NJ_Snappy_Bois

Very nice people at Fairfield I like supporting them whenever I can. Haha definitely. I go to SOL for surf tips and BST... here for largemouth and baitcaster discussions, or when I don't want to browse a site where everyone is 90 years old.

Lol saw your post on SOL so I was like why is this happening to so many people lately... Fairfield fishing tackle up by you is a great family owned shop if you're looking for a local professional solution.

Expensive stuff but high quality. The first time I bought some of the Bellow's and Spiron creatures, I tried them out on 3/8 jigs and this just created a profile that was way too huge to me. I now think of these as standalone baits vs. trailers. On a M spinning or casting rod, the 3.8 inch models have plenty of weight to be thrown "weightless". And without additional terminal tackle, you unlock some pretty sweet action for dying/fleeing baitfish type presentations. My experience has been all of their products have a unique action and scent that bass seem to always hit HARD. Always have some in stock now. I fish in the Northeast US and pretty certain most bass here havent seen much of these yet.

3/8-1oz Fast

Curious about the "12 completely new lengths/powers/actions". So far the initial release models all seem pretty standard other than the 7'3" M X fast, which is fairly unique. Wish it was casting though. Nonetheless very excited!

Jealous. Up in Vermont skiing. Everything’s frozen lol

really hope they have a 7'5"-ish jig/bottom contact. Maybe a true BFS model too... That would surely sell

I'll check them out, thanks! My last trip to NOLA was for jazzfest which I enjoyed. I know Mardi Gras is legendary but jazzfest feels like Mardis Gras for grownups which is more my pace haha.

Thanks for this thoughtful response. I'll definitely add some of your recommendations to my list. That lagoon sounds like an awesome spot to check out! This trip will be my 4th time in NOLA which is why I want to make the effort to venture out elsewhere in LA, especially being such a renowned state for largemouth fishing. Any thoughts on patterns you'd recommend to a tourist fishing out there in July? Obviously I'll have to bring far less tackle than I'd like (probably try to keep it down to just two 3600 planos for the adventure). Most likely I will have a a 7 footer MH travel rod with a 6 or 7 gear baitcaster to keep things versatile. Water clarity will of course vary depending on where I am at, but my initial sense is to try some top water moving baits in early AM and transition to deeper diving/ bottom contact stuff as the sun starts to beat down. Appreciate it!

Appreciate that, will do. I'm thinking my road trip will take me through BR for a day then head towards Lafayette to fish the general area a couple days.

Headed down to NOLA for a long weekend trip with old friends this summer. Planning to stay a few extra days than everyone else to do some fishing. I know there are several threads with NOLA/BR fishing tips and spots and I will definitely try to hit University Lake and City Park while I'm out there. Wanted to get some advice though on more remote spots worth getting to if I have a rental car for a few days. Any recommendations from 1 hr up to 2 hours away from NOLA would be much appreciated. Morgan City seems like it could be fun general area to fish but hoping for some local insight. Mostly lookin for bass but will fish for whatever. Thanks!

I picked up a JDM Bantam MGL in the 6 gear ratio for pretty much the same purpose. It's my second Bantam though so I went with it because I love the way the reel feels in hand more than anything else. The JDM line also has a 5 gear ratio but I would only go that low for a deep diver setup.

I have this rod. it's xtremely versatile and was my first higher end rod. Purchased earlier this year and fished through the summer with it mostly throwing t-rigged plastics and lighter jigs. I think you'd be happy throwing anything in the weight range where a fast action is preferred. Story seems odd to me

Thanks for your responses. I will make the call before I order!

Novice spare parts question here. Couldn't find an exact answer to this by searching, appreciate any guidance. I am looking to buy a spare spool for my Bantam MGL151XG, exact model link below with parts list: https://fishshop.shimano.com/collections/bantmgl151xg If I buy the "Spool Assembly" part # BNT5805, can anyone confirm this will include all sub-components so I can just swap out with the current spool as needed to change lines? The term assembly is suggestive that this would be the case but would like some reassurance before dropping the $. I am looking for the simplest solution to swap braid and copoly on the water, but I don't want to get into moving bearings between spools or anything beyond removing side plate for a quick swap. Obviously not the most technical reel guy. Appreciate any responses!

Thanks so much for the detailed response ! I’ll have to dive into some research on JDM finesse rods, as I wasn’t aware of this category. I usually only look at jdm sites to save some $ on higher end reels (just saved over $100 on a Bantam MGL actually using Asian Portal). The Dark Matter rod you shared definitely looks like it fits the bill of what I am looking for. Not sure if the action would be the right fit, as this rod would be primarily for lures that are both on the lighter side for the surf and with treble hooks. Was thinking something more moderate/mod fast but these are all subjective terms so I’d have to hold it in hand. If it’s only rated up to 1.5 ounce, it may have plenty of flex for trebles even if it’s labeled “fast”. I have a stradic fl 4K that seems like itd pair very nicely with your recommendation. Avids are pricey for sure but what I like about St Croixs salt water rods is being able to throw one casting setup in the car and hitting both fresh and salt fishing spots in one weekend drive. My tide master 66MH is this “do all” rod for me, and in addition to throwing diamond jigs/ small BT’s/ even some bait, it makes a nice largemouth rod when the weeds are crazy and you’d like to have a bit more backbone than a freshwater MH. appreciate your feedback sir !

Thanks for your response. I have the 7’6” avid inshore MHF as well (if thats the one you mean). I would gladly use that for light surf but it is a casting model and im thinking I’d prefer spinning for light plugs, especially at night. I’d really like if there was a 9 ft TM for this purpose, but that would probably step on their surf rod series. I take your point on 7’6”+ rods and heavier tips. I have the 76 Avid paired with a Diawa Costal TWS and it’s probably on the lighter side for that rod.

Jigs (except swimjigs I like 7:1 ish), Texas, punchin, froggin

I know questions about the Tidemaster may be better suited to a saltwater forum, but I am sure a lot of you guys have experience with this rod that I'd like to hear. I have the 6'6" MHF Casting (1/2- 1 1/4) and absolutely love it! It's a great light inshore rod when you want to throw small diamond jigs and other lures with a LP baitcasting reel, and also doubles as a decent "do all" largemouth rod, especially when pond bank fishing and the 7 footers stay home. The tip is a definitely a bit heavy for a primary largemouth rod, but this is sometimes welcome in NJ when the vegetation gets out of control. The "Fast" action on this series is very unique to me. It is definitely not Avid fast, but I wouldn't say it's a mod-fast either. I like it for casting/football/bladed jigs a lot. Now that St Croix seems to be phasing out this fan favorite series, I am thinking of picking up one or two more in different lengths/actions/powers etc (spinning and/or casting) just because I like the rod so much. I was hoping to hear from anyone who owns other particular models of the Tidemaster that are worth checking out, or are just gems. I know this is a very broad and general question, but I fish for largemouth, stripers/summer flounder in bays and the surf, and bluefish inshore as well, so I could make use of many different rods in the series. Here are some models I have been thinking about and their potential applications for me.. (have not had the chance to hold in hand yet): 7'0" Casting M Power, Fast (3/8- 3/4) - Small spoons for smaller bluefish; double as a decent freshwater swimjig rod 8'0" Spinning MH or H, Fast (1/2-2 or 3/4-3) - Light surf rod for lighter plugs/SP minnows/bucktails Appreciate any insights on the 2-3 specific models I listed above, but more just interested in starting a discussion about this awesome series: What model Tidemasters to do you have? What do you use them for? Which one(s) would you add to your arsenal if this rod became harder to find soon?

I hadn’t thought about the depth component of torque but that makes a lot of sense. I fish spinners and chatters on a 6 gear and I like the setup, though I don’t have a long history of spinner bait setups to compare. It’s a 6 gear with 28 IPT which is relatively fast for a 6 I think. Appreciate the reply ! Also forgot to mention, I have baitcast reels in 6, 7, 8, and a 9 gear, so I kinda want to try a 5 speed just to cover the range across my arsenal. I agree with your point about slowing down/speeding up. At first, it made sense to me that it would generally be “easier” to slow down with a faster reel vs. try to burn a slower reel, but after more time on the water I agree with you. For me at least, I find it hard to maintain a slow rhythm with a faster reel. Thanks for the thoughtful response!

Been lurking on here for a few months but first post.. trying to decide on a reel for a dedicated crankbait setup based on optimal IPT for the most versatile “all around” crank rod. Mostly bank fish but getting into the kayak game soon... Will probably throw divers in the 4-12 ft range the most but definitely will incorporate other cranks as well. Will probably include some lipless as well but don’t want that to cloud any recommendations as I have a mod fast rod for spinners and chatters that’s probably better for those anyway. I am pretty set on the Shimano Bantam MGL, but stuck between either the 6 gear (26 IPT) or JDM 5 gear (23.2 IPT). Will eventually pair with a 7’4” MH Legend Glass rod. Seems like 26 IPT would be more versatile (within the crankbait universe) with the 23. IPT being ideal for 15’+ divers, but maybe I am wrong here and 23 would be best... A secondary question here (I’m sure this has been discussed but I cannot find anything), is the relationship between IPT and torque. If 2 different reels, one 6 speed and one 7 speed have the same exact IPT, does the 6 speed still have more torque? I assume yes because it takes 1 less rotation to get there but just wondering. Appreciate any insights. This site has been awesome during my less than 1 year in the bass fishing game!