Banned User

About 2 hours to touch vt border 3 hours to some random spot on near candlewood lake

Well in that case absolutely, would never make sense to save 3 bucks and risk your car, that's a terrible gamble. But save 9 bucks to order the same exact product you would get but not have to pay for their mark up and overhead is an easy gamble. I've definitely discovered a few OEMs on AE and saved big bucks. You just gotta check the seller/store, check the number of sales, check the reviews... all the basics you should be doing anyway, it just looks different. Watch some YouTube fishing AE hauls and you'll see, of course there are duds, but lots of gems at very reasonable prices

That store/seller was just created last month. Do your due diligence

I'm about 2 hours away from Plymouth if I'm the only driver on the road, add x to get to the Cape and you have nothing to worry about haha. I wish I could target smallies within a reasonable drive from me

I know they say it's more about the season and daylight, but below 50° still just feels like the fish are asleep

Thanks, I don't feel alone anymore haha I started just thinking my thumb sucks and it can't learn. Maybe it just doesn't like wind catchy baits. I've seen countless posts calling the Elite their Crankbait bombing reel Since I have the zillion sv I really only got it because I wanted max distance, and I know I'm still responsible to train my thumb, but feel like it just catches wind and fluffs and I'm not sensitive enough to kill it. I think I'll use the Elite as my bladed jig reel, maybe throw swim jigs/paddletail on it. Should be able to bomb those. But if the tat 100 balances that Elite distance and SV control, not really maximizing either but just good with a little help from me, I think I'll give it a go

Thanks for getting back to me Could you elaborate on how the new tat100 and Elite compare? One more distance and one more control? Cast about the exact same? I got the Elite already to try and throw my 1/2 oz buzzbaits further from the bank, but it only casts a little farther than my zillion and gives me way more grief in fluff, over runs, or blow ups. Was hoping the new tat100 would be somewhere in the middle. Was thinking of selling my Elite and getting that instead. Or maybe I'm just resigned to being an SV kindaguy

What does each of these reels shine in for technique/ performance?

Been waiting for this, thank you Do I need a code? I see nothing about it on product page or in cart Nvm, cart did it with filler spools not the 600yd Thanks again haha

@Mr. Aquarium @DogBone_384 Sweet! IDK if it would be easier to try to squeeze something in April with or just wait till better weather is definitely here and even if the day we pick is rainy it would be a warm summer rain?

https://daiwa.us/pages/service-requests (562)375-6800 Got a human right away, good luck

@Columbia Craw and anybody else who has used the new tat100 and tat sv100, how do they perform side by side? More/less control/distance than an Elite/Zillion? One better for long distance wind catching baits?

So basically I should fish one bait a month, give them time to remember and then time to forget

Nope, that's my point, I can only fish barrels that everybody has already been fishing all day. And I only have a few barrels to choose from. Meaning I should beat my own spots to death too? At night? What kind and color of fly? I'll be throwing more of these, gonna play both ends of the spectrum. Crazy noise and commotion and more subtle I hate this I got dragged/blown to the corner of a dock fighting a 5+# and tried to fight with one arm and paddle to save myself from then being toppled by tree branches stretching out their needy little hands trying to grab my rods. Janked my shoulder up for like 2 weeks But I did catch her

Pristine waters don't exist near me haha I'm thinking I might actually pay money one day to have somebody take me fishing for monsters in Texas or Fla Or maybe monster smallies in NY on St Lawrence Or maybe I could put the money towards more gear and take myself fishing in Texas or New York 🤔

Huh? I'm certainly curious

@Pat Brown @JHoss @Swamp Girl thanks for sharing your thoughts I probably should've added that about 90%of my fishing is at night, not sure if that would change or add to anything you've said, although I feel like it might pertaining to the "don't fish learnable lures" part since that is the big thing at night, those loud and buggersome baits But I'll take what you said to heart @Pat Brown and try to really get familiar with what my bass are doing at night. Like I said it's a very small water in could probably circle without casting in less than an hour. It does have some funky structure and the map I found definitely isn't accurate. I'd like to apply your approach to a couple other places too, one has a great reputation but it's all before the past like 10 years or so. I've confirmed that it has been viscously over harvested, but maybe the chunks still live? Do I waste my season chasing big bass ghosts? There's one more that's farther away and about 8 times the size as the one near me. Again, I've heard good things, but now I'm in utterly unknown territory on a big body of water deeper than I'm used to fishing bigger than I'm used to fishing and is also beat to death by anglers and speedbaoters during the day. I've not heard of monsters, but good average fish. Maybe I'll start mixing in some subtle baits at night, and maybe some extra commotion beyond my typical lures too and just really mix it up @jbmaine I don't fly fish brother, and probably wouldn't try to learn at night in a kayak haha But I respect the hustle

I can feel you on that Definitely sounds like it, maybe it wouldn't fish it as much either... but it would be nice to have the option haha Real talk I'm happy to compromise given the opportunity, still feel stuck on the worst of both worlds over here in NE MA Maybe i just gotta eat some of my on the water time and start driving farther away. Just sucks losing time to driving, plus being far from home in case there's ever an emergency or anything, not that I'd be able to get back very quick I suppose anyway Maybe i just gotta get out more haha, this is why I posted my other thread, heading there now to see what I missed while I was away. Always a pleasure Katie, I respect and appreciate what you have to say

@MeatHead1313 awesome man! Let me know how you feel about it on the water, I've never thrown a nicer Shimano before.

@Mr. Aquarium okay yeah, I remember us talking about getting together last year, or the season before but my memory is like a bowl of lightbu... what was I saying... Anyway, I'm planning to really put in some work on bigger baits that I know your prone to throwing. I have a few swimbaits and wakebaits that have been collecting dust. Wondering if you'd still like to sync up Now that I think of it I'm pretty sure @TheSwearingAngler said something towards the end of the season last year about trying to find some fish together too We should just get a bunch of us together and do an Eastern MA Bassresource Meet up once the spring kicks in just a little bit more. Anybody interested in something like this this season?

I have one spot near me, maybe 2 (second has yet to be verified by first hand experience), where big fish live. Otherwise I have a 30-60 min drive to try spots I've heard have good fish. One is bank only and the other I can yak all the way around fishing and goofing off in about 3 hours or so (I usually make it about 4 just becuase) The rest of the spots near me are either tiny with commensurate bass growth, or have been over harvested by people filling buckets with no regard for species or size (environmental police have been involved but people just show up next week anyway). How can I maximize my only 1/2 spots without blowing them up? They're both definitely beat to death outside of myself I'm sure. But what can I do to avoid teaching the bass that it's me this time, not the idiot with a bobber and a 3/4 oz jighead with a beaver on it or the guy with live shiners? How do I cycle through locations? Once a week? Every two weeks? Should I only use wone lure in an outing so they don't become privy to my tacklebox? Or do I just go where I know the big fish might be every chance I get and throw the kitchen sink?

If I had a spot near me with those odds, it would be hard for me to fish anywhere else. Never mind the fact that 8 fish in a trip would be what I call a great day. Have I mentioned how much I hate where I live? Am I just a freak who's way too into fishing to actually even appreciate it anymore? Am I greedy wanting bigger fish? I'm happy with less fish if they're bigger fish, but it feels like it's just so dry around here it's almost maddening. I think I have an idea for a post haha

Basically there was an issue with a small part in my spool assembly, rather than having to deal with shipping and blabbidyblah I asked if they could just send the part that I needed and they did. Dude on the phone was very helpful and we could communicate clearly and move everything along very quickly. And while we're here, on a separate but similar note, ALF has great customer service too. It's been a while, but they were very understanding and easy to work with. Repeat issue on a replacement SLX a while back and they made everything right. Also Kistler, killer customer service there as well. Responsive and definitely have a customer first attitude.

I was wondering how things were going up there. Hopefully they'll all get hungry around the same time and have a spitfire prespawn this season

Good luck, hopefully the fish wake up while you're there