FishTank

I have several Shimano and Daiwa reels. If you compare the top of line ones I have (Steez and Antares), straight out of the box the new Zillion is best out of them, in my opinion. It's smooth, cast a mile, and the drag is a little different but for the money, I haven't found it's equal.

JDM Zillion. Love mine so far.

Have you tried it with the new BB1? I have been using mine for jerkbaits. I have been so impressed with it that I tried it with some Texas rigged soft plastic and it worked pretty well. I then tried it with some close quarters skipping. It was better than i had expected. I tightened the cast control to were the bait almost wanted to fall and turned the brakes up 2 or 3 spots. I wasn't going more than 50 or 60 feet but the braking finally stayed somewhat consistent and I could control how it skipped pretty easily.

The only spoon I need.....

Got this guy as a stocking stuffer. Works great.

To get something that it completely sealed is going to cost a pretty penny and it is no guarantee that it will be totally clean internally. I too fish from a kayak and I like spinning gear for certain things but if you are constantly getting your reels dirty and dunked I would go with casting gear and clean it after each use. Also depending on how dirty the water is and which line you use, braid can be an issue on most reels, even the good ones. Another suggestion, learn how to not get your reels in the water. It know it's a tough thing but it is possible. Watch a pro kayak bass fisherman land a fish and you will get the idea.

Love this rod. It's slowly becoming one of my favorites. I use it as my dedicated jig rod. It doesn't feel like a heavy until you lay into a fish. Sensitivity is phenomenal. I never thought a rod would make me a better fisherman but this rod has definitely improved my jig game.

I would start at or near the bank early, just before sunup if possible, (jigs, senkos, topwater, shallow crankbaits) and then fish slowly off shore after the first two-three hours of day light (vertical spoon popping, paddle tale swimmbaits, small jerkbaits with long pauses, drop shot, vertical jigging, maybe a big curly tail worm). It also looks like there is some structure northeast of the boat ramp. I would fish the edges of the that. I would also use frogs around the lily pads and if the lake is highly pressured, I would go small on all your baits, light line, and spinning gear.

I have the 844C GLX and IMX both worked great for jigs but I wanted a longer heavier rod in the NRX+ line so I ended up with the 904C. I sort of just tried it for jigs and it soon became my favorite. I have caught 75-100 bass on it this year. I have paired it with a Metanium XG and it just feels perfect. The rod loads well, casts well, flips/pitches well, is super sensitive and it brings the fish in. I wasn't exactly the best jig fisherman before hand but this rod has really improved my jig catches. I have used it up to a 3/4 oz jig with a trailer with no issues but its sweet spot is 1/2oz. I would also use the 904C for spinnerbaits and light swimbaits but for chatterbaits I like the 903CBR IMX Pro. I have tried several rods for chatterbaits and this one has been fantastic. It's not as soft in the middle as most crankbait rods and the tip is whippy enough as to not wear your arm out with a chatterbait but it is also just sensitive enough and has great hook sets.

I have the NRX 853, NRX+904, NRX 873, and 802 NRX+. Which one is my favorite for bottom contact.... All of them of course but I have ones I lean on for specific reasons. First the most versatile and my favorite for jigs is the 904, the 853 for T-Rigged plastic, the 873 for heavier plastic, and the 802 for small stuff (not quite BFS lures). On a kayak though, I would go with the 803 NRX+. I have the GLX version of this rod and its my favorite for kayak soft plastic.

Maxscent smells but you should get a whiff of Geecrack baits. They smell putrified. You can smell them through a closed bag.

Ordered. Thanks....

Just curious.... How does it differ from the new Calcutta?

I have the old US version of the Calcutta TE 101GT. Love this reel for crankbaits. I found it new in the box recently. Couldn't believe it. I have been looking for an excuse to buy the newer, Conquest version. Maybe next year?

To me, the longer you have the MaxScent baits out of the package, the more the scent goes away. They are softer and don't tend to hold up as well as the Power Baits. The scent on the water, if you are not catching anything, last about 2-3 hours but it does hold onto some of the scent. It just looses the initial potency quickly to me. I have seen guys put an empty bag over a bait and then secure it to the rod with a plastic bait holder. Seems to keep the bait fresher.

May be the perspective of the pictures but that bluegill was too big to fit in that bass's mouth. It was about 9in long and at least 1lb. The bass was about 15in. It might have been a good meal for 6lb. Still waiting to hook into a big one on the BFS setup.

I am having fun with my new BFS setup. Granted the Baby Pop-x is 1/4oz, it's not something I would probably throw on regular topwater gear.

So I picked up a few. Not pictured are few jigs and few small cranks. It's been a blast so far.

Shimano Core 101MG. Still my favorite.

I have the Tour S3. It is essentially the same reel. The noise you here I believe is the brakes. The Tour S3 I have makes the same sound. A little bit of oil on a q-tip applied to where the brakes make contact will quiet it down but too much oil will effect the performance of the braking system.

I have been using some 10lb from Runcl I found on Amazon for my jerkbait setup. It claims to be 100% FC coated. Not sure if that's a good thing or not but it works. It sinks, it's invisible, and holds up well. I have caught several good sized sauger and it has held up well to these toothy critters. You can get a 1000 yard spool for $30+ depending on the lb test you want. Just remember, it's not Tatsu or Invizx. It's more like Fluoroclear but way better.

Have one and so far (50+ fish) it's been pretty amazing. I have been actually surprised at how good it is. I was able to get 25% off but I would say it is well worth the money at the regular price. I will give it a real test in a tournament at the end of the month.

They're pretty good. I haven't had any issues.

If I picked 3 without restrictions Megabass Shimano Ranger