The Rooster

I'd get the Kevin VanDam Line and Lure treatment and spray the line with it to help make it cast. The closed face reels, because of design, sometimes will wind up the line loosely inside the reel. After a while this lets the line get bound up, and sometimes even wrapped around the spool shaft inside the reel, meaning the face must be unscrewed and the line unwound from around the shaft to get it untangled again. My dad uses an old Johnson Century 100B reel that recently had this problem. He thought the reel had stopped working and he needed a new one. I took it apart and fixed it in 5 minutes. Just had the line wound around the shaft and wouldn't cast. In any case, discontinue dunking the reel. Like others said, it is not a good thing, it allows dirt to get inside the reel and collect in places it shouldn't. This will cause problems later that are worse than the one you are having now. Also, it's not the gears either, they are greased up from the factory and have nothing to do with the cast of those type reels. Only the retrieve. I believe this is a line issue. It's either the line bound up, or it could be that you've used and cut off most of the line through using it and retying, and now you are down to just a small amount left inside the reel. This would cause casting issues if the line was too low. For that, it's as simple as changing the line out again to refill it. It's simple to unscrew the face of the reel and have a look to see if you have enough line, or that the line is where it belongs and not wrapped up around the shaft, or just wound loosely on the reel only. Start there. After making sure the line is wound right, I'd treat the line with the KVD as I suggested. You can get it online at Bass Pro Shops, or maybe at a tackle store close by. It's about $10 per bottle but well worth it. It increases cast distance for sure, and it does so by making it easier to cast to start with. It seems to soften my line, and that will help a lot for making the line lay right inside the reel on the spool which will help avoid problems on subsequent casts. If you find you need more line, then I'd get the Berkley Trilene XL in the red box in the pound test you want, depending on the size of reel you have. Heavier lines don't work as well on smaller reels. It could be anywhere from 4# line up to 12# as a general range. I'd suggest 6# to 8# for most types of those reels. I like the Berkley Trilene XL for how easy it casts but Stren original is similar also, it is in a purple box for easier identification at the store. One thing to do that will help with line binding issues is every so often you'll want to make a long cast and then wind the line back while pinching the line between thumb and finger so it winds tightly inside the reel on the spool. Slight to moderate finger pressure is all that's needed. This isn't needed as often when fishing baits that provide natural resistance while reeling them back such as spinnerbaits or crankbaits, but when fishing live bait or soft plastic lures (fake worms for example) then sometimes this lets slack get in the line which can cause the binding problems after multiple casts and slack build up. Every reel needs this from time to time but it's easier to see when it's needed on reels where the line is exposed. On the closed face ones where you can't see the line you may just have to do it as a preventative maintenance about every 20 or 30 casts or just whenever you seem to notice it not performing as well. Welcome to the site, and welcome to the fantastic world of fishing!!! Once you start, you'll never stop!!! It took me just one time to know I would always do this. I came home from that first trip, consciously aware of that fact.

I mostly considered cast distance in my comparisons because neither reel has a lot of other features going for it at all. Cast distance is probably the one thing I would consider that sets them apart. Otherwise, not much.

Color aside, I saw other characteristics that made me think B series. The drag star was graphite, and also the shape of the reel's nose and how it looked across the front part of the frame just in front of the spool, being a straight line across instead of any curve, all that gave it away to me. It's listed as a Curado but it has the smaller grips, not like the newer ones. The handle shank also has no holes in it.

Dave Fritts has been a Speed Spool advocate for a long time. Even his Bass Pro Shops branded reel that was offered under his name resembled an old Speed Spool until they finally quit offering it a few years ago. I wonder how he'll be on the new Speed Spool reels they have now??

For the way a Shimano casts I wouldn't even consider the other one. The Sienna has the same propulsion spool as the higher end Shimanos do, even the Stella. So that alone is worth it to me. The Symetre I have casts farther than any other spinning reel I've ever had, with the use of KVD spray with it though.

I don't need a special rod for it. I use 2 different ones. The first choice is my Shimano Compre, 6'6" M/F (previous model with full cork handle) and a Shimano Citica 200E with 12# Berkley Vanish fluoro line. I use a Zoom Super Fluke rigged on a 3/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook, not the superline hook either. The second rod is the one I use when the other one has a lure tied on that I don't want to remove. It's simply a Ugly Stik Lite Pro 6'6" medium rod with a BPS Extreme 6.4:1 ratio baitcaster, and 12# Berkley Trilene XL mono on it. Same lure and hook rig. Basically either of these rods work. I like the lighter weight and feeling of the Shimano combo better so I use it whenever I can. Fluke colors are Pearl, Albino, Green Pumpkin, Smokin' Shad, Baby Bass, Rainbow Trout, and whatever else just looks good. This is an awesome bait!

If I only had one spinning rod I'd want 8# mono on it. The second one would get the braid, but that's just how I see it. Don't know about that rod either, but Marty gave excellent advice for an all around spinning rod. Medium power/fast action tip, in about 6'6" or 7' length. I'd add to this to get a rod that has a stripper guide (the first one from the reel) that is large enough for your thumb to pass through. I've found that when I get a rod that has a smaller first guide it really cuts into casting distance due to line friction as you cast. Again, that's just how I see it.

Lew's Speed Spool!!! I'm a won over Shimano guy but the new Lew's reels seem to be as near flawless as you could get. Only thing I don't care for on the Revos is the way the palming sideplate widens out up near the front of the reel. It's uncomfortable to me.

I've got some from the previous series, 5 to be exact. I have had an issue with one of them getting a grinding feeling in it when fairly new, and one more after 3 years of use, but the others have been great and I've had them for several years also. They're still slick like new, but I do service mine so they stay that way. I also added extra bearings in the handles of them so they're 9 bearing models now and I love the way they feel with moving baits. The cast distance is really good as well. I have hit 80' consistently with 1/4 oz. crankbaits. The only thing I'd change is the braking. The magnetic brakes seem to have to be turned way up to avoid some form of backlash (either bad bird nesting, or just a few overruns in the line only). About 9 out of 10 is where I have to keep it set at. But hey, whatever works, and at that setting the casting becomes nearly effortless. That picture of me holding that fish is with one Extreme, the 5.4:1 ratio for crankbaits. It's fair to say I love these reels.

This is sort of sadistic but I think I'd "love" to catch someone stealing my stuff (or attempting to). I chain and padlock my ladders and tools to my truck and remove anything from my boat that is not nailed down while in my yard. But just once, just one time, I'd like to run across someone tampering with my stuff and they not know I was within grabbing distance of them. I wouldn't need a shotgun.....and they'd need medical assistance soon after. I despise thieves!

Isn't the 300DSV a gray color?? This was definitely green. Also, check out these links, and notice where it says what reel, it's listed as Shimano Curado ("old style"). Of course the words "old style" don't rule out a DSV but I'd say based on this and it's green color, it's far less likely. The second link is a photo of the reel in question. When I click it and it loads, the mouse cursor allows me to left click one time to magnify it. It's easy to tell it's a B series reel. http://www.bassmaster.com/gear/2011-pride-georgia-best-baits-and-techniques http://files.worldfishingnetwork.com/Images/news/tournament/kennedy_bass_2011_large.jpg

I wonder how long any reel would truly last a pro fishing the Elite series anyway?? I'd bet they see a significant amount more wear than any of ours do and don't get serviced nearly as much due to time constraints.

I flipped on the TV today and caught the last few minutes of the Pride of Georgia tournament where Steve Kennedy was using a B series Curado Bantam reel to win it. That reel is fairly old. I thought all those guys would be sponsored by some reel company and would be using a currently offered reel to fish with.

Yes but too much backwards pressure against the AR bearing can cause it to fail. Such as when you get a snag and pull hard against it to free it. That's a no no.

That's a good deal on any budget.

I've tasted a bunch of them. I'm bad to grab one out of a bag and put it between my lips while I hunt for other tackle like hooks and sinkers. Zoom's salty worms aren't too bad. Powerbait isn't as bad as you would think either.

I wish they would be outdated. Then I'd be the only one at the lake using them. If they haven't seen it in a while, they can't be conditioned to it.

Is that why they called them "jelly worms"?? Seriously??

The ones I am using are Renegade (walmart brand). They smell sweet too, not like your typical fishing bait. Reminds me of licorice candy. I got them a long time ago, and then never used them. They have been in the attic for a long time now, and I got them out the other day and now the pink/firetail ones have faded out nearly clear with a pinkish tint.

Try them wacky rigged. Especially the plain fluke, not the super fluke (but it works too). Also, I try them nose hooked instead of texposed. It lets the bait be a lot more flexible in the water if you need more action on it.

Any of you all ever still use the plain ol' twirl tail worm, just a plain worm with a C curled tail?? I don't know a lot about plastics fishing but it seems to me this is almost an outdated bait. I have some though and I like them pretty well. But I don't see a lot of them being offered for sale around here or in catalogs.

It's because it's such a light rod. Mine fishes like a MH but is lighter than a lot of M rods I've had in the past.

I found it an advantage to pitch left handed with a right handed reel, not because of the switchoff, but simply because I couldn't do it right handed for some reason. Don't know why either, my casting hand is predominately my right, though I can cast left too. Sorry, no input on the Shimano reel preference. I'm using a Curado for this now, but I'm sure the Citica would work equally as well, both the E series.

I'm looking for one crankbait rod to do all the cranks I'd use. I saw that the GT70M has a weight rating of 1/4 to 1, and it's a MF tip by the way it feels, and now by you saying so also. So I feel it would load up really well to throw cranks of all sizes in the range of baits I use. It might just be the rod I'm looking for. I'd like to think the MH would do this also, but it's rated at 3/8 to 1 1/4, so I don't know if it would load up that well under a 1/4 oz. crank or not. I'm still debating. It's awful hard to think about paying that much for one when the new Clarus rods coming out look so good, are built on the old Compre blank, and cost a lot less.

Nice rods. Would you use the GT70MH for jigs or plastics?? Or the GT70M for crankbaits?? I'm reasonably sure I'd use the medium for cranks but I'm not sure if the medium heavy is the right one for jigs and plastics (for me that is).