Eric 26

I am definitely not brand loyal, I have 7 different brands of reels and probably 10 different brands of rods. Monofilament I prefer McCoy mean green or Suffix Advance but I’ve used way to many different brands to list. If I were forced into being brand loyal on anything it would probably be Okuma rods as I really feel the 2 I have are far nicer than I paid for them.

I use 10 lb Suffix Advance Mono on a 2000 size spinning reel with zero issues.

I need a friend like you ?

Oh wow the Vapors ? Loved the song when it came out and actually have it on my Spotify ? I think this is the best response to the aluminum vs brass gears I’ve seen since I’ve joined this site. Also @bulldog1935 has explained this very debate extremely well.

I fish retention ponds and have good luck on a Ned rig with Z-man’s TRD’s in PB&J color, a green pumpkin or watermelon flake Strike King caffeine tube 4” on a 3/0 round bend worm hook with a 1/8 bullet weight and a bead to protect the knot with a bobber stop to keep the weight secure, I have good luck in spring and fall when the weeds and muck are not so thick using a 1.5 bluegill colored square bill, and my go to for both panfish and bass a 1/16-1/8 oz roadrunner plain head with a Berkeley gulp alive minnow in 3” size or a crappie tube, just make sure to get roadrunner heads that have the barb to hold the gulp minnows or tubes.

Abu Garcia Revo X winch in left hand retrieve (personally own) $99.97 left handed retrieve only, Abu Garcia Revo Winch gen 4 $179.97 in right hand retrieve only. Both available on the Tackle Warehouse site as of right now.

Anyone else eyeballing this reel? I’m hoping to stay on track to make a upgrade purchase on a rod/reel combo this upcoming spring and this reel is on my radar. Looking for any information on the MQ LT body I guess ?

I was wondering if anyone has tried the BPS “Shudderlicious” bladed swim jig? For the price I feel it’s also another viable option, although I don’t fish them much I’m really happy with the 3/8 oz model.

@MN Fisher I couldn’t agree more on the spool depth. I’d be willing to purchase a spare shallow spool but not sure if it’s even possible here in the States.

Two Words: FREE GIFT ????

I couldn’t agree more ???

I placed an order earlier this year with JLS and was charged $14.00 for standard shipping to Illinois. But as far as I’m concerned it was offset with them including a Jack Hammer chatter bait with my order. The reel was the Tatula 80, the Abu Garcia came from Tackle Warehouse btw.

@AlabamaSpothunter Although I’ve not used either rod my vote would be the Alpha Angler. Although I don’t use them often as I tend to fish smaller retention ponds, I have a few different rods I use. I use a hvy composite,a hvy graphite and a med hvy graphite all fast action. The Alpha Angler sounds like a great compromise. Not to throw a monkey wrench in your solution but Tackle Warehouse carries the Okuma TCS A which comes in a mod/fast action (several models) and is recommended by many respected members on this site and about $100.00 cheaper. I have 2 different Okuma rods/model lines and I’m looking to get at least one more, The TCS A 7’-3” hvy is one of the rods I was referring to.

At least the first upload was able to be opened ?. Nice fish btw.

I know a lot of people won’t give Piscifun reels the time of day but I have the Carbon X and its lightweight at 5.7ounces.

@Randy Price curious to know if you ever picked up the ultralight, if so what did you get? Sorry if I missed a post saying so already.

Stopped off at my favorite retention pond for 10 minutes on my way home from work. Glad I did, was throwing a 1/16 oz crappie jig in black on the bps panfish elite ultralight ?

I truly apologize if my comments took this thread down the wrong road?. I for one appreciate any and all reviews on any and all gear even if I’m not responding. There is so much gear in the market today with so many different reviews it’s hard to know what’s B.S and what’s not, but reading reviews on here makes me feel a little safer about my purchase. I for one also appreciate the broad spectrum of gear that is being talked about and hope this never changes?

I think you’re going to enjoy panfish a heck of a lot more on the light setup as well as get a few more bites if you’re willing to drop down to a minimum of 4- 6 pound test in my opinion. Let us know what you’ve got coming in the latest tackle purchase (bait monkey) thread.

If it weren’t for my son I’d have no idea either ?, thankfully he’s also fully engaged in his high school football and track teams and takes his academics seriously so he’s well rounded. Happy to hear you’re getting back into fishing as I also took a too long hiatus from the sport. You’ve come to the right place but you will also become friends with the bait monkey which will cut into the gaming funds, in a good way in my humble opinion.

Keep them pictures coming in the Latest Catch Pics threads? As far as picking up roadrunner heads and gulp alive minnows make sure you’re getting the version that has a barbed head otherwise you will experience the gulp sliding down the hook. Also pick up both 1/32 and 1/16th oz heads. If you’re having a tough go of it my go to setup is a 5’-6” ultralight, 2 pound monofilament with a 1/32-1/64oz jig head with a 1” gulp alive minnow under an ice fishing float. It definitely catches them but you will need a pair of hemostats to remove some hooks or be willing to cut the line if necessary.

First and foremost excellent review @Ryanralston07 although I don’t have any platinum signature rods or reels I have a couple Bionic blade rods, a carbonlite 2.0 b/c combo, 2 panfish elite rods that I highly recommend and feel are an excellent value a carbonlite 2.0 spinning reel and finally a 20+ year old pro qualifier spinning reel that is still one my favorites. I’m not going to pretend to understand the dynamics it takes to run a successful business but hey more power to Johnny Morris. The one thing I miss from Cabelas was their signature line of hunting boots, they were made far above their price point and took the beating from construction sites for many years from me.

I’m going to sound like a broken record on this topic. My suggestions are and will continue to be a 1/16 oz roadrunner plain head with either a crappie tube as a body or my favorite Berkeley Gulp Alive minnows in either 1” or 3”, as I’ve said before the 3” target the larger gills in my area and when they get ripped up which they will I’m able to cut them down to reuse for a few more fish. I’ve also had success on the Creme brand mini rattle traps available at Wal Mart in a variety pack of I believe 5 in the package. Lastly the 1” gulp alive minnows on a 1/32 oz ball head jig under a float will definitely catch them.

Although I haven’t done this in a few years, If they’re only biting top water you can’t beat a rubber legged spider in my opinion. I just use the smallest round clip on float I can to cast them out. They even attacked the float when things got heated ? I agree with @TnRiver46 that they seem to wind up with all 3 hook points in there mouth, I suppose I could do as @bulldog1935 does and replace the trebles with single style hooks. ?sounding like a good winter project.