Darren.

I'm with the 5 pound guesses, give or take.

Favorite of what I own are my Stradic 1000FI reels. Would love to upgrade to a newer model, but not in the cards any time soon. Also really like my Lexa 2000SH, but not my fav.

Same here.

Hi Werner, and welcome aboard! I agree with others that the big ones may be in deeper waters. What tactics are you using? Dropshotting, wacky, cranks, swimbaits, jigs? All of the above?

I'm mostly a Shimano guy, but I would also recommend you consider a Daiwa Lexa spinning reel in addition to the Symetre, President, etc. already recommended. You really want to get to a store near you and try each reel out on the rod you mention. You will get a nice feel for each one and if you can't decide, flip a coin! Plenty of good reels out there at that price point.

Welcome aboard, Doug!

As a fan of ESPN, I'm saddened by the news Stuart fell to cancer. Enjoyed his reports and commercials. RIP http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/12118296/stuart-scott-espn-anchor-dies-age-49

Typically the Uni with 5-7 wraps. Or a Palomar tied with care.

I've not had a lot of success with them...at all. The Stik-O is a far more successful bait from BPS by my experience. As for rigging, just a wacky hook through the X of the bait. For wacky in general, when I feel a hit I reel down and lift. No hefty jerk of the rod. Or, depending on the circumstance (low lying branches, etc), I'll sweep the rod, as lmbfisherman suggested.

They work extremely well. Here's a link from a while back of my setup for this rig. I've had great success over the years with it. Mostly a skunk-saver, LOL. I've caught some bass over 3 lbs on it, and a 4 lb pickerel. They can catch some big fish, but drag must be set to give on that occasion, as stated by others.

Welcome aboard!

I believe Shimano will fully stand behind all components of the reel. I was leery of the plastic components early on and was assured that Shimano is confident and behind the reel. Bantam1 is a Shimano rep, and a member of BassResource. You can always send him a PM.

Wonder if they're gonna squeeze 2 weeks worth of deals into one, or lessen the whole shabang. Wasn't overly impressed with their past few sales, other than for the Carbonlites. I just want 3 bags of Stik-Os for $10, and maybe some hooks and stuff at the Classic.

Welcome, Brian! Some good spots in and around your area.

Welcome aboard! Agree with much above. You can throw almost everything on the reel, just practice with it since you are new to the sport. Back yard casting, thumb control, etc. Lots of good videos on YouTube. Also practice casting at targets to focus your efforts on accuracy. The more you practice, the better you'll get.

Have a great one, Glenn!!

Well that was interesting. Oregon Ducks roasting the Seminoles. Wow. Beatdown.

I'm with T9. No resolutions. Just fish and be open to change when needed.

Happy happy! Hasta next year.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome ... back, John!

Someone told me they once saw an 11 pound bass in a local pond. Saw. Weighed with their eyes, not a scale. LOL. Nicely done, A-Jay. Glad it doesn't apply to me LOL

You could try adding some cutouts of microcell foam under your seat to add some comfort. That's one of the cheapest methods. Here's an assortment of options from Austin Kayak: http://www.austinkayak.com/search/seating/filters/cHJpY2V8MDs2MjAwOzA7NjIwMCxsYXN0RmlsdGVyfHVuZGVmaW5lZCxzaXRlfDE=/v/500/page/1

Interesting video. Long poling for bass does similar, with short line and presentation right in the strike zone.

I think it is fun to try, but for me and the waters I fish, long D stuff like this is crazy long. Agree that with supertuned or even just upgraded bearings you can get a lot more D out of regular lures and soft plastics. As I've experienced with my 50e reels.