new2BC4bass

Would you pay $100 more than its MSRP when it was being made? Obviously I'm talking about well thought of reels. And not reels that sold for $99.99.

Any of the original Tatula rods if you can find them around the $100 mark. I like mine a lot. I'm a fan of Fenwick. An Aetos or Smallmouth at $75 is a steal as is an HMG at $59. I especially like the Smallmouth 6'10" MH-MF and 6'9" M-XF that they still have a few of. One rod at $59 gets a shipping charge of $9 something. A $75 rod has free shipping. The HMG 7'2" MHCB and 7'3" MHF are both pretty nice rods if their specs fit rods you are looking for...$59. Recently received the Aetos 6'6" ML-M and it is a beautiful rod. Smalljaw67 says it is a fantastic small crankbait rod. Has never steered me wrong yet. Haven't had it out. EDIT: Should mention the Smallmouth casting rod handles are short with the 6'9" M-XF being the shortest of those I own.

New.....Tatula Type R or standard Tatula. I prefer the finish on the R, but didn't notice a difference in performance between the two. I do like the 8.1 ratio of the R. The new Tatula CT is within that budget and possibly even the CT Type R on ebay. Haven't looked. The Lew's Tournament MB is another fine reel....$109 on ebay. Nice looking and dual brakes. I think Carbontex drags run about $8. I almost always have my drag upgraded whenever I send a reel for cleaning or tuning. Another reel I am liking a lot now that I've spent a little time with it is the A model you mentioned. Haven't used any of the new Shimanos so I will let others make Shimano suggestions. Talk to Dan (smalljaw67). He bought a couple of the Pflueger Supreme Xts and is very impressed with them. Dan was a tournament fisherman before getting sick and has quite a lot of experience. I've always thought Pflueger doesn't get the respect it deserves. I've got the Trion and Patriarch XT (older blue model) and am very satisfied with both.

I use the Uni for tying on lures. For splicing I use the Alberto although the Albright should be nearly as good and a bit more slender. However, the Alberto is also a pretty thin splice.

No experience with the Caenan, but I will say this. There are other reels at the same price with aluminum frames. If the Caenan had one, it would be part of the description. Other possible reels to look at are the Daiwa Exeler 100 and Pflueger Supreme....both with aluminum frames. Someone else will have to comment on whether or not the frame on the Caenan is as sturdy. It is possible you could find reels that normally sell for a bit more on ebay at the same price point as TW sells the Caenan. For $9 more you can get the Lew's Tournament MB from ebay. A very good buy. Probably the MB would be my first choice for a new reel at the $100-$110 price point. I like the dual brakes. I am also a fan of Daiwa's braking system. I do feel that a dual braking system offers a bit more adjustment. BTW Just noticed it is your first post. You've come to the right place if you love fishing.

Ohio Bassin's reel, Okuma Helios Air, Pinnacle Primmus and Lew's Pro Z. Some sell for over your $200, but I paid less for all except the Pro Z which was at your limit. Lots of very nice reels in that price range. My favorite is usually the one I have in hand at that time. From reviews I've read Pflueger's Patriarch and Supreme XT are both pretty nice. For a lot less you can add Lew's Tournament MB. I'd add some Shimano's to my list, but have no experience with the newest models, and there will be plenty of others singing their praise.

3/4 oz. saltwater spoon tied direct. 40# braid. Caught a few flounder that day.

Not under normal circumstances. Line twist with braid is possible, tho. I had to change out the braid on my STX do to excessive line twist. Twisted like you wouldn't believe. I messed it up in about 5 hours of fishing. Line had been on the reel for about four years before that with no problem.

X3 But don't know where you can find them for $99. I found a 7' MR for $103.29....one left on ebay. Just bought this same rod used...$100 shipped.

I like my HMGs, but no experience with the others. Someone will be along shortly to give you a bit of feedback. Or you could buy all three, compare them and get back to us with your impressions. You know you want to.

You should definitely try an Aetos. Nice rods. Fenwick offers a lot for your money. I use rods from several of their lines.

Thanks.

You'd be wrong. It is a reel from the company we aren't allowed to talk about.

A reel of mine is making a high pitch squealing noise for just under a second at the beginning of the cast. First thought was that the spool was rubbing on the frame. However, I don't think it is because casting distance is excellent. Reel is straight from the box. Thanks.

Listing on reel is only a guide line telling you how much line it holds of a certain size. 40# braid is close to the diameter of 12# mono. So if your reel holds 125yds of 12# then it will hold approximately 125yds of 40# braid. You can use 20# mono on the reel if you want. It will just hold less than 125yds of line. Won't hurt the reel.

I am getting so I like the faster ratio reels. However, I thought the main idea behind slower ratio gears for deep cranking was for the torque.

If you only need one brake on, then you are better than I am. I can get away with 2 on, but it is much more hassle free for me to leave 3 on. I do run spool tension less than how most people tell you to set it. Normally I can run less braking on reels that have been supertuned. DVT supertuned one of my Curado 51Es. One he just did a thorough cleaning on. I can run either with 2 brakes on, but 3 allows me to be more lax with my thumb, and not have to worry about over-runs as much. Supposedly Daiwas don't benefit as much from a supertune, yet I can run fewer brakes on all my Daiwas that have been supertuned. Maybe because I learned on Daiwa reels, and the first few other reels I bought also were Magnetic brake reels....such as my Gen 1 STX. EDIT: I feel (for me) that I get better distance with a couple extra brakes on and a freer spool, than the reverse.

Wish I could say that, but fishing stinks in my area every year. Hoping later this year to make a move down by my wife's sister and brothers. MUCH better fishing there. And I won't have to drive 35-50 minutes to get to a lake.

Give 'em what for Max. My 5001C is only about 35 or so years old.

The President reel is the way to go. I was at Cabela's in Hamburg over the long weekend. Got to handle the Tourney Trail. Seemed like a decent rod. However, checking the reviews on Cabela's website tells a different story. I am a fan of Fenwick rods, so that would probably be my first choice. I have 4 of the Prodigy casting rods, and they are nice rods for the price. I bought mine on sale. I didn't take the time to look at the Fish Eagle rods this last time, but I checked them out the previous visit, and thought they looked like very nice rods. They get great reviews on Cabela's website while the Tourney Trail reviews are pretty bad.

X4. Grew up using spinning reels with handle on the left. Had to teach myself to cast left handed so I wouldn't miss out on any good deals. Still not that good casting with the left. Cranking with the right was never a problem. Often I cast with the right no matter which side the handle is on. My reels are about half and half.

Another good reel is the Lew's Tournament MB....$109 on ebay.

My quiver is empty.

I don't have a lucky rod, but have a lucky lure. 1/2 oz. black spinnerbait I have a few more than that UN-lucky rods.

Yeah. Thieves are scum bags. Hard lesson to learn, but the hard way is about the only way I ever learn. If it doesn't have to be Shimano, I'd look at the original Tatula for approximately $95 on ebay.