FishTank

This is how I often do it or I side arm it low to the water. For some baits it work great but others not so much. For jigs, I like flat bottom heads like Sieberts G2 Mata or Dregde. Next would be the trailer and for that I like beaver style baits. My favorite this year has been Berkley's Max Scent Creature Hawg. Gear, this year it has been a NRX+ 904c and a Metanium MGL XG. Line, I use 15lb Tatsu. Technique, low and side arm has been my best. The thing that helps me the most is to set my reel up for skipping and not for max casting, which means more braking and tightening the spool tension knob a little more.

I think he just said everything I have been saying for years about line..... It's a tool.

I love it. It's smoother than the SV and it's fun to fish. I have it paired with a NRX 802C with Sunline Shooter Finesse Special 8lb. I use it for just about anything down to a 1/16 jig head with a 4.5in Roboworm and up to 3/8 oz 5in senko. It is also great for Easy Shiners. I like to think of it as an almost BFS reel. I believe with the proper rod it could handle even lighter baits.

I have the Steez SV and CT. I can't explain it but the Zillion seems to have that "It" factor. I know that I just played with it for a few minutes but I plan to put it through it's paces when it gets here from Japan. I also can't explain why I might like it better than the two Steez's I have. I plan on putting it with a Megabass Evoluzion Super Diablo. We will see.

Mine is on the way. I got to try one out today and couldn't resist. It might be the best Daiwa reel I have picked up and that includes a couple of Steez's.

This might be a good time to bring up a dumb question I have had for a long time.... What purpose does this bearing serve, why upgrade it or in some cases, go from a bushing to a bearing? I have had one bushing replaced and one upgraded/replaced. I have noticed no difference in the two reels it was done to.

Weird.... I am 49 and the guy I fish with is 65. We just said the same thing. We are fishing a two day tournament with a chance of heavy rain and wind both days.

I have the Avid 6' ML Fast and it's a great rod. I don't use it often but when I do I have use it for inline spinner baits and 4in senkos. I might be interested in selling it. It's in really good condition. Send me a PM if you are interested and I can send you pics.

I got gas for my wife's car at Costco today and saw something I have never seen before. I guy pulls up in a pick up truck with a Ranger bass boat attached. He fills both tanks of this truck, about 30 gallons. Then he fills his boat with 40+ gallons. Finally he had 12 five gallon gas containers he started to unload and the attendant stopped him. I am not sure what he said but he only filled one jug. If he had filled them all that would be over 130 gallons of gas and at $4.45 a gallon. That's about $575.

Piscis Invisibilis? Agnatha laitio?

I see it all over Indiana. It drives me crazy. I see it every weekend where there will be a group of bucket fisherman sitting down throwing trash everywhere. It has been a pet peeve of mine for years. To tell how bad it gets, my brother is an environmental engineer and he was hired years ago to help coordinate a stream clean up near Louisville. The stream is filled with trout and some nice small mouth bass. There is a deep bridge that catches a lot of trash. They filled a tanker of melted plastic bags from just this spot. Think about how many liquefied plastic bags it would take to fill a 54' tanker. It's crazy the dumb stuff we do to the waters we fish from.

We have noticed less bass boat traffic but the same, if not more, pleasure boaters. If anything, we won't be going flat out and the trolling motor will see a lot of work.

Duo Realis Popper 64. It's small, cast well on Medium Fast rod, both pops and walks the dog well, and it will catch fish but it's pricey.

Throwing a reel suggestion at you..... It may be a few bucks more than what you want to spend but it's a good one and a great price. I considered one last year when I picked up a Shimano Vanquish. It feels awesome in hand and is as smooth as some higher priced reels...... Daiwa Luvias LT2500. You can pick it up from Asian Portal for $237 (they might add a few bucks for a service fee though). It retails for $350 US.

Ok. Not sure about finding the STX. I think it is being fazed out. I remember them being on clearance last year, both casting and spinning. I can say this, the STX casting was one of the worst reels I have put my hands on. The spinning is of course totally different but I think the casting tainted the Gen 4 reels in the STX line. On a side note, I have the Gen 4 Winch. Great reel. I can't figure what made the STX such a dog when the Winch is so great. Have you fished the Fantasista X? The reel seat is really weird to me at a $300 plus rod. Not knocking it. I have a Fantasista Regista 7' M Fast. I paid less than half of the retail price for this rod but overall it's great. I don't care for the grips though but it's not a huge deal. I just don't think it's worth the full price. There is a 15% code for Omnia > OMPUNCH22MAY. It should work for Abu stuff.

What exactly did you want to buy?

I spool mine on either a spooling machine or a Berkley line spooler. With either one, I put tension on it by hand so it's pretty tight but not super snug. Once I cast it out, I pull a little more out and reel in. After that it should be perfect. It should look something like these guys when done......

It sounds like there was no tension on the spools when the line went on, causing loops (sort of like a backlash). A loose knot on the spool might do this as well. Another thing might be that the drag and/or spool tension were backed out.

I have tried them Texas rigged and didn't have much luck either. I came to the conclusion that the fatter/solid swimbaits (Keitech Fat Impact, Rage Swimmer, Mag Freestyle, etc) don't get bit as much with a bullet weight as compared to a weighted hook. Just a theory.... I think the weighted hook gives it a better center of gravity and also gives it more side to side action. Another way to rig them is to use a wobble head. Can't explain it but it works.

I always have one Texas rigged with a 4/0 EWG and a 1/8oz bullet weight and one wacky rigged either weightless or with a weighted wacky jig every time I go out. I like to fish the Texas rigged setup on casting gear and the wacky on spinning.

I love high end rods. I tend to buy two or more setups a year just for the fun of it. But when it comes to what the OP is asking about getting, which is a rod in the $500-$725 range. I would get a St. Croix Legend Glass and a G.Loomis IMX. That would still be cheaper than one NRX or Conquest, he could cover a wider range of baits, and he would have two of the best rods made for crankbaits.

Oddly, after what I said I above, I would agree with this as well. I have two Legend Elites and one of them is the 6'8'' Med. Fast. It seems to have a softer tip and is great for jerkbaits and some square bills. To me, it's not close to the sensitivity of the NRX but still a fine rod. I use it as my primary T-rigged senko rod. I have not fished one of Mod-fast Elite rods. You, as far as I remember, are the first to mention them and I have never seen one on a shelf.... So now I am intrigued. I have been looking for a MH to H powered crankbait rod to fish deeper diving cranks but it has not been something that has been a priority. I just figure I would pick up a St. Legend Glass next year when I needed to scratch the itch for a new setup. I will keep the Elite in mind.

Maybe I missed something but I don't think the NRX or Conquest rods were designed for crankbaits. You could use them though but none of them are even close to what I look for in a crankbait rod. As far as the above statement goes, I totally agree. I had a G. Loomis GLX crankbait rod several years ago and sold it. It was just too sensitive for the intended purpose. I found myself missing fish and getting overwhelmed with every small vibration the rod had. For me the new IMX pro and the St. Croix Legend Glass are fantastic rods for cranks and have just the right amount of sensitivity.

$10 for a new rod. It costs more to ship it. Also, everyone I know that has a Veritas has had one break. They love the rod but after a year or so they start to have issues.

Sunline Defier Amarillo. Fishes like FC but has all the regular attributes of mono and last a long time.