Mike-in-WV

Lol, You guys who make ignorant statements that the Mitchell 300 is junk have absolutely no idea what your talking about. They were better built than most spinning reels today and they landed many fish for me and thousands of other people and most are still working today. They are super smooth and a drag that works like it's supposed to. An original still in the box is selling for $300.-$500. .The used ones are not cheap either if they are in good shape. I'll take a Mitchell any day and still use one of mine!

Had to go to town today to pick some things up for my wife. There are always people parked along the Elk river selling yard sale junk and I seen two rods and reels leaned against this old guys truck. Decided I would take a look after I hit the store....to late , they were gone. I asked the old guy what they were and he said they were both just old Mitchel 300 reels and he wasn't sure about the rods. He said the reels worked perfect and he sold them for $10.00 each!!

Thats why it's nice to have an extra spool ready to go or at least take a new spool of line with you. You are not the first to do something like that and don't ask me how I know :-[ Mike

First off I agree with the Max series suggestion. I bought the Silver Max a while back and have beat the hell out of it , dropped it several times and caught some real nice Bass with it and it still runs as smooth as silk. You can find them on Ebay as suggested also. One of if not the best, reel I have ever owned is the Abu Garcia Revo "S" and you can find them on Ebay as well. Mike

Good question and we all ...or I should say most of us know just what your asking. If you did latch on to one of the really big Bass or whatever and he headed for deep water or for the middle of the lake it's nice to know you have enough line to play him if needed. A friend of mine was fishing one of our lakes for small mouth and a Musky grabbed his Frog and the game was on!,Lol. He did land that Musky and it was 39" long . Don't know the weight but he fought that fish for 20 minutes and it just about striped his reel. I like around a 100 yards of good stuff, Mike

;D

When you see pros with all there fancy fishing goody's you have to keep in mind that it never cost them a cent in most cases. A guy who has 12-15 of the best rods and reels laying next to him on the boat is compliments of sponsors . That big fancy bass boat with all the ads on it are sponsors paying him for that service of showing the ads every time a camera is on him . Ever notice there cloths? Looks worse than a Nascar driver,Lol. There is no need for all those rods but because people see the pros with them they are "Want a be pros" they run out and spend there kids college tuition on rods and reels thinking they need a different one for every lure in there tackle box. When they pay $300.00 for a rod they are buying the name and not the quality in most cases. Unless you plan on being a pro then stay with the proven and true Ugly stick or Cabela rods. They will catch and land any fish that the pros catch and land and do it a whole lot cheaper.

The more I use this Big Game green the more I love it. Got one reel set up with #12 test and the other with #15 test. This stuff is limp and soft and tough as nails. Got snagged on a log at Sutton Lake, WV with the #15 test and my Revo S the other day and ended up pulling up the log and bending the hook on a Jig and never fazed the line. The more I use it the nicer it becomes. No slinky stuff with this line.

The Silver Max is way under rated by some on here. I have had mine for a couple months now and have used the heck out of it with no problems at all. It will cast as well as my Revo S and the gears inside are about the same. Very smooth casting and reeling. Very good reel so far and it's tough as nails, Mike

Cabelas Eagle 11 is a really good rod. They were on sale in there bargain cave for $39.99 down from $80.00. I bought a really great two piece a few weeks ago and love it! They have a bunch of sizes and choices to choose from too. Came with a nice solid case too. Mike

Don't underestimate the Silver max, It's a really smooth reel and I can cast as far with it as I can my Revo S. The gears in them are great and it's well made. They just used a plastic body but this stuff is much tougher than you think. Also remember that the Revo S has a plastic side cover over the brakes. It sure doesn't hurt it any, Mike

There are so many great reels on the market today I refuse to specify just one The Revo S or and any of the Revo line of reels or the Silver Max are just a couple. You will have a hard time deciding on opinions alone on this site. Way to many of them! Mike

It sounds like you have the fine tunning down to an art. This is what the new casting reels are all about and I have been preaching this method for awhile now. Some people still insist on using there thumb to control the reel spool and that's fine. To each his own . Congrats on your set up. Here is a copy from what I have said before but it looks like you have it covers perfectly! Mike Here is what works best for me and others I have talked to who own the Revo S. Set the brakes with two on across from each other and you will probably not have to change it again. Next set the free spool so that the lure will fall easily about 14" at a time with a gentle shake of the rod tip, not all the way to the ground! You set that with your spool tension knob. When you cast let the bait hang down about 6" from the rod tip. Make your cast as usual but do not feather the reel spool with your thumb. Use the thumb only to hold the spool while making the cast, Let it go free spool. After a couple cast watch the spool as it's casting and see if the string looks like it's trying to raise off the spool or "birds nest" then tighten the tension knob just a "hair" and try it again. You wont believe how beautiful and how far you can cast that way with no back lashes at all. The only setting you will have to check and maybe change is the tension knob depending on what lure you are using. With this setup I can cast a lure weighing less than 1/2 oz about 45 yards + - . Hope this helps, Mike

Here is another article to consider from the "Wikipedia Encyclopedia": Bait casting reel: Bait casting reels are reels in which line is stored on a bearing supported revolving spool. The bait casting reel is mounted above the rod, hence its other name, the overhead reel. The bait casting reel dates from at least the mid-1600s, but came into wide use by amateur anglers during the 1870s. Early bait casting reels were often constructed with brass or iron gears, with casings and spools made of brass, German silver, or hard rubber. Early reels were often operated by inverting the reel and using back winding to retrieve line. For this reason, the reel crank handle was positioned on the right side of the reel.[2] As a result, the right-hand crank position for bait casting reels has become customary over the years, though models with left-hand retrieve are now gaining in popularity. Personally I like the right handed reel and hold (palming) the reel and rod in my left hand. Never had a problem setting the hook or landing large fish. One thing I fail to understand is why some of you feel it takes forever to change hands and that you can miss a hit because of it. By the time that lure hits the water I am already palming that reel and ready to set the hook and retrieve. Casting with both hands makes that very fast and natural , just slide my left hand up around the reel. My rod never leaves either hand except to place my right hand on the handle and ready to reel in. I really feel that I have good control and feel with the rod and reel in my left hand . That's just me! Mike

One thing I would like to ad here is that with the S you wont need your thumb to control the cast if you have it fine tuned. Here is what works best for me and others I have talked to who own the Revo S. Set the brakes with two on across from each other and you will probably not have to change it again. Next set the free spool so that the lure will fall easily about 14" at a time with a gentle shake of the rod tip, not all the way to the ground! You set that with your spool tension knob. When you cast let the bait hang down about 6" from the rod tip. Make your cast as usual but do not feather the reel spool with your thumb. Use the thumb only to hold the spool while making the cast, Let it go free spool. After a couple cast watch the spool as it's casting and see if the string looks like it's trying to raise off the spool or "birds nest" then tighten the tension knob just a "hair" and try it again. You wont believe how beautiful and how far you can cast that way with no back lashes at all. The only setting you will have to check and maybe change is the tension knob depending on what lure you are using. With this setup I can cast a lure weighing less than 1/2 oz about 45 yards + - . Hope this helps, Mike

No, evidently, you are taking a conversation about reeling personal. The above is your quote, if you were quoting someone else, it didn't "quote" them, just you, in your reply. But more to the point, don't take it personal, whatever way is best for you is the right way. As for the pro's doing it too, yes they do, they were also conditioned when there wasn't a choice. Again, it obviously doesn't make anyone less of a fisherman,...it's a personal preference. You have totally lost me in this conversation. ;D I'm out of here, have a good one and good luck finding that monster bass, Mike

"Can you explain this part??? My reel NEVER leaves my right hand. I also cast 2 handed. My right hand stays right where it is, thumb on the spool, reel in palm, fingers wrapped below." I' fail to understand what your asking "ME" to explain. I never made that statement. All I was trying to point out was that if your good with a bait casting reel you can cast just about any way you want to and it will feel right. As for setting a hook with my left hand palming the reel I never found that to be a problem and apparently neither has many other people in cluding the pros. Apparently you find it hard to believe that anyone who is right handed can use there left hand well enough to fish right with it. You seem to find this to be a problem so you prefer to use a left handed bait casting reel and that's great! We all need to use what we are comfortable using. That's why they make them in right or left hand retrieve now. Use what you like and enjoy it fishing, that's what it's all about, Mike

"I hesitate to offer my opinion here. I am hopelessly right handed and have used bait casters for going on 40 years. The changing hands thing has NEVER been an issue with me. I have never missed a hookset or had ANY OTHER problems as a result of using a reel with the crank on the right side. I actually do not change hands, and never have. I cast with both hands and the rod ends up in my left hand at the end of the cast as my right hand moves to the crank handle. Even if you change to the left, if you palm the reel on the retrieve, you MUST shift the rod & reel in your hand AFTER the cast to do it. It doesn't matter which hand you cast or retrieve with" Casting with my left hand and while palming the reel and using my left thumb on the spool and my right hand at the bottom of the handle is not a problem for. There is no shifting after the cast because I'm still palming the reel and cranking with my right hand. For some reason years ago I toyed with this method for about 20 cast and I started to really like it and it became easier and easier the more I practiced. Most of the time I still cast with my right hand on the spool and my left at the lower end of the handle but the only shift I have to do is slide my left hand up to palm the reel . It feels so natural and happens so quick that I don't even realize I'm doing it I like the feel of palming the reel and rod with my left hand and cranking with my right. If you ever really watch the pros they cast so many different ways and make it look so easy and natural that's it's not even funny. Mike

X2 I also cast with two hands so there is really no switching. Just slide my left hand up and palm the reel after the cast. Feels perfectly natural. It's all just a matter of preference but keep in mind that you won't see very many right handed pros with a left handed bait caster. Some people say they want to use a bait caster just like there spinning reels and that's fine but they are two different critters all together and they are not held the same or balanced the same. Mike

If your bait casting reel is set up properly you won't need your thumb to feather the spool as you cast. In fact, you will loose some distance by feathering with your thumb instead of free spooling.Using the thumb is a hold over from the good old days when we only had the round reels with very little control except your thumb. Instead of setting your reel up so that the lure drops to the floor with a slight shake of the rod set it so that it falls about 14" with each shake. Leave two brakes on across from each other then give it a try. Don't be afraid to cast it hard and far with out feathering with your thumb. You will cast the same way holding the reel with your thumb until you let go but then just slide the thumb back and let it rest on the spool release button. After you make a few cast and you gain confidence in the setup then make a few hard cast and watch the spool. If the line acts like it is raising up as it spins then tighten the spool control knob just a hair at a time until it quits. This is fine tunning your reel and you will be glad you did. Much less backlash and smooth long distance cast. To make short cast just use your thumb to stop the line where you want it to drop. Mike

Well said jbdaiwafan! Some people feel that there should not be any play or slop in there reel for the money they paid for it. Whats it hurt?, maybe nothing but that's not the point.For the money you pay for a decent reel today the engineering should be just about flawless. If Shimono Say's they built that slop into there handle on purpose I find it very hard to swallow but I'm not an engineer or even close so it could be possible. The bottom line is try one before you buy it and if it bothers you don't buy it or take it back right away and get your money back. Shimono has been manufacturing reels for many years and I will not knock them but I sure wont say they are the best either. Mike

This is the way off the wall rumors get started about a product that is actually great and possibly one of the best on the market for the price and a company with the best public relations around today. This is NOT a common problem for the Revo S but it has happened in the past to a few reels when they first made them. Just like anything else on the market when it's new it can have a few bugs to be worked out. Abu Garcia will back there product as they always have and I know this for a fact first hand. Make sure you are snapping the brakes all the way closed until it is tight against the axle. If you still have a problem send it back as instructed on there web site and in the book or better yet call them and ask for Bob Hulme or one of the reel repair guys and explain to them the problem your having. When you want the true info on a product go directly to the source or in this case right to the company. Mike

If you slide the brake IN toward the Axel or the center of the spool you will feel it lock into place. It will just be a light feeling but you should feel it. After you think it's locked then try yo very gently slide it back out to the outside of the reel. Just do it very gently because it doesn't take much to move them one way or the other. If you want the brake ON you have to slide it to the outside (away from the spool Axel) just until it is free to slide that way again. I leave two on like that straight across from each other and it works perfectly no matter what I want to cast. My adjustment for weight and wind is done with the spool tension knob. One more thing, make sure you have the brakes slid up just enough to clear the brake drum before you replace the side panel. Hope this helps.Fore what it's worth, In my opinion this is one of the best LP bait casting reels ever made to date, Mike

Big Game Green is fast becoming my favorite for Bait Casting reels. I was a die hard Cajun Red Cast fan for a long time but after trying this stuff I believe it's just a little less forgiving in memory. I was using #12 and #17 in the Cajun Red cast but now after trying this Big Game in #15 test I just may use it on all my reels As for color I'm not so sure I agree that Bass or any other fish can tell the color of your line or care for that matter. Fish have been caught on line thats all colors of the rainbow and then some over the years. Memory in line is the way line stays in curls when you unspool it.Some people seem to feel that it affects casting distance and creates more and worse birds nest too so they all have been looking for the Holy Grail of mono line, Mono with no memory at all. As far as I know it doesn't exist in Mono lines but some of the newer lines are getting better all the time, Mike

Actually if your casting a 1/4 lure 25-30 yards your doing great! As for the setup on the Revo S it seems that everyone has there own idea as to how they like them set up. I like 2 brakes on, one across from the other. Then I set my spool tension knob so that when I push the button and shake my rod tip just a little it will fall about 12"-14" at a time. If I shook the rod hard enough it would drop to the floor slowly with no back lash.This is with #15 Big Game Green line for now but I usually use #12 or #17 Cajun Red Cast. Using a rubber plug that weighs a little less than 1/2 oz (0.45oz) I can cast 41-43 yards on the average without touching the reel with my thumb unless I want to stop it some where. This is using a smooth cast with the wrist and forearms. It feels good and looks good when you make a habit of nice cast! Later you will want to practice all the different casting methods also. One thing I like to do when I'm setting up a lure is to watch the reel spin on the first couple of cast to see if the line is lifting off the reel and trying to birds nest on me. If it does I will tighten the reel tension knob just a hair more. The adjustments on a Revo S are sensitive and it doesn't take much to change any adjustments. Thats good because you can dial this baby in to your style and it stays there!, Love the Revo S. Hope this helps a little, Mike