FishTank

Still waiting on a couple 110's to come in but received the bulk of the bait monkey's latest splurge. I also picked up 2 new pairs of Smith sunglasses (also backordered) and an Outdoor Research paclite jacket to keep with me in my tackle bag.

The SLX without a doubt.

I have the 6'8'' M Fast Legend Elite and you can pretty much do whatever with this rod. It is truly a fine rod, not too long, not too short, not too heavy, and powerful but soft at tip. I have paired mine with a Daiwa Steez SV TWS. Another suggestion would be the G. Loomis 783C GLX. This is one of favorite rods. It can also do pretty much anything but it just has that magical feel to it.

I am using the Bantam MGL 6.2:1 for deep cranking and it's not bad but I prefer a slower reel for this> Revo Winch. My favorite though is the Antares 16 5.6:1 but oddly it has about the same retrieve (IPT) as the Bantam. Both are fantastic but the Antares cast further, it's a fuzz smoother on the retrieve and when a fish is on and it slightly more powerful when bringing in fish from deeper water. I picked up the Antares for less than I paid for the Bantam from this guy on eBay...... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-AnTares-Left-Handed-Low-Profile-Baitcasting-Fishing-Reel-5-6-1-Brand-New/333614135704?hash=item4dacf3b998:g:ky0AAOSw8exdjTRl

Nice reel. I considered this reel at one time and ended up getting the Antares 70. This looked like it would be too much of reel for what I was wanting to use it for but it does look truly amazing. I hope it brings in some monsters.

I kind of have mixed feelings about Abu's baitcasters. I currently own 3, Winch Gen. 4, Revo Toro Beast and the ALF. These three reels have been great for me but I have had three other Abu's that got returned, STX Gen. 4, Revo Premier Gen 2. and a STX 1st Gen. The three I am currently fishing have had no issues. The ALF is one of the funnest reels I have fished. The others though, the biggest let down was the new STX. It's just felt cheap and not smooth. It didn't cast well and the casting was not consistent. What surprised me though was that the Winch was not the same way at all. I get the sense that getting a good reel from Abu is possible but there also seems to be a good chance that you could get a bad one. So I guess, buyer beware on Doyo reels.

Have you tried taking the spool out and replacing the cover without the spool in the reel? > Just to see if the gap is still there.

I say use patience. When the bite is slow so should you be. Also, I will second the use of Smelly Jelly. It won't attract fish but if they bite, they will hold on. Besides most bites aren't really bites per say> bass tend to inhale/slurp the bait when things slow down.

I use mainly clear lines but have tried bright blue, orange, yellow and the usually different shades of green. I have caught fish will all. My fishing brain says clear and green are the way to go but my analytical brain says it doesn't matter much when I have caught fish in clear sunny day water with bright colored reflective line. The one that gets me is the orange (Runcl mono). It's completely visible under water and yet the fish don't seem to care. I have caught tons with this line.

I totally get this. I work on a few reels for friends every winter, just the basic stuff, and I am always surprised at what they give me. Some reels are fished a ton and seem like they are new out of the box when I get them and others seem like they have been used as clubs. Each of these guys takes care of his gear differently, some even leave it outside all year (still don't get this one). This years gem... A Curado B that had never been serviced. All the bearings were rusted, gears were questionable, drag washers broke apart in my hand, the brake ring was grooved and two of the brakes were toast. Not the worst one I have seen but once cleaned/lubed and a few new parts, it worked well. The problem was, the owner looked like he did not know how to fish when he used it after the repair for the first time. He had set it up as he did before, casted the same way and he couldn't control it. He thought I broke the reel until I showed him it would cast a mile and bring in the fish. The reel had been in bad shape for so long he had forgotten what it felt like new. Sometimes the people are harder to deal with than the reels.

On my K, I set with a 1/2 oz crankbait so that it falls somewhat quickly and I leave it there. Most of the baits I through are between 3/8 and 5/8 of an ounce so the 1/2oz lure does it. I also thumb the spool if necessary but rarely have I had to. This reel does a pretty good job on it's own.

I do not own one of these but worked on a new one for friend that likes to have his reels cleaned and lubed before he fishes them. He was out of commission for a few months and said I could fish it until he recovered. Personally I did not care for this reel and it had issues a plenty. It felt rough as soon as I put line on it. I thought if I cleaned and lubed the usual stuff it would recover but it only got worse. Casting was never consistent. One cast would be perfect and the next would have no breaks at all or way too much. I eventually gave him the reel back with my apologies but he was aware of my thoughts on this reel from day one. He did reach out to Lew's and they sent him another after they worked on the first one. The second one from what he tells me has developed the same issues. This was back in April and I have not heard from him since. I would contact Lew's and see if they can help. From what I have heard, their service is excellent.

Nice. Just curious, which IMX rods did you have? I buddy of mine has an old one, it may be the 1st generation, and his got caught in a car door. The top 5 inches are gone. He just glued a guide on it and has been fishing it for years. I have been trying to get him to replace it but he sort of likes it. If he could get a GLX instead, he might change his mind.

BioSpawn Vile Craw has worked well for me but nothing made out of softplastic lasts forever.

I have had the same experience in the past as well and questioned if the guys at Shimano actually fish. Luckily the guys have I been in contact with the last few times seem to be fishing their equipment and have some first hand knowledge. Often times though, they get a product in and it comes with a spec sheet so they just stay to the script.

Actually the line being on this particular rod and reel (G. Loomis 844C and a Shimano Chronarch 51e this year) is a testament to how long it lasts. The 30-40 yards that get beat up stay in pretty good shape throughout the year. I just cut off some at the end of the year and change it the following year. I fish this set up about once a week but it's not one that gets used as much others. As far as the knot strength goes, I use an improved clinch knot. And as far as the lure goes, it will remain a secret.... ?

I watched the video and it looks like they tested Big Game against leader material in a dry test for salt applications. So before I toss out my two cents on this, a little disclaimer..... I don't care what line it is or the cost, if it works for what I need, it lasts a long time and I can I use with confidence (meaning, it cast well and it is consistent in knot strength and abrasion resistance from spool to spool and yard to yard within a spool). Also, if the line is supple, it's a bonus worth paying for. My conclusion, the test these guys did, didn't prove anything to me and is sort of BS. I checked all 20+ lines that TT did and they have developed a base line for abrasion resistance by taking the average of the lines they have tested> more data and testing done here=better results. After reading there tests, FC is by far more abrasion resistant and last longer. Please take the time to read..... http://tackletour.com/menulines.html Is it worth the extra cost though? I think I will use an extreme example of my own test. I like and use to use Big Game for a few things but I would have to pull off about 30-40 yards after about every 3-4 uses because it was shot. Do this 2 times and it is time to respool. I fish about two 8 hour sessions a week and maybe one or two outings that last about 3-4 hours. So typically if I used it for my main line on two rods, I would buy a new spool about once every 6-8 weeks (about 1000 yards). As main line though, it's tough and not supple at all, it does cast well when new, and can bring some fish in but it would breakdown quickly and knot strength would be come questionable as well. Seaguar Invizx 12lb on the other hand would last me the whole year with no issues. Often times I have one reel that has the same lure tied to it all year until I change the line (not the best idea I know) but it holds up and catches fish. My time is better spent not having to worry about line and its properties and better spent on fishing. That to me is worth the cost.

Out of all the rods I have owned over the years, I have broken only a few and mostly by user error. The most recent was an older G.Loomis CBR rod that I got caught in a car door. I have broken one with the automatic windows and another got stepped on. But three have been broken while fishing> St.Croix Triumph, All Star Classic, and a Shimano Crucial. The Crucial was several years old and had been used frequently, the others were less than a year old. I think I have seen more rods, out on the water, broken over knees than I have seen broken by fish but it does happen.

Invizx 12lb for T rigged soft plastic Tatsu 10lb for jerkbaits and weightless soft plastic Trilene 100% FC 6lb for spinning gear And totally sold on Sunline Defier for crankbaits. Fantastic line.

I have one of the crankbait rods and it's a fine rod for the money especially at a $100. The one I have was acquired due to an exchange/warranty with Shimano for an old Crucial rod that I broke. When I was in contact with Shimano I noticed that they had a few rods that seemed identical to each other and when I asked what the difference was between them, they said one is designed for FC and the other for braid. I failed to ask what the build difference was but in your case the 7'7'' is designed for braid and the 7'6'' is designed for FC. Other than that, they seem pretty similar. I think I either would work for frogs. For me, I like a 7' Heavy Fast rod for frogs with a kind of softer tip. I use a G. Loomis 844C for frogs but I also use this rod for other topwater, jigs and t-rigged soft plastic. In the Curado rod line there is a 7'5'' Heavy that is a frog specific rod, that may be a better choice. Most flipping rods to me have been like broom sticks even though they say they are a Fast rod, the taper seems stiffer throughout, not exactly what I would want in a frog rod.

I have the 6'8'' M Fast Legend Elite and I would say it is more like a regular Medium rod rather than a Med Heavy. I can not say the same about the St. Croix Avid line up though. I also have the Legend Elite 7'1'' MH X-fast and it may just a fuzz heavier than a MH, in say, the G. Loomis GLX line up but not by much. Based on what you are wanting to do, I would go with either the 7' M Fast or the 7' MH Fast in the Legend Elite line up. Both would do the job but for pitching I like a heavier rod than the Medium. For all the purposes you are asking, I think the 7'6'' is more specifically designed just for flipping and pitching. I looked at this rod last year and this year but ended up with a 854 NRX instead. Another one to consider that I use for all of what you listed, is the G. Loomis 844C GLX. It is a 7' Heavy and can handle topwater and pitching well. As far as soft plastic goes, I use it for t-rigged soft plastic with a 3/16oz or heavier bullet weight. If you search this site, you will find numerous old posts from Road Warrior on this rod.

Got to love the 50e Curado. I have a 51e Chronarch. Those 50 size reels are something special.

I use to use a 201 E for deep cranks and had no issues. It was not the smoothest reel nor did it cast real far but it got the job done with 3/8oz to 5/8oz crank baits.

I have two older Calcutta 251's and would not use WD40 or Tri-Flow on these fishing reels. I would stick with Shimano Bantam Oil and Drag Grease. I have had one of the Calcutta's for 15+ years that I clean and lube each year and it fishes like new. I have replaced the spool bearings just for the heck of it and that's it. These reels are tanks and could potentially last a life time. If you are going to use an oil with PFTE, I believe most guys like Super Lube but I can not vouch for it's longevity. DVT I believe could answer this one. Tri-Flow if memory serves me right is what we used on our stitchers at a printing company I use to work at. It was good stuff but we needed to apply in large amounts and then after awhile it would need to cleaned off with a gas like cleaner (Quick Dry 66) because it would gum up.

I'm right handed and use left handed reels. I cast with my right and don't switch hands. I know it sounds weird but it feels natural to me. Like batting right handed and standing on the left side of the plate or swinging an ax right handed but holding it in my left before I swing> just weird stuff like that.