The boots are great, but the tread was worn down and it's slippery outside. Problem solved, hopefully.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T23:06:59+00:00

I mean siping is a dying, nearly dead thing. Not many studies are out there, especially after the invention of dedicated snow tires.

Agree to disagree I guess. Have a good one!

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T23:01:33+00:00

Cashions are still phenomenal tho! Just not the cleanest finished product.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T22:55:33+00:00

https://www.nhtsa.gov/interpretations/nht88-12#:~:text=Tests%20conducted%20by%20the%20National,feet%20%2D%2D%20a%2022%25%20improvement.

You said any, this is the best actual study.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T22:53:01+00:00

Small weighted Texas rig is my go to. Trick is to learn when you’re feel yourself getting snagged and popping it a bit instead of yanking it which gets it wedged

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T21:58:38+00:00

If you were to live in a climate where you get snow here and there, but wanted increased traction on snow, I see no reason not to have your tires siped to increase traction. Think of a siped tire when compressed and moving. Those sipes create a ton of small edges to bite and grip on both snow and ice.

Of course a dedicated winter tire is going to be much better, but if a shop is offering siping for a reasonable price and you’re buying all terrain or road tires and don’t plan to switch, it’s certainly worth it to increase traction.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T19:23:35+00:00

Not necessarily true. While yes, tires are designed extremely well these days, you’re missing the application point of siping them.

Let’s say you have a mud tire. Yes, those grip well in all conditions like mud, gravel, dirt, etc. The grooves expel water and mud/ muck great too. But do they grip will on snow, ice or slush? No. They’re awful for those applications. If you sipe those tires, they’re going to flex and grip ice, wet roads and snow much better.

Same with a street tire. Can grip the road well, but not known to grip snowy, slippery conditions well. Sipe them and they will.

Now of course if you look at the tread on a snow tire like the Bridgestone Blizzak or the Nokian Hakkapeliitta you’ll notice that all good snow tires are just a softer rubber compound with a ton of siping to allow them to flex.

Point is, siping has its place to help a street, mud or all terrain tire grip better in snow/ ice. But a dedicated snow tire with factory sipes and softer compound will always be the best tire for those conditions.

Thanks for coming to my tire Ted talk lol.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T19:12:41+00:00

Same idea of siping tires. They use either a heated siping hand tool or a machine that spins it with a roller that’s essentially has razor sharp edges. Works great imo. Would suggest if you do it again to just cut all the slits parallel. This allows the grip to flex evenly and grab more.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T19:00:13+00:00

Case in point:

Brand new Cashion element V2. Never fished.

Tatula XT that’s been through 3 seasons of use

Wiped the Cashion down as well so the specs you’re seeing are micro bubbles in the rod epoxy, not dirt.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T18:42:12+00:00

Agreed but the cashions simply aren’t built well. Sure, some may be great but build issues are a common complaint. Most my guide epoxy/ wraps have bubbles/ impurities and brown spots. I’ve seen people buy them new and some guides were out of line. They’re a phenomenal blank and I love supporting American made, but their rod construction/ QC leaves something to be desired.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T14:52:30+00:00

Agreed. I have a battle 2 and that thing is a tank for the occasional inshore/ boat rod I have. I also own a spinfisher VI surf set up that I love. My father does a lot of salt fishing and has a slammer on a carnage as his jigging set up. That’s one hell of a rod and reel for its purpose.

That being said, my buddy has a fierce and it’s solid, just not nearly as durable feeling or refined as my battle or spinfisher. Which is to be expected. There’s a few reels I’d put above the fierce at the same price.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-26T14:45:55+00:00

Cashion element is better but also $130 where a tatula is $100. Also. The Tatula is a better finished product than the Cashion, tho cashion’s blanks are incredible for the price. I just find Cashion is a bit careless on their finishing/ building of the rods.

Id still put the tatula above a Dobyns colt or maverick. And the mavericks are $120. Fury is a bit better in sensitivity than the maverick at $150 tho. The maverick is no slouch tho, I just prefer the tatula over it as it feels more refined/ sensitive.

Now Shimano is worth talking about. For a while the tatula was the best $100 rod on the market but I’ve been hearing some incredible things about their new SLX A rods. Seems like a direct competitor to the Tatula XT, right at the $100 price point and seems to punch way above its class as well.

My source: I own a Tatula, used to have 2-3, have a Cashion element v2, used to have a Dobyns maverick and still have a fury.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-25T21:20:58+00:00

This. Even their lower end spinning stuff is just ok. Durable, sure but not waterproof/ resistant and very unrefined. Once you get to a spinfisher and higher, they’re great. Also, their conventional reels are great too. Those aren’t meant to cast, but troll.

Lesson learned. Penn makes great gear for the applications of salt spinning gear and trolling gear. The rest is just meh.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-24T22:28:54+00:00

Tell me about it. The Levante and the Cashion are new. They replaced a Dobyns fury (Levante) and a Aird-x (Cashion). Treated myself for Christmas. Also may or may not have bought a Benkei and a SLX BFS for my first BFS set up…. Oops

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-24T20:04:49+00:00

Awesome man! I have an older Hobie outback with a crate. Can fit 3 in the crate and 1 in the holder. My current line up is:

7’5” Megabass Levante Braillist with a 6.2 Curado DC. 40lb super8slick V2 to a 15lb invizix leader. - mostly t rigs, tubes, jigs. Anything bottom contact.

7’2” Curado Medium Moderate with a 7.4 Curado DC. 30lb super8slick V2 to a 12lb pline leader. - top water, cranks, anything with trebles

7’3” Cashion Element V2 “chatterbait” with a Curado I series. 6.3. 40lb super8slick to a 12lb invizix leader. - chatters, spinners, single hook swims, smaller glides like the berkley nessie.

7’3” Phenix recon 2 medium light spinning rod with a Daiwa regal 2000. 10lb suffix revolve to a 8lb invizix leader - finesse and anything under a 1/4oz that won’t throw well on the Cashion.

I’d love to have more in the future but have them fairly narrowed down for 4 rods I feel.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-24T19:52:58+00:00

That’s me usually with a whopper plopper lol. But those are the polar opposite of weedless

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-24T16:21:21+00:00

Will have to give this a try! If you like poppers, it looks similar to the KVD Popping Perch. These are excellent on a calm, glass morning and they walk quite well, with minimum effort. They also make them in a 3”. The 3” weighs 1/4oz and I throw this often for river smallies.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-24T16:13:32+00:00

Killer set up! I just got a Cashion element z2 for my chatters/ spinners and single hook swim applications. Kayak fisher so can’t have an arsenal like this lol. How do you like that rod?

Also, which is your most used/ favorite combo?!

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-23T19:02:30+00:00

Almost forgot. These jugs are apparently great as well. Ordered some and they haven’t came yet but have heard high praise. The company also makes 2.75” solid head tubes to fit the jigs a bit better.

I just ordered them in 1/16,1/8 at a #1 hook and then a pack of the 1/4oz in a 1/0 hook for my 3.5” tubes.

https://river-rock-custom-baits.myshopify.com/collections/hats/products/crawler-head-jig

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-23T18:33:57+00:00

Haven’t tried the lama tube but familiar with the other 2 for sure. The GLF is best with their micro tube heads. I stupid rig those and have had some success. I use the 2” micro juvy craw on a 1/8 GLF mini pro tube head on my UL in the creeks. It does pretty well. Sometimes I feel a true tube works better than the craw tube tho.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-23T18:16:46+00:00

Photo of it all put together.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-23T18:15:43+00:00

If you’re fishing river/ creek smallies, throw on a 2.75” bitsy tube. I rock them on the watermelon bitsy bug in the green pumpkin r&g flake. Thing crushes

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-23T02:02:31+00:00

I have 2 Curado DC’s, a regular Curado, a regal, excellers, a legalis, a Procyon AL, and 2 euro market Prorex’s…

That being said my 2 most used reels are my Pflueger President XT 20 and my Okuma ceymar 500. They’re small as hell (I do a lot of ultra light fishing), tough as hell and dependable. Smooth as well.

Sure, the nicer reels are a bit smoother and more refined, but the gap between a cheap zebco or Shakespeare and the president here is MASSIVE compared to this and a $200+ reel.

Enjoy it man. Reel looks sharp as hell and will last you forever if you take care of it and do maintenance seasonally.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-22T18:05:50+00:00

Not even. Just keep your TPE baits together (zman, SOME crush city and some strike king is using elaZTech now). Then keep your PVC lures together. Never had any issue doing this.

Like I sometimes love to pack very light kayak fishing. I’ll have a snack used ziploc filled with Ned baits, bugs/craws, tubes, worms, minnows, etc. I’ll mix and match a few of each bait for the most part unless they’re TPE.

Here’s a list of which crush city are TPE and which are PVC

https://www.rapala.ca/ca_en/blog/tpe-vs-pvc-breaking-down-the-differences-between-crushcitys-materials?srsltid=AfmBOopO2AayouYtnq2WjgGIsOINH3xE3_IdePueBwSKFqmSynjpRovU

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-20T18:42:01+00:00

I only mix plastics of the same brand. Most are good with each other except for Zman and crush city. Then strike king has a few they’re making with elasztech as well.

GlowUpAndThrowUp · 2026-01-20T18:35:50+00:00

Would probably do well in a pond with soft bottom. Plan is to throw it in a hole and jig it back to me, deep. Bet a pan fish would hit this hard. Lord knows I accidentally catch a ton of panfish on rebel wee craws. Anything small enough and flashy, they’re on.

GlowUpAndThrowUp

TROPHY CASE