jeb2

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Are you implying that simply adding line to the spool will make up for over oiled bearings? But doing a proper bearing clean and lube still can make a big difference in performance and satisfaction, especially if the bearings are way over oiled like they were in my buddies 50E.

That should just be a thumb screw, at least that is what they are on the Abu versions. Easy to work, but not as slick as the Shimano side plate.

Do you really think is a fair representation of how the reel will perform on the water? If you mean just spinning the spool in a store to compare different reels, no, I don't think that it means all that much for NIB reels since many are over oiled. But it can make a difference to a guy that is not comfortable tearing down his reels and cleaning/lubing his bearings.

Very true. I always tear apart all new reels I buy and give them a good cleaning an proper lubing. Makes a huge difference. I got a new 50E when they were on closeout. I told my fishing buddy about them and he picked one up, too. I switched out the bearings for Orange Seals the day I got it and started fishing it right away. My buddy said he was not at all impressed with the stock reels empty spool spin, so he never got around to using it. I had him bring it over and all we did was clean the spool bearings. They were super over-lubed. Almost grease. So cleaned them out, applied some good lube and the spool spun FAR better. Makes an amazing difference. I did not upgrade the drag. Seems adequate so far, even pulling nice bass out of the grass and over logs.

Totally agree. I would not eat or keep a fish that was not at least gutted almost immediately after dying. I've always read and heard that as soon as a fish dies, the little parasites and nasties in its digestive system get to work. And since the fish is not alive anymore, its system is no longer fighting them back and they grow/expand rapidly. If I keep a fish, it dies on the filet table with a couple of blows to the head just before I clean it. I bring 'em home live in the livewell.

I'm running 8lb Sunline pure fc on my 50E. Seems a great fit for that reel.

+100. My wife had to have one of those stupid little Netbooks. What a slow piece of crap it turned out to be. We now use it strictly for our "emergency backup" system, even though it's less than a year old. Wife ended up taking my Lenovo Thinkpad and I bought a new high end Sony system that I've been very happy with. I'd just stay don't focus on fashion. The Apple stuff is cool. They are a very innovative company. But compare specs and actually study which gives you more of what YOU need and want. I found the higher end Apple laptops very lacking on the spec sheet for processor, DASD, disc drive, etc. And the iPhone has been outdone by a lot of the Android phones. So just look past the wrappers.

I've never had any luck with pure FC on a spinner. Even my Stella pukes the stuff up, in 6 or 8 pound line. Tried lots of different ones, too, including a lot of the more pricey ones. I don't reel against the drag, close the bail by hand, run it out weightless behind the boat and detangle it, etc. It just twists too easily and causes issues too quickly. I've found FC coated lines to be much, much easier to live with. I use mostly Pline Flourclear now on my spinners.

I'd suggest getting a frost free chest freezer. I've had both and much prefer not having to hassle with removing the frost every year. Our current one is a Kenmore frost free that we've had for 8-10 years, I guess. Never given us any problems at all.

I use both, but mostly BC's. Of the 10-12 rods on the deck, usually 2 are spinners. I use spinners mostly for drop shots or very light baits like small poppers.

4/0 EWG hook, T-rigged and weightless. Don't catch a lot of fish on senko's/ocho's that big, but the ones I do are nice fish.

Which Core and which Calais? I have a Core 50 with upgraded bearings (orange seals) and a stock Calais DC. Both are good reels. The Calais, as you say, is heavy and the chrome finish is cold to the hand on chilly days. But it's a great reel. Throwing light baits into a stiff wind? Awesome! Pitching, distance casting, versatility, big lures, small lures, it's the bomb! Kind of a noisy reel both when casting (it whines, charging the circuits) and it makes some noise when retrieving large, deep diving cranks. Still smooth and all, but not as whisper quiet as my Core, my Premier's, etc. The Core is a good reel, too. Much different mission in life because it's a 50 size, though. More of a smaller bait reel, up to 1/2oz max, IMO. I enjoy fishing with it and it's an easy reel to live with, but it's really nothing special outside of it's small size and weight. And that can be a big deal to some, no doubt. Not putting it down at all. It's just not as "wow" as the Calais DC or my Steez's, nor is it really any better than my Premier's or Curado 50, again, outside of the size.

I own a Core 50 with Orange Seal bearings and a tuned Steez 103HA. The steez is more finicky, as brianbassin mentions. You don't just give it a click or a little more spool tension when casting into any kind of wind. You have to work on it a bit more to get it dialed. But it's a fun reel to fish. Casts very well and just has a great feel. Just very refined. The Core is really nothing special outside of its size and weight. Not that it's a bad reel or anything, just not as much "fun" as the Steez to fish, at least IMO. It gets the job done, and is cheaper. I'll not be getting rid of it anytime soon or anything. Both of the above reels are on NRX rods, and have the same line on them, 12# Invisix. I got another NRX the other day and bought another Steez to go on it instead of another Core. So it's worth the extra to me, FWIW.

Also a zoom fan. By far, my most successful soft plastic baits overall. I have tried Rage Tail products, as well as many other brands. Some of the other brands catch fish well for me, but Rage Tail's have been very spotty producers, at best. But I just find no reason NOT to buy Zoom if they have the product I'm looking for. Great price, great quality and they catch fish. I can't think of more than one or two zoom baits I've used over the years that had any quality issues, so I'm very happy with the QC of them.

That's a great deal for you!

Shoot, I avoid fishing on the weekends altogether since I retired 1.5 years ago (I'm 53 now). Why mix is up with all the fishing and wake boarder traffic when you can have the water almost to yourself during the week? Same here! Congrats on making it to the fun part.

When I lived in MN, I was a big pheasant hunter. So part of what I did to stay sharp was trap shoot. A lot. I load my own shells and would go through 10k+ rounds a year at the range. Camaraderie was part of it too, as my favorite hunting partner shot a lot of trap also. My average was 24 at 16 yards. Gun is a dedicated trap gun, Browning BT99+, signature series. Since moving here to NW Ark 6 years ago, where there are no pheasants, my shotgun shooting has fallen off almost completely. But I did run 50 straight the last time I was out to the range a year or so ago. Fun sport. Hope you continue to shoot and improve.

Good advice. I always pull my new reels apart right out of the box. Clean the bearings and oil them correctly. I also remove the factory grease and re-do that. Very easy to do on bait casters.

Strike King's "perfect plastic" lineup is coffee scented, like their Caffeine Shad. Seems to work very well, or at least does not hurt anything.

I hope you have a dry suit for diving in MO this time of year. Brrrr. I got my Advanced Open Water certification this spring down in Destin, FL. Water temp was 65 on the gulf and I got seriously chilled even with a full wetsuit and a shorty on over the top. Insturcter had a dry suit and she was fine, but they are like $2,000 so a little steep for my blood. Anyway, hope you have a great time. I'll look forward to the pictures.

Good for Troy! He's probably my favorite character on that show. Fun loving, down to earth guy, from what I can tell.

Do you the current generation of the Premier, or the older one? I have 4 of the new gen premiers and one of the 200E7 Curados. Both resist backlashes very well, in my experience. When I do have an issue, it's almost always operator error.

I've tried Invisx and two types of Sunline pure FC on my spinners, including my Stella. All in 6 or 8 lb test. It's all fine and dandy if you just throw lures that don't twist the line, like hard jerkbaits. But start fishing soft baits and it's not long until it's a huge mess. It's just not worth the hassle to me anymore, so I use Pline Flouroclear now, which is an FC coated line. Very well behaved line.

That's my question, too. And also, exactly which Curado. Maybe it's just me, but it's hard to understand how anyone could give advice on this kind of thing without knowing those specifics. There must be 6 different models or more under the Revo line, and then you through in model year changes, etc. Curado has a few less models, but still several.

Yeah, same here. I just got 3 from TW and none of them had split rings. All of my others, which I bought locally, had split rings from the factory. So obviously they changed something. Pretty cheesy for a $25 bait to cut corners like that. I just added split rings to them.