Ring King

I've got an LDC Production Heavy that I need to purchase a reel for. I sold a couple reels today and have about $270 to work with. Originally I was looking at a used Calcutta 300TE that I found for sale for $275. Once I got to looking at te detailed pictures of it I noticed it appears decently rashed. I'd probably rate it a 7.5-8.5 out of 10 cosmetically. So now I'm not so convinced about purchasing it. I can buy brand new in the box Calcutta 400B reels for about $215. What reel would you buy? Everything I throw is Shimano and I'd like to stick with them. Should I buy the new 400B, wait for a different 300/400TE to show up, or buy a new Curado 300E to go on it?

Just picked up an LDC Production Heavy off the other site for $120! Gonna sell one of my beat up 400Bs and a rashed Curado 300DSV so I can try to find a 300TE or 400TE to pair up with it!

My wife is the same way. I'm just glad she hasn't had to make the trip to any of the lakes here in NorCal with me yet. I've been to Lake Sonoma (Yorty Creek), Lake Berryessa, and Clear Lake. All of them had some curves and steep grades. Clear Lake was by far the easiest/most mild. I fished the South East corner behind Rattlesnake Island and the drive from 101 over wasn't bad. I'm not saying you wont get sick, but it doesn't get crazy like Berryessa trips.

http://i.imgur.com/kHYSgym.jpg Dobyns 795SBMT, Curado 300DSV, Hawgtech Handle, 20lb P-Line PF Dobyns 807Mag HSB, Calcutta 400B, Hawgtech Handle, 25 P-Line CXX

I've got a few of the R2S S-Wavers (cheaper version of the 178 Claw). It's a great bait that has pulled a bunch of followers and caught me a handful of fish too. I've caught them on a steady retrieve, while twitching, and while pausing during retrieve. Just depends on what the fish like each day. The general consensus is that lighter line will get you more action. I've been fishing on 20lb P-Line PF. I just got a Gancraft Jointed Caw 230. I'm looking forward to seeing what it'll do with the increased size!

Anyone here using the Hawg Tech carbon fiber handles with cork knobs on your swimbait set ups? I'm putting in an order for one of their handles with the blue anodized accents to try on my Curado 300DSV and also a set of the cork knobs themselves to replace the stock Shimano knobs on one of my Calcuttas. The stock knobs are sticky to the touch almost like they're melting and it's pretty annoying. I figured the cork ones would be a nice touch. Just looking for opinions on the company and their products. Thanks

I've always used Photobucket for uploading pics to the web. I have the photobucket app on my Iphone so I just open the app, choose upload media, select the picture I want, and hit go. Once it's done you find the photo you want and hit the "i" down in the corner to get the info. The bottom link is the one you want to select and then paste it into the response box on whatever forum you like. I haven't found any forums that it doesn't work with and I'm on a TON of them!

I have several of them. I've caught a few on them but it hasn't been the greatest bait for me. So far I'm hooked on the 6" weedless Hudd, and the S-Waver. I'm a noob and have a variety of baits so far but these have produced the best for me. I'm waiting on my 3:16 Wake Jrs and Baby wakes to show up on my doorstep. I may have a new fav after they get here!!

Don't forget the River 2 Sea S Waver! It's a light bait that can be thrown on conventional tackle and will get bit! It's a glide bait which would also give you a different action to present to the fish. It doesn't hurt that it's less than $15 either!!

I've been experimenting with scents lately on both hard baits and soft baits. The Pro Cure is what I started out with on my Hudds. Didn't really care for it on the hard baits though. I won a package of BioEdge scent wands at the Kayak Bass Fishing Invitational last year and like the idea behind them. They are a waxy substance similar to chapstick and they also come in a container similar to chapstick. It stays on both hard and softbaits very well. When I get home from a days fishing I simply take the baits I use and run them under the tap water as hot as it will go. All the scent is washed away without any mess or fuss. Whether using it is an advantage or not, I don't know. I like the idea of a scent trail in in the water especially when fishing very slow moving baits so that's why I use it!

Swimbaits, frogs, and flipping/punching grass mats is enough for me these days. Sure wish there was a way to get back all the money I have invested in traditional tackle. I've got huge tupperware bins of the stuff brand new in packages sitting in my storage units! Problem is you only get back about 15 cents on the dollar when you try and sell the stuff in bulk. There's no way I could piece it all out which is the best way to get the most money for the baits. I'd be drowning in shipping costs if I tried it that way. I guess my two boys will inherit quite a collection when I go! I'm just glad that Outdoor Pro Shop/Monster Tackle is only 10 miles down the road!

I never did an official intro so I guess this is a good place for it. Matthew Brannon here, 36yo Coast Guard Electronics Technician, husband, and father of two boys. I've lived all over the US and have bass fished for the last 28 years or so. My father was an old school tournament junky with a lot of history in San Diego, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. I was raised around quite a few bass clubs and the old Red Man circuit. I got into kayak bass fishing a year and a half ago and placed eight in last springs televised Kayak Bass Fishing Invitational. I got into swim baits this past March when I was living in Jacksonville Florida, and have been buying up stock ever since. Just made the move last week to Petaluma California and hit the water out here for the first time this morning at Lake Berryessa. No luck on the big baits but I managed a couple largemouth and smallmouth on conventional tackle. I'm looking forward to getting some time on that lake at night!!! The following is a partial list of what I've gotten so far: Dobyns 795 SBMT Curado 300DSV Shimano Terremar 7'6" (replacing soon with ?) Calcutta 400B 4- 8" weedless Hudds 5- 6" weedless Hudds 3- 68 Hudds 2- 8" standard Hudds 5- 6" standard Hudds 2- 3:16 Wake Jrs 1- 3:16 Baby wake 1- 6" injected Punker 1- 6" wood Punker 1- 9" Slammer 2- 168 R2S S waiver 4- Mattlures U2 Gills Obviously I'm a little addicted! Glad to be here and hope to have something to share in the future!

Feel free to step on my toes! I'm a newbie with only about 3.5 months of big baits under my belt. I've amassed a decent collection of gear and baits already but I'm not going to qualify by number of posts or by time as a member. Someone else will have to run this until I "mature" enough to gain acceptance! LOL

Looks like there's a pretty good amount of interest in this! I agree that a topwater or floater would be better to start with but it still wouldn't be a guaranteed way to keep the bait in rotation though! LOL

So it sounds like the 806 would work for 8" Hudds but not for SS 250?