flechero

That question depends on your needs, budget and perspective. IMX and SCIII are not equals but depending on what you do with them, either could be the right choice for you. As for the hundred bucks, look at it this way- if you keep it 5 years, that's only about $0.38 per week!

so cool!!!!

ddigit, I agree with you on the service end. However, there are lots of product updates, new product info and other non service related things that Bantam can provide that the techs can't. Having said that, let me go on record and say I miss ReelMech and I'm sure many others do also. He provided a support to many brands and to the rodbuilders... not to mention he is a friend of many here. I have spoken to both sides and know for a fact that there was a misunderstanding in the recent events. A couple people jumped to an incorrect conclusion, and with that, he is no longer here. He will be missed. He was one of the guys that helped build this into the site that it is today.

I built on the slop&frog blank... I can honestly say it's one of my favorite rods. I use it for frogs, t-rigs, jigs, even buzzbaits at some sloppy lakes I fish. It will load and cast 1/2 oz easily. 1/2 is my high end of lure weights on that rod. I've even used it for matt's baby bass a few times and it was fine. Not sure how the factory version balances but I certainly look at it if I were buying a new 7' H rod.

Partially true... your zebco 202's and 33's are pretty self explanatory and aren't likely to be upgraded this decade. ;D just kidding around Actually though, it shows me that some of the higher ups in Shimano North America understand the value (in marketing and support) of being available to the customer base for questions or concerns. And as a by product they get tons of exposure that the 800 number and other contact sources can't provide. Remember we have over 17,000 members and countless lurkers... each is a potential customer. The Shimano forum is unique, but it is certainly a 2 way street. I think the cost of one employees time is far less than the customer service and marketing efforts required to accomplish the same exposure and service, company direct. I'm surprised the other mfr's haven't done it yet.

Certainly lighter and better balanced rod/reel combos will help. I think even more importantly is to alter your fishing style a little... start spending more of your time fishing soft plastics. (t-rig and c-rig) You'll be casting much less and not constantly pulling against a crank or spinnerbait. Good luck

Size 5 and 7 floating rapala minnows work great for this... expect some fouled casts. I wild roundhouse/side arm type cast will usually go w/o fouling... just takes a little getting used to. Also if you have bluff banks- you can parallel them with this and set it on the different ledges. You can really catch a lot of fish with this technique, if you get near a school.

Pretty cool!! Do you have an article in it also? You are the long lost twin (except you are a few years younger) of on old friend of mine... every time you post a pic, I say to myself- "that's Mike." Can twins be 10 years apart? ;D

No experience with kistler but plenty with the 50MG's... I own 5 of them and have used them for everything except swimbaits. You will like the reel, no doubt about it.

I've said this many times before and I certainly don't mean any disrespect by it- there are people with very sensitive hands and people with less sensitive hands... one of my close friends can't tell an ugly stick from IMX and as such rarely catches a fish on a t-rig or any other "feel" presentation. He has to throw moving baits like spinnerbaits and crankbaits. I had always figured him to be the exception, until the last couple years. Once I spent some time here (at BassResource.com) I realized that there is some % of the general population with less sensitive hands that really can't distinguish many rods from others. But for a great number of people (with sensitive hands) there is a noticeable difference even between IMX vs GLX and a legend T vs Legend E.

Sure you could, it's about as tough as telling a diamond from a charcoal briquette. ;D

So true. A recent event where a legally owned and carried firearm saved the life of the CHL holder (and property). http://www.themonitor.com/articles/shot_19729___article.html/attempted_carjacker.html#slComments

Funny thread. I like brown sugar/cinnamon and i like them warm but not toasted. Try 8-10 seconds in the microwave... makes them warm and soft, kind of like a cinnamon roll. ...lol Don't get me wrong, I prefer scrambled eggs, sausage and toast but in a hurry, I like pop tarts.

You can't choke steel since it's so hard. So if you are shooting steel, stick with an IC, skeet or skeet II choke. (you can shoot it out of a mod or tighter but it will wear the gun horribly and your patterns will be comical)

You can easily get Fourbizz's recommendation, brand new and delivered to your door for under $100. (I just bought one, NIB for $80) I've also heard Matt (of Mattlures) recommend the Cardiff 300 on several occasions, for those not wanting to break the bank.

I'd make the decision after knowing what kind of budget you want to fit this reel into. Since you are after a reel for med sized SB's you have a lot more flexibility and don't have to break the bank. Have you decided on a price range?

Good explanation, RW. I have a little different take on rods than some... I do think a better rod makes a feel fisherman better, if you have the hands for it. (some people don't have the sensitivity in the hands to take advantage of / or be able to tell certain rods apart) Since the majority of my fishing is t-rig and c-rig, I do wholeheartedly believe that a small gain is worth it, and will allow you to catch some fish that you would have missed with a lesser rod... especially since the biggest fish tend to pick up baits the softest. A couple big fish a year more than I would have caught is certainly worth a few extra dollars and I think makes me "better". YMMV. Factor in that I usually keep a rod for 5-10 years and you are talking pennies a day for the "upgrade." For me it's a no brainer.

what is winter fishing? ~ florida Winter is when you wear a long sleeved t-shirt before sunrise. ;D

Poor fella... we call opening day of any given year, New Year's Day. By april, we are fishing post spawn. My advice, move south!! ;D

that's right. call them or do it on-line.... just give a model number and credit/debit card number and in 2 days a new rod shows up... drop the broken rod in the tube, slap on the prepaid label right over the existing label and send back. It's a no lose deal for you.

You can take of the reel seat, guides and in some cases the cork as well... but the seat and cork are fit to the blank so if there is any variation in the new blank, it's not going to fit right. You can easily use them for a larger diameter blank though. You can use the Xpeditor service. It's "no questions asked replacement" If it were me, I would use the xpeditor for that one. Then try a build on something less costly- as a Loomis blank is not usually the best "first timer" blank. If you like it, you can sell the new loomis rod and buy more building supplies and blanks. I liquidated about a dozen IMX rods when I go into rod building.

Go to the ER, point to your foot (while wincing) and if anyone asks you a question, say "no habla engles" and when they ask for your SS # just say "no tango." That's all you have to do to get free health care. >

I bet the buyer pulls a similar stunt for payment. :

Man it's deep in here.... glad I have hip boots. ;D Tin, I have to say that I'm probably closer to your age than Catt's age but the younger crowd always under estimates the "old guys"... trust me, I was one of the ones under estimating them, not that long ago. I think you would be really surprised by how well some of the "old guys" can still fish. Some of them have forgotten more than we know. I have no doubt that you, senko, Jay and many others are all serious sticks... But Catt has been a serious stick for longer than any of you have been alive... You should be giving him the same benefit of the doubt that you are seeking.

Poor kid... for so many reasons.