0119

Agreed, too many folks throw out advise to get a long rod, expecting that everyone, like them, fishes off the bow of a bass boat.

You sir, have a good heart. Be proud

12# or 14# mono or floro on the MH Baitcaster, 10# braid on the spinner. If I was to add another rig it would be another baitcaster. If I used a crankbait a lot make it a mod. actionbut I'd be more apt to make it a short 6" caster for topwaters and spinnerbaits.

I'm beating the banks every morning and I wouldn't use anything longer than 6' myself. If by bank you mean open park land or concrete then the skies the limit but I fight thru jungle and underhand flip or pitch most of my casts in very tight overgrown spots. Use what makes sense for you and where you like to fish.

New Zillion will have the TWS line guide which some have had troubles with. It will also have a Zaion gear side plate according to Daiwa. Many will not like that. Why buy a NOS Zillion even though it is tempting, as the supply of parts will dwindle to nothing by the time you need something. Especially when walmart.com has the new Tatula for $104 and the fancier Tatula for $139.

I have a spinner or 2 with braid but it'll never be my first choice. I hate braid, always will. I us Big Game 8# and 10# on 3000 size spinners without issue, always have and from bulk spools like the O.P.. To the O.P. ignore shimano's suggestion on how to load it on there reels, it doesnt work. Stick to the old way with the spool flat down. Other than once finding a couple flat spots in the line as I spooled a reel, I never had any problem with it. Being in bulk and cheap I dont hold it to perfect standards like I would Seaguar or a JDM line. Frankly Big Game is the only thing I buy from Pure Fishing anymore.

Sad situation but they are typical of today's kid's. The real villain in this are their fathers who lack the interest or refuse the responsibility to do their job and teach them. But as some posters are calling them law breakers? Felons one said? Wanton waste it is, though I never recalled learning that law in the academy. Its actually much more worrisome that some folks have these over done opinions. Its that kind of thinking that forces me to drive my car wearing a seat belt while motorcyclists don't have to wear a helmet! Why Germany has a law that you must keep and eat the first fish you catch and then you cant fish anymore that day. Point being they are only kids and we have already taken away many of the things that generations of us had, like riding a bicycle without wearing a helmet. Or playing lawn darts! No wonder these kids do what they do. Dad is non existent and they never get to experience learning through the school of hard knocks.

Ditto, and you'll have some bucks left over for a couple custom painted cranks too.

Drag has been sitting for who knows how long, needs fresh drag grease after proper cleaning. Surely the whole reel should be stripped and maintained since you don't know how it was taken care of. alantani.com or fishingkhaki both have tutorials on how to strip and over haul the SS. Also look into replacing the drag washers as they probably were stored with the drag set tight ruining them.

The older thru spindle spools also have centrifugal brakes.

Call Jerry at hookless, he can get you replacement sideplates and all the upgrade parts you could need. He will talk you through the whole thing or can build you up a work of art.

On the palming sideplate, you unscrew the screw in the center of the mag dial right? All the way or only a certain amount? Then do you lift the plate outwards or do you have to turn it clockwise or counter clockwise? I'm not wanting to force it or even try until I know a little more info. Thanks everybody

Tons of them but since they are not marketed towards bass anglers you have to look at inshore rod sections of the catalog.

Spinning reels have helped my fishing recently. Helped me avoid pain in my hand. Increased my catch. Allowed me to use a wider range of lures with the same outfit, since I rarely bother with using or taking more than one on a trip. Makes for a better multi species usable combo. You should never feel compelled to change what might be already working for you. Ten miles from my house they catch near 200lb tarpon on a daily basis with spinning gear so never feel your missing out on bigger fish because you use spinning.

It depends on what type of equipment. Spinning reels I feel I need to go above $200 to get a really good one that will last. Casting reels $250 to get custom tuned ones from a cottage shop. Rods are my dilemma. I am not happy with what I feel is excessive stiffness and stupid gang banger motif of all rods being made now. I will pay very little for painted blanks, stupid near non existent reels seats and poor quality guides.

They might as well have copy and pasted any other review of a Revo/Lew/Phel/Penn/Banax/Fox clone and saved the effort.

Agreed. Here in the hot Fl. sun and with salt in the air well inland, line deteriorates quickly. Rigs not even used just sitting on the deck or in the console rack have to be replaced too. I change my line no matter what type it is, every few months. Have to between the sun and deterioration from structure/fish.

Renowned for smallmouth from what I've read. Maybe not where you will be, maybe it'll be salmon and steelhead but you'll have tho check the seasons.

Wow every time I see or handle the Tatula, it seems massive in the hand.

Momma would hate me, my OCD would force me to buy replacements and keep the recovered reels for parts. I always hate hearing stories like this. I know one day it'll probably happen to me.

That reel looks huge from that angle. Is it a Lexa 300?

Original poster...... I think your missing out on a very special fishery up their around Baker County. Your fairly close to rivers that hold Chipola, Suwanee, and Red Eye bass sub species. They are a blast to target and special in that many bass angler's will never accomplish catching them. They are best targeted with light finesse spinning gear as they are almost exclusively crawfish feeders and often live in gin clear water no more than 6 feet deep. Besides recently I read something like 3 thousand people move into our state every day. Our waters are getting highly pressured and spinning will play a bigger part in just getting a bite in our future.

Nice fish!

I can't complain about BPS. I've gotten 2 St.Croix LTB rods there for around $120. You just gotta be observant and willing to talk to a mgr. I get the mainstay of my bass lures there since local shops refuse to stock or order anything but saltwater tackle. That quickly racks up the points so I usually get at least $25 off any rod or reel purchased there. My gotta buy, every time I go there would have to be Zoom Super Flukes and long sleeve cotton t shirts.

Yeah.... I've been struggling with a bad wrist and thumb injury that just won't go away. Dr.'s o.k.ed me to try using baitcaster's again(never really stopped 100%). But he and I agree that I won't be holding my favorite Ambassadeurs much again. It's not so much there weight as it is my not being able to open my hand wide enough to operate the thumb bar or thumb the spool during the cast.