SirSnookalot

To be honest there isn't much point to it, any fish that can be landed within a very short period of time is not what I would call formidable. Not intending to insult anyone's fish landing ability but it doesn't really take a high level of expertise to land most of these fish. Be proud to catch a 10# bass or 6# small mouth or even a 6# peacock, nice fish for their species, but battles of epic proportions, I hardly think so. What 0119 is referring to proper landing technique is 5# fish (we catch them a whole lot bigger than that) that won't be landed in a few minutes without knowing what you are doing, you just ain't going to arm drag these fish in. The last thing I'm concerned about fishing for bass is stressing the reel.

0119 is absolutely right. The rod handles the stress and using the drag properly takes the stress off the reel, there shouldn't be any stress on the side plates or handle. Using heavy braided line with a locked drag does only 1 thing and that's dragging the fish in quickly to get on to the next cast, but probably puts way more strain on the equipment. This type of pro emulation is the last thing I would do as a recreational fisherman. What's more fun, playing a bass for 60 seconds or horsing it in 5? So I lose an 8# fish, won't be the first or last. I would hope that pump and reel is used in freshwater, little tough to be cranking a good size fish out of heavy muck.

Spinning both power and finesse, not that I know what is meant by either, 10-15# braided line. No trolling line out, no line treatment needed, with more than enough line strength.

For the most part line ratings indicate the power of the rod: 8/17...........medium 10/20.........medium heavy 25 lb........heavy It is possible to have 25 lb, med heavy because I have one, but most are heavy. Exceeding lure weight down here is very common, how much extra is going to depend on the brand as well the power. Commonplace to throw 1.5 oz on 1 oz max rod, with distances that approach the stratosphere. I don't see too much reason to do this in freshwater.

My supreme 35 has caught snook and jacks in excess of 15# for nearly 2 years before I switched it to freshwater. Reel has never needed anything but a drop of oil. On a performance basis the reel was just fine (still is), in fairness I've caught the same fish on abu sorons, stradics, quantums, penns and a few others, every reel handled those fish. I'd be looking at the reel that feels best on my rod, any of them are going to perform just fine.

I'm going to give you a tip on a lure that you may not have heard before. This lure is used by almost everyone down here so it's not secret. So popular a friend of mine drove 40 miles to buy some, they are sold out around here. This lure catches, jacks, snook, a mackerel, blue runners, snappers, LMB and by far my most productive peacock bass bait..........crappie jigs, 10 for about buck and half at Walmart. I tie my own on a jig head. Too light to cast you say, people have no problem, we can tell you how to do it.

It's snook not sea bass, but no one is really interested in "other species". The one good thing about fishing for snook and peacocks, we do it 12 months of year, but they don't fight too hard so you ain't missing much waiting for the ice to thaw.

A limit to everything, a 14 lb rod with 17 or even 20# probably will have no ill affect.

A Shimano tld is one of the most popular offshore reels used by many charter captains, these reels take a reel workout and pretty bullet proof. On the smaller side, Pflueger trions are graphite too, don't hear many complaints on those reels. I'm out one day a catch 150# shark on an cardinal 177 graphite frame with plastic gears, land the fish and 10 minutes I have another on the line and land it. That was many years ago, I sill have the reel and it;s like new, I don't use it anymore, why? lol From personal experiences I've had maybe as many if not more problems arise around the $200 price range, than some of my less expensive reels. I'll probably continue to spend 150-200 because I'm one of the suckers born every minute.

I thought it was a spinner

Good question. Stradics get a lot of praise here, graphite rotor and side plate.

If ever the chance check out a Calico Jack, my favorite freshwater rod.

Nice fish on light tackle.....................what's with the reel?

With the addition of some "hardware" that was installed yesterday for the next 6 weeks I'm chauffering, shopping, cooking ,laundering.............and not much fishing.

Got to be the ugliest guy I have ever seen in my live.........he did ridie off in the sunsets with Jessica Alba in Machete.

I no longer freshwater fish from a boat, I don't lose many lures from the bank but it does happen. My lures are lost mainly from cutoffs by toothy critters, I don't like using wire. With no exaggeration I probably lost due to cutoffs last October at least 20 or more spoons, lures and a couple of $18 waxwings, expensive yes but I choose not to be defensive, I caught a ton of fish too. It's using wire and saving money but catching less fish, or having more fun but paying the price.

Not here..............Nothing better than a Northeast wind. That said, wind direction dictates the target species.

50 lb is like 12# mono, depending line capacity of the reel backing may not be necessary. Put tape on the spool before spooling it up, braid or backing. Braid as backing is not unusual, with 50-100 yds of mono on top of the braid then the leader, that's called a top shot. Some like the stretch with larger fish like tuna, that isn't really too different than using braid then 6-8' leader for freshwater.

I buy most of my lures at Dicks and Walmart, like xraps, bombers, mirrorlures, bucktails, jigging spoons and jig heads, I really can catch everything from what I buy at those places. I do order DOA jerk shads from DOA, but a Zoom fluke is just as effective. Look for the deals at Outlet Bait and Tackle, buy my Krocodile spoons there when on sale for $1.99. I use Terminal Tackle on Long Island for my cuda supplies, they handle about everything for saltwater. All that's needed in saltwater are bucktails, flukes on a jig head and spoons, everything else is just for variation to have some fun, they will not catch anymore fish. A bucktail jig will catch anything that swims.

"Don't use it if you aren't prepared to lose it"

I probably get a few more knots with 10# than 20# but I still get them. I had bunch Saturday and the exact scenario happened again yesterday. Fishing the same place with the same 1/8 jig the knots were happening, changed to a 1/4 ounce spoon and no more knots. The weight of the lure IMO has a lot to do with it, line just casts out straighter thru the first guide.

You could fish that spot everyday for the rest of your life and never hook it again, or you may catch it 15 minutes later.

Everything thing works some of the time and nothing works all of the time. If it's working for you I think you should continue using it, maybe I'll try it.

I have the latest edition of the Cabo 40, I just posted a pic of nice jack I caught with it, glad I was using it. I have to be objective, as much as I like this reel it had to be broken in. I did incur some problems with it on my last 2 outings, the anti reverse is not working properly and even though I almost always close the bail by hand it catches on the top of the spool if I use the crank. I sent it off Friday, Quantum gives 24 hour turn around on saltwater warranty and 48 on freshwater, Shimano is never going to match that. No reel is bullet proof, I'm not in the least bit bothered by this inconvenience. I'm not finding fault with Shimano reels, they are pretty decent and I may be buying one for some lighter duty fishing, their service is a big negative IMO.

I agree about using heavy tackle required to cast heavier swimbaits, additionally the waters I fish in South Florida are not conducive for them. There is a limit to what I'd spend on a lure, I'm also looking at what I can catch with it. An 8+ bass is a nice fish, I've probably caught as many of them on a senko as anything else and I don't need to spend 30 bucks plus the heavier tackle, besides I think medium spinning gear is more fun. I do use a waxing sometimes, cost 18 bucks, on any given cast there is no upside limit of what can be caught. Does that waxwing catch more and bigger fish, nope. As nice a lure as it is it will never outclass a bucktail jig, spoon or fluke on a jig head, it's just something else to have fun with once in a while.