Cgrinder

So things just got hilarious. My girlfriend decided she could get a fingernail under the composite nut retainer. So a little prying and boom, the nut retainer is up! So I take some pliers and break the composite nut retainer (I am mad at this point), get the loctite-covered screw out, take the handle off, and put on the Hawg Handle. It fit so much better! VICTORY! TEMPORARY VICTORY! So my girlfriend had picked up the 201E. Not the 51E with the stripped screw. The 201E with the perfectly fine and removable screw. We destroyed the nut retainer on the wrong reel and took ten minutes to notice. I guess I can't tell the difference between palming different Shimanos after all. So now I'm ordering a second Hawg Handle and angrily calling Shimano's customer service tomorrow armed with pictures of very-blue screws. At least I don't have to send the reel in!

I got a sandstone short sleeve. Get excited for the fashion show when it arrives!

I went with my buddy. He bought a Daiwa Aird 2000 spinning reel, some Lucky Crafts, and a Red Eye Shad. He was going to pay $11 for a Jointed Rapala and I said how about a Live Pointer instead? I am a bad friend. Or a good friend. Depends on your point of view. I didn't get anything. No Curado I's in Detroit 'til God knows when. No 6- gear ration CI4+ 151; only the display model 151HG. I handled a Revo Premier for a bit but put it back. I'll definitely go back next weekend for the rod trade-in. I intend to walk out with a few St. Croixs and a Fenwick HMG or two.

Nut retainer is definitely composite. Basically the screw is super stuck. I got the screw out of the 201E with significant effort and some colorful language. It made a distinctive "pop" then turned. That leads me to believe that there may be something in there with the screws from the factory. Not certain. Anyway, I have stripped the heck out of the 51E's screw but I can get a flathead to catch. No luck getting the screw to turn. I am hesitant to drill it. I do like the dremel idea but I think I would have to buy one and I'm not certain I could get it to turn anyway. I put a message in to DVT and I'm calling Shimano customer service. I mean, I shouldn't have stripped the screw, but why the heck was it so hard to remove in the first place?

It loses a little distance vs. the Chronarch 200E with 1/2 oz spooks and frogs in my experience. Not a lot, but enough to notice.

Nothing that a Pointer 100 in Ghost Baby Bluegill can't fix.

We don't have the time shares but we have the vacation package pushers. Generally nice folks. The only thing that bothers me about our store in Detroit is they don't stock enough reels, especially lefties. I just can't bring myself to drop over $200 on a display reel.

So I have a somewhat interesting problem today. I went to take the handle off my 51E and the screw that holds the cap on will not budge. I tried my 201E to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong, but that screw also will not turn. However, I can unscrew the handle on my Citica 201D without issue. These are both new reels that I have not taken the handles off of before. I am turning the screw counterclockwise but I also tried clockwise just for fun with no luck. The one thing I can conclude is that the Chronarch handle screws are lousy. The 51E's stripped pretty much immediately, so I have a new fun problem after I resolve this one! Anyone have any input?

MH *** is a good way to go.

TW lists the Tour 100 MG at $279.99. If you're comparing it to a Curado I and a Gen3 STX, you're comparing it to significantly lower priced reels. I would be interested to see how it would compare to a Chronarch CI4+ and Lews Team Pro. It certainly is a pretty reel. I look forward to the six-month report! Just don't drop the sideplate in the lake.

4 lb Stren Original.

I throw all of those things on braid. If you're going for swim jigs and traps in grass or heavy cover, maybe a 735 for variety?

I would probably throw spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, squarebills, and lipless on that 734 Savvy. They're not terribly fast if my 703 is any indication. However it is likely that both the bass and cover are nastier in AL than MI.

Thanks for the side by side. This sort of changes my opinion about not wanting one and/or waiting for a 50.

You can probably find a second hand curado 50e for $130 or so. If you're looking to throw small pointers on a budget, I believe it is the best option.

Got out to the big Cabela's in Dundee over the weekend. I got a couple jerkbaits and a Live Target walking frog on clearance. Went to a Great Lakes brewery for dinner afterwards. Ribs for me and a salad + brown ale for the vegetarian. Ribs were mediocre (I prefer a rub over sauce) but the fries were excellent.

Thumbs up! I'm probably going to do the same thing at the end of March. Our season starts late up here.

Sounds like you got a lemon or something. I used a MH *** for frogging last summer and I was impressed by the rod's power and durability. It handled my Bill Dance hooksets quite well.

I think at least six of the Friday the 13th's are watchable. Three movies into Nightmare on Elm Street and uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Honorable mention for Jason X being the best movie like, ever. It includes some of the best one-liners in terrible horror movie history and a cameo by David Cronenberg, who makes sweet movies himself. Short version: Jason.

I'd take a Premier with a 6930 on it. I might go down to ML power with St. Croixs. A Medium St. Croix is a pretty strong stick.

I would say graphite MH F in a 6'8"-7' length. I would personally not throw squarebills, lipless, or topwaters on a moderate action glass rod.

If I must use mono on a spinning reel, I use Sufix Elite or Stren original. I think you should check out the Bass Pro XPS fluoro, but that's sort of outside the scope of your question.

I like straight braid for jerkbaits. Many people use mono as well.

I have a Smoke that I really like for some things. I'm not a big fan of the braking. It feels like the choice is either no brakes or all the brakes. However for things like 1/2 oz traps or pike spoons, it is one heck of a caster. Nice and light, too.

I would see what Ron from Valley Sports could do for you on a Tatula. I don't think the Type R is worth the price from what I have read. I have Chronarchs and I like them but if you want to buy a new Shimano, wait for the Curado I. No harm in having the latest and greatest, right?