WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[NALIP0351]

Long time shore bass fisherman fishing my first bass tournament at Lake Fork in Late May as a co-angler on my brother-in-laws boat who is an avid tournament angler. (He has made his opinion known on gear choices) I have aquired some equip over the last few months to start my multi-combo journey. Let me know how you would pair up this equip that I have purchased and use it in the tournament and make recommendations on pairing and usage. (I still need a few reels and am open to rod changeouts) I am a blue collar guy that has saved some pennies and has found a love for enthusiast level gear. This is just a fun topic to learn something and make some new fishing friends. Thank you in advance.

CASTING RODS:

ZBONE LMH/F 7'

               MH/F 7'

               MH/F 6'9"

MEGABASS P5 SUPER DESTROYER H/REGFAST6'9"

MEGABASS P5 MADBULL MH/MODFAST 7'

 

SPINNING RODS:

ZBONE LMH/F 7'

                 M/F 7'

ZODIAS 6'8 MED/F

 

REELS:

2500 STRADIC CI4+

2500 STELLA FJ

3 X 2020 METANIUM DC

[new2BC4bass]

Just wanted to say and say that is some nice gear.  And that you are going at it like I should have.  A few top of the line rods and reels, then being satisfied instead of starting near the bottom and working my way up.  And winding up with more gear than I can use.

 

Not a tournament fisherman, and although I have upgraded my gear, you are still way above my budget.  There are many on here that can help you, tho.

[NALIP0351]

3 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Just wanted to say and say that is some nice gear.  And that you are going at it like I should have.  A few top of the line rods and reels, then being satisfied instead of starting near the bottom and working my way up.  And winding up with more gear than I can use.

 

Not a tournament fisherman, and although I have upgraded my gear, you are still way above my budget.  There are many on here that can help you, tho.

Thanks brother...I only paid 300 each for the Zbones......and full price for the rest. I am excited to have this opportunity. I have enough time before Memorial weekend to figure out the basic setups for that week. Then evolve from there.

[roadwarrior]

WOW!

I don't know much about the rods, but I'm digging the reels!

 

[NALIP0351]

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

WOW!

I don't know much about the rods, but I'm digging the reels!

 

Thank you....very stressfull to try and go high end on your first outing. 

[roadwarrior]

Stella 2500HGFJ  & Stradic CI4

Spool 30 yards of #8 any brand for backing

Seaugar Smackdown #10

Seaguar Gold Label #6 (leader), 10" above the reel to 12" beyond the tip

 

Metanium

For jigs, Tatsu #15, mainline, no leader

Soft plastics, spinnerbaits and other single hooks: Smackdown #30,

Gold Label #12

Treble hooks:  Sunline Defier Armilo #13

 

 

 

 

[CFDoc]

Those Mets belong on the P5’s.

 

That stradic belongs on the Zodias.

[NALIP0351]

29 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Stella 2500HGFJ  & Stradic CI4

Spool 30 yards of #8 any brand for backing

Seaugar Smackdown #10

Seaguar Gold Label #6 (leader), 10" above the reel to 12" beyond the tip

 

Metanium

For jigs, Tatsu #15, mainline, no leader

Soft plastics, spinnerbaits and other single hooks: Smackdown #30,

Gold Label #12

Treble hooks:  Sunline Defier Armilo #13

 

 

 

 

I have 2 spools each of seagaur Tatsu 8# and 12#. And 2 spools each of 20 and 40# Smackdown already. I will order the other #.....Thank you so much for your help.

33 minutes ago, CFDoc said:

Those Mets belong on the P5’s.

 

That stradic belongs on the Zodias.

I was thinking the same thing.....perfect

[Deleted account]

Ahhh, Prize money contributors, the other white meat...

Tournament (or any other competition) is not the time to try new things and experiment. Fish what you know and have confidence in, no matter how modest those may be. Also if you are co angling with someone you know, the path should be pretty clear, you for the most part gotta follow his lead. No one here can tell you what will work for you with any level of accuracy. Good luck all the same.

[NALIP0351]

33 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Ahhh, Prize money contributors, the other white meat...

Tournament (or any other competition) is not the time to try new things and experiment. Fish what you know and have confidence in, no matter how modest those may be. Also if you are co angling with someone you know, the path should be pretty clear, you for the most part gotta follow his lead. No one here can tell you what will work for you with any level of accuracy. Good luck all the same.

Nope...but the OP states that I want to have fun with my new rod and reel collection and am interested in the matchup opinions of other anglers......I have 35 years bass fishing experience with rods, reels and lures.But never had more than 2 combos at any given time. I Have never put together technique specific combos to cover a pro style series of fishing. You are correct though in your statement. Thanks 

[RDB]

Roadwarrior gave some good advice though I would up my line weight.  Fork has some huge fish and a good amount of cover so no need to go too light.  My first double digit came from Fork.

 

As far as gear, you have made some excellent choices.  However, since you said you have the ability to switch, I would suggest that there may be a little bit of overkill.  All of your rod choices are high dollar and super sensitive which is not necessary or even desired for many applications.  I would use high end rods for anything bottom contact.  
   Destroyer & Z-Bone MH will cover most bottom

   Spinners can cover finesse applications

 

For for the other 3 casters, you don’t need $500 rods.  For moving baits, there are many choices.  Since you purchased some Z-Bones, you could look at something like the Kistler Feel & Reel which is awesome for crankbaits,  chatterbaits, etc.  I don’t know but I would guess you probably bought these during one of his sales where if you spend like $1000, you get 40% off.  If so, maybe he would swap out for the same discounted rate.  
 

Since you said you are a blue collar guy who saved his pennies, you could easily downgrade some of those rods used for moving applications, not lose ANYTHING (probably gain) in performance, and have enough left over to help cover your new reel purchases.

 

[NALIP0351]

3 hours ago, RDB said:

Roadwarrior gave some good advice though I would up my line weight.  Fork has some huge fish and a good amount of cover so no need to go too light.  My first double digit came from Fork.

 

As far as gear, you have made some excellent choices.  However, since you said you have the ability to switch, I would suggest that there may be a little bit of overkill.  All of your rod choices are high dollar and super sensitive which is not necessary or even desired for many applications.  I would use high end rods for anything bottom contact.  
   Destroyer & Z-Bone MH will cover most bottom

   Spinners can cover finesse applications

 

For for the other 3 casters, you don’t need $500 rods.  For moving baits, there are many choices.  Since you purchased some Z-Bones, you could look at something like the Kistler Feel & Reel which is awesome for crankbaits,  chatterbaits, etc.  I don’t know but I would guess you probably bought these during one of his sales where if you spend like $1000, you get 40% off.  If so, maybe he would swap out for the same discounted rate.  
 

Since you said you are a blue collar guy who saved his pennies, you could easily downgrade some of those rods used for moving applications, not lose ANYTHING (probably gain) in performance, and have enough left over to help cover your new reel purchases.

 

I got the zbone rods at 300 each. Some of these rods will stay in California....some will stay at my sisters Lake Fork home....I am looking at a Feel n Reel for chatterbait. Thanks for the input! 

[Jmoney402]

To me, technique specific setups is all about covering a wide range of water situations and a wide range of different looks to give the bass to determine what they want. By water situations I mean: open water, light vegitation, rip rap, wood( brush piles, docks), heavy vegitation to matted vegitation. 

 

With 3 spinning rods I would keep one  medium rigged up with a ned rig(or shakeyhead) 15/20lb braid to 8-10lb fluro. One medium rigged up with mono for finesse crankbaits and jerkbaits. And the MH spinning rod, 12lb fluro with a weightless senko.

 

With 3 MH-F, i would dedicate one to heavier moving baits with 15lb fluro: spinnerbaits, paddletails and maybe chatterbaits. With the other two I would also use 15lb but have a couple of different looks, maybe one 1/4 t rig and ***/8 t rig. Or vary the plastic on each, one curly tail worm one craw style bait, or one beaver style bait and one craw with more action.

 

I like to have a rod for pitching heavy wood cover, maybe that's where the super destroyer comes in. Would use 20lb+ Fluro rigged with a heavier jig and t rig. I also like to have a rod dedicated to heavier weeds with braid on it used to rip through the weeds, usually a swim jig with z craw jr or sometimes a chatterbait. I have actually been looking for info on the madbull considering it for a braid chatterbait rod that could also be used for buzzbaits and whopper ploppers. I am not sure if it wouls excel at this or not though. 

 

To me, about the only think your arsenal is missing would be a frog rod for matted vegitation, but maybe one of your MH is heavy enough for this if you put on heavy braid. Maybe also a treble hook rod, a moderate action rod rigged with mono. For my style of fishing i would not need 4 MH-F rods and would look at changing out a couple for a frog rod and crankbait rod, But I also do not fish in Texas let alone Lake Fork so you may be right on the money but would definitely consider at least a frog rod.

 

 

[Big Hands]

Sounds like you are in a team tournament?

 

Do you know the format/rules of the tournament?

 

If they are having a traditional weigh-in and are following Lake Fork rules, that will mean the slot limit is in effect. Even in May, over the slot bass are going to be rare and you can only keep one above the slot bass per day. If you're just going to have fun, and not exactly trying to be competitive, then you may have a different strategy.

 

If you're trying to be competitive, then catching 15" to 16" bass is going to be more important than a sack of four to five pounders. 

 

I imagine your BIL has let you know how he likes to fish that lake. You have a list of very nice equipment there (enthusiast level indeed!), and I think I can imagine how I would at least put at least some of it to use there. You have some of those rod choices that have a somewhat narrow focus like the Super Destroyer. I imagine that will see action fishing jigs in heavy cover/timber and skipping under docks.

 

You want to impress the BIL? Get your dock skipping game on point!

 

What I don't see is 1) a frog rod, because the frog bite at Fork was pretty good (as in really, really good) last year and caught a lot of above the slot bass there 2) a moderate/medium crankbait rod for smaller squarebills, lipless cranks, etc. 3) a jerkbait type rod.

 

What might help you to have some versatility is to get some extra spools for some of those Metaniums so that you can switch tactics with a spool change rather than needing a separate rod/reel for each tactic or feeling the need to respool line the night before you want to use mono instead of braid for something that you found to be working in practice. Tossing a spool full of Smackdown two or three times could add up to more than a spare spool, and since you'll have three identical reel, you could do a lot of mixing and matching if needed.

 

Pack some rain gear. You know what they say about the weather in Texas. . . . . If you don't like it, stick around a while because it's gonna change!

 

And try a few of those little gold in practice. If I had a gun to my head and needed catch a Lake Fork bass to save my life, I would go jig one of those over a pile of fish in 20'+/- of water. It's not glamorous and you'll catch a little bit of everything, but bass will be in the mix along with barfish, sand bass, crappie, catfish, drum, and who knows what else, LOL.

 

It's fun to chew the fat about my favorite lake and talk about spending other people's money ? on fishing gear.