FishTank

@bobthebuilder-1 Casting or Spinning? Budget? What rod and baits are wanting to use? Line? For the most part, any Shimano reel as of late has been well made and will be fun to fish.

I've seen a real one in action at a BBQ. A cook butchered a pig with one. Sharpest instrument I've ever seen. The guy using it wore special gloves and arm sleeves. It was kind of a side show.

These guys have the best scissors I have ever used. They're sharp, like you better pay attention to what you're doing sharp. I bought mine at a local fly shop. https://www.aflyco.com/shop/-all-scissors/2

G Loomis 872S NRX+. The tip is not soft but it's exactly the way I want it for wacky Senkos, Neko Rigs, and light free rig baits. It is definitely more powerful than what it is rated. It casts and loads well. Just a great rod.

This guy has caught me a few fish when no other spinnerbait would. It's an OSP High Pitcher in this color of pink. It has a shorter arm than most and comes in 1/2oz.

I have been using the Owner STY-35MF (had to look this one up). Great short hook. I can use it on small baits and they don't get hung up. They also have an unequal gap between each point. Supposedly it allows the hook to ride between the bait. All I know is it works.

As a Colts fan.....Just had to get this off my chest.

I got shingles when I was 22 (30 years ago). It was horrible. It was like being stabbed with hot pokers and then someone turning them. Most painful thing I have been through. I have had Covid twice. Once before it was everywhere and once after being vaccinated. The first time was a close call. It lasted for weeks. There wasn't even a test then to determine what I had. I was notified months later. The second time, it lasted three days and with meds and the vaccine, I was back to work 100% on the fourth day. I haven't had it since. On the downside, I lost multiple family members to it and two coworkers and it put my workout partner in the hospital for months. He lost his nephew to it. He was 18 and heading to be Georgia Bull Dog football player. None of them were vaccinated.

@Fishydishy Not sure on the exact weight but it's feels light in hand for a heavy rod. As far as balance goes, I have it paired with a Metanium 8.x:1 and have no issues tossing a 1/2oz jig all day. To be honest, I don't get hung up on the balance/tip heavy debate. If it feels good to me and the rod loads like it should, being a little tip heavy is no big deal.

Is there a 110 jr +1?

Don't use a straight retrieve. Stop and go has worked for me. Also, if the your in deep water or if the bottom will corporate, I let it fall to the bottom, bounce it a little and then retrieve it, like a dead or dying fish.

If you can swing it, the JDM Twin Power 2000S has been an awesome reel for me. It's not exactly light weight but it is buttery smooth and is pretty much a little powerhouse. If you want light weight, I would look at the Vanquish. Also, an amazing reel.

The JDM Alphas SV TW would be a good one to look at. The price is under $200 and it will handle most light weight lures that would be used on the 782C.

I just ordered a couple of crankbaits from them. We will see how they work out. They look like good quality baits and the price is great.

I'm going to say yes, sort of. Most the ponds I fish have clear water and when fishing straight braid the fish run away from a lure, even a small one. On the other hand, the lakes I fish, it doesn't seem to mater as much. There have been a few times where I have been having a good day, broken off my leader and didn't retie due to heavy winds. I wouldn't catch anything the rest of the day. Typically it's on a wacky senko set up, which pretty much catches fish all the time for me. Then turn around and fish straight braid on topwater or a jig in some heavy grass and the fish hit it.

There is a time and place for ribbon tail worms but they haven't been my everyday go to like a Senko or a beaver style bait. My luck with curly tail worms.

Went to my local pond to test out a theory with the free rig. I typically use a 1/8oz weight but stepped it up with a 1/4 and 3/8oz. I used a 4in OSP DoLive Beaver and an Evergreen Flop Craw with a 2/0 Owner Haymaker. I caught three nice keepers sitting in middle of the lake.

I picked up the Megabass P5 Whippet earlier this year and it has been a lot of fun to fish. I throw all sorts of small swimbaits on it. Everything from the Megabass Spark Shad to a 6th Sense Whale. I do like the NRX+ 802C but Whippet is just more fun. The sensitivity on it is as good or better than the 802C and it has some power to it despite having a light soft tip.

It would probably be OK but not my first choice. It is my go to small crankbait rod though and one of favorite all around rods. For 1/4oz jigs, I like the G. Loomis 802C. When I'm fishing those smaller baits, I like to be closer in so a shorter rod works best for me. Also, this rod has a soft tip which is great for bouncing smaller baits on the bottom. Plus, the sensitivity to me is better than the P5 Six Eleven.

My eyes are getting bad too but I find the the small diameter of the line use to be more of an issue than color. With that said, I bought some Suline Almight in pink to try out. The bright color does help, especially when tying on a leader.

Probably not the gears. It could be multiple things. I usually start with three different parts.... Spool Bearings - it's just easy to check AR Bearing - one piece of junk can make it feel off Line Roller Guide - Gunk gets built up on the sides on most of the Tatulas I've seen, even my own. The guide gets out of wack. This would cause the thumping feel. As others have said, I would send it it Daiwa. They do great work.

@jejenkynsG. Loomis NRX+ 842S SJR would be handle most of your needs. It's not flashy but it gets the job done. I throw just about whatever on it that's 3/8oz or less. It's sensitive and a little soft. You mentioned the Windbuster. That is one rod that is on my hit list for next year. I picked up the Whippet and I have been blown away by it. It's just fun to fish. The sensitivity of the Whippet is just different from the NRX+. There is something in the handle design that makes it something special. Also, I wouldn't worry about length so much. I have tried a few longer rods in the 7'6'' range that are Light or ML and didn't see a significant difference in casting distance. It was actually harder to get the rods to load with say a 1/8oz jig head and a 3in swimbait. I did try the new P5 Zangestu. It might be an exception. It will cast and load small weights easily but I have heard of them breaking. I haven't seen any for sale since the initial run.

They had four different boxes and she picked one. When it arrived the box wasn't totally closed so I checked to make sure it was all there. Plus they shorted me a bait or two in the past in one of these boxes. It was just an accident that they fixed. I could have totally grabbed whatever and she would have been none the wiser.

It took me a minute but that's funny.

No pictures yet but my wife got me an OSP soft plastic Bento Box from the Hook Up Tackle. She let me peek at it before she confiscated it for my birthday at the end of the month. For $100 I got 25 packs of OSP baits and 4 of those packs were the rubber dice. I have not used these. I'm kind of excited to try them out. For the money it was a great deal. I kind of wish I would have bought another one before they sold out.