FishTank

I have the Loon and Bone color. Both have been a lot of fun to fish. Not the biggest producers for me when it comes to topwater but still a lot of fun and a well made bait.

I fished a buddies new Winch last week and was sold.... So the bait monkey got me. This reel is one of the best I have ever used. It's unique in its feel and power. I had the original Premier and STX. Both did not work out for me. The Winch on the other hand hit's the nail on the head on pretty much all accounts. The drag is, well, perfect. The break system is also the best I have used. The retrieve is smooth and is great for crankbaits but not as smooth as a Shimano Calais (ya that's an old $400 reel). Casting is above average but not the best I have used. It's a little larger than most baitcasters but it's not uncomfortable and still palms well. The only down side.... the build seems a little cheap feeling but it is no way a thing to turn me away from it. If you add up all the things this reels does for under $200, it may be the best bang for the buck I have ever used, only time will tell. The five pounder below was brought in with ease.

I took it out today for a few minutes and it was just awesome. It's sort of addictive. I paired mine with an older Shimano Chronarch 51e.

I have the 844c and use it for just about everything except crankbaits. I really like it for frogs and topwater but use it for t-rigged plastic, jigs, and jerkbaits as well.

I looked at the 852c a while back and thought it was too light for senkos and med. jigs and went with the 803c instead. I liked the MH power better but it still feels light in hand. I also own a 6'6'' M G. Loomis Crankbait rod. It is very similar in power to the 852 and it is a little light for anything deep. The feel of this rod also influenced my decision.

I have owned or still own a few Daiwas (Zillions and a Steez>both great reels) and fished, but not owned, a Calcutta DC. The Calcutta DC would out cast the Zillion and Steez by quite a bit and it was almost impossible to backlash and would be great for skipping lures. With all that said I can't speak for the new Curado DC or the Metanium DC. Also, my favorite reel for skipping around docks is the Shimano Core. I know it has been discontinued and is old but it still works the best for that technique.

I have both GLX and IMX rods. The GLX has a more crisper feel and is definitely worth the extra $40.

If I'm on a boat I would use two different rods for jigs and texas rigged stuff but on the bank I would use just one rod. I prefer a MH Fast rod that is under 7'. I like to travel as light as possible when I'm on the bank.

I tried this one and it turned into an oven. I was baked by the end of the day. It breathed well at first but when I started to sweat, it just ended up clinging to skin. I have other shirts that are moisture wicking and this one does not do it well. It was what actually caused me to start this topic.

Looking for recommendations for a good long sleeve fishing shirt that breaths and has a collar. What are you guys using to keep the sun at bay without getting cooked?

I picked up a couple of bags of Bio Spawn baits this weekend (Vilecraw and ExoStick) at Gander Outdoors and these things worked pretty well. I was impressed at how hard the bass hit these things. I then fed the Bait Monkey by placing an order on their website. We'll see how it goes. They also gave me a discount code/link that gets you 25% off and also gives me a few points in their system if anybody is interested. http://r.sloyalty.com/r/wqxMtZcwAbXT

I have to agree the rod is more important in this case and some line that floats.

A buddy of mine use to use the Tourney Special Rods and he loved them. I was not a big fan but for the money they got the job done.

Stopped at Dicks today and was looking for pretty much nothing and found some Seaguar Kanzen braid for $5. I bought 4 spools (40lb, 50lb and 60lb). I am not a big fan of braid, but for $5, I think I can give it a try again.

Finally got this thing today. I ordered the 7' M casting. It is simply amazing. Not only is super sensitive and it just flat out looks cool. I would say it is just slightly more sensitive than my G. Loomis 803c GLX and is more fun to fish. The micro guides are a bit weird though. If I can get a few bucks together I am going to try pick up another one.

I tried one of these out for about 30min last weekend and really liked it. I have been kind of unimpressed with most of the previous Revos I have tried/owned but not this one. It was smooth, powerful and cast a mile. It may a bit big but it felt good in hand. Does anybody have one of these and have an opinion? I may pick one up in the future.

I have had several Shimanos over the years and none of them have been geary. This doesn't mean that I have not had parts wear out or go bad. If I did experience any thing like that, it may have been after a lot of abuse and a general lack of care and cleaning.

I use them and that is a good deal. Usually they are about $5 a pack. The regular worm hooks are sharp and pretty good but I like the Wide Gap Plus 4/0. It is an awesome hook and it's pretty thick and heavy.

Sure. I just ordered some for my 201G6. https://fishshop.shimano.com/collections/cu200g6

I will stick with a drop shot or spin shot rig.

After trying one out for the first, I am also going with the Curado K. But if you are planning on going big and slow, I like the new Revo Winch.

Thanks for the review. Good info. In general, I have never been a fan of Fireline and have not used it in years. The original was not bad but it seems each rendition has been hit or miss, I will stick with Power Pro or Suffix 832.

Actually a little sarcasm on my part.....Depending on how much heat is applied and what type they are, I think they could last 100-500 years. Someone much smarter than me could probably figure this out.

Berkley line station works best for me.

Gary Yamamoto Fat Ika rigged backwards with a 4/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus hook. Smallmouth love these things.