islandbass

Thanks, Raul. My knowledge of Daiwa products has surfaced! Thanks! I had assumed it was a mirror lefty. 8-)

I was hoping you guys could let me know. A guy on a local forum is selling a Daiwa TDZ New for this price: 2006 Daiwa TDZ 105HL lefty. Brand new. Asking $175.00. Being one who has never fished with a Daiwa casting reel, is this a good price? I have always heard how good Daiwa reels are so I just might bite but I'd like to hear from you guys first. Thanks! -ib who up to this point has been mostly a Shimano guy. Oh yeah. I almost forgot that he also had these: 2006 Daiwa TD Sol Baitcaster Lefty. Brand new. Asking $125.00. 2006 Daiwa TD Sol 2000 spinning. Brand new. Asking $100.00. my bait monkey is going bonkers! ;D

Let us know what reels you plan to use. Some reels, like Shimanos are saltwater wothy IF cared for properly. You will need to clean the reel(s) immediately after every trip out. Rinse off the reels and towel dry off the excess water. The use of a towel or cloth will also help to remove any unseen debris and salt. Take your reel apart enough to also clean out the innards or any water or salt that could have gotten into the reel. Shimano has a maintenance pdf file for spinning and casting reels. Go to their site and download it. Even if you don't have Shimano reels, the steps could be paralleled for your reels. Bottom line is to make sure you remove anything that can cause corrosion and you will be alright. And don't forget to clean the blank and guides too. But then again, maybe I am a bit anal, but I like my stuff to be working 100%. : Casting gear will be alright, but spinning gear might be more convenience. I use both in the salt.

If it is not asking too much, perhaps an upgrage to a spinning reel? The abu garcia cardinal in the 101 or 102 size is very manageable and it will give her a better chance against bigger fish, yet be simple enough to wield with some practice. Just a thought. I imagine a cardinal at about $30 is about the same price as a spin caster but she will get a better drag and fighting capabilities and a practically hassle free reel.

Shimano rods are a solid choice. If you have a Sportsman's Warehouse in your area, check out the Shimano Rods. There are two in my area in which either the fishing department has gone nuts or they are trying to clear the racks. They are selling Shimano compres, the line of rods above the Convergence and the Clarus that normally retail for $89 for $45-55. You can then use the savings to buy him some line or a lure or two. I have both a clarus casting and a compre spinning. Decent rods for the buck and with the lifetime warranty, either would make a solid choice such that you might keep the rod for yourself. ;D

I don't think that you need to worry about line visibility. x2. I agree. With the water as you described it, line visibility should be less of an issue. I don't see the need to go any higher than 10 and maybe 12# at the very highest. I have had good success with regular siege at both 10 and 12# test with cranks and topwaters and unless I don't want the cranks to dive deeper, I prefer 10#.

Cool! I am glad I can read it. And to my english speaking brethren, nudos have nothing to do with nudity but you can still tie them if you're naked. ;D

Do you have braid spooled on this reel? If you do, it sounds like you are experiencing what is known as "line dig" Please confirm whether or not you have braid on. The only other thing I can think of is if you have braid and you didn't use anything, be it tape of mono to prevent the braid from slipping on the spool. I am inclined to think the former is the case.

I have this rod but sad to say it has seen very little use because I got caught on a drop shot fix. : It should however be quite good for any jig and worm set up you want to toss that is within its lure weight range. The rod is very sensitive in my hands. It will definitely get more usage next season. 8-)

First, don't worry too much because it is not as complicated as you think. Although this is a picture of a Curado the concept is exactly the same. I have a trion and curado. Many folks find 3 brakes off and 3 on to be a good "all around" setting. When you pull the brakes out, be careful. On trions, you can accidentally remove the off the shaft completely. No big deal, but put them back out. Pulling them out means that the brake is "ON" and pushing them in toward the center means that you are turning the brakle "OFF"> It's that simple. One other thing about the trion. Its lower limit is about 1/4 oz. going lower than this without a properly set reel can make things a bit finicky for the reel. Good luck!

There is a saying that sums it up: "Any better and I'd be lying." ;D I would tell if there is something to tell. Even if I am kicking fanny? Why? Because I don't care to lie (karma) and just because something worked for me doesn't mean that it will work for them. This is also one reason why most my conversations with other anglers out there I usually don't ask how the fishing is going. I know that they are most likely to lie to me anyway and it is evidenced here. If I do ask, I take most comments with the proverbial grain of salt.

I too would recommend the Citica at your price point, especially with the rebate. The cruxis would also be alright. The trion is a reel I have and it is a great reel that has landed many a brute salmon for me. However, if you are a newbie to bc reels, I can tell you that the Shimanos are more "tolerant" and "forgiving" for apprentices who might not yet have the experience of properly setting the reel to the weight of the lure.

Did she buy it on or after 12-01-07? If so, go to their website and download the rebate form. I believe it is either a $30 or $20 rebate for the purchase of a Citica and $50 for a curado. Then, take that $$$ and get a little something for the Mrs.

What if ...... you are fishing with let 's say 20 lbs test ? that would equal 15 pounds of drag pessure, so unless you are fishing with a reel with at least 15 pounds of drag 90% of the reels of the world won 't cut it. Wouldn't the reel be rated for 20lb test hence a drag system to match the line capability? I guess 25 % is the magic number then? The drag is set at a certain percentage of the line's breaking strength. Anywhere from 25 - 33% should be alright. When the drag is set as such, barring abrasion or wear on the line and a good working drag and a rod rated to protect the line you are using, the fish should not break the line no matter how much it runs.

That's it!!! I can't take it anymore! Could you tell me what exact model you have? For $150, I just might need to get me an early Christmas present. Thanks! This ought to compliment my Lamiglas Certified Pro Drop Shot special.

Maybe it's just the west coast in me, but he is one of my favorite anglers. I recall a segment I saw on ESPN where he'd get pulled over to check to see if the bass boat he was towing was stolen, and now when he gets pulled over, it's for an autograph! ;D When does this Yo Ish piece come on? Sad to say, I've never heard of it. :

Yeah, I hear you! I fished in 33 degree weather this morning. The mittens I use keep most of the cold at bay but the extremities that are exposed do get cold. And the only thing that alleviates it is caught fish. How? You tend to forget how fickin cold it is. ;D

This is an awesome reel for the price. I have the 301A. For bass fishing, I use it for cranks, for salt, I nail salmon with it. With a brake setting of 3 off and 3 on, close up the reel; you'll probably not ever have to change that setting. The reel pitches beautifully too, and is capabale of tossing even 3/16 oz lures. To sum it up in one word, "Solid!" 8-)

Wow, maybe I should consider myself fortunate that the closest BPS is over 1000 miles away. That is terrible service. If I were you, I would write a letter to the higher ups. Sorry for such a terrible experience.

I left the word file at work. :'( I'll send it to you on Monday. Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know how cold it gets in your area, but these are what I use http://www.cabelas.com/spodw-1/0000312.shtml They are mittens that fold back to reveal slits for the fingers. They keep your fingers warm and they don't interfere with cast. They kick fanny even in sub freezing weather. I plan to use mine this weekend for some chum salmon combat. 8-)

That sounds awesome, but may I ask what you mean by the reel being balanced? This has piqued my curiosity indeed.

The solution is simple. It results after the cast because there is enough slack at the rod tip that it will wrap around the tip. Right about the time your lure hits the water, make a slight movement of your wrist to the left or right, as long as it is away and not toward the direction of the cast. This slight movement of your wrist should be sufficient to and enough tension to your line and greatly reduce that slack around the rod's tip if it is there. Since the line has that slack reduced, the chances of the line wrapping around the rod's tip is greatly diminished. It does not need to be a big move of the wrist at all. I liken it to the move I make when wielding a spinning reel after I manually close the bail. I will move the rod/reel enough to remove the slack on my side of the bail before starting the retrieve. Doing both of these things has practically made line wrap with braid and line twist with a spinning reel a non-issue. Let me know it it works for you.

I put together a very basic idea of it in a word document. I wish I had more time to be specific, but it should be a good start. Good luck! I will need an email address to send it to. Thanks!

They are NOT equal. Some split ring pliers cannot handle the smaller sized split rings that are used on lures. When you get a pair of split ring pliers, make sure it states that it can handle the smaller split rings. I have two. One for the smaller rings and the other my rapala pliers. The rapala pliers does NOT handle smaller rings from size 2 and less, but for 3 and up they are fine. The one I use for 2 and less are my lead cutting pliers that many river anglers use to cut and hole their pencil lead.