Buyer's Guide: Best Casting Rod and Reel Combos Under $200

Welcome to the 2019 Holiday Buyer's Guide Series! These are the most requested videos of the year and we're thrilled to bring them back for 2019! We're kicking it off with Rod and Reel Combos Under $200! Matt and Tim show some of the best values on the market in this quick review of rods and reels from a variety of companies.

Why start with $200 combos? $100 for a rod or reel seems to be the threshold where you start seeing huge leaps in technology. The reels become smoother and lighter while the rods become more sensitive and action specific. Since this is the threshold where most anglers advancing from beginner to intermediate tend to purchase, companies often strive to put products in the category that defy their price point. This is great news for the angler looking for the best equipment at the lowest price!

In today's video Matt and Tim explore 7 different combos. These rods and reels stand out from the pack with great sensitivity, actions, and features that rise above similarly priced products. Below you will find links to all of the products in the video. Matt and Tim also picked their two favorite combos each and are listing those above the rest of the combos. To make it even easier for you this holiday season the guys included their favorite actions for each rod and reel model so that you and your loved once can easily select the best "bang for the buck" models.

Tim's First choice... SLX/SLX Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

(6'10" Medium, 7'2" Medium Heavy, 7'2" Heavy)

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

(SLX150HG)

Tim's Second Choice... Fury/Daiwa CG Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Fury: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

(7' Medium heavy, 7' Heavy, 8' heavy swimbait)

Reel- Daiwa CG80: http://bit.ly/2NxaGbe

(CG80HS)

Matt's First Choice... Intenza/Caius Combo...

Rod- Shimano Intenza: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

(7'1" Medium Heavy, 7'4" Heavy)

Reel- Shimano Caius B: http://bit.ly/2O3Dvuw

(CIS150HGB)

Matt's Second Choice... Bass X/SLX Combo...

Rod- St. Croix Bass X: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

(7'1" Medium, 7'2" Medium Heavy)

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

(SLX150HG)

The Other Great Combos Around $200...

Rod- Cashion CRT: http://bit.ly/2qxYIUj

(7' Heavy, 7'3" Medium Heavy)

Reel- Daiwa Fuego CT: http://bit.ly/35hugfH

(FGCT100HS)

Rod- Dobyns Colt: http://bit.ly/2lU0LfV

(7' Medium Heavy, 7' Medium Heavy Cranking, 7'3" Heavy)

Reel- Daiwa CG80: http://bit.ly/2NxaGbe

(CG80HS)

Rod- Lews TP-1 Black Speed Stick: http://bit.ly/2Ovtbxc

(7' Medium, 7'2" Medium Heavy)

Reel- Lews Speel Spool LFS: http://bit.ly/2xEElEw

(SS1SHA)

Bass Boat Restoration Complete: Full build with rigging, Rewire, Repower, and Electronics Tour!

The used boat restoration is complete! After nearly 2 years of upgrading wiring, parts, electronics, and motors, both of the Champion 210 Elite bass boat restoration projects are done! Come along for a full boat tour of Tim's and Matt's finished projects as they show you what is possible if you decide to buy a used boat instead of a new boat.

The project began nearly 2 years ago when Tim decided he wanted a larger boat. Shortly thereafter Matt's boat was lost in a crash and he too was searching for a new option. Each chose a used boat instead of jumping into the new boat market. With the high cost of new bass boats the duo looked toward one of the greatest rough water hulls of all time, the Champion 210 Elite. The boats were discontinued around 2008 but the anglers realized that if they could find a pair of boats in great shape that the money they'd saved would allow them to build two truly incredible fishing machines, complete with every part and component they'd ever wanted.

The boat Tim located was in near factory condition. Matt's was beautiful outside but needed a bit more work inside. Both boats were about to get a makeover that would make them near unrecognizable to the previous owners! The anglers started from the ground up and filled both boats with state of the art equipment from the money they had saved on the purchase price. Since these projects were done at the same time the anglers researched together and built two virtually identical boats with the best components they could find. Undertaking a project off this size is a commitment but is worth the effort and saves a lot of money over buying new boats. In case this is something you're considering doing or you liked one of the items we installed on our boats, here is the list of upgraded equipment on the boats.

At The Bow...

Trolling Motor- Ultrex 112 MEGA DI I-Pilot: http://bit.ly/2RqrT4v

Trolling Motor Sleeve- Troll Jacket: http://bit.ly/2xBxoVf

Electronics- Humminbird Solix 15 CHIRP G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

Electronics Mount- T-H Marine Wave Tamer: http://bit.ly/2wsJVbA

Electronics- Hydrowave H2 KVD Feeding Stimulator: http://bit.ly/2rcbebU

Electronics- Humminbird 360 Imaging: http://bit.ly/2K8jPl4

Security- Loc-R-Bar: http://bit.ly/2CMF1NP

Talon Wireless Foot Switch: http://bit.ly/2O7zWUE

At The Console...

Hot Foot Throttle: http://bit.ly/2ob4kgO

Main Unit- Humminbird Solix 15 G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

Side Unit- Humminbird Solix 12 G2: http://bit.ly/2AE2YDB

Main Mount- Bass Boat Technologies: Direct From Manufacturer

Side Mount- BalzOut Mount w/ 6" arm: http://bit.ly/2HnxLtu

At The Stern...

Anchors- Talon 15' Shallow Water Anchors: http://bit.ly/2F0QBSP

Jack Plate- Atlas Hydraulic 12": http://bit.ly/2QpkCkS

Remote Drain Plug System: http://bit.ly/2jkZqjS

Battery Charger- Minn Kota Precision: http://bit.ly/2vcrbjA

Additional Equipment…

Battery- Odyssey PC 2150M

Power Switch- Perko Battery Disconnect

Motor- 2018 Yamaha VMAX SHO 250

3 Easy Fish Finder Tricks Anyone Can Do! (Catch More Fish)

Modern electronics are increasingly complex but these are simple tricks you can do to make your time on the water more effective! Quit fiddling with your graphs and get back to fishing! Tim gives 3 or 4 quick tips in today's video that will completely change how you use your depth finder in the future. Quit struggling in shallow water, wondering if you're seeing fish out deep, and trying to stay safe at night; all with just a few clicks of a button.

Tim kicks the video off with how to adjust depth offset. This simple trick will completely change how you fish shallow water. Most boats have never had the trolling motor offset corrected (this means that your trolling motor may read 6 feet deep while in 4 feet of water). This obviously creates safety concerns, it also creates fish problems. Knowing your EXACT depth from trolling motor to bottom or surface to bottom is just a few clicks away.

Next, Tim shows how to adjust your color palette to see fish, and fish size, much more clearly. He goes on to show how to use on-screen way pointing to eliminate the need for market buoys. Gone are the days of locating fish, setting buoys, then returning to catch them. See the fish, set the point, catch the fish, move on.

Last, but certainly not least, Tim explains how to change your map's orientation. Virtually every graph comes with the map set to "North Up". While this is great for knowing where you are, it can be difficult for you to chart your path around obstructions quickly, especially at night. By switching your map orientation to "Heading Up" you'll always be able to see what is immediately in front of you. This quick tip will completely change how you use your fish finder's mapping functions.

Most modern electronics have all of these functions. Below you'll find a list of the exact equipment that Tim is using in the video, as well as links to several budget-friendly options that will offer most or some of these functions.

Tim's equipment...

-Humminbird Solix 15 G2 Electronics: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

-Humminbird Solix 12 G2 Electronics: http://bit.ly/2AE2YDB

-Minn Kota Ultrex 112 DI Link Trolling Motor: http://bit.ly/2RqrT4v

-Humminbird 360 Imaging: http://bit.ly/2K8jPl4

Budget-Friendly Electronics...

-Humminbird Helix 5 G2: http://bit.ly/2TNndFW

-Lowrance Hook 2 5 Series: http://bit.ly/2Y2sjk2

Early Fall Bass Fishing Buyer's Guide

Swimbaits, jerkbaits, dropshot worms, and so many other awesome products have come to market since ICAST. It looks like this Fall is going to be a lot of fun! Today Matt is showing us a few of the new lures that stand out to him, along with a few items that he's been testing for a while. You know Matt is a tackle junkie so come along and see what he's found.

Every year ICAST (Bass fishing's biggest trade show) brings the promise of fun new gear to check out in the Fall. This year Tim did a review of some of his favorites and now its Matt's turn. The delays are over, products are beginning to hit store shelves, and its time for the fun to begin. We all love showing bass something new, we just want to know that we we aren't wasting valuable time and money on a dud.

Some of today's products are brand new to market and are simply a first look, others we've been using for as much as a year and are just now circling back to confirm our stamp of approval. Below is a breakdown of the gear in the video in order of appearance.

-Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

-Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

-P-Line Bobber Stopper (Green/Black): http://bit.ly/2ZxAYuV

-Baitsanity Antidote Glide Bait: http://bit.ly/2ztUk9z

-Hydra Battery Terminal Multiplier: http://bit.ly/329zhFK

-Duo Realis Alpha 72 Spinbait: http://bit.ly/2UbnUu9

-River2Sea D Walker Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2NwqBmz

-Lucky Craft Pointer 100 H3: http://bit.ly/2PuaFpw

-G Loomis GLX 843 and 844 MBR Rods: http://bit.ly/2gqziwT

Antidote Hook Upgrades...

-Split Ring- Owner Hyperwire Size 4: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

-Owner ST-56 Treble (Size 1 and 2): http://bit.ly/2cVg7xW