mdaugh

Thanks guys for the replies. I figured it was normal but just wanted to make sure.

I have noticed on my new Citica that the reel handle has some play in it. Grabbing the reel handle, and pulling away and pushing towards the actual reel bpdy I can feel and see a very small amount of give in and out. Just wondered if this is of course normal, or should I make the drive back to Cabelas

X2, Great color, and always catch fish with this one.

The weights that come packaged extra are heavier than the stock setups, so using one of the heavier weights mixed with stock may not work so well. If you do change, I would change them all. The pink should be stock, and the gray are heavier and are included extra. This was what came with my latest Citica anyway.. GL

What size hooks are most of you pairing up with avergae 6" Zoom Utail worms, as well as things like Baby Brush Hogs, 5" Senkos, etc.. Also, what types of hooks are you using? Extra wide gap hooks, standard gap, etc?? Any steadfast rules when selecting a hook size for a given length bait?

I have 3 or 2 magnets engaged depending on lure/conditions and they are in a non conflicting pattern. The reel casts great, I just wondered about the grease and oil question. Some say that you should always use grease on the levelwind, others say to use oil for better performance and the fact that it doesn't attract so much junk. I haven't used casting gear in quite awhile, atleast since last summer and thought the reel would cast lighter baits easier than it does, but then again I have been on spinning tackle for quite sometime fishing smaller finesse type baits, so I guess that is a lot to ask from any casting reel. Thanks for the link Burley

Would it be practical to clean out the grease from the levewind, etc, and use oil on my new Citica. The reel is smooth, but doesn't feel quite as smooth or cast as far as I thought as easy as I thought it would. Do they also use grease on the spool bearings as well? I understand their reasoning, being that most anglers will never clean/regrease and oil their reels after buying them. So grease lasts longer for the average guy. How much benefit is going to oil on the key pieces like levelwind/bearings? Thanks as always

Found an old post of mine, and thought I would bump it and see if anyone has anymore info on this reel that I happened upon. Magnumlite 1550 SG Speedmaster. Definitely looks as if it was top of it's class back in the day, but not entirely sure.

Very true Tog, lol. Looking back, I think I worded that wrong, haha. I know your a big Shimano guy, what settings would you recommend for the internal weights?

Stopped into Cabelas tonight and picked up the Citica 200E after deciding to go with Shimano over the Garcia Revo series. Positive reviews on both sides, but have always wanted a Shimano reel, so I pulled the trigger. I'm pretty experienced with a casting reel, and am wondering where I should start out as far as the VBS system and weights are concerned. It looks as if 3 on and 3 off are the default setting. I think I should be fine with 2. Can I see any noticeable casting diff. with 2 rather than the stock 3 setup? Also, do you guys prefer to turn the weights off, or completely remove them? Also, in the ON position I noticed you can have the weights right past the first clip, or actually pushed to the end of the slide. I suspect that they end up there anyway, due to the force of casting. Prodigy rod was 50% off and so far I really like it. I'm def. not a gear snob but didn't want the standard ugly stick $30 rod, so I went middle of the road and am very pleased with the feel and look of the rod. The Citica and Prodigy match up well, and look great. Will test the combo out this weekend with 12LB. Stren Mono and see how everything goes.

I'm in. Do we need to Pm once a week, or once every two weeks? Still a little unclear here. Thanks

Good read though overall. I finished Iaconelli's book as well. It was also great. I'm a big reader though and anything on the outdoors, conservation, survival, or especially fishing is always getting high marks from me.

I guess I should have clarified my question a little clearer when I wrote my thread. I was just simply asking if anyone has bought from Ebay, or more or less, were there any other places that had lower prices. Someone did post that *** did indeed have a cheaper price on the Citica DSV's. I wasn't accusing Ebay of being hard to buy from on the account that there are tons of scammers, lol. I apologize to any and all Ebay'ers out there that took offense- "insert sigh" ;D

Have a good weekend!!

Thanks guys.

Just browsing Ebay tonight and found numerous Citica's with shipping right around 93 bucks or so. Anyone bought any of these from Ebay? That is definitely the cheapest price I've seen. Abu Garcia Revo S were going for around the same price as well. Any feedback??

Just finished this book guys and it was great. If any of you are readers at all, you'll enjoy this book. It really tells a great side of bass fishing that most anglers never see or hear about too much. The hours these "Record Chasers" put in, the isolation they seem to endure constantly, even family and work problems when it seems to turn into an unhealthy obsession. It follows 4 or 5 exclusive big bass chasers, a few of which I've kept up with over the years but never really saw what went on behind the magazine covers and articles. Pick it up sometime if you get a chance. The author is Monte Burke.

Thanks Rod. I appreciate the feedback.

Welcome!! Dawn and dusk are generally thought to be the most active times of the day for a bass similar to the whitetail deers movements. Cruising the shallows at dusk and throughout the night while remaining in the shallows in the early morning. If you can't or don't care to fish all day, the evenings and mornings are great times to be fishing. I have a Berkely digi. scale I picked up at Wally World for 20 bucks or so. Works great. I practice catch and release on all my fish but if you care to harvest the bass you catch, be sure they are legal to keep as dictated by your state or lake's legal size limit.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah RW!! LOL I actually laughed out loud when I read your response, hehe.

I think I will probably go with the 100 then. I appreciate the help and the pics. I haven't bought a new reel in quite some time and have never had one with a drilled spool, so I did not know how much difference there was. I would assume the reels are so smooth anyway it doesn't matter and they both cast effortlessly.

Regarding the spools...Does anyone find any noticeable difference between the solid spool and the drilled, as far as casting distance or casting light baits??

It's a backlash or a birds nest if we do it, and a "Professional Overrun" if RoadWarrior does it, hehehe ;D I also think it depends on what your using to do it. A 30 dollar shakespeare baitcaster backlashes. A 400 dollar Shimano professionally overruns!!

I can just see Iaconelli or Swindle using spin casts exclusively and winning tournaments with them just to buck the system and get a buzz started. I'm not sure why, but picturing a pro on bassmasters on ESPN2 on a Saturday morning setting a viscious hook set with a Zebco 33 makes me laugh ;D Would I run out and buy a bunch,, of course not. Would my father RAG ME TILL THE END OF TIME, and say how he told me all these years "There isn't a thing wrong with a good old 33!!!" YES, YES HE WOULD!!

I think it would be safe to say that for well over 50 to 60 percent of bass fisherman, the Extreme reel or rod for that matter would have more than enough quality, smoothness, cool features, etc.. That's not to say that there isn't a difference, and a noticeable one at that between it and a Shimano Curado or Garcia Premier. But I think it takes someone who puts in an above average amount of time on the water fishing, and someone who thinks and obsesses and tortures himself over our sport an above average amount of the time to justify buying reels and rods from $200 - $700. But for the average basser, I would assume arund $100 bucks give or take seems to be the average spent on a rod or a reel. Just my opinion though, I could be wrong