MassYak85

If I use a snap it stays with the bait and is used instead of a split ring.

Decoy Egg snaps size 2, 3 and 4 depending on the bait.

I haven't been out yet. Not as motivated to brave the wind and the cold this year haha. I think in a week or two I'll start getting out there.

I am cursed with tying PBs. For a loooong time I was stuck at 5.40 on the dot. I caught 3 fish at that weight on: 1) Green Pumpkin Wacky Rigged BPS Stickbait 2) Lethal Weapon Swim Jig 3) 9" Trout MS Slammer I broke it on at 5-11 on a Bl8nkt Red Spinnerbait Then I broke it again with a 6-4 using a brown 3pc PB Rat....only to tie it at 6-4 again, with a black 1pc Monka Crawler

For the price point I prefer the Daiwa Fuego CT but the Lews Speed Spool LFS was my first baitcaster alongside an old Johnny Morris hand-me-down from my dad. It was a solid reel.

Uggggh I didn't think I needed anything before spring

Calling them for parts is extremely easy and quick I will say.

I feel like I have the opposite problem where I can usually figure out a pattern but it's all 2lbers 🤣. I need some of your big fish magic haha.

The newer model Tatula. They've been super solid reels for me and easy to work on it was totally my fault for putting it away wet and waiting too long to service it.

Jigs, lipless (jigged off bottom), or jerkbait if they're still holding on the deeper breaks. Once they start getting shallow I am usually just covering water with a spinnerbait or bladed jig and hitting key areas with jigs.

Destroyed the levelwind on my oldest Tatula reel during it's annual cleaning (bearings were rusted beyond saving) so I "had to" order a brand new one 😄

I would pop open the gears at least and see what those looks like. If everything still turns smoothly you're probably in the clear. If you feel any grittiness there's probably some rusted bearings somewhere in the reel.

SV3 is my current go-to.

Pulled the trigger on a new Tatula. I had an 8 year old one that was my workhorse reel and finally had to retire it lol. I pulled it apart and the two levelwnd bearings were not just rusted, but somehow fused to the worm gear. I destroyed both bearings, the worm gear itself, and the plastic housing trying to get it apart. Oh well, it had a good life and I've got other tatulas and fuegos I can use the parts on. Called Daiwa and unfortunately they don't make that specific worm gear anymore.

They're super fun, the wings can be finicky sometimes though. MDC makes a perch crankdown that I really like and I have a Cl8 possum I'll sometimes pull out but that thing is big lol. I've caught a few good ones but I have to be in the mood to commit to it.