fishnkamp

Good to hear. I am a big fan of all of the Daiwa reels for a good reason They perform!

Since you are located in Delaware that changes things. I have a friend that lives in Seaford and belongs to a bass club there. I would be happy to get you in touch with him. He regularly fishes tournaments with them. Send me an email at fishnkamp@comcast.net I will get you in touch with him. As for ponds you do not lack at all, you have a ton of really nice ones to fish. The Delaware river is a special deal as far as running it, much of it has a huge tidal rise and fall. Up in the northern section around Philly and above it has like a 6 foot or larger tide change. Here on the Upper Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries like the Potomac we have maybe a 2 to 3 foot tide change. I would recommend you look into the rivers like the Choptank above Denton MD, the Nanticoke as you mentioned, also the Wicomico and the Pocomoke. All of these can be great, An 18 to 19 foot fiberglass boat would work well enough on those rivers, but so would a boat like mine or a nicer one like a 19 foot model. You would get more storage, a bigger motor and a better ride. If you wanted to change to fiberglass a boat like this may be a better choice https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/boa/6084172934.html or try and work out a price with this guy https://easternshore.craigslist.org/boa/6090730382.html https://baltimore.craigslist.org/boa/6080763415.html This is a boat worth going and looking at. It is located here in Dundalk MD. I have met this guy selling it. I can go look at it if you are interested. It is a gem. I want share with you an article my friend wrote about buying a used boat. Bryan is one of the best anglers and writers I have ever fished with. Take a bit of time and read Bryan's article, http://www.baybass.com/node/200 If this get censored just send me an e mail and I will send it again. If you seriously want a nice affordable rig I would check all of these out. I would be happy to continue searching for you.

Since you are located in Delaware that changes things. I have a friend that lives in Seaford and belongs to a bass club there. I would be happy to get you in touch with him. He regularly fishes tournaments with them. Send me an email at fishnkamp@comcast.net I will get you in touch with him. As for ponds you do not lack at all, you have a ton of really nice ones to fish. The Delaware river is a special deal as far as running it, much of it has a huge tidal rise and fall. Up in the northern section around Philly and above it has like a 6 foot or larger tide change. Here on the Upper Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries like the Potomac we have maybe a 2 to 3 foot tide change. I would recommend you look into the rivers like the Choptank above Denton MD, the Nanticoke as you mentioned, also the Wicomico and the Pocomoke. All of these can be great, An 18 to 19 foot fiberglass boat would work well enough on those rivers, but so would a boat like mine or a nicer one like a 19 foot model. You would get more storage, a bigger motor and a better ride. If you wanted to change to fiberglass a boat like this may be a better choice https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/boa/6084172934.html or try and work out a price with this guy https://easternshore.craigslist.org/boa/6090730382.html https://baltimore.craigslist.org/boa/6080763415.html This is a boat worth going and looking at. It is located here in Dundalk MD. I have met this guy selling it. I can go look at it if you are interested. It is a gem. I want you to read an article my friend wrote about buying a used boat. Bryan is one of the best anglers and writers I have ever fished with. Take a bit of time and Bryan's article, http://www.baybass.com/node/200 If this get censored just send me an e mail and I will send it again. If you seriously want a nice affordable rig I would check all of these out. I would be happy to continue searching for you.

I am not familiar with their reels, but here are some thoughts. What rod do you have it on? What is the lure rating on the rod? What is the weight of the lure you are testing it out with? Lets say you have it on a 7 ft medium heavy fast action rod. If the rod calls for 1/4 to 3/4 I would practice throwing something around a 1/2 texas rigged worm of 1/2 ounce spinnerbait, even a 1/2 ounce jig. Next what line did you spool it with. I would start out testing it with a line that has little memory like a 14 pound Stren Mono, 12 pound P Line FloroClear or 30 pound Power Pro braid. I love to use lines like 10 or 12 pound P LIne CXX but it has too much memory to learn a new reel with. Lines like Abrazx and other Fluorocarbon lines also cause enough trouble that you could be fighting the line more than the reel. If you loaded it with straight braid then it could be slipping on the reel;s arbor, Spool the reel part way with mono then the braid. Be sure you spooled the line under good steady tension. The reel may need its spool tension run a bit tighter than some other models, maybe the opposite! You will need to experiment. Is this a dual braking reel or strictly a magnetic or centrifugal braking reel? Perhaps adjusting that will help.

I see you live in PA. Where? I lived in New Buffalo for 5 years (just above Duncannon). You mentioned you might want to get into fishing the river tourneys, Did you mean on the Susqy. I use a boat like my current boat to fish tournaments but they were on places like Conowingo, and the section of river above the fiber dam at Sunbury. That is my favorite section I loved a few spots up om the western branch, up close to Milton. Seriously I did that with a 17 1/2 aluminum bass boat and a 50 hp propped motor. I did own the first jet boat setup in that area. I had to purchase the jet lower unit and assemble it myself. I used it for a while till we hit on a ledge near Halifax. This was back in 1989 and the factories were not selling them as a package yet. The boat setup that is king om the river is the jet outboard. Boats like that are available but not cheap. http://www.townemarine.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4737925 This is an example of what I mean. Deals on them come up from time to time. If you intend to fish the deeper lake sections of the river a boat like mine or a fiberglass can work. lets stalk about where you would like to fish in depth more.

I owned that exact boat, same model same year. That is a wet boat, in fact the wettest I ever owned and I have owned 11 of them. Most were aluminum but some of them were fiberglass. In my opinion I would skip that boat. If you seriously want a bigger boat save your money and find a nice aluminum bass boat. There are plenty of larger Alumacrafts,Lowes, Trackers etc. Aluminum is so much less work and maintenance. The newer boats are wider and handle better than the older boats did. My big boat was a fiberglass ProCraft, it was a20 footer with a 200 hp on it. It topped out at 72 mph. BUt every time you pull out of a lake, river, or tidal water you need to wipe it all down, keep a good wax job on it, and more to maintain its looks. Here is my current boat. Look for something like this. This is a 2010 boat. There is tons of storage and it nearly fishes as good as any of my fiberglass. The only reason for me to go back to fiberglass is if I fished big water only.

Oh boy! If you take a few minutes and read through, there are tons of threads covering this subject. Having said that my preference for reels is the Daiwa Tatula CTs and I would pick a 6.3-1 as the all purpose reel. Others would pick a 7.3-1. Either of these reels retail for $126. They can be found online for $110 to $120. There are terrific rods in the $110 range like a Dobyns Fury series rod, or a Powell Inferno, or for a little a bit more look at a Powell Max 3d, Dobyns Sierra , Irod Genesis II series rods and even the Daiwa Tatula rods. I would pick a 6'8 to 7'3 medium heavy fast action rod as that is your most versatile rod. A few specific examples would be a Dobyns Fury FR 704C or a FR 734C. Take a look at a Powell Max3D 683 CEF. An Irod Genesis II IRG744C is another super rod choice. Your fishing area and your style enter into the choice of what is best as well.

Weird, unless they have to get rid of a bunch of IM6 rods before they make the rod and combo use the same blank.

Try using P line CXX 8 pound test for the leader. I use it with 14 pound tes FireLine, 30 pound Power Pro Spectra braid and 832 braid.

Alright mystery solved! OR not! I just got back from my local Dicks Sporting Goods. The early Mach2 must have had an IM6 rod, but my store just received their shipment last week. The Mach 2 combo rod now is indeed an IM8 rod, just like the website says. I had a chance to fiddle around with a Mach 1 and the Mach 2. I compared a 6'10 MH to a 7 foot MH Mach 2 combo. Here is my opinion, just from messing with them in the store. Obviously I could not put line on them and cast them. The Mach 1 rod felt heavier than the Mach 2 rod and the Mach 2 seemed to be more sensitive as well. The Mach 2 rod spec'd as medium heavy with a fast tip. I would agree with that. It specs for lures from 3/16 to 3/4. The combo that I held would make a very versatile setup to throw lots of different baits. I was wrong about the Mach 2 reel, I thought I read it was a dual braking reel, they are both magnetic brake reels. I like the feel and balance best of the Mach 2 combo for sure. I think Lews is still confusing us because if you look at the Mach2 rods on the website the rods still say IM6 and the 7 foot MH rods do not have the same lure rating as what I held. Bottom line I would expect the Mach 2 Combo will perform well for you. Personally I like the feel of the Winn Grips both on the reel and the rod. I also liked the blank being completely exposed on the bottom of the reel seat. For $200+ I think there are better options, but for $160 I think you will be happy. Make sure to go on their website click on the Mach2 combo and check store availability near you. Now here is a way to save $10. Go to the store and buy something for a dollar or two. I sometimes buy a spinnerbait, or a jig, even a pack of gum from up by the front checkout area. Go home and go onto their website ( the directions are on your receipt) and fill out their customer survey. Print your free $10 off coupon. Instant $10 off. There is no limit as to how often you can fill out the survey and get a discount coupon, only one per sales ticket.

I would say go for it for the money. If it totally failed you could probably sell the motor for half of that.

How big is your lake and how much can you spend on a boat?

Where do you live? In many placed their are kayak dealers that do in water demos. We even have a guide/ outfitter that rents fishing canoes and guides kayak fishing trips. This in my opinion is a good idea. Go paddle some around and see what type of kayak you like best. Think about your waterways. Would a pedal drive work or are you in fishing in too fast of water for that. Some even allow the use of trolling motors in them. Other models are strictly paddle power.

Interestingly enough I watched a youtube video from Rick Clunn, he was talking about the dis-service the pros have done making everyone think you have to have a $80K, 21 foot , 250 hp powered rocket ship if you want to catch a fish. He mentioned he has caught just about as many fish out of his Tracker Guide V boat. He also surprised me when he said he purchased it with his own money. He talked about how stable the boat was and how good it fished. Now I am positive the Lund's are much better built boats. It is just interesting that with all of the money he has made he enjoys fishing out of that old aluminum boat.

Personally I would go look at the 2008 Triton 186. They were nice boats and it has the newest motor. However the TR19 seems well cared for (garage kept) I would go look at both. One note the 19 footer has a Mercury 175 EFI. It will suck more gas than the Opti on the 2008 boat. I ran a 1998 200 HP Merc EFI. It was the best engine I have ever owned and I ran it for 10 years. I loved the way it ran. The 150-175 and the 200s were the same basic engine. Either way I would travel over to look at them. If you can do it prearrange to meet them at a body of water. Ask them for a demo ride. I always offer to pay them some gas and pay the launch fee. Watch what they do to get it launched and get a ride on it. If you fall in love with one explain that you want to get the engine checked out by a dealer and expect to pay for that, so only do it if you are serious. On the OPti they can also download the computer. it can tell you how it was run. Now about price. Expect to pay full asking price, but so not offer to do so. In fact I rarely discuss that until I am sure I want it. Always have the money ready. All three boats are priced about where they should be. I realize the 19 footer is lder but it has been updated. I sent you a pm.

For your next practice session tie on a heavier bait like a texas rigged plastic worm with a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce worm weight. I want you to get used to how the reel plays. As you get better with it loosen off the brakes and the cst control a tiny bit at a time. If you are set at 9 on the brakes, practice till that feels good. Then back off to 7 or 8 and loosen up the spool tension a touch, just a little. As you get better you will see longer distances. I also recommend buying a cheap hula hoop from the dollar store. Begin trying to cast into the hoop for learning accuracy. I agree with many of these guys I would probably pull off your braid ( put it on a spool to reuse on some spinning gear. I like to first spool some mono then fill the rest of the spool with the braid. If I fill the reel half way with both lines I make my more expensive braid spool fill two reels.

Quarry Man it is not "better or wiser" its just old! LOL IF you get OLD you should learn more along the way.

The tips is a bit lighter compared to some other brands but they transition into plenty of backbone. If I was fishing baits close to the bottom of the 703's rating ( a 3/16 weight plus the weight of a plastic lure put you around 5/16 or so) and staying with baits that would not weigh more than say 5/8 or 3/4 than the 703 woud be my choice. Otherwise I would go for the 704, They are both nice rods. One more thing to consider is the cover you will be fishing. If you need some power to get a fish from hanging you up on a dock piling or heavier vegetation the I would go for the 704. I own a Champion DC705C (just to give some perspective on how these rod match with their rating). It rates as a 7 foot Mag heavy fast action rod, rated for lures between 3/8 and 1 1/2 ounces. That sound like a pretty stout stick. It does have plenty of backbone( heck I think I could pull a truck from the bottom of a lake) but it has a tip that easily throws a typical hollow bodied frog and works it well. It is great choice if I want to throw a 1/2 or 3/4 ounce football jig on a deep ledge or a carolina rig using a 1 ounce weight. It also feels so well balanced you think you have a much lighter action rod in your hand.

It is weird because both of the Mach 1 and Mach 2 say they are IM8. Usually if you go up in price on a combo the rod does not go backwards in quality. I am going to stop in my local dicks and check one out for you.

I have been fishing for over 40 years and have developed my own preference for equipment. About 3 years ago a friend and mentor put a Daiwa Exceler reel in my hand while fishing on my boat with me. Since that time i purchased one of those reels and fell in love with the Daiwa line of reels. I have sold off all of my Shimanos and some of my BPS reels. I own 1 Exceller, 4 Taula type rs and 3 Tatula CTs. I have no trouble suggesting a Tatula CT in 6.3 or 7.3 to 1 ratio. They are terrific reels. You have a nice selection of rods you are considering. I am a big fan of Dobyns, Powells, and Irods. I fish with 3 spinning and 12 baitcasters, so obviously I have had many rods to play with. Out of all of the rods I own the most versatile would be my Powell Max 683 CEF. They now make a Max3D series and an Inferno series with that rod in them. I have actually talked to Powells owner about them. He says the Inferno plays almost the same as my older Max rod. Go read the Tackletour review of my rod. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfast.html. I think a TatulaCT and an Inferno would make a nice combo. As I have said I also love the Dobyns lines. I own several Sierra and Champion rods but I have a friend that sold off a bunch of his rods and now fishes 4 Dobyns Fury rods. He intends to change over to them exclusively. If I had to choose one rod it would be a Fury FR734C. That is the most versatile. It is a 7'3 rod. My second choice would be a FR704C. Dobyns run a little lighter than spec'd so both will function pretty nicely for you. When you decide to get another rod I would make it a dedicated jerkbait, topwater, and crankin rod. That and a good medium spinning setup will allow you to fish 50% of the bass tackle you would want to throw.

d-camarena I was reading the spec off the Lews website for the Mach 2 combo. For some reason if you buy a Mach rod it is an IM6 rod. I agree and their website agrees with you. It disagrees with you when you read the Mach2 combo listing. I guess they make two different rods. Take a look http://www.lews.com/rods-mach.php and http://www.lews.com/combos-mach2.php

I sent you message

If you want to put one in your hand go to Grand Junction. I have no idea how far that is from you but if you ship it the trip will not be long. In Grand Junction there is a Sportsman's Warehouse and that =Sierra SA693 is in stock. They also have a Powell Inferno 6103 in stock, that is a nice rod too.

Learn the uni to uni knot. If tied correctly it is very effective and simple to tie. I use that knot on all of my reels, 12 baitcasters and 3 spinning plus all of my wife's 6 spinning reels. It works fine and can be used to tie backing to braid or fluoro, and aslo braid to fluoro or mono leaders as well. Go to you tube and look it up.

The difference is this. The rods are similar in that they are both IM8 rods. The Mach2 has some upgrades in the handle, they use the Winn Grips , and matching Winn products on the reel. The reel on a Mach2 is a slight upgrade as well. The Mach2 has a dual brake system so it is a better system. You are looking at a $30 increase in price roughly so I would go with the Mach 2. TackleDirect has the Mach 2 for $160