Eric 26

I have that reel in 1500 size and I agree you could have put a little more on.

@Columbia Craw as @softwateronlysaid I like hearing other’s opinions/reviews😉

Don’t listen to this but instead buy the Steez and give it to me as @bulldog1935 already has one and I don’t 😂🤣

I honestly would move heaven and earth or give whatever was asked of me to fish Morcom Lake in Minnesota with my departed brother. I haven’t been there or in Minnesota for that matter in 40 plus years but as a kid we went for a week every year for as long as I can remember, I have fond memories of being there with just my mom, dad, sister and my 2 brothers. It then turned into a guys only trip with my cousin and uncle then neighbors and their sons and many of my older brothers friends who were more like my big brothers than just his friends. At the time my grandfather who was no longer with us knew a gentleman who had 2 or 3 cabins on the lake and in the last trip I went on as I stopped going at 15 due to high school football camp we rented both cabins and even brought up a camper there were so many of us. It was the most amazing place as I remember with nothing to do but fish, shoot bows and arrows or BB guns and explore the surrounding woods looking for anything “cool” including a beaver skull my older brought back to boil 🤢 At night you could hear the coyotes singing or the hiss of a bobcat that if you shined a flashlight on he/she would freeze for a magical moment before running off. One of my favorite things was when we would bring the garbage to the dump down the road where the dads would take the trash out then we’d back down the road and wait for the black bears to come and enjoy the eggshells, left over pancakes and especially the bacon fat that was put into the coffee cans. As we got older my brother and I had dreamed of going to Canada together and more realistically planned to go back to Morcom Lake but I wound up becoming a step father at 21 to my then 2 year old son followed by my brother raising a son a handful of years later then the birth of my daughter followed by my son and by the time everything settled down and we could start planning that trip I lost my brother in a construction accident which is why I started this post the way I did. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this novel and also to @ol'crickety for starting it as it brought back a flood of memories which I’m thinking of as I typed this out with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. As a side note if either @gimruis @MN Fisher or anyone else ever fished there or knows what became of the lake I would love to hear about it.

Although I don’t use the rod I would say look into the Daiwa Tatula XT rod and a Daiwa Fuego reel which again I don’t own simply due to the fact I find the spools on the Fuego are too deep and I have no need for the amount of line they hold. I do however own the Daiwa BG spinning reel in 1500 size and if you’re ok with a bit of weight the reel is as solid as you’re going to find for the price imho.

Although I’m nowhere near saltwater I do appreciate a job well done, and you sir have done from everything I’ve seen you do in the past a HECK of a nice job. CONGRATULATIONS!

Welcome from New Lenox Illinois. BTW that is a beautiful looking bass👍🏻

Wow that fish looks blind in that eye yet still healthy enough which leads me to believe Doug Stange is right when he preaches about the lateral line in addition to bass’s other senses. Also that’s a beautiful picture from what I assume is the marina parking lot.

Am I missing something with the provided link? The reel isn’t on the page at all 🤔

@NateW I should have mentioned Okuma has a 7’-0” heavy also but it’s a moderate fast which I have the same action in the 7’-0” medium plus and it’s definitely a different action compared to the fast action. I bought both rods based on prior recommendations from site members without being able to handle them prior to purchasing but I’m very happy I did especially the 7’-0” stick.

I’m going to recommend the Okuma TCS-“a” casting rod in 7’-3” heavy power. Although I don’t use mine as much as I’d like I’ve thrown 90/110 sized whopper ploppers and 1/2/-3/4 chatter baits mostly on it but it’s a great rod in my opinion. It’s labeled as a frog/swim bait rod with a lure rating of 1/4-2 ounces and has a decently soft tip with a solid backbone and it’s priced at $164.99 currently at Tackle Warehouse.

Good afternoon everybody. Although I’m not a whiskey connoisseur in fact furthest thing from it so I may be way off base asking this but is anyone planning on picking one of these up and if so is it going to be worth the price or just a goofy marketing ploy? I ask as I’m thinking of picking up a bottle as a future Christmas or special occasion gift for someone.

Only if you’re trying to tie braid directly onto the spool. Braid will slip without monofilament backing or being “taped” down.

I think you meant to say “flashers are alive” 🤪

Although I’m not trying to muddy the waters anymore than has been and without quoting anyone I’m going to add to this thread again. Number 1 yes that’s the reel which after looking back I paid $116.70 to my door in Illinois which included the more “expensive” shipping but as all their orders do included a free “gift” which was a Megabass 110 jr. I also purchased through JLS a Tatula 80 that I absolutely love every bit as much as my SLX MGL 71 that came with a “Jack Hammer” chatterbait and as has been pointed out on this site has a heck of a parts aftermarket available including bfs spools and everything else from bling to bearings at a wide range of costs. Lastly if I’m not mistaken and I welcome being called to the carpet for a public flogging if I am wrong the reels I just mentioned are produced in the same factory regardless of what market they are headed to with the exception of a few different parts which in my mind means the parts should be/are available in case something happens to the reel but I don’t feel the warranty means much other than the initial purchase if you receive a defective reel. Lastly although I don’t use my equipment as much as many others on here I’ve not experienced any problems with any of my gear including several “other” branded reels which again there are quite a few guys on here that have way more experience with all of the above mentioned points . Best of luck with your decision and I’m looking forward to reading what you ultimately wind up with.

😉

@HawkeyeSmallie Although I’m not trying to sway your decision for any brand I want to show you some examples of why you should strongly consider buying from Japan. I’m going to use one of my favorite small reels the SLX MGL and one of @MiceNReets favorites the SLX DC. If you have any more questions ask away or you can send me a pm and I’ll be happy to help as will a ton of people on this thread.

Greetings from New Lenox Illinois 👋🏻

@WackyWormNedRig Keeping it simple and cost effective is something that still deserves a couple pictures 😉

@Ryanralston07 I for one would like to hear about the rest.

Although I don’t need anymore reels I’m pretty upset that I missed that deal even though I searched for fishing gear during the Prime days sale