kickerfish1

Sorry my mistake, I read that in your post but did not retain it. I have the same exact rod I that has a Citica E on it without issue. I haven't had an issue with any Dobyns rod reel seat in the 5 I have had.

What rod was it paired with? I am just trying to think if there was a way that the rod and reel were not a great fit together. I have had rods and reels that the reel seats and reels didn't play nice together. It almost seemed like I had to force it a bit more than necessary. By forcing it, there may have been just enough pressure to cause something to fail. In this case it was the reel foot but it could have been the reel seat area (Thinking about those early NRX reel seat issues) Just a thought, though it may not be the case here. I like your idea of possibly paying a bit more to get another reel like the Metainum or maybe give the Curado 70 a try? It has the Hagane body of the the CI4 material. Not sure how this material would fair long term as the only other reel that I can think of that uses it is the Stradic FK. I wonder why companies are getting away form magnesium framed reels. Never seemed to hear about Steez or Core reels with frame issues. I know the material is light and is quite expensive but I would rather shell out a few more bucks for something that is reliable and is not going to fail that some kind of reinforced composite/graphite blend or whatever it is...

That's a shame. I did see a Stradic CI4 that had the reel foot cracked and broken as well. These were the only 2 cases I have seen it happening but the common theme seems to be the material. It could have cracked when tightening or loosening the reel from the rod. Almost like the release of pressure caused it to give way. I would take a picture and send it to Shimano. I would be willing to bet they will replace it. We aren't talking about a bearing going bad or the gears getting worn, this is failure in the material they use. Please follow up to see what they say.

Most are over lubricated from the factory but the piece you received just seems to be sloppy. When it starts showing on the outside and has that "gloppy" look to it was just done by somebody in the hurry or that just didn't care. I would wipe off the extra grease probably due a bearing flush and apply a light drop of oil to each. At the end of the season I would tear it down or send it to someone to work on.

Beautfiul fish. It almost looks like you are fishing the Florida Keys or a swimming pool with than kind of clarity!

SE NE (Omaha area)

One of the things that jumped out to me was the part where you mention getting discouraged after not getting anything on first 3 casts. 99% of my outings I am not getting bit with that kind of frequency. Here is an example. Last weekend a buddy and I went to a lake that is know to have some quality fish in and a good amount of numbers as well. We got there about 6:35 am and fished until about 8:15. We tossed frogs, weightless plastics, texas rigs, swim jigs, and regular jigs due to entire lake being heavily weed choked. I had 1 bite and my buddy had 1 fish come off half way to the boat. We probably made over 100 casts a piece for 1 bite each. Went to another lake that is more of a dink lake. We fished for a 1.5 hours and he caught 3 and I caught 4 with a few more lost fish and bites as well. Fishing the same kinds of baits we were able to find more willing fish at lake 2 plus better water clarity. The point is that sometimes it takes dozens of casts before you get bit. It could be something as basic as color, location, retrieve type and speed or just one lake fishing better than another. I would consider trying other lakes, other locations that are shoreline accessible on the lake, and varying up a few things. The key piece is location. If you are not where the fish are, it won't matter what you throw. FWIW are lakes here are small and highly pressured. I would put the difficulty and fishing pressure up there with any in the country on per acre basis.

You might be able to use the side dial as a temperature gauge for weather! It's a cool piece and it reminds me of an old Bantam I have from the 80s.

Do you have any explanation as to why one rod in a series would have a different perceived level of sensitivity over other rods in the same series? I have heard folks claim certain NRX rods have more feel than others but just don't see how this can be. I have the 873 CRR and fight it be very sensitive. Perhaps I need to add the 843 MBR?! I know a guy that looks like he could be cast on an episode on Duck Dynasty with a name that rhymes with Larry. He will have the scoop on the models in question. If you haven't contacted him I would see what insight he could offer

Well I have used the Curado 200I but note the 70I. I do have 6 of the 50 series platform reels. 1 Core, 1 Alde, 1 Chronarch, 1 Curado, and 2 Scorpions. I really like the simplicity of the 50 series reels. They are easy to work on and adjust. The reels are well built and have proven themselves over the years. The 70 I is a new reel but I am sure the longevity and quality is there too. There are a lot of aftermarket upgrades for the 50e series reels and they are getting harder to find. They are also selling for outrageous prices especially in mint or NIB condition. The 70I series reels are newer and can likely be found for less. They will probably be around for at least a few more years so getting one will never be difficult. Depending upon price I would lean more towards the Chronarch 50e as they are just getting harder to find but in terms of performance I am sure both would be quite similar.

I use both. The Beaver is more of a dead action bait. It excels for me on unaggressive fish or to add bulk to a jig trailer without adding much action. The Pit boss is the exact opposite in that it is full of action and excels when fish are more aggressive. Another relatively small point is that the Beavers weigh more and are more aerodynamic leading to longer casts while the Pit boss weighs a bit less and has greater wind resistance resulting in slightly less casting distance. I like both and use them when I feel they would excel...

It's not hard to keep track when you don't catch any

You are paying for the clamshell packaging, coffee scent, and premium plastics that is heavier. To me it is worth it.

For techniques that require a lot of effort and labor on the anglers part I try to buy the lightest pieces I can buy to help with fatigue. Jerkbaits and walking topwaters are two that come to mind. I have a Cumulus on a 50 Alde mg for these kind of apps the outfit weighs about 8.6 ounces. It makes the task at hand easier on the body. The only other thing you could do is incorporate more excersies into your workout regiment to help with this.

Looks great! Now you have a big water rig and the yak for those more secluded smaller bodies of water.

I use 8# sniper as my main line on several 2500 series reels. Aside from making sure the line isn't overfilled make sure you close the bail by hand manually vs cranking the handle to do so. I have noticed that using the handle to do so leads to a lot more loops line mgmt. issues. All I use on my spinning reels is mono and flouro. I never have any problems when I do what I am supposed to do.

So this is your story and you're sticking with it huh! I guess we can wait a bit longer!

Nice work Jeff! PB's regardless of species, are always a welcome addition.

I have targeted muskie up north before. Have caught them casting, trolling, and working topwaters. Working baits that are 3-5 ounces on muskie rods/reels can be a wearing task especially during warm summer days. If it was me I would go out early fish for a few hours and go out a few hours before sunset and fish until I was spent if you don't mind fishing in the dark. 90% of the muskie I have caught over 36 inches have been between 7:30 and 9:45 at night on topwaters. I would put a walk the dog lure like a large spook up there with anything. Bigger whopper ploppers and top raiders are also good.

Count me in as in favor of replacing it. Now if you told me you had 6 year line sitting around on the spool it was it came from the manufacturer on, you would be fine to use it. Since it has been sitting on the reel all this time on a spool that is much smaller in diameter it is probably similar in look to a slinky. I would just respool with fresh line, as the line that is on there is cheap anyway.

Too nice to wipe your mouth on! Some pretty good skills. I used to be into art when I was younger. Drawing and painting mostly. Have some of my work still but some was sold or given away to family and friends. For some time a teacher had some of my work displayed at the Joslin Museum here in town.

Hawgtech handles and cork knobs

A 1/16 roadrunner has caught me about everything.

Nice Ripp'n! Would look perfect on previous edition champ extreme

I would put the MHX Hi Mod between a classic GLX and IMX rod. I have not fished the new IMX or GLX so I couldn't tell you how it compares there. For around $100 the Hi Mod provides a pretty affordable and a sharp looking not painted blank. My MHX Hi Mod 874 has better feel than the IMX MBR 844 I sold last year.