DaveT63

If you can afford another roughly $100, the St Croix Legend Elite line is exceptional. If you keep your eyes open, you might be able to find a lightly used one for the price of the LTB or Dobyns.

Loomis MBR842C GLX / Daiwa PX68L St Croix LES68MXF / Shimano Stradic FK 3000

I buy most of my terminal tackle from ebay. Gammy and Owner hooks are about 1/2 the price of other places.

Thanks for the replies, everyone, especially the pics, JustJames! And for the tip, J Francho! Dave

I don't think so. I've got a 5'8" St Croix Pro Glass crankbait rod that works great.

I just picked up a nice Calcutta 51 off the bay. It didn't come with a manual, so I downloaded one from Shimano. However, it isn't exactly the most user friendly manual I've ever seen. How do I access the braking system to make adjustments? I can't figure how to get into the palm side plate where the manual says the system is located. Thanks, Dave

Besides the weight, what is the difference between the two? They seem to be priced pretty close to one another in the Shimano lineup, and according to JapanTackle, they are both fine for saltwater use. I'm in the market for a new reel to pair with my MBR842C GLX as a senko rod, and these two are the front-runners. Thanks, Dave

First, the St Croix Extreme and Elite rods are top notch and worth the money, although as someone else said earlier, I hear a lot of great things about the Dobyns Champ Extremes. For reels, if buying used doesn't bother you, you can get Shimano Cores and Daiwa Steez used for the $200-300 range if you look. I would also consider a used Shaimano Aledbaran, going for just over $300 on the bay site.

I would look at the 25 size Pfluegers or 750-1000 size Shimano on that rod.

It's hard to beat a Daiwa Pixy PX68 for lightness and casting distance. And you can find them like new on the bay for under $200 shipped.

I both the 51E and the 71. I am still dialing the 71 in. If I had to choose today, it would be the 51E because I am very familiar with it and have it dialed in. I should get there with the 71 soon though. DAve

I know it's casting vs spinning, but I used to have a GLX MBR843C (old version) that I loved, but had to let go of. When I was able to replace it, I bought the NRX MBR843C. Very nice rod, but for some reason, I don't like it quite as much as the GLX. And I VERY much prefer my old MBR842C GLX to the NRX. If I were to do it all over again, I would either get the GLX, or have a custom built.

I don't have any experience with the President, although they get great reviews here. But the 1000 size Shimano Sedona or Sahara are great reels for under $100.

I've had a Steez and loved it, but traded it for a Shimano Core 51Mg7 and haven't regretted it one bit. That said, one reel I LOVE and highly recommend is the Daiwa Pixy. You can find almost like new used ones on the bay for as little as $150 shipped, and I prefer it over the Steez. If you upgrade it to the "Pixzilla", it will handle anything you want to fish for in fresh water. Depending on the size of your bonus, if you get one of these, you may have enough to buy an awesome custom built rod, and have a high end combo you will love for years to come. Take my word for it, the Pixy is a pleasure to fish. Just my two cents, Dave

Another satisfied ebay customer here. Just check the seller's feedback, as others have said, and pay through Paypal. If something goes wrongs or it arrives broken, or even if you never receive it, you should be covered.

I think it should work fine. Before I got a Light rod, I used my Ultralight for fishing a wacky-rigged senko on a regular basis. I caught 3 or 4 over 5 lbs in one summer on the UL, but lost some good ones too. That's why I moved to Light.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm fishing early tomorrow, so I'm going to really try to slow down for a change. Dave

How often do you switch between rods/baits while fishing? I'm a run-n-gun type fisherman, and almost always on the move. Very little patience for sitting still. Anyway, I usually have maybe 8-12 rods on the deck at any one time. It's not uncommon for me to pick up one, throw it maybe a half dozen times, then switch to something else. I know I might catch more fish if I stayed in one place long enough to try 4-5 different baits in the same area, but haven't been able to slow myself down. Does anyone else fish like this? And what do you do to male yourself slow down if you do? Thanks, Dave

I have 2 reels that the cast control knob has no effect on. A Scorpion 1001XT and a Core 51Mg7. I must have done something wrong when I pulled and flushed or just oiled the bearings. But both look right when looking at the schematics. Anyone have any suggestions I could try? Thanks, Dave

Depending on what type of rod you want, someone is selling a Legend Elite in the flea market for $225. That's a great rod at just a few more dollars than.an Avid.

When you want to fish all levels of the water column looking for fish, do you start fishing deep and move shallower, or the other way around? Also, if you are going to try say a rattling crankbait, a buzzbait, and a stickbait all in the same area searching for fish, do you fish the quieter baits first, or start off with all the noise? Thanks, Dave

I like my 71, but not quite as much as my Shimano 50 size reels yet. I'm still trying to dial this thing in. Too many backlashes so far, so more adjustments to be made. I'm sure once I get it right, it will be a regular in my lineup.

Got my PB, 7-1, on a St Croix Legend Elite 6'8" MXF Spinning rod, Stradic 2500FJ reel, 12 lb Sunline Supernatural Mono, T-rigged green pumpkin senko.

I use an Owner 3/0 Riggin' Hook for the Sweet Beavers.

Yes I did!!!!