FishTank

I cut mine into pieces and recycle them at work. I try to keep one or two on hand.

Today was a lot of fun despite the heavy rain. I caught this guy and a couple of weird ones.. I caught a yellow striped bass and a silverish-gray walleye. I wish I got a pic of the walleye though. It was about 6-7lbs. No brown or green at all. I have never seen anything like it.

Nice fish. Enjoy. Smallmouths are the best, BTW.

So for the rod that I broke in the window, I used the G.Loomis Xpeditor Service. It's a fee based warranty program that allows you to get a new rod rather quickly and for pretty much whatever reason. They send you the new rod and you send them the old one back. In my case, I paid $100 to get the rod replaced and since the rod I had was discontinued, I was upgraded to the next line of rods, which is the IMX. I could have chosen pretty much any IMX rod but I got the same rod in a longer length.

I haven't used it in years but it used to be good line. Very similar to XL. I would say it was sort of in between Stren and XL.

So I called about two rods that I had broken, one was probably operator error and the other was in the usual car door/window. The first was a G. Loomis 783C CBR. I broke this rod putting it in my truck. It was my fault but I thought why not see what could be done. So I called and asked about the Xpeditor Service. Since this rod was no longer made, I was upgraded to an IMX... Awesome. Next I asked about a rod I cracked slightly a few years ago (Shimano Crucial 2nd generation), pulling in a fish and some cabbage out of the water. It was really dumb on my part but the rod cracked under the weight and was still useable so I never called. After they did some research, they called me back and they are sending me a Shimano Curado in place of the Crucial. The overall experience was great and the guys I talked to seemed more knowledgeable than usual. The times I have called them in past my experience was not the best. They did give me some info on their current situation..... They are not doing warranty claims but they are doing the Xpeditor Service if they have the rod in stock. Certain rods in the NRX and GLX lines are in short supply. Sales have been good all year, even now. Since their factory is closed down for the time being and some of the wrapping is outsourced this has compounded the inventory issue. I got the impression they are working in the offices and shipping rods and reels from their facility in Charleston, SC. Here is their response from the G. Loomis website. Also, please take my experience as a positive thing and don't turn it in into something else.

I kind of like the G. Loomis 853C NRX but it's overkill. Also, I like the 783C GLX and 844C GLX if I use a trailer. Both of these rods will do just about anything.

I can't speak for the SLX but I do enjoy the Curado DC.

If your budget is unlimited..... Daiwa Steez SV TWS. There is pretty much nothing this reel can't handle, smooth, light and handle anything from about 1/8oz to 3/4oz easily.

What reel is it specifically that you are trying to work on? It would help to better find parts. Also, it is not uncommon for $100 and below priced reel to have repair parts cost, like you stated, around 1/2 of the cost of the reel. You can get the 3x10x4 from Shimano for $5, the 4x10x4 for $9 at Boca (stainless), and the 5x11x4 also at Boca for $4 (radial stainless). the Boca's will be the correct size but are not probably shielded for fishing. I would think as long as you oil them and not dunk them in water, you would be OK. This should put you at about $25 with shipping for the 3 bearings.

Forgot one, maybe two... The St. Croix Truimph. Granted it was $60 but it was not a good rod. Next, an All Star rod (can't remember the model). It snapped at the tip and cracked at the bottom. Might have been user error but it came highly recommend. It never felt right in hand and it felt cheaply made.

The original Fenwick Elite Tech Bass. I have the 7' Heavy. It's a pool cue. It's a great catfish rod and maybe good for a few heavier jigs but it's not sensitive, it's heavy and it doesn't balance well with anything I have ever put on it and it even has a weight set in the butt of the rod to help. I should have, at that time, bought a St. Croix Avid. It was only $30-$40 more. I later purchased another Elite Tech spinning rod in the newer version. It's pretty good, no regrets with this one.

In a way the build quality may be better on the Legend Elite but not by much. As far as the guides go, I like the recoil guides. I think and this is just a guess, that they are what makes the rods just a little bit more sensitive. I am not a huge fan of braid but if memory serves me right, if you torque down on the rod with braid the recoil guides can groove. I would hope they have improved this over the years. Also, I can't recall anyone ever saying this happened on the NRX rods.

I have both the rods you are looking at and both are great but the NRX is by far my favorite. The St.Croix is well built, sensitive and a bit more stout. The NRX is lighter and more sensitive. Is it worth the extra cost? Maybe but when it comes to rod sensitivity, it's very subjective and the law of diminishing returns is definitely a factor to consider with your purchase. If it were me, I would go with the NRX for sure. My only complaint about this rod is that it doesn't load as well as I like for long casts but it's like a magic wand at everything else. Its definitely a pleasure to fish.

I have been using 6lb Trilene XL 100% FC for a few years now and have had zero issues. Good stuff. I am not fan of braid on spinning gear.

I have been doing a little here and there but I don't have to worry about passing time. Where I work, I have absorbed two other people's jobs and we have been as busy as ever. Business has been booming. I really can't figure it out. It's starting to catch up with us though. We have a limited amount of workers (some out sick with the virus, a few in quarantine, and few in the hospital) and more work than we can do in a week. Luckily our customers are understanding. My wife is working from home and my kids still have school, online. So what does that mean for fishing... I fish when I can. I have been able to get out for a few Saturdays since the weather has been better but I have spent more than my fair share of time online shopping for fishing gear and what not. This weekends damage.... Mulch, fertilizer, plants, soil and bug killer Shutters for the windows Riding tractor maintenance> Fuel filter, air filter, oil change and spark plug New Battery and Cable for daughter's truck Weber Grill 2 pairs of boots (work and hiking) G.Loomis 903C IMX Pro Patagonia Fishing Shirt 2 sets of Boca Bearings for old reels New NRS Chinook Life Vest And....2 hours of fishing

I have worked in printing for about 25 years, most of it on the computer side of things. I have used both high end Macs and PC's. They both have their place and I use them as different tools for different jobs. My personal preference for working on print files are Mac's, the high end models. They are just better no matter how powerful a PC you have. I use PC's to process mail for USPS, run daily work correspondence, and anything involving Microsoft programs. As far as how long they last..... Most of the Mac's I have used last at least twice as long as PC's. For instance, I have two Mac Pro's at work one for print files and the other for video. One is two years old and the other is twelve years old. I have never had an issue with the two Mac's. I have replaced my PC's about every two to three years, with only one lasting five. I have had hard drives go out, video boards, fans, processors/mother boards, and power supplies. Typically the Mac's I get cost about $3000-$5000 (crazy) and the PC's are usually the highest end Dell Workstation out at the time (about $2000-$3000). I have also used an Alien Ware laptop (died after 2 years) and my current at home computer is a Mac Book Pro from 2014 (everything original).

I have no words....

That's some straight up crazy stuff right there. But wow, that's an awesome collection. There was a member here that posted some photos years ago of his walk-in closet full of just tackle and I thought that was huge. This guy is on another level.

True. But if I couldn't get anything I would be good for awhile. To prove your point, I have a G. Loomis 903C CBR on the way. It's a different rod from anything I have or have ever fished. We will see how it goes.

I think I have enough stuff to fish for at least one life time, maybe two.

I have rods from St. Croix, G. Loomis, Abu Garcia, 13 Fishing, Quantum and Fenwick so all over the place. I do have a preference for rods made in the US with quality workmanship.

I have 6 110's. I have not ever broke one. Some are 12 years old. I have replaced the hooks before but that's it. I fish one of them at least once a week. They have always produced for me. I am not saying it's the cause but I do recall years ago before they changed the eye direction of these, I saw few of them breaking on braided line.

I have the Bantam and it would be a good reel for this. It's frame build and weight would be a great advantage with this heavier rod. Another choice and I have not fished it but if it acts as advertised..... Daiwa Tatula Elite Flip and Pitch.

I would get the IMX 843C or 844C. Both would be great rods and very versatile.