FishTank

I have not changed out many but I like the Owner Stinger for crankbaits and Gamakatsu EWG for jerkbaits.

I have been using the VMC Ike Swimbait Jig Heads. I usually am not a fan of Ike or VMC but these work.

You should be good with the 10lb Hybrid. I would set the DC break at 3 and the set the cast control like you would any other baitcaster and start there. I have the Curado DC and pretty much set it at 1 or 2 with a weightless senko. Also, I too had issues with braid but I would definitely not use 8lb. Whoever spooled this reel and/or suggested this line at BPS might need to rethink things.

I have the DC and the K. Both great reels. If you are going to use the DC for flipping and/or pitching, IMHO, ditch the braid and go with FC. I have found braid to be a weird thing with the DC reel especially with pitching. The DC does work great for both flipping and pitching but it shines and amazes when casting into the wind. First thing, I would learn the technique instead of counting on the reel to help (use a regular baitcaster at first). Second, get use to the DC reel before you start flipping/pitching. Last, ignore the settings suggested by Shimano in the manual and figure out what works best for you.

I haven't had an issue with casting distance but I use 12lb Suneline Super Natural or 12lb Seaguar Invizx both have a smaller diameter than most other lines at the same test. I would agree that 10lb maybe an issue with both the lines I use but I have yet to use them. The Calcutta mentioned above would also be awesome.

After fishing the two with the centrifugal system I am going to kind of disagree. I needed to correct a part of what I said...... The Mach 2 has a magnetic braking system. It should have handled the same as the Carbon Fire but it did not.

I like the Curado DC for cranks. It's smooth, casts far, and I have had no issues with anything. One other choice would be the Abu Garcia Winch. It's just a powerhouse for deep cranks.

If it's the spool shaft, $14 is pretty much the going price. It would probably be more expensive from Boca than Shimano. If you order from Boca it would not be a major upgrade on the over all performance with this particular bearing. If you need the actual spool bearings, Boca's are great. I like the ABEC 5 ceramics.

After fishing the two with the centrifugal system I am going to kind of disagree. I would say that it is one of the most finicky systems I have used. With all the available breaking adjustments, I was changing and adjusting the cast constantly. It felt like a 23 speed manual transmission I was controlling with my thumb. Personally, the best system is one that I don't have to adjust or worry about. On the plus side, at least I didn't have to open the side plate to adjust the breaks. And one other thing I did like is how the side plate just snaps back into place when I did take it off and the easy to use button that makes it come off. This is to me the easiest I have seen so far.

I have the K and the Curado DC both have been fantastic. I have not had any issues as of yet. The K is being used for jigs and weighted soft plastic. The DC is being used for crankbaits. The DC has seen probably more casts than I can count and I have caught tons of fish with it. It probably saw the most abuse out any reel I own. It's feels the same, casts the same and looks the same as the day I got it. The K has been used quite a bit but not a ton. I have several other reels I use for the same purpose and they all kind of share the load.

I think if I went down that road, I would start with the BB1 and go from there. It seems to be a safe pick but the ones you mention are definitely interesting.

I have been lucky to be able to have fished a lot of different reels this past two years and as cabin fever has started to set in, despite it being almost 60 degrees today, I wanted to start writing a few reviews. So I decided for whatever reason to start with Lew's. First off I wanted to add a little disclaimer...... I am not a big fan of Lew's reels in general prior to getting my hands on a few. So I know that sounds biased but I did approach this with sort of an opened mind. First reel I tried was a the Hyper Mag. One of the guys I work on reels for bought it at the beginning of the year and asked if I would clean the excess oil and grease (which there was a lot of oil but no grease) off of it and spool it up with some 12lb Stren. He said he was not in a hurry to get it back since he was headed into surgery and I could fish at my leisure until he recovered. So prior to working on it, I fished it for a few hours just to see what it felt like. And it was just OK. I like how it was light weight and felt awesome in hand. It was sort of smooth but just different. I hated the handles though but they were good in the rain. I really wanted to like this reel but it just didn't do it for me compared to other reels well below it's price point. What I expected this reel to be was a light weight finesse powerhouse but it wasn't. I struggled to get good casting distance with this reel on a weightless senko but it did well with heavier jigs and baits. The thing that disturbed me the most was the breaking. I found I was constantly adjusting it to stop it from backlashing. It would be fine one minute and backlash the next. If I am messing with the breaks, I am missing out on fishing. After cleaning, lubing and fishing for about 10 more hours, things improved some but not much. Overall, this is a good reel if you like Lew's reels. I liked the feel of it, it was easy to work on, the cast control knob with the line weight is a nice touch and the hook keeper is genius but it just was not my taste. It was just too different from what I have fished in the past. I gave it back to the owner and wished him the best. Second was the Mach 2, the greenish one that comes with the combo. I bought this at DSG for $50 on clearance. I thought since I liked the way the Hyper Mag felt in hand, I would try one. It felt pretty much the same as the above reel but worse and heavier. I returned it after one use. Last, and strangely my favorite, is the Carbon Fire. I bought this at DSG as well for $12 ($45 clearance + 75% off) back in May. I have to say I was blown away at how good this reel is. Not because of what I paid for it but because it just worked well and felt good in hand. It's surprisingly smooth and it cast as well if not better than the two above. The breaking system (magnetic) works well (very similar to Quantum reels). I think it would make for a great beginner reel. On a side note, I would put it pretty close to the Shimano SLX. I guess I can see why people like Lew's reels but to me all the ones I fished still feel a lot like BPS and Pflueger's offerings (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). They just don't break away from that feel of a mass produced product where all the reels in the line up feel the same. It, to me, boils down to personal preference. I think I will continue to enjoy the Carbon Fiber for years to come though.

Just for comparison and I will let it go. Doesn't really matter what it is though, it's great you are getting out and fishing with your kid and it will be an awesome set up no matter what you get.

If you like the Avid, I have the 6'8'' MH X-fast. It works great for topwater. I use it with an older Shimano Stradic 2500 and 20lb braid. I too am curious about the reel though.... Most 4000 size Daiwa spinning reels are pretty big and have roughly the same line capacity and weight of a 4000 size Shimano. For instance the Daiwa Tatula LT 4000> 10lb/210yards and a Shimano Stradic 4000 > 10lb/200yards. Just an opinion.....I would think that size reel would be too big for bass fishing in general let alone for a young kid but to each their own.

Too bad it's sold out. It would be a nice rod for the money.

Having family that lived in Bradenton for many years, I have fished down there many many times. My opinion, a knife is useless as well is a gun. Gators are very smart and pretty much know where you are at all times even though you don't see them. You need to know when they are active and when they are mating. They also smart enough to look out for fisherman. They look at what you catch as a potential, easy meal that they don't have to fight for. When they are not active, the birds will come to the shore line and it's usually safe to fish at that time (but still be cautious) plus the fish are out to eat.

I tried two of them and had the same issue. I have had more than a few of other brands and never had this issue until I bought this reel. Luckily I was able to exchange the first one and then when I had the same issue with the second, I returned it (this was the older design though). Pflueger's customer service was not much help. I will say this, they worked well (about a month) until they didn't.

G. Loomis GLX 783C.

5in Senko Black with blue flake, 4/0 EWG, and weightless.

Looks like a good list there, NERD..(just in case no one else has caught that yet).

My pick would be the St. Croix Mojo Bass 7'9'' Heavy Fast. Not exactly light but it would get the job done.

This is the reason I have avoided it for years but after fishing a swimbait setup for the first time this summer and catching a couple of nice fish, I broke down and decided to give it a try. Now the hunt for baits begins.

They just scanned the coupon at the register and it worked. I was wondering if it would. Most of the time it doesn't. But you're right, I got lucky. I also purchased 3 other St. Croix rods (2 Legend Elites and a Legend Glass) this way earlier this year. I had them order them from the kiosk up front. I got the discount, no questions asked.

I have a couple of Fenwick rods and never had an issue. I can't speak for the Lunkerstik but most rods in that price range are so mass produced, they tend to be hit and miss when it comes to quality.

The Bait Monkey says..... Of course you do....