch a lot fish for me though. The Keitechs are not the best small jig but I like them better than the old school Strike King Itsy Bitsy that's been around forever. My favorites are from Bottom Up, Raid Japan, and Imakatsu. Also, the trailer to me is the key with these things. Several manufacturers, even Strike King and Yamamoto, have come out with their own trailers to fit these jigs. I'm looking forward to Yamamotos new one, the Covert Craw. Two of fish in the pics above were caught on the Raid Egu Dama Level jig. This jig has one of the better hooks out there.