AlabamaSpothunter

@TNRiver46 I was informed the way to tell the difference is Gizzards have their mouths towards the bottom, that Shad looks like a Gizzard to me the way TNRiver46 explained the two to me. This was gonna be my second argument for why that's a Gizzard, I saw your location. Those threadfins should have started to die off once the waters fell below 45-50d

I use my Zillion HD for 1.5-4oz A-rigs and big Swimbaits......couldn't ask for anything more including line capacity. Running high end Fluoro allows me to pack plenty of 17 or 20lb on it for my needs. I'm not glidebaiting in super clear waters making bomb casts. Turn key money setup right there.....very nice stuff, the line makes me the most jelly lol.

You bought the best reel for the money of the higher end stuff period. I wouldn't argue much on here, but I'd argue that fact. The video above I'm sure is excellent, but these reels are the most user friendly, easiest to operate high end/high performance bait caster I've ever seen by a large margin. Another day of playing with it, and you'll figure it out. I just hate that I don't own more SV TWs and HD TWs and the JPY exchange rate keeps going up. Between the two Zillions, I'm good.

Thanks brother! I've gone full bore stupid on MegaBass and already own the Levante Shakeyhead which is just beautiful, and performance is excellent. My problem comes from spending big money on non Japan or US built rods. To be fair to MegaBass, I couldn't find any Shimano, or Daiwa Made in Japan rods easily either. This has been the biggest surprise after coming back to the sport after a long hiatus. I see $500 rods that are Made in China, but the reviews and the rods themselves are beautiful. That Levante I got was made in Vietnam and it cost $250. I've just never bought a lemon of a rod or reel when it was made in Japan, I've bought a reel I didn't like, but not a lemon by a long shot. Same goes for USDM rods. But atlas MegaBass has a magic sauce to their products that should come with a warning label for addiction ?

So I bought this Berkeley Squarebull during the great sale they had awhile ago with the intent of maybe having a great night crankbait, but today it was so shiny and the water was still very stained so away we went. Within 5mins of leaving the dock, and two casts in, a solid 4-5lb fish inhaled the darn thing. While she was still bleeding, I feel it wasn't very significant. I pray she is okay, the biggest fish I've ever had bleed. Thank God for the hemostats I've started putting in the boat. Going in from the rear with a great set of hemostats at least allows you to remove the hook will very little subsequent trauma from the hook removal which I believe creates the most when hooks are removed from going down into the mouth. As fun as it's been throwing either a moving treble hooked bait or an A-rig 95% of the time this winter sans the flashback mini usage, I'm so looking forward to getting back to fishing large single hooked baits like Chatterbaits, Scroungerheads, and Buzzbaits, along with big hard swimbaits that the fish simply can't swallow like a 2.5 squarebill, lipless, or smaller blade bait. Everything I've been reading/watching for weeks each night is preaching red.....I've yet to catch a fish on either the Red TN70 or Red Little Jon 50 I've been using. I was just watching a video where Tim from TB said red lipstick on big girls is from Crawdad eating......this contradicts what I read other places saying it was "Shad lipstick", and they got that from eating lots of Shad.

Are there any places I can buy MB rods that are made in Japan? Do they make any of their rods in Japan?

Thanks friend!

If we are defining winter as the start of December to the end of February, I've fished about 60 days during that time period thus far, my results are as follows: Flashback Mini w/ 3" Armor Shad: 200+ fish big fish: 4.12 Various A-Rigs: 150+ fish big fish: 7.1 MegaBass 110jr +1 GG Threadfin: 125+ fish (all on the same bait) big fish: 7.2 Damaki Axe Blade 1oz Holo Shad: 125+ fish (same bait) big fish: 6.4 MegaBass 110jr Sexy Shad: 75+ fish (same bait) big fish: 4-5lb class fish, never weighed any Damaki Vault 1/2oz Holo Shad: 50+ fish (same bait) big fish: 5-6lb class fish, lost a really big fish though on it Jackall TN70 lipless in Threadfin: 30-40 fish this bite has recently turned on, and I've only been throwing them for 2.5weeks. big fish: 4lb class fish Various squarebills in Shad patterns: 25 fish big fish: 5.8 Finesse Jigs: 10-12 fish big fish: 4lb Spot Finally breaking out the Chatterbaits again so numbers are limited, I expect that to change fast as the end of winter transitions into spring: Naked 3/8th 4/0 Chatterbait with 3.5" Live Magic Shad: 7 fish big fish: 9.1 Biggest of the year and winter.

? Yet the Monkey is always hungry......why do we have to live in such a universe?

I fear for those Menderchuck big brown Bass, there is a storm coming there way ?

What a toad, almost messed around and got a new PB ? Fantastic fish, and 73 degree water sounds like summer to me ? Most impressive Dad! A dad who gives his son the gift and love of fishing is an incredible blessing, if your son doesn't now, some day he'll realize how lucky he is to have an old man who loves to fish. We might set a historical day time high temp this week.....on Thursday it's forecasted to be 85......EIGHTY-FIVE DEGREES in Feb ?

Second deal is very weird, have no idea on that In regards to brake dial.......these are zero adjust reels, you don't need to do the slow drop dialing in thing. That's one of the big selling points to these reels.

Nice ones, burned through my emotions lol. I find it cool though that we are both fishing for the same species, yet you are wanting my conditions and I'm wanting your conditions. Clearer water, less wind.....yes please ?

That's why you're a real one Bob, only true Bassheads will go through all the effort to go fish during a time they know fish won't be biting.......it's madness, but you have to admire it ?

I'm sure your brother loves the fact you got him hooked on high dollar awesome big swimbaits ? Just a matter of time until your posting pics of awesome fish with outrageous big swimbaits, I remember the first time you posted some fish you caught on that big ole' rat ?

Kudos to you Bob, I wouldn't have even gone and fished those conditions. Everything I've read and experienced first hand tells me that you had a tough go because of the conditions, not the angler. Muddy cold water that is up, with 30mph winds......that one dink is equivelent to a DD ?

Took me 6 months to finally make the pieces come together with SideVu/ClearVu, catching fish offshore on electronics only is an addiction unto itself I've now found. The only way to get good on these things are to stare at them constantly, and experiment with the info you are getting in real time. After months of doing that, it's hard to stop especially if you have some solid days or fish using it like that finally. Calling your shot like Babe is tremendously fun. Now I see people bank beating in a boat and I'm like, "must be a poor who's fishing blind".....I know it's wrong ? I'd waste 90% of my time on the water for months at least if I had FFS, that said I'm itching to buy it. I saw a deal recently for $1800 turn key Garmin setup.

I get it Katie, I think any great Bass angler is always trying to speed up the process, reduce the stress of the fish, etc. The day I don't feel I'm striving to handle these fish better, learn better ways to hook them, fine tuning baits with smaller hooks at the expense of less hookups, and ultimately even throwing a highly successful bait out because of ethical concerns. Talk about soul crushing if that fish I caught earlier didn't return in essentially the same condition she came to me in......imagine knowing you are responsible for losing not just her, but all those thousands and thousands of precious genetically very important eggs. I'm stopped following the OH Ivie awesome action for the most part once I realized they knew and eventually did kill a Sharelunker fish bringing them up from 50+. Knowing that's a possibility and still fishing for them is seriously questionable in my book. Especially doing so with a highly refined, and technologically enhanced technique. Finding the right balance is tough that's for sure, I battle with it honestly as much as I battle with catching the fish themselves.

My man ? ? Thanks friend!

Katie, I honestly wouldn't be shocked if you caught a bigger Bass than that in Maine.....yes I know, but I also know the places you fish, the work you put in, and those two combine for perhaps the most important factor......unpressured fish. Now that we got that squared away because the truth matters ??, I'm blushing by another reply of yours and I could never stay away too long given how many truly special human beings I've been fortunate enough to already meet here. I'm not wanting to put any pressure on you now, but after learning you too recently started back hardcore Bassin, I couldn't miss when you fire up the paddles and most importantly that NEW SCALE. I see you easily getting a new PB, how soon is the real question. That's the great thing about PB, it's all relative, and it only really matters to you. Fishing is a personal thing to me. I'm not competing against anybody but myself, and my goals. Josh Jones and Coons on Ivie would drive you crazy if it wasn't like this. I see that recent 17lb fish, and I think the fish I caught today would almost have double in size.....WHATTTTTTT? I'm ready for all my friends to be fishing though, it's not nearly as much fun posting when perhaps the majority of the thread are iced in.

My goodness that's an incredible year. Two DDs is wild! Three weeks ago I felt like my hand was on the pulse as good as I've ever had it, arrogantly even started to put a tripod in the boat for a selfie with the White Whale.......then something just happened these last two weeks where I couldn't get a single fish over 4lbs and was really working hard to find the fish each time out as they'd move so fast. Today was much the same, then WHAM......I thought I was going to catch this fish three weeks ago no doubt, today at noon I honestly wasn't sure If I'd catch another 5lb fish again. Fishing is a mind you know what, or at least sadly it is with me. I take it too seriously because I love the black and white goal you can strive for within the sport. You can focus so hard, you can pursue a fish so intensely, it will drive you a bit mad......and I'm well into that realm ? Once the pre spawn ends the FOMO will leave and I can relax hopefully. That was the first big pre spawn fish I've ever caught, the FOMO is easily justified I see now, it's a cheat code with the right timing. I'm stoked to see what 2023 brings in for you, you don't have those results by chance. You set a really high bar.

I'm discerning even when it comes to Daiwa or Shimano reels......only a handful of models from each company are truly JDM. Many other great reels offered by them are from Vietnam, Maylasia, and yes ironically enough China. The biggest disappointment I've found since coming back to the sport is that almost no/few JDM rods are actually made in Japan, or ones I can find. When an American company creates a Made in Japan Daiwa or Shimano performance, quality, and overall track record of dominance reel in the marketplace, I'll be at the front of the line. Lastly, Digitaka is an absolute model of perfection when it comes to internet retail sales. It takes 3-5 days for Digitaka to send me a new Zillion, try getting most domestic tackle shops to ship that fast with the "free option"......that's how all these American retailers get you, sure it's free, but it's on their timeline which can truly be ridiculous. I buy with great confidence when the label says "Made in Japan or Made in Germany", I'm rarely disappointed. I'm not even sure I was alive when America made the things we use in our daily lives sadly. I'm an admitted Daiwa reel fanboy......just something about them to me.

Yeah but I remember reading in a thread about the year you had last year......what was the best 5 of 2022?

Just maybe it's the start of a run like you've been on.....who am I fooling ?? Seriously though Aaron, really appreciate the kind words! What a toad friend, congrats! If its gotta be your first of 23, might as well go big ? Bought a new OG Tiny 4 three days ago, get home and the bill looks like it was glued on by a 5 year old......fool me once Rapala.