Ballpark Frank

I got one of the SilverMax combos(reel and 6'6" MH) for Christmas. The combo is nice and the reel is very smooth for it's price range. They respect the old Abu Max moniker. Now does it compare to my Revos, NO. If you are looking for an Abu specifically and don't want to spend $100, then I would recommend it. I would also look at the ProMax version, but then $20 more will get you the Revo S.

Bass are my favorite gamefish. I am usually fishing from my kayak or canoe.

I just like seeing pictures of European fish that are not Carp or Trout. Thank you very much T-rig.

I have a BCR852GLX and a BCR803 Mossyback that I use for worming. I would recommend the 803 for light to medium worming and braid. I use fluoro mainly, but have used braid in the past on this rod.

That is a great reel, I have one of a little earlier vintage. You can use it, but be aware that it has no brakes and like reelmechanic said the handle spins when you cast. It would go perfectly on an old True Temper steel shaft casting rod to throw some old plugs like a Jitterbug.

I love their Sweet Beaver 4.20 in Coonasty and Spring Break.

Since plastics are still new to me, I plan to fish only plastics and jigs. I think their versatility is amazing and want to learn as much as possible. I am going give pitching and flipping a try also. Only thing is I may need to purchase a flipping stick.

With all of my Revos, I set the brakes at 1/2 to start and adjust as neccessary. I rarely have to use more braking. Most important, as others have stated, learn to use your thumb!!!

I have been using Trilene Professional Grade for a couple of months and am very happy with it. I had used P-line and like above, the only noticeable difference is the Trilene is a little limper. It costs a little more but you can get a rebate form the Berkley website.

I learned to use a baitcaster with an antique J.A. Coxe reel, a true free spool reel. It had no cast control knob, no drag, and the handle spun with the spool, you had to use all thumb to control. When I got my first Abu 5000, I couldn't cast the thing farther than 20 feet, my thumb was too heavy.

Thanks guys, I was only asking if anyone knew about them. They felt and looked really good for the price. But alas I bought a Revo SX today.

I only used Abu rounds until about 9 months ago. My favorite reel was the 5600 C4, of which I have three(I collect ABU reels and have 27 rounds in all) . When I got my new G. Loomis rod, I decided I would give the low profiles a try. My wife's grandmother got me a 2005Lp at a yard sale. After practicing with it for a few days, I went back to my rounds. The rounds felt like softballs compared to the low profile. The lows are extremely comfortable, especially with a "light" rod. I now have 3 of the Revos, an S,SX, and STX. I love them, they have helped my angling tremendously. I still go back to the rounds when fishing for tailwater stripers and cats, but for largies and smallies, a low profile is the way to go. If you are weary of the money for one of the Revos, the MAX series are pretty neat too. I have a SilverMax combo that I got as a gift for CHRISTmas. It is a decent reel and is only about $60. Or try the BlackMax, which runs around $50. I have seen several on eBay lately going in the $30 range. Good Luck, I believe if you go the low profile way, you will be happy.

I am hoping that when I get another Revo(or maybe even a Shimano or Daiwa) that I will be done. I just got my BCR803 back today and had to put the SilverMax on it. Not a bad reel, but not the right reel for a $350 rod. I now have "my" ideal 4 rod setup(3 G.Loomis BCs and 1 St. Croix Spin). This is all I can carry in my little boat and my kayak, now I am going to concentrate on my techniques, water reading, etc.

Does anyone know anything or have any experience with this reel? I stopped by the local tackle shop to pick up my repaired BCR803 and the guy showed me these reels. He was selling them for $60. I mounted one on the Loomis and it felt really nice. I have absolutely no experience with Daiwa products and only this week bought a reel other than Abu Garcia.

I have several Lightning Rods, they were the only rod I liked and could afford for awhile. Every single one of them had the front cork break. I fixed them and still use a couple of them today. They are decent rods for the money, and my understanding is that the front cork screw-down is different than the last model. I have a friend that has several of the Shimano rods and really likes them. To my knowledge he has had no problems with them.

I agree with the others, the rod matters more than the reel. My main light worm casting rod is my G. Loomis GLX BCR852 with 12#Trilene 100% Flouro. The reel I think is a personal preference as long as it is decent quality, I am using a Revo S on this rod. I just got into fishing plastics this past year and have had no issues with this setup.

Thanks for all of the advice and opinions, I just got back from Gander Mountain with my new Symetre 2500RI and Premier rod. I played with the new Stradics, even looked over at the Diawas and Pfleugers, but the Symetre won out. I am very pleased with the reel and rod. I never thought I would purchase anything other than Abu Garcia. I also checked out the Curados, but Abu still holds me on my baitcasters. I am hoping to get out in the next couple of days to try it out. This morning it was around 20 degrees outside and my line was freezing stiff and the rod guides were full of ice. After about 2 hours, I figured out that I could not feel my fingers ::)and it was time to go get warm. Again thanks to everyone for the help in this reel selection.

I am asking for a recommendation on a Shimano spinning reel. I have a gift card to Gander Mountain, and would like to get a new spinning rod and reel. I am getting a St.Croix Premier 7' M rod and would like a good(not top o'line) Shimano reel to go on it. I am looking at the Sedona,Symetre, and Sahara reels, but would like adviceon these and others. My max price is $90. Roadwarrior I need your help , I want to see what this Shimano stuff is really about. Who knows I may sell all my AG's and get new Shimanos, maybe even a Curado.

I have 2 of them(with AG 2005LP on them) and love them. They go with me on every fishing trip. I fish from a kayak alot, and love a runt rod. My accuracy is much better than with any of my other rods, but distance does suffer a little. One of them usually stays in my car with a small tackle box for when I might want to pull over and fish.

Korg PXR4 digital recording studio Abu Garcia Silvermax combo 8' MH Berkley Glowstick w/ Abu Garcia 6600 C4 7' M Berkley Glowstick w/ Abu Garcia 5600 C4 Lacrosse Alpha Venow snake boots $125 Gander Mountain Gift Certificate

Athens, Alabama. I primarily fish from a kayak and the bank, anywhere I can get access(got a little boat, but hate hauling and launching). Send a PM and we can try to get together.

I have one of the inexpensive Target combos that I really like. It is a 6' 2 piece Medium with a 30 size reel. The reel has I think 2 bearings, but it is one of the smoothest reels I have ever used. The drag is excellent too. The reel compare to others that cost alot more. This was my main travel rod and reel until I got my St.Croix setup. If money is an issue I would advise getting one. Oh yeah, Tackletour has a review of their reels.

I've got an Abu Garcia 4500C in Sunset Orange in my collection that needs a rod. I think I have found it. Placed my order 3 minutes ago.

I have several Cherrywood and Lightning rods, they were all I could afford for a while. Berkley makes an excellent inexpensive rod for those who cannot or do not want to shell out $100-$400 on a rod. Most of my more expensive gear is for baitcasting, so if I spin, it is usually with a Lightning or Cherrywood rod. And since I am learning to fish plastics, it is usually the 7' M Lightning with a AB Cardinal 3. Another plus about the cost is replacement for "personal misshaps". As I fish the bank/shore alot and am climbing through brush, over rocks, etc, I find that I don't like dragging a $300 rod throught this.

Thanks to the information on this forum, I have finally figured out how to fish plastics. I have always avoided plastics. My mainstays have been plugs and spinnerbaits. I invested in a decent supply of worms, lizards, flukes, senkos, hooks, and sinkers. I have been taking two rigged spinning rods, one for weighted and one for weightless with nothing but plastics in the tackle bag and the knowledge and techniques gained from this forum. I absolutely love the senkos. Fishing plastics has allowed me to get to places that I normally could not fish with cranks, and I have caught a ton of good sized bass with them. I usually catch just a few dinks and maybe one decent bass when I fish with the cranks and spinners, but the plastics are producing good ones everytime. Next to more catches, my favorite thing about plastics is the cost. Lossing a crank or a spinner usually means $5 to $10 gone and probably a few bad words, but with the plastics I just rig up another. Thanks to everyone on the forum and the authors of the articles for opening up these great techniques to me and others.