wet_dream

From my experience, Daiwa reels seem to run a size larger vs similarly labeled reels from other companies. Don’t have either of those reels but when I was looking for an Inshore fishing reel I noticed a 4K Stradic had similar specs to a 3K Daiwa BG. The Revros May be paired with longer rods in order to balance the reel’s weight. A quick search showed that a Revros 3K is about 3 oz heavier than the Pflueger 30. As far as length, I fish from a kayak and have found the sweet spot to be in the 6’6” - 7’0”. Longer rods make landing a fish a little cumbersome, and anything shorter make’s it tough for me to clear the bow if a fish runs to the other side of my kayak. From a rowboat, I don’t think they’ll have as much of an issue so anything in the 7’0” give or take 6” should work. Anything longer may make it awkward to land a fish.

Their combo recommendations were based off TW prices (MSRP, especially Shimanos which you’ll rarely see listed for less than MSRP) during the Black Friday sale. They put out informative videos but like some people have already pointed out, you can probably find better combos if you’re willing to research online or go used. I agree with a lot a lot of people on here about the Daiwa Tatula line and the great value that they can be found for on eBay. The CT should serve you well for your intended purposes and at less that ~$90, you’ll have more than half of your budget left over for a rod. As far as going the used route, I purchased a majority of my gear in the used market. Luckily, most of my experiences have been positive. Just put in your time, ask questions (legit sellers should be willing to answer any/every question you might have about an item), and use PayPal. Good luck on your search.

I’m not sure if TW just recently dropped their prices or if Megabass is ever included in their sales but these rods retailed for ~$300 depending on model. A lot of the XX Orochi rods would typically sell for ~$200 used (for some of the more popular models). Now you can get a brand new rod, with warranty for about 1/3 off regular price. Good enough deal for me.

I just came across this sale and was getting ready to share it lol. Looks like a great time to try out a couple more rods in the lineup.

XX Orochi

If you keep your eyes open you might even be able to get one within your budget. I was able to score a brand new Perfect Pitch for $195 shipped a couple weeks ago. I haven’t used it yet so I can’t comment on it. It may not get used til the spring

I also do a lot of inshore fishing and found that most saltwater rods are approximately one power heavier than freshwater rods with the same rating. MH saltwater = H freshwater. Your rod may make it tough to cast lighter lures but it should work for heavier applications.

Tautog aka Blackfish aka White Chins aka Slipper Bass or simply Tog, has been my target species of late. Hard fighting fish and is blast to catch on my lighter spinning gear. The jig has been killer so far for me this season.

I fish the Jersey Shore and depending on the type of fishing I'm doing, I have a few different set ups: Light Tackle (Light Jigs/Plastic, Topwater) - 2500-4000 Stradic, 7' Med-MH rod, 15-20lb braid, 20-30lb leader Surf Set Up (SPs, Bucktails, Pencils) - 5000 Saragosa, 9'6" Airwave Elite 3/4-3oz, 30lb braid, 30-40lb leader Conventional Bait/Trolling Kayak (Eels, Bunker, Trolling) -Daiwa Saltist 20/Seigler SGN, 6'0"-7'0 Heavy Rod 1-6oz, 40-50lb braid, 40-50lb leader I haven't done much fishing for stripers on the surf since I bought my kayak. I reach for, and prefer, my light tackle setups unless I'm fishing heavy cover or chunking weight and bait. In that case, I'll reach for my heavier set ups.

Nice fish! I live in Atlantic County and we fish down in Stone Harbor/Wildwood from our kayaks often. We've caught schoolies all summer in the back bays but can't wait for those bigger ones to get down here.

I'm fortunate enough to live by the Jersey Shore and the fall striper run should start heating up as the temperatures begin to drop. I haven't gone freshwater fishing since the Tautog started moving into our jetties. It is bittersweet, but as one season closes, another one opens.

I ran into the mailman on my out of the apartment. Got 2 of my newest toys today. I was not planning on pairing the two together but they look like they were designed for each other.

If you're budget is now over $100, FKs are still on sale. I can't speak for any of those other reels. I love my FK's. https://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Stradic+fk

No problem! Step it up to the 2500 if you think you'll encounter larger fish. It's only .8 oz heavier but also has almost 9 more lbs of drag per Daiwa's specs.

The baitfeeder feature wouldn't really benefit you unless you plan on using live bait. I'd recommend looking into the Daiwa BG at the sub-$100 price point. I personally haven't used them, decided to go with Stradic FKs, which I found on sale, for my inshore kayak fishing. I was close to trying the BGs before I "settled" on the FKs. I also have a couple Ci4s, which are lighter than the FK's. I use them for my freshwater and lighter saltwater spinning rigs. A lot of guys on here also recommend the Pfleuger President reels, and if you keep your eyes open for sale, you should be able to score these reels way below your budget. A quick search using the search function on the site should bring up tons of threads with a lot of recommendations. Good luck.

I was waiting all weekend for these to arrive. Proud new owner of a pair of "new-to-me" SV 103s, one in each ratio.

If anyone is looking for a spinning reel, Stradic FKs are 35% off. Not as light as the Ci4+, but love them for my inshore set ups. http://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/shimano-stradic-fk-spinning-reels.html?utm_source=ALFC+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c713065d80-NB+3%2F2%2F17+ShimanoSale&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2400964bb9-c713065d80-129905197&mc_cid=c713065d80&mc_eid=d1e22a5047

A couple more pictures of my kayak. Snapped these during my trip Saturday.

Took the kayak out Saturday morning hoping for a topwater bite. Chance of rain kept boats off the water, had the feeling of a crisp fall day. Labor Day weekend, and we had the water to ourselves. Can't wait for the fall striper run. Another beautiful sunrise, doesn't get old 26.5 in striper Whopper plopper enticed these little bluefish to bite, but this fiesty things will hit anything lol

Is there a code? Nevermind, found it: P20LABORDAY I don't think it's eligible on fishing gear, only select items.

Thank you! Will do. Maybe I'll add MonkeyButt to the collection soon.

Last ones to come from my DSG order. Going to throw these in the morning to see what the hype is about.

For iPhone users, PhotoShrinker app has been working well for me. Very easy to use and fast.

Launched at 4:30am with one of my buddies. He's been having some success at a couple spots and we wanted to make sure we got there before first light. The water was nice and flat, and it was very peaceful on the water. It was a welcomed change from the summer boat traffic we normally have to contend with during the day. I trolled an SP minnow on the way to the sod banks we'd be working to start the morning. We were hoping to get on a topwater bite. Sunrise pics never get old. A lot of bait busting on the surface. We were optimistic. The conditions were aligning for a fishy day. But after a few casts we realized the fish feeding on the bait were not our target species. Little snapper bluefish all over the place. These are aggressive fish. Caught a bunch of these guys, all about the same size, and was careful in taking this one picture after this one finally calmed down after a minute of thrashing. I did not want a treble hook in my finger. We made a move, hoping to get away from these yellow-eyed monsters and was finally able to land our target species. Not a big fish by any means but I was ecstatic to land one this morning. Had a couple more blowups on my lure but I was only able to hook up with this one fish. I cannot wait for the fall run when there will be much larger stripers in our waters. I considered this productive 4 hours on the water. Learned a few things and marked a couple more spots for future trips. Got some footage on my GoPro, maybe I'll post it if I ever get around to editing it.

Unfortunately, I think it ended last night. I put in a "pick up at store" order for another 4. I couldn't get there before they closed. But keep your eyes open, it seems like Dick's has a new sale going when one ends.