JoeDeal55

My Walmart never has anything good. And all their combos are right retrieve. Which doesnt work for me.

Im assuming labor day sales a good for fisherman?

A friend of mine has been watching me slay the bass this month and he wants to venture into bass fishing. He has 2 trout rods. He wants me to help him pick out his first baitcaster combo. His budget is $100 for the combo. Ive narrowed it down to 2 rods for him. A 7ft MH/F Abu Garcia Vengeance combo for $79.97 and a 7ft MH/F Abu Garcia Max Ultra combo for $99.99. This will be his first baitcaster and starter rod for bass fishing. My question is, are these rods and reels mostly identical? Is one better than the other? Or should he just get the cheaper one?

Oh I def got the jig through the pads but struggled getting it back out. Just pulled my kayak right up to my lure and had to fish it out with my hands lol

The best beer is free beer! Which is what that was lol. And I agree, I thought it was bigger than it was. Put up a good fight too. After further research I think it might be a water shield plant aka dollar bonnet.

My next rod purchase is going to be a heavy rod for punching heavier weights. I had a 3/4 ounce jig with a trailer but it just drug all the lillies back out to me. I through some weedless soft plastics but they just floated on top of the pads. There were very few openings.

Recently I was given permission to fish a new pond. Very large pond. Very small area to bank fish. Best for kayak fishing. In the summer, the edges are all covered in vegetation (see pic 1). Unknown vegetation to me (see pic 2). I had a blast kayak fishing the edge of the vegetation. Landed 9 LMB and 1 was 3lb 7oz! My question is, what kind of vegetation is this? I thought they were lilly pads but they dont flower and the leaves are smaller than lillies. The only thing I could throw on them was a frog but no luck there. Identifying the vegetation and advice on how to fish it is what im looking for. Thanks guys!

No loyalty for me... yet. Most of my childhood I used hand me down zebcos. Last spring, my passion for bass fishing blossomed and I am slowly building my arsenal. So far I have a cheap Diawa spinning combo from Dunhams and a cheap spinning Shakespeare on an Ugly Stik combo. I enjoy both of them but I have never used any spinning gear of higher quality so I have nothing to compare it to. And for baitcasters I have a Abu Black Max, KastKing Crixus, and a Shimano SLX. Obviously the Shimano is my favorite. Its smoother and casts farther and feels best in my hand. Its the first time Ive noticed an actual upgrade in quality. Its on a completely different level compared to everything else I own. But! Im still learning and I plan to try Daiwa and Lews and Okuma etc. in the same price range as my SLX. Then and only then would I even consider brand loyalty. I feel that I cant be loyal if I dont even try giving a chance to other brands. Honestly, I just want to try everything to see what I like.

Ill try out some flukes and a shakey head and see how I like it.

Thanks guys! I just wasnt sure if a medium power rod would be beefy enough for a hookset on a shakey head. I will def give it a try this week. Any other uses for this rod? I love trying new things!

Pros: Cant afford a boat. I can throw it ontop of my car in 10 minutes. Dont have to take anyone with me. Solitude is bliss. Put it in any water source. Only put me back $500. Couldnt afford the gas if I did have a boat. Easy to maintain. It fits under my house. Cons: 8 hours in my kayak causes some back pain. (Worth it tho) I dont have electronics on my yak so im fishing blind. (Ive never used electronics to fish so im always blind. Cant miss what you never had.) I cant stand up in my yak without taking a bath. Im too fat to easily turn around for my tackle behind me. Kays are slower that boats.

I bought a 6'10MXF Shimano SLX combo this year to experiment with some jerkbait fishing. I absolutely love the rod and reel. Its my most highest end combo I own at the moment. The problem is I suck at jerkbaiting lol. Im not giving up but one pond I fish is a flooded rhododendron valley thats impossible to fish treble hooks. (Ref picture) I would like to repurpose this rod for something else when fishing there. Would a 3/16 shakey head 3/0 hook with 7-9 inch worms work on this rod? With 10lb mono? Share your thoughts.

Thank you all for the replies. I have a medium SLX combo for jerkbaits and I love it, but unfortunately BPS doesnt carry them that I could find.

In the market for my first heavy rod. Have a giftcard for BPS. So budget around $120. Im wanting a heavy fast rod for A-rigs mostly but will also try out frogs and heavier jigs on it. Maybe big swimbaits when I decide to buy some. With my budget and selections at BPS, the best I could work with is a 7'4" heavy fast St. Croix Bass X. Is this a viable option? Not familiar with St. Croix. Any advice is welcome.

Congrats! My PB was also caught on a spinnerbait this year. Since then I have added 10 more spinnerbaits to my tackle. Excited for spring! #spinnerbaiter