David Graham : Fishing Forum Posts

I own quite a few different brands in the $100 or less range. Right now I'd have to say, for the features per dollar, the Daiwa CA/CG/CR 80's will cover you for a wide range of uses. When the deals hit, though, it's hard to beat a Tatula CT for $100. Just have to watch for sales.

That being said I do also own, and use every tournament, Abu Silver Max reels. There's nothing special about them, they don't even look that good. But the internals are dang near the same as the Revo SX minus a couple bearings. They're work horses that, when kept clean and lubed, will last a long time.

Also, don't cinch the knot down extremely tight. It's not like mono where you can grab the lure and pull the line to get the knot as tight as possible. At that point you've already burned the line and it's going to break. Wet your line, get the knot snug and go fishing. I've seen guys grabbing their lure, wrapping the line around their hand and pulling on that knot like they're trying to start a chainsaw and wondering why they keep breaking off. Might also consider the uni knot. Or double uni for 10 lb or lighter line.

Cheapest setup is going to be a Echomap Plus. I wouldn't use anything less than a the 9" 93SV. The smaller screens just don't provide enough detail to make Panoptix or LiveScope useful. PS22-TR for the transducer. Shop around, you can find combo deals from some marine electronics dealers like BBG, GPS Store or BOE for $1600 or less. I've seen LiveScope combo's for $2200. Or hit up the for sale section of BassBoatCentral for some used options. There are also sponsored dealers on there that run specials.