ABurk

I would have to say in general I’ve been influenced by “pros” (although I don’t consider Googans pros). I got back into fishing because of Lunkers and LFG as well as Scott Martin and B Lat. But since then I obviously look for information in a ton of places, like here, and various other sources. When I first started I’d make more impulse purchases based on what I might have seen someone using but have since found what works for me and I try to stick with just that. Every now and then I may go check out a single bait I’ve seen in a video or a certain way to rig a technique, but I don’t buy things just because I see someone one on a screen anymore as I did when I first got started back into fishing.

I’ve recently been storing mine in the trees.

Thanks for that tip on 4 carrier. I have some but hated using it because of the noise. I’ll need to get over it if I want to catch more bass.

Thank you for the information. I have some 50# daiwa I’ll throw on and keep working at it. I think what got me in my own head was the cheap braid I was using before. Something called mountain chain or something from china. Not terrible but was the first braid I bought due to cost. Would love to get more time on the water but work during the week and the weekend pleasure boaters keep me away from the river, even though it’s right out my back door. Just got to make the most of what I can, and that’s why I love the information from this site.

Is their a preference for what braid? Like 4 strand vs 8? I have a few of both, and someone told me in person 4 strand is better but more than one opinion never hurts. I guess I just want to learn how to walk it properly when I’m not targeting pads. I live on a river with a lot of low hanging trees and I can skip baits just fine and being able to target those spots would help, but is being able to walk it that important? Or is just changing a cadence in the baits movement more than enough?

Picked up a couple frogs recently because I have a lot of lily pad patches here on the river I live on and I had one guy come up next to me and pull a 7# out of the pads with a frog. Wasn’t being too nosy and didn’t ask the guy any questions. Just noted what bait he was using and went about my day. It did get me interested in learning a frog more but I’m new to them. My biggest issue is trying to walk a frog. I’m still practicing my walking ability but I’ve been able to walk a typical walking bait with some ease, but on mono. I’ve heard never fish a frog on anything but braid, but I don’t know any better myself. I’ve got a 7’3 mh duckett rod with a tatula ct 8.1 reel that I’m attempting to learn a frog on. Also, do people walk frogs over pads or just drag them over? I had one on yesterday morning just dragging it over pads and a gar grabbed it, jumped out of the pads and spit it right back at me.

Having a plethora of options is never a bad thing in my book for reasons that we all have to deal with during these times. I don’t gripe with any bait brands, but I try to steer away from Dicks because they tend to be more expensive than anywhere else. My biggest issue is finding weights when I need them on the fly and don’t want to wait for shipping

Oh definitely. I hope I wasn’t implying that googan is outselling anyone, just that they still sell a lot of googan gear and they aren’t just shoving it in place to take over someone else.

Appreciate the responses everyone! And the tips for profile images. Love the information and the people on this site.

It probably wasn’t just some arbitrary decision. Probably based on sales. Don’t think it’s hurting Dicks any. Surprised this thread isn’t locked already lol.

Signed up here in 2019 but haven’t really been apart of the community, made a couple posts or replies here and there, very few. I’m about 30 miles east of San Antonio, live on the Guadalupe river, and bass fishing is my hobby/therapy. Don’t have many questions, other than how to upload a profile picture bigger than 153k/b. So small and I don’t usually do photo apps so no idea how to make a photo I have on my phone work. Hope everyone is doing well! Looking forward to learning from this wealth of knowledge.

Wouldn’t buy a Tesla regardless. I get where you’re going though. Manual/auto would be a better comparison. Where as “D” would be equivalent to running your SLX DC on the 4 setting. The first three settings are more of a manual. You still need to use your thumb (or a clutch to finish the comparison). I agree with what others said casting technique is more important. I have backlashed my DC reels just as much as my regular Tatulas. DC isn’t a crutch in my opinion, but I think to learn a regular baitcaster first would be more important. I’ll take my DC out to the river and just cast just to hear the sound though ?

I think a fine mixture of both does just fine. But I’ve only owned the Tatula CTs, SLX XT, and SLX DC. So my word won’t be as valuable as others who have a broad range of experience with both brands, but I could fish with the CTs and SLX DCs for as long as I’m able to fish and never pick up something else. That being said, I will probably try more reels from both brands because the bait monkey will tell me to.

I replaced alcohol with fishing. I grew up fishing, but as I got older, went through struggles, getting discharged from the Army, started drinking too much, fishing was never a thought. When I got sober I found a Scott Martin video on YouTube. That renewed my own passion in fishing. I picked up a baitcaster having never thrown one before, and fell in love. I can go out and just cast and cast and cast and be happy. Thats my therapy. If I catch a fish, it’s a huge bonus. But I’ve refined it to practicing different techniques. I don’t get to go to different bodies of water, I live on a river and that’s all I have fished for the last year and half (teaching myself baitcasters and various techniques). I changed my mentality to learning how to fish instead of just trying to catch fish. There is a difference. I’ve learned a lot over the last year and half from just casting my baitcasters around at the dock here in the RV park I live in. I’m known as the guy who fishes around here. And I don’t catch many fish, it’s a busy river with a bunch of people who want to sit in the river all day and not fish, plus boaters. But I was over the moon when I caught my first 4 1/2 lb bass. It took me a year to catch a bass that size. And I had caught various half pounders to 2 lbs. Just remember why you’re fishing. I’m d**n proud of that 4 1/2 lber because it meant I speant time focusing on something I love as opposed to dealing with the things I can’t anymore, even when I hardly caught anything worthwhile for over a year. As the GMan says, it’s all about a positive mental attitude. It’s hard to find sometimes but it works.

I just started with baitcasters a year and a half ago, and can pitch and flip with all my reels. Just takes practice. I’m fortunate to live on a river and I fish daily so I was able to pick it up fairly quickly. I can pitch with my SLX DC and my tatula CT, and I’ve been able to pitch with a lews combo that I got rid of (Mach smash). I pitch/flip with the same settings I would when normally casting.

Even Daiwa doesn’t have them listed on their main website anymore. Spent some time trying to find info myself and found the same thing you did. Hope you are able to find someone who might know more about this specific rod.

My dedicated chatterbait rod is a 6’10 M/M duckett fishing Jacob wheeler sig rod. I’ve tried my chatterbaits on my tatula rods as well as on my 7’3 MH/F Jacob wheeler rod. I get the best hookups on my 6’10. It’s an awesome rod for $140. Just my 2 cents. Hope you find a rod that fits your liking!

Braid is flexible year round. But I’m a novice. Hope the more knowledgeable people come around to help lol.

I’m still trying to make a living out of living. I appreciate your knowledge.

You’re way smarter than I am. I appreciate it lol

Can someone explain the difference? I’m looking at this spool of izorline I have, and it has me scratching my head. It says it is the worlds finest copolymer monofilament line. The “co” and “mono” are throwing me off. I’m probably overthinking this as well, but I take things quite literally so when I read things like that and I can’t figure it out it drives me nuts. Added pic of spool for reference.

Yes water retention. Something that happens when a fabric holds onto water, like braid. If you can slick water off your braid, it’s retaining water. Mono and FC lines don’t absorb water. I appreciate the fish it like you stole it though. I need that mentality more. Too worried about my gear at times. Hence the post about OCD.

I’ve seen a lot of talk about smack down, haven’t tried it, another on the list to try out. I haven’t given up on braid, just trying to find what may work for me the best. Love these forums.

Yeah I’ve been experimenting a lot with line over the last year. I know it’s like a sin to say it, but googan braid has been the best I have personally tried. (Not going past that) and some others. I’ve got some good recommendations here on the thread that I’m going to look at in the near future.

The hard part for me is I can fish year round. I live on a river in Texas and I fish quite literally on a daily basis. It’s easy when I can walk out of my cabin and be at the river bank in less than 45 seconds. I have yet to do a full breakdown and cleaning of my reels as they don’t need it yet(to my insufficient knowledge), I was just fishing the other day and noticed how much water and dye was on my reel towards the end of my session and got the bug to ask here on the forums.