softwateronly

Congrats on the bonus....I might be in the minority, but to me the mgl spool is a little better with light baits, sub 3/8 total. Again, just for me, where the DC shines is really bombing mid range weights and any throwing into the wind. I currently crank with this reel because I can just launch it a mile, almost seems possible that someone better at casting could spool it. If this ends up true for you, I hope you'll find it as awesome as I do for all the midrange stuff on windy days. scott

Don't want to get in the way of Toledo talk, but I think this would be the best place for me to get some informed opinions. If you want me to move it, I'm more than happy to. It looks like I'm gonna spend a few days with a kayak on the SW side of Cross Lake first week of February, and these shallow cypress swamps are completely new to me, and I need to bring as few rods as I can. Preliminary plans are to - pitch t-rigged large worms, craws, and jigs at trees or clumps of trees that are different than most, favoring deeper water if I can determine it. Mostly in the black and blue range - slow roll spinnerbait in any deeper water, mostly in the black and blue range - hit shallow water lanes with swim jigs/chatterbaits, mostly shad/crappie colors - speed worms swam through pads, if there are any, favoring dark colors Frogs? Squarebills? 6" magdraft? buzzbaits? spooks? poppers? traps? Any insight on where (probably not able to deal with the big water in this yak), how, and when (daytime only) is most appreciated. Looking forward to catching my first bass of 22 in your neck of the woods. I included the water that I think I'll most easily be able to access, color line is set to 10'. Thanks much, scott

My swimbait rods don't drive weedless hooks home well enough for me, better with open and trebles. At 2oz, I'd throw it/lob it on my frog rod, especially if that was my only braid set up. scott Should have read through before commenting, lots of good advice here, as usual. Side note, I also vote for the Tat300. By far my favorite big bait reel I've ever tried and I usually fish shimano. scott

LM - 3/4oz DJ Cali swim jig, crappie w/ 120mm Dwalker, silverside SM - 1/2oz keitech finesse football jig, gp/blue w/ trd crawz, gp Don't have weights or measurements, but LM is a low 6lb and SM is a high 4lb by my best guesses. scott

Was thinking of grabbing the hydro-flo spinnerbait boxes to hang spinnerbaits, chatters and hair, swim, flip jigs. I have a bunch of silica packs from work for the bottom. Did your hooks rust to the plastic? or just rust in general? There are times when getting things dry before I have to pack up and leave the cabin cuts into my last cast dance that usually lasts an hour. scott

I have had a lot of big bites on a heavy swim jig w/ a 5" swimbait trailer. Stays near the bottom, good sized meal, weedless, can reel pump to get reaction strikes or bang it off the stumps. I'd add it to my list if I was heading there. scott

I have a few of those in my cart right now. Seems like the way to go. Any downsides I might be not thinking of? scott

I like fishing, I like cities, I like my job. I love my current set up, minus late december - early march. Still working on a plan for that. scott

Me too, really like it. Thanks scott

Englewood has been hood my whole life and doesn't look to dramatically change for at least a decade. My FIL is from there. West Lawn definitely stabilized in the 90's. It was tough for sure, but a beating not a stabbing or shooting. It might have slipped again, but I still hit zaca tacos when I visit family and it seems fine. I've been in bridgeport the last 20 some years, still the new guy in some of my neighbors eyes. scott scott

I haven't since it was a small little pool hall 15ish years ago. I do love duck fat fries, appreciate the heads up. So much good food near there and it's always changing. Covid has really messed up my trying new places thing. scott

As someone born and raised on the southside and still living there, please don't forget how absolutely violent the 80's and 90's were. Homicide totals in 91? was over 1100. The city is by far safer now than it has ever been in my 45 years. This tragedy notwithstanding, the city is fine. Violent people with no regard for the social contract are the problem and they are everywhere in this country. scott

Johnnie's is great, but this southsider doesn't get out that way very often. So I'm sticking with Al's. Out of the chains, I think Buona Beef is better than portillo's. But if we're talking sandwiches and you're ever near river west, you have to go to Bari's. That's a never miss opportunity for me. scott

I appreciate the info on the line combo you're using. Are you using sunline FC100 shock leader? I basically lean toward Shimano because of the tws. Currently, I have a tat200 w/65lb braid, and fish it straight most of the time. If I want a leader, the 65lb does not work with the t-wing system and just keep the fg out of the reel. I had mixed success w/ original power pro in 40lb and sunline FC100 in 20lb. I had hiccups every now and then and didn't feel confident. Now the tat300, in my experience, any fg knot will pass through that t wing and it is by far my favorite big bait reel. scott

What an absolute stud!! scott

+1 on gambler EZ, also a lot of time with the big EZ and .5" bit off. scott

I do until the heart of summer; 40lb or 65lb power pro, fg knot, 16lb sunline shock leader or 10lb mono depending on what I'm throwing and where. Summer, when the weeds are the thickest, straight braid. scott

Not @Deebo but I fish the same baits with this rod. I prefer 40lb power pro v2 to 10 or 15lb maxima mono depending on where/what I'm fishing. The zebra muscles can really ruin a good fight. Everyone is certainly entitled to their preferences but I think the soft tipped Dobyns rods do really well with braid to leader. scott

For sure, but we have yet to ice up in SW MI. These bass spend 115+ days of the year in water colder than 45 degrees and they put on weight during this time period. Sure, they're cold blooded and respond to their environment but the bigger fish are better adapted than their prey. I think they move in and out or up and down from their wintering holes if the food source does. The warm rain I'm mentioning is part of a 5 day period where only 2 nights are going to be colder than the water temp. I also know that warm water carries a lot more heat than air. Even though ice-in is imminent, I think, but don't know, that there should be a noticeable uptick in activity toward the end of this stretch of warmth. I appreciate everyone's insight, its born of experience. Sometimes I think fisherman in the North forget that on average the bigger the fish, the bigger the advantage they have in cold water. Big bass are ambush/opportunists if they're anything. These are the thoughts without the experience to back it up, hope I can put some of it to the test. Paddling a canoe in the wind will keep me warm, if not a bit of bourbon will. scott

I might not have worded it clearly. I caught 6 last week in 10-12' off sharp breaks from 20'-8'ish, also saw some shallow cruisers, but all under 2lbs. scott

You're certainly correct, but I have experience working outside for long hours in less than ideal weather so sometimes I take a beating for fun. Both yourself and @Catt are correct in tempering expectations. I've seen a cold lake turn on with a warm rain in spring, but I believe that's more related to bait and bass trending toward and actually moving shallow and the rain might have sped it up. That doesn't seem likely going into ice up. I have nearby wintering holes near gradual breaks and sharp breaks to flats near a warm creek/marsh. Was hoping the fleeting warmth might trigger a bit of an uptick in metabolism. The winds are from 10-20mph, the wintering holes are 28'-35'. Water temp was 39 at 15' depth, 40 surface last week. scott

I didn't take a pic but this is real similar to what I've been catching on, great suggestion.... https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?start=0&count=30&searchtext=gambler+ned https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Castaic_Baits_Jerky_Js/descpage-CSB5JJ.html The weedguard is a plus in my book for both the weeds and keeping the hook pinned. scott

Yes.....you really are from Louisiana.... I kid scott

Stable and warm for the time and locale but ultimately as cold or colder than the water. scott

I might be wrong and hope you might know the answer, but I think he is literally only using A-rigs and cranks for off shore bass found with FF sonar. scott