Eric 26

Wow, absolutely beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing 😃

Unfortunately Yuengling is unavailable in Illinois 🙁 Fortunately for me Indiana isn’t very far from me and I have a ton of co-workers who live there who would most definitely pick it up if I’m ever in the mood for it😃

I’m in the @herder and @gimruis club with the biggest difference being I haven’t been fishing nearly as long or have as much time on the water as these 2 gentlemen.

@new2BC4bass Keep practicing and you’ll be as proficient as you need to be quicker than you think 😉 Also as @bulldog1935 has posted elsewhere “spinning reels are functional but casting reels are fun” I think I may have botched his phrase but it’s something that runs through my mind every time I use my casting reels even though my spinning gear catches more fish for me albeit bluegill not bass😃

Ooh I do love me some IPA’s. As far as the deschutes is that the black butte porter? I know I tried a deschutes variety pack at some point and the porter stood out for me. Another fair priced beer that has good flavor to me is Shiner Bock.

I know I’ve said it before but as far as “cheap” beers go my favorite is Hamms, but then again there’s something just different enough in my opinion that an ice cold Old Style hits the spot every now and then also.

I have used 4lb Trilene XL on quite a few reels and currently have 4lb Kastking monofilament on a couple reels and have had zero issues using the Trilene knot I believe it’s referred to which I learned from watching Bill Dance years ago. It’s a simple knot to learn and again zero issues with 4lb up to 17lb monofilament at least for me.

I’m sticking with my Oktoberfest while it’s in season. @BigAngus752 this one’s a bit better than the Shiner in my humble opinion if you have it available by you

@fish_wish12 @Smirak Just posted that fishUSA has the SLX XT on sale for $99.

Another really good hard rock cover is Korn covering Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall”. Sorry if it’s already been mentioned.

In regards to the above statement I will agree with @bulldog1935that the Stradic is superior in not only line management but overall feel as well. I own and fish a handful of different spinning reels from budget priced Piscifun Carbon X’s to my Stradic and the only one that comes close to line management and smoothness is my Daiwa BG1500 which I didn’t mention as the OP was asking about Shimano specifically.

🤔 Any in particular you find worth seeking out?

@Functional if you like Disturbed’s version which I also like do yourself a favor and check out Bobaflex’s version, I dare say it’s even better albeit a touch different. Also while I’m mentioning Bobaflex they do a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Hey You” that is also really well done. Lastly I’m not sure if you have heard the live version of “Sound of Silence” by Disturbed with Myles Kennedy but it definitely sounds good with them 2 harmonizing together and well worth the visit to you tube to watch imho.

The Shimano SLX A is right at $99.99 and although I don’t own one I had the last generation SLX and feel it’s a great reel for the price. If you’re comfortable buying from a Japanese site the deals are even better.

I’m going to suggest a JDM Stradic to keep the price in check. I bought one a 1000 size based on all the recommendations on here and some really valuable insight from my friend @bulldog1935, I also bought a shallow spool Miravel 2000 and feel the Stradic is well worth the extra money.

To Hell With The Devil 😉

I will add Josh Allen just may be the reason my wife pulls an upset in her fantasy league 😬

I will also add that I’m not a fan boy myself but by the same token a fan nonetheless of St. Croix maybe due to the fact they are a Midwest located company. I will say as far as the Sea Guide reel seat and guides vs Fuji I have zero issues with that decision as several of my cheapest and conversely favorite rods (non St. Croix) have both and have been trouble free for the past many years. I had the opportunity (again probably due to the proximity) to speak with a St. Croix representative this past spring at the BPS spring sale and shared my thoughts/displeasure with the Sea Guide handle on the panfish series which I only considered due to a recommendation from a friend on this site and the representative spent time to explain why they used that particular combination of reel seat and guides ultimately leading me to purchase the rod vs another BPS panfish elite series rod that I’ve shared my love of on this site as well. With that said I’ll probably always be someone who much like many others on here will continue to seek out the best bang for my buck regardless of which company produces “that” and I’m currently trying to keep the tackle monkey at bay from purchasing a Dobyns rod that I’ve recently viewed on ALF due to an earlier post on this very site😬

Forgive me in advance if this comes across as offensive but great googly-moogly is it really that bad that a fishing rod company tried something outside of the conventional thinking while still offering a heck of a lot of the conventional reel seats and handles in the rest of the lineup. Jeez so what if they took a swing and missed with a certain amount of people, they didn’t stop building the rest of the rods that a lot of people seem to like and even if they did 🤔 move on as last I checked at least on Tackle Warehouses page there are 65 different casting rod brands, if you can’t find one you like then people really aren’t trying. I don’t know maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve tried and failed at a few different careers in my 55 years of living but jeez none of my swings and misses killed me but instead have given me a new path and a past to reflect on what did and didn’t work out which in my humble opinion changes are what pushes all of us forward including the fishing industry.

As I sit and watch tonight’s game as a Chicago Bears fan I can’t help but feel defeated 🙁 I know this is only the second game and our offensive line is a bit sketchy but I’m seriously wondering if the quarterback class was overrated this year or if it’s our coaching staff as Caleb Williams has been extremely underwhelming in the past 2 games. I do welcome all opinions but especially from my fellow Bears fans such as @Mike L. Also @gimruis your Vikings are looking like the real deal this year. And as I’m typing this Caleb makes the ******* decision to throw into triple coverage for yet another interception 🤬🤯🤬🥵 Oh my lord it’s going to be a long season 😡🥵 I’m going to add it appears Caleb can’t seemingly read the defense either from what I’m watching 😩

@philbert1922 I’m going to assume you’re referring to spinning rods as I tried looking up your choices as I own neither. With that said I’m going to offer some alternatives as I love fishing ultralight/light powered spinning setups. On the low end I’m going to suggest the Bass Pro Panfish Elite rods as I own the 6’-8” ultralight and the 7’-2” light powered rods and priced at $79.99 I don’t think you can find a better value. Next up I would suggest the St.Croix panfish series as suggested to me by @MiceNReets which I have the 6’-0” ultralight powered version priced at $129.99 and finally my latest purchase this past spring and my new favorite which is a St.Croix Avid Panfish in 7’-0” light power priced at $220.00 and it’s definitely worth every penny. I will also suggest the St. Croix Premier series which I have an older version in 6’-6” light powered 2 piece that is incredible but not as sensitive as my newer rods but could be due to the fact it’s 20 plus years old but in its defense it’s been absolutely bulletproof. Good luck and happy shopping😃 Also keep us posted on whatever rod you choose. Sorry for the long winded response.

Staying with the Oktoberfest theme for now, @BigAngus752 I’m not sure if you and the wife are into Oktoberfest but I’ve been enjoying the Paulaner Oktoberfest for the past few seasons.

Now I’m definitely confused 🤔 When you say washers they sent I believe you’re referring to shims which are used for proper line spooling. Did you by chance take something apart before spooling? Lastly are you saying the drag is all or nothing no matter how you adjust it? If so I’m definitely recommending contacting Piscifun for a replacement or return.