Silas

I've found with the light braid( I'm running 10#) it helps to reel the line back with your fingers supplying some tension with very light lures, thus keeping the spool wound tight. Also as others say, loosen the drag and after fighting a fish, remember to pull a bit of line out and reel in again under tension. Oh, and don't yank hang ups in trees and brush. I find that the diameter of the line can be adjusted to fill the correct spool height. ( 10# on a shallow spool such as Aldebaran, Steez, or Conquest Shallow ) will give you sufficient length on the reel.

Just yesterday I put Tru Oil on 4 rods after cleaning them with Mr Cleans Magic Eraser. That stuff IS magic ! All the rods were over one or two years old and corks were dirty. They cleaned up to just about brand new. I put one coat on 3 rods and 2 coats on one. Just to experiment. I ordered the U40 and when it arrives I'll put it on another few so I can compare them. As of now I'm really pleased with the Tru Oil. I had used it years ago on my gunstocks so was familiar with the product.

For the first 40 years, it was a White/Chartreuse 1/4 oz spinnerbait with willow and Colorado blade. Slayed them! Last 5 years my favs are: Squarebill crankbait.....especially the LC Rick Clunn 1.5 Stanley Ribbit Frog in Watermelon/red pearl. Love to fish it!

I absolutely agree!

I use a lot of Sunline Fluoro and like it. I have a lot of respect for Tom's suggestions so I'll get some Sunline Defier. At present I have bulk spool of 3,000 yards of Silver Thread and bulk spool of Yozuri Hybrid 6lb. Izorline is pretty nice too for cranking. 12lb test.

John you are right!! This old 72 year old got his numbers mixed up. Went to look at rod and it is a MBR 782C. 6'6" Medium Fast Action. 1/4-5/8 oz lures. I stand corrected ----or recline in my Recliner, corrected Thanks for catching that one.

The new Loomis E6X in 7'1" MH works well. I thought the split grip would not give enough grip but it does. And for $139 OTD locally on sale it works perfectly.

I have the IMX Version and it was my very first Loomis. I had a Calcutta 200GTB on it. Both were a gift from my students. I love that rod and have used it for literally everything ( I don't use swibaits or Alabama Rigs) I then put a Curado E5 on it and it seems a perfect setup. Somehow the action and feel of the rod feels magic to me. Perhaps I will look for the GLX version and get it too.

Maybe a bit past your budget but I have a St Croix Medium 7' that would work for those applications. I've done all of those with mine. Used ones come up once in awhile if you don't have the 200 bucks. Buy once; cry once.

Oh, you mean like the number of fish that are brought to weigh in at a tournament? And lakes and areas that have tournaments most weekends? I feel that those dead big fish are a much bigger, but ignored and swept under the rug , issue.

Never had trouble with Alberto. Lately what I like to do while at home is to put one drop of superglue on the knot, although I've never had one without the glue fail. Seems to slide through guides easier. Just watched the video on the FG knot. I CANNOT see me tying that sucker OUT ON THE WATER with the boat bobbing up and down. Looks like a strictly AT HOME knot. But even then, I'm not convinced that it would be stronger than the Crazy Alberto. AND too many opportunities for an over wrap, thus weakening the knot.

Crazy Alberto a piece of cake! I can tie it in the boat easily.

Picked up a Loomis E6X 853 C JWR 7"1" Med/Heavy today and put a Calcutta 200 GTB on it to cast T rigged worms, Rage Rigs, Senkos, and solid frogs (Stanley Ribbit is hot here. Fished with it about an hour and I'm well satisfied. It is much more sensitive than I thought it would be. Just happened to be grocery shopping and stopped at a local Mom and Pop tackle store and he had them on sale for $139 OTD! They were flying out the door! Saw 3 others leave the store the short time I was there. Ok,I like my IMX 852 better for moving baits (1/4 spinnerbaits and small crank baits ) but needed a Med/heavy for a little more backbone for bottom contact single hook stuff. I'm also a CORK guy and like the grip.

LOL! I didn't know I've been fishing "finesse" spinnerbaits for 60 years! 1/4 oz is the size we normally throw in the Swamps 3/8-1/2 oz sinks too fast!

Lots of fun can be had experimenting with different reels and their controls. I take each one of my combos and go out on dock and adjust the brake/spool tension for the baits that I initially rig them with to load the boat Then I pick 6 combos to put in the boat that day. Each totally different but ALL ADJUSTED and ready to go. I may have a Steez 103, a Pixy Airy red, a TD-Z, a Shimano Chronarch 50 and so on. They all have different combos of brakes and need to be brought to my best casting practices and movements. My THUMB is the control factor. More thumb on some, less to none on others. And I love the differences of each combo. Like playing different instruments in an orchestra. I DO have friends who take IDENTICAL setups (3-4) so the instant they pick it up it is just like the other. No need to adjust the next cast at all. Hang in there, Dale, you'll get better. You just need to find what's best for you. Down here in the swamps it's never how FAR you can cast but how ACCURATE you are. ( Can you place that frog between those 2 Cypress knees?) And, it's time to work less and fish more!

I, too, have the 721 IMX and love it! Have a Pixy on it now. But, I have found the perfect short rod, short grip, high end in the MEGABASS EGLY GO GO. A weird name but a fantastic 5'5" F3 rod that is rated from 3/16-5/8 oz. I have an Orange Pixy on it and a weightless Baby Brush hog on it at the moment. A casting miracle for sure. I have never heard of that rod before....must be an old Megabass, but got it off the forum and can't tell you how much it pleases me. I will compare it with my newly acquired Hedgehog to see the difference. So far I think the Hedgehog "slingshots" a bait better while the Egly Go Go tends to cast smoother. Both of those are specialty rods. The 721 I like for small cranks and small Texas and wacky rigged 4-6" worms.

I've used them on the original Gizit tube and they worked well. There are even small weights that slide up to the nose of the tube that have a small eye on them that you thread the hook through. Nice and weedless. Of course you have to use the thin walled Fat Gitzits!

I've found the Glock .45 Model 36 to be very concealable and accurate.

Might want to look at the Singlestack mag GLOCK 36 in .45 caliber. Conceals very nicely and very accurate and reliable. The single stack and the shorter grip make concealment optimal.

As a recently retired LEO and having taught combat shooting I have always advocated training with both the guns and the ammo you keep it loaded with. Today, in many areas, chances of Home Invasion attempts are increasing. You have to be ready at a moments notice, so close proximity of a weapon is mandatory. For people without children in the house, a loaded and ready to fire weapon could be placed in each room, with spare loaded magazines next to it. Of course in my profession there was always disgruntled criminals to deal with. Now this is an extreme case but since I have several weapons , I deploy them in easily accessible but usually out of sight places: Para Ordnance P-12 .45 with 2 extra mags loaded within arms reach of my recliner. Colt Commander 400 Corbon in kitchen under chopping block w 2 magazines. Sig Sauer .45 .220 within reach of my hand above my head with 3 magazines. AK-47 loaded with 30 round clip on safety. 2 30 round mags beside it under bed within one arm reach. Since I have trained and qualified with all these I don't feel it excessive. My wife knows where each is and I have trained her on their operation. All weapons are fully loaded at all times with a round in the chamber. There is a small powerful flashlight next to each one. Oh and I forgot one: a Smith and Wesson 642 with 2 speed mags next to the commode. ( Don't like being caught with my pants down!)

I don't have the XX Megabass. But I DO have 4 (X4 ) rods Rattle Viper Technical game with Steez 103 for wacky worms, Texas Rig, flukes Black Elseil with Megabass IS73C for medium cranks, Pointers and 110s. Really versatile Hedgehog with Aldebaran or Steez for small plastics and wacky worm. Egly Go Go (X4) with Steez 100 The reason I bought them is because they are (to me) as much works of art as they are fantastic rods. I am impressed in all ways with the rods. I also have a Dobyns 703 with a Steez on it and it ALSO is a fantastic rod. It is very close to the X4s but I prefer the craftsmanship of the X4s. They are both about as sensitive for bottom baits. I don't buy that the X4 rods are only moving bait rods although they excel at it. As I said I cannot comment on the XX series since I don't have one. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. A good lower price JDM rod would be the Jackson Trickster, which I have, but do not really compare to the X4s. It is just different ( in a good way)

Rippin Lips, I see you haves Steez for sale. So what are you going to replace it with and why? I love to experiment with reels too.

I have both of the Steez reels : 100 and 103. Here are MY observations. If you are a relatively inexperienced bait caster then these are not the reels you should be looking at. They both are better In the hands of a bait caster who has learned the fine art of "thumbing" a bait caster. The 100, in my opinion , requires a bit less experience. The 103 requires some "adjustment." Also, neither responds to a "wanging" of a lure as hard as you can cast. They require a fluid motion. However, they are both joys to cast: a wonderful,connected feel ,almost effortlessly. I have the 103 mounted on a Dobyns Exreme 702 rod, and the 100 on a MB Rattle Viper Technical game. I wouldn't sell or trade either set up.

I wouldn't suggest a first time caster staring off with BRAID o any kind. There are a host of issues in doing that Take off the braid and save it. Re spool with monofilament. yozuri Hybrid is a good choice, in a medium test( (10-16 lb) That way if you backlash you can remove it and try again. Just one suggestion before you go on about the rod and reel.

In my opinion, my eyesight is the ONE thing I'll never gamble on. Cheap sunglasses are just for kids getting some SWAG by wearing them on top of their head or behind their neck like college wannabes. I have Wiley's , the kind the Army use, for fast boat riding. They have removable magnetic gaskets to protect the eye. Polycarbonate lens for protection against flying objects. ( glass will blind you if it shatters while on) Next would be Costas in 580G. Glass in either blue or green. Blue cuts most glare from large expanse of water. Green for lazy bayous or rivers. There are many styles and can be gotten at quite a discount on line. Lastly the Maui Jim in glass with brown bronze tint or dark gray. Make sure they cup your eye as harmful rays enter from the side. I've gotten several pair online at much reduced prices. For your eyes sake, just save up and buy quality glasses. Some people say "I never buy good or expensive sunglasses because I LOSE them all the time!" Well then, PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTS ON AND TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS!!