JaxBasser

I had one when I first started and I liked it, but you can get a Lews Speed Spool for $79 shipped on ebay and it's a much better reel.

Before I really had money to buy more equipment I had one combo I used for everything and it was a BPS PQ on a 7' Medium/fast rod and 12# Yo-Zuri Hybrid. It worked ok for most of what I fished with. Now that I have $ to buy more stuff I have 4 combos that I will use, I usually only carry 3 of them on a trip though since I don't have a boat.

Yeah same here. I fish in some gin clear lakes with no leader and 50lb braid and have had no problems catching fish.

I have a co-worker and a couple of friends that bass fish. It's not as popular here in the Jacksonville area, there are lots more saltwater fisherman.

The palomar knot is probably the easiest to tie and I have never had it fail. Once you get it down it's really fast to tie.

First time I've ever really used Jigs was this year and I've already caught 2 fish that were close to 7lbs on them (one on a swimjig and one on a flippin jig). They are quickly becoming a favorite and high confidence bait for me.

I went with the regular Speed Spool Tournament for $118 shipped. Seemed like the best bang for the buck. I'll put the saved $ towards a Powell Diesel Crankbait rod to put my old Revo S on.

I forgot about that one. The PQ was the first good reel I ever owned and it's been great. You get a lot of reel for $100.

Lews Speed Spool or a Revo S are both great reels that are going for around $99. I wouldn't spend less than that on a first baitcaster. It's a lot harder to learn on the cheap stuff and those will last you a lot longer.

Nice catches! I have a pond right by where I live and I've caught some huge fish out of it this year. It's nice to just be able to walk out your door and catch nice fish.

Yeah, that's what has me leaning towards the TP. I have a BPS PQ and a Revo S so I've never owned a really light reel before.

I'm also looking at the Speed Spool Tournament for $110 and using the saved $ towards a new crankbait rod. Is the difference between the Tournament and Tournament Pro worth the $40?

So I'm looking for a new reel and I'm having a tough time deciding between the Revo STX ($140) and the Lews Tournament Pro ($160). I have a Revo S and and I like the reel a lot which makes me want to lean more towards the STX but the TP seems like a lot of reel for the price, I especially like how light it is. The STX seems like a great deal at $140 though. I'm looking at the 7.1 models to put on my worm/jig rod.

The Suffix stuff has been good to me.

Apparently they are located pretty close to me but I've never heard of them before.

I love the Craws, Baby Craws, and the Thumper Worms. I have some Space Monkeys and Lizards but I haven't tried them yet.

I've just had bad experiences with the Eagle Claw EWG hooks, the main problems being rolled points and bent hooks. I used to use them a lot when I was fishing on a tighter budget and sure they caught fish but I had many more problems with them compared to other hooks. I have some Trokars and I love them but I just don't like the regular Eagle Claw stuff. Speaking of Owner hooks I was in a wal-mart on a side of town I don't normally go to and they have Owner worm hooks for $2.00 a pack. I cleaned them out.

I've got some spots out near the westside of town (whitehouse area) that I'd be happy to share. I'm always looking for more people to fish with but It can be a bit difficult since I don't have a car at the moment. I've got some spots that hold some good fish though.

Nice fish. Have any spots you don't mind sharing? I've got a few out on the westside of town that have been producing really well. I've caught 2 over 6lbs in the last week or so.

Went back out today and smacked them good with that same jig. 7 fish with 3 of them being solid 3+ lbers. I can't wait until my new stuff from TW gets here! I think Jigs are becoming my new favorite way to fish. Between swimjigs and regular flipping jigs they have been over 75% of my fishing lately.

Beryl has been moving through the area since yesterday and the weather has been terrible, I just had to get out and fish though. Caught this nice fish in the pond down the street from my house. It's my first big fish on a Jig and I think I'll be using them a lot more from now on. Caught it off the end of a dock in about 2 feet of water, this fish absolutely slammed it. It was a Strike King 3/8oz blue/black jig with a junebug Zoom Speed Craw trailer. Off to TW to order some new Jigs!!!

Junebug

I fish from the shore so I usually only carry 2 or 3. One baitcaster for soft plastics/jigs, one for cranks, and a spinning setup for light stuff.

I love mine. I can be tough on my equipment but it has held up well. Very light and sensitive.