fishnkamp

BrackishBassin I see you are located in southern MD. Would you be interested in taking a field trip to baltimore. I have two things that might help you. First is we could meet up and you can test multiple rods and reels I have set up in my arsenal and secondly you can check out a fantastic tackle shop we have located in Hunt Valley ( 15 to 20 minutes from my home). It is called Anglers Express. They are the only local shop in MD that carries a full line of Powell, Dobyns, Irod, Shimano, Duckett, one three, NO.8, cashion and others. They sell some Abu reels, Ardent, Diawa, Shimano & one three, casting reels. It might help if you bring up your rod and reel. You would also run past Bass Pro as well. I used to keep a camper down on Port Tobacco River and it took about 2 hours to get there, so you can judge from that.

Yes it will work for that and even for a yellow perch a bit. That should get eaten.

Consider purchasing a Diawa Tatula, or Tatula CT or even a Diawa Tatula Type R from one of the internet sites. All of them can be had for around $120 some cheaper. Another option is to get a Diawa Exceler By the way, I fish both left and right hand reels. I like lefties for baits I jerk, or impart action to. I like RH reels for lures I chuck and wind. All of the Diawa reels I suggested are available in RH and LH models. I fish with some of each. As for a rod, look at Dobyns Fury like a FR 703C. This is a very sensitive rod, made well using good components and can throw Sencos, light tx rigs, light jigs, spinnerbaits, and flukes. For the type of waters you fish, I would throw some Reaction Innovation Skinny Dippers and medium size Dippers. They can be thrown on spinning gear if unweighted, or on a rod like this with a belly weighted swimbait hook, and also in deeper water with a fish head style jig head like the Picassos. These baits are hollow bodied swimbaits and get eaten very quickly in all types of waters. I would throw some small to mid size spinnerbaits, texas rigged 4 and 6 inch worms, lizards, and creature baits. All of these would be thrown with light tungsten worm weights, I would also throw some smaller topwaters and chatterbaits. Lastly I would rig another rod to fish hollow bodied frogs for most of the summer time. On this Dobyns rod do not worry about the MH Fast action designation. These rods are a little lighter than what they call it compared to some other manufacturers. Compare them more by their lure ratings and suggested lures and you will have a terrific combo.

My preference is the Tatula CT. However I have a preference for Diawa in general. I own 7 which includes 1 Exceler, 1 Tatula CT and the rest are standard Tatulas and Tatula Type Rs. They are really nice but other s will tell you you should only consider a Lews or Shimano, so we all have our favorites. I can tell you my reels get used alot. I fish locally here on the tidal Chesapeake Bay rivers for bass and stripers but often catch big blue cats at the same time. I also travel annually to Tennessee and fish for smallies, largies and Kentucky spots in very clear waters. My equipment get tested in many different situations so I have full confidence in it or I replace it. I just sold a Shimano Chronarch for that very reason. It was okay, but I disliked having to remove the side plate to adjust the inside brakes. Again there are legions of devotees that love those reels, but for me I prefer to easily adjust the braking from outside, The Daiwa braking system works great for me and I seldom have trouble with backlashing.

Forget that type of service from Ranger anymore. It used to be you could give them a serial number and a part you were looking for and they either had it or made it. I tried to replace some console wood tone pieces on a 99 Ranger and was told too bad, we cannot help you. I guess the "Nitro" effect has taken over already. What a shame!

I doubt it just flew out since it is pretty much recessed in a cubby hole. More likely it had help to remove itself. I would measure the opening and give T&H marine a call. Much of the items boat manufacturers use in their boats are supplied from them.

Your mono backing and 30 pound PP is fine on that reel. Add a 4 foot leader of 8 to 12 pound stiff mono like P Line CXX in moss green or Berkley XT to learn with. That rod is fine. I own two of the 6'6" Med Moderate ones and use them for throwing 1/2 to 3/4 rattle traps for bass and stripers in the fall( when the bait leave the main Chesapeake Bay and enter our tidal creeks, they chase the bait into the shallower and warmer water). Your rod should work well with plastics and jigs,even some larger spinnerbaits, but while you are learning make sure the lures you throw weigh between 3/8 and 1 ounce. That falls well within the mid range of the rod.

Shimano scares me. I bought 1 Symetre for my wife and now have seen some owners complaining about problems with their Symetres. There seems to be some issues with then binding up. I am hoping this is not going to be an issue for hers. I could have set her up with another President but wanted a reel with a higher LPI retrieve for her frog rod.

The answer to your question "is an Exceler reel good: is yes. Yes, it is a very good reel that retails for $99. It is often available for around $60 online. I fish two of them. My friend got me hooked on the Daiwas and we often land 30+ inch stripers on those reels as well as some LMB and big cats. I prefer my Tatulas, Tatula Type Rs and Tatula CTs, but all of these Daiwas perform very well. If you get that Daiwa Exceler then go find a deal on a Berkley Lightning Shock rod, Gander Mountain Tournament Casting rod, or even an Abu Garcia Veracity from Fishing Factory Outlet. They also have a good deal on a Fenwick HMX in both a 6'6 and 7 foot, Other good options would be an bu Garcia Veritas or a Dobyns Fury, The Fury is the most expensive rod I suggested at $109, but it is the best quality rod I suggested too,

Right now my wife and I own 7 of the Presidents, some as old as 10 years old. We fish 25,30, 35 and a 40 size. They have all handled some pretty good size smallies, largies and stripers.

Before you buy, take a good look at a Pflueger President or President Limited and Supreme. One more to consider is an Okuma RTX30. It is super smooth but much more like the size of a President 2500

Which dealer did you go look at?

My wife is my main fishing partner. She is extremely capable of using any spinning gear as well as fly fishing gear, however she hates baitcasters. After doing a lot of searching I chose an Irod Genesis II IRG IRG713S “Fred’s Power Finesse Rod H” This is a Fred Roumbanis design. It has a great tip to throw a frog and plenty of backbone in my opinion. It well balanced and has good components, It retails for $150. I matched it up with a high speed Shimano Symetre reel. The lpi were almost exactly the same as my 8-2 baitcasters.

Here is a way to improve your spinning rod setup. Spool about 1/2 up with some decent 14 pound mono. I like Stren original clear blue but BPS Excel is cheap to purchase as well. Now lget a spool of Berkley Original or Fused FireLine in 14 pound test. I usually use their neon lime or green color. I use a double uni knot to tie the two lines together. By the way the FireLine 14 pound test is the same diameter as 6 or 8 pound mono. Now if you want to get a little less visible in clear water tie on a leader of say 8 or 10 pound test mono, P Line Cxx in moss green or Fluoro line. You will be amazed how well the FireLine will play on your reel.

They should be really nice for things like spinnerbaits, jigs, texas rigged worms etc especially if that has the 6.3 to 1 reel. It is funny, everyone today wants the latest and greatest graphite rods and reels with a ton of bearings. The rods "had to be" 6'6 then 7 foot, now its 8 foot long. You would think before these latest rods came out there was no one able to catch a fish. I fished with a guide several years ago and he fished professionally on the FLW circuit. He made his million dollars, and won the boat we were fishing on, by throwing home made Pop Rs on a short 5 1/2 foot long custom made IM6 rod with a pistol grip on it. He could put those lures farther back under docks than his competitors and that made him successful. Thank you father in law and enjoy your new toys!

What rod is best for a specific reel sorta has things turned around. The technique you wish to fish helps determine what rod, line, reel gear ratio works best. Some reels do have line restrictions due to capacity, but for the most part selecting technique works best in that order. If you are trying to purchase that reel because you like it that is fine. Determine your rod budget, what you would like to fish it with and that will help you determine which gear ratio you should get that reel in. That reel retails for $250 so obviously I would expect you would be looking to match that reel up with a rod from the $100 to $200 retail price. A lot of rods in that price range are available for much less, but they still must be thought of as being in that range for comparison purposes. I would use the 6.4-1 for general purposes like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, carolina rigs and texas rigs. I would use the 8-1 for things like pitching, throwing frogs, maybe even spinnerbaits if I wanted to burn it like a wake bait. As for a general purpose rod look for 6'8" to 7'3" mh fast action. Something like a Dobyns FR 703C that would run right around $110. If your budget is higher look at the Dobyns Sierra SA 683C or SA 703C. Both of these run $155 to $165. There are great rods in several St Croix lines of rods in the $120 to $240 range. Look also at some of the Irods Genesis II rods. Consider the IRG744C or the IRG 693C. Both very versatile rods. If you want a softer action rod for cranks then it takes a whole other bunch of suggestions. Tell us what you want to spend and what you want it to do first. Oh by the way that should be a beautiful reel.

What brand has your interest and what length?

You will be fine with a 48 inch bottom Go for it some of the older boats like that were only 40. You see what they did with the new ones there now 70 but that does not matter as the bottom is 48.

Big Bait have you thrown a tatula CT yet? Oh guess not!!

Are you looking for a good medium power spinning rod or baitcaster? For what techniques? Are you looking for a medium power fast action rod or more like a Medium moderate rod for treble hook baits? What is your budget for this rod? Look at the Dobyns, Irods and St Croix Avid X all of these worth it in the $100 to $200 range.

Well my first suggestion is a St Croix Avid X AXS70MLF which is a really nice 7 foot ML fast action spinning rod. The Avid X series ai a bit different and I believe a more true ML fast action rod. If you prefer you could also consider the same rod in a 7 ft Medium with the fast tip. Either of these will do the job well. Another really nice option is a Dobyns Sierra SA 701F or 702SF, Both of these rods are terrific as well. I also own a G Loomis rod you can look for it is a 7 foot rod available in 1 and 3 pieces it is a model SR843 -2 GL3. It specs as a medium but it is more like a ml and specs 4 to 10 pound line 1/8 to 3/8. It is a spectacular drop shot and finesse rod. This is from the classic line. This rod is a bit more expensive but it may be worth it to you, There is a SR842 which is a 7 footer 1/16 to 5/16 if that solves your need for a marabou jig rod. I have owned both and they are great.

For that he can get a Tatula and for the $130 he spent he can get a Tatula CT, which would be my suggestion. The T wing system really works on the CTs even better than on the regular Tatula and Tatula Type Rs.

First, if you are paying close to $60 for the Abu consider ordering this Daiwa Exceler instead. It is a $100 reel for $68. Go here http://www.ebay.com/itm/Daiwa-Exceler-Baitcast-Reel-Right-Hand-EXE100HA-/181816837358?hash=item2a5520c4ee. I have made several purchases from them with no problem. I fish with a lot of different reels, but the Daiwas are much better reels. I own 1 Exceler and a 6 Daiwa Tatula, Tatula Type Rs and 1 Tatula CT. All of them are smooth and very durable. As for a rod go with the Berkley Lightning shock. If you want a new one of them go to your local Walmart. My next suggestion would be an Abu Garcia Veracity. They have a 6'6 mh that would suite you well for $78. That might seem higher than you perhaps intended to spend but you are getting a rod that normally sells for $150.

I just sold a Chronarch 200E7 because it was okay but I think they are over rated. I sold it and replaced it with a new Diawa Tatula CT. I presently own a bunch of BPS Extremes and 6 Diawas (1 Exceler and 5 Tatula, Tatula Type Rs, and now this CT). I guess I really did not find the Shimano cast any better than the Extremes and not as well as the Tatulas. Yes I did have the Shimano cleaned professionally. I also prefer the drag adjustment on the outside instead of removing the side plate, moving the tiny little plastic brakes and closing up the reel. There are plenty of people addicted to these Chronarch reels so if you decide to sell it you ill get plenty to get another Lews or a Diawa Tatula CT. I got $175 for mine just this week, ordered the CT to replace it and had cash left over. My favorite spinning reels hands down have to be the Pflueger President. I have 7 of them for my wife and I, some less than 2 years old and others as old as 10 years. Not once have they disappointed me.

Yes I have and so has a friend of mine Kris. He is a member but is also a member of another board. He built a full frame from Azek plastic wood, then installed regular outdoor plywood. He treated the plywood with a couple of coats of water sealant and a couple of coats of outdoor paint, then carpeted it. This post is long but you will learn a ton of good practices from him. Take a few minutes reading thru all of it. He took a severely abused 16 foot jon and turned it into a really nice fishing rig. Check here: http://www.*/bass-fishing-forum/index.php?topic=130307.0 andhttp://www.*/bass-fishing-forum/index.php?topic=131656.0This is the third boat he has been involved with totally rehabbing. His first was a nice 14 foot Grumman v hull and the other is a mid to late 80s Ranger that will be used on the tidal rivers here in MD. The 16 footer is an electric trolling motor powered only machine for the drinking reservoirs around here. I kope this gives you some good ideas.