MAN

I had no idea they got into the reel business.

I have had it happen to certain baits but not an ABS bait.

ebay will give you the most up to date market value.

Both Berkley Powerbait and Gulp can have a very "off putting" smell as they age. A gynecologist could probably relate. (sorry thats the most family friendly way I could think of saying it)

If you only fish ponds you can throw a rock across then a smaller and lighter 70 size reel will hold all the line you need. Unless you snag a beaver.

Better have your gameface ready when you open it and its a 8' panfish special rod.

Wait for the next gen in the livescope technology. Once it detects the fish and identifies the type of fish based on the size, shape and location, it will overlay the correct colors of that fish that will give each fish a realistic identity as it moves on screen. ...or will it?

Thats a nice collection. Where are you located cbailey?

Without a doubt when I developed rods and reels I was held to a margin standard that I needed to hit despite raw material and labor cost rises every year. There were always 2 solutions. 1. De-spec 2. Change factory What made it easier was the change in U.S. consumer's mindset that overall anything that last 3-5 years was acceptable and not deemed a waste of money. This kinda trickled down from the influx of cheap appliances, accessories, electronics, (my wife's piece of crap Ikea furniture) and so forth into the U.S. market the past couple of decades. Also with nearly everyone in the fishing industry having to do the same, it made it hard to call out one over the other for making the subtle changes.

I have never got more than a year outta these types of reels. 18 bearings of which at least 8 are completely obsolete is a fair warning right on the box. I do however, hope yours last longer and you get your money's worth.

This is a very well made 70 size baitcaster as an BFS alternative in the XCS price range.

The moment I go to the part where you said "it would be legal for me to use bass as bait on the lake I fish" I was wondering the the heck is the argument here?? Some people get so caught up in "ethics" that they forget to just have a good time. I actually think its a great and rewarding challenge to catch a small bass and then inturn, catch a larger bass off of him.

Fishing from pontoons is everything now down here in Texas. A lot of guides use them to make the experience more comfortable, especially for larger groups. Accidents can happen and mother nature is not always predictable but at some point the guide I believe would have instructed everyone to put their vest on when the waves kicked up.

I'm buying them as quickly as I financially can! I don't own any with the plastic thumb bar though. To me that seems like a given weak point. Anyone have bad luck with the plastic thumb bars?

You getting your mileage outta those jeans..thats awesome! 😉

Are the new ones still wood, or have they changed them over to plastic?

I voted nerp! I am developing an interest in their baits though.

Ive gone back to buying the old abu's off of ebay. Finally got me a 4000 size last week for chunking lures. I am soooo tired of going through reels that have a shelf life of <5 years. (which most now are designed for). Even these old abu's I am buying that were built during my grandpa's era ...I will be able to hand down to my kids. Only thing I don't like about them is the small handles. Currently looking for a 90cm replacement handle for them.

I didn't see anything different in that video than some of the China lure manufacturers. As with everything coming out of China there are factories that produce quality and there are factories that do not. Do not overthink the development of a fishing lure.

Sold! You didn't have to twist my arm so hard

That may be the most detailed review I have ever read on a $9.99 combo! 😮 Great job!

I am actually surprised I have not been able to destroy this thing yet. ~10 white bass, 15 catfish, ~20 black bass, ~50 perch, 3 drum. But to be honest I have been babying it just to see how far I can push it at this point.

I have seen them as well. A v-shape heading right toward the bank and then either fading out or taking a sudden left or right with no minnow or bug at all. I always just assumed it was a wind anomoly. But I do see minnows doing v-shapes as well many of the times.

Post '96 gold standards

Thats why I got rid of the soft touch reels seat on our rods. OFF mosquito spray and or certain suntan lotions were melting the coating.