Whets Lines

I can not comment on the feel or fishability of the W & M rod. However, I can comment on the one my cousin bought which I recently took back to BPS for a trade. The quality on this thing was way below what I would expect for a rod in this price range. He had the 7'10" rod and handle was as big as a broom handle. I didn't like that one bit. After further inspection, at least 4 of the eyes on this rod were not level and were not in a complete straight line down the blank (one eye was off center just a bit). The eyes were not bent, they were just put on sloppily. Maybe I'm being too picky after a few years of using St. Croix rods, but I wouldn't pay any money for one of those rods. There are better quality rods out there in that price range. St. Croix offers a couple. For what it is worth, I saw this same kind of slack craftsmanship on TFO rods I checked out at Cabela's too. I'm sure you could get a better quality rod by looking into something like a St. Croix Mojo, Lamiglas, All Star, or many others I have not spent a lot of time checking out. I do like the choices of reels you have made though. Whets 8-)

This will be my third full season of bass fishing. I picked it up late... I'll be 39 this year, have a steady job, and a very understanding girlfriend. I've upgraded and added to my arsenal every year. This isn't so much out of necessity as it is out of a thirst to find what really works for me. At least that is the case with my reels. I'm trying new reels this year. To go with my Abu Winches and Skeet Reese, I'm going to be using a Curado and a Zillion; both of which I have yet to cast. I'm probably going to try one of the new Lew's reels too. When it comes to my rods, I opted for St. Croix after a season of walleye fishing with some "seconds." Last year I took advantage of their trade-up program (which I'm always singing the praises of). I'm already planning my next trip up to the factory this April. This time though, I'm not so much upgrading, as bringing in a rod I snapped. I'll pay $50 for that boneheaded move, get some credit, and then upgrade that LTB to a Legend Elite. I will upgrade some of my current rods next season as well. However, I did just purchase my first non-St. Croix rod, a new Dobyns (thanks for the advice David P) Champion rod which I can't wait to get, stare at for a few months, and then use in earnest. So for now, mark me down for 1B as well. Whets 8-)

This is easy in my book. The Abu Garcia Revo Winch. They make it in lefty, it's durable, casts great, and can be found on sale. Good luck. Whets 8-)

I used my Quantum Tour Edition PT all last season. Never once did I have any issue or feeling that something wasn't working right. I didn't notice any flex or anything which drew my attention away from reeling in the fish. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another reel with a CF handle. Whets 8-)

Thanks for the quick review Bassn Blvd. From my research, the main concerns on these new reels are the ability for Lew's to provide product support with parts should something fail on the reel. My view of this is that it is unlikely, but a legitimate concern. However, it isn't really my concern. I have been looking at these reels. I'm very curious to know how they casted for you. How would you rate the cast control? The drag? Some reels just seem to never want to backlash. Others are a bit finicky. If you have it set right and cast, it will work great...until the one time you don't pay real close attention and then, ffffttt, bird's nest. Personally, that drives me nuts. As an example, I had a pre-2010 Revo Premier and a Quantum Tour Edition PT. For me, these reels were finicky. Most times, they were great. Then, I'd put a little too much behind a cast, or not pay attention, or whatever and I'd have a mess on my hands. However, with my Revo Winches, I never have this happen. I know I could spend more time educating my thumb or concentrate more on technique. But, for a reel in the bill-plus range, I want quality with a touch of forgiveness... Can you let me know if you felt this reel is finicky? Is there a small margin of error when casting, or a more forgiving margin of error? Thanks again for your previous post and any follow-up information you provide. Whets 8-)

Near me, the YMCA has summer camps for kids and they do take them fishing. You could contact a local YMCA. Whets 8-)

Hey Nibbles, I had a similar thing happen when I tracked my reels I sent to DVT. For some reason, Mike had to go pick my box up from the post office. I figured he may not have been home to receive the box when the mail carrier arrived or something else occurred. Anyway, long story short, my reels were picked up, serviced expertly, and shipped back to me. I had a slight pang of nervousness too, but in the end, it was all good. Whets 8-)

Try sending Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle an email and see how quickly you get a reply. He will not leave you hanging. Also, like RW said, he's a site sponsor. Soon, I plan to send more business his way; not just because he did great work in a timely manner at a good value, but because of his customer service. I contacted DVT based on his site sponsorship and word of mouth on the board. He earned my business by the manner in which he treated me and my reels. Whets 8-)

I've sold two BPS reels...Extreme & Rick Clunn. I've sold two Quantum Energy PTs & a Quantum Tour Edition PT. I sold my pre-2010 Abu Premier. That leaves me with an Abu Garcia Skeet Reese & my Winches. I recently added a 201E7 to the mix but have yet to cast it. To date, of all the reels I've used (no Pfluegers, no Daiwas better than an Exceler, no Okuma, no Lew's, Shimano...yet, etc), I would say my Revo Winches are my favorite baitcasters. I love the big straight handles, the durability, their casting distance, and the ease of castability. (Is that a word?) Whatever... Whets 8-)

I would have to agree that a custom rod is a great investment. I am very pleased with my experience working with Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle. http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/ He's not local for you; however, he is a site sponsor and regular contributor. Take your time to decide what you want and be specific. Mike took the time to help answer all my questions and offer suggestions. The quality and cost of my custom rod from DVT are just two of the bonuses of my decision to go with Mike. Now is a great time to get a rod. Don't do like I did and get it in the fall and have to wait pretty much all winter to get some good use out of it. I'm chomping at the bit for warm weather. Whets 8-)

I think your co-worker may have been misinformed or was thinking of another rod company. To my knowledge, their rods are only manufactured in their factory in Park Falls, WI and their factory in Fresnillo, Mexico. The Triumphs, Eyecons, and Mojos are all made in Mexico. The rest are right here in Wisconsin. Whets 8-)

Hi had the Mojo two seasons ago. I thought for the price that it was great for what I needed to use it for. If you are hoping to go with crankbaits which dive down past, say, 10 feet, you are going to get a workout. You'll want something longer for that. As far as being tip heavy, I didn't find this to be an issue with my type of fishing style. I thought it was a bit tip heavy, but not to the point of being bothersome. I mean, I keep the tip down to get the bait down in the zone quickly. I paired mine with a Revo Winch. It casted everything I used without complaint. After a season of fishing, I traded up to an Avid crankbait rod. I have not looked back since. So if you don't like it, do like I did and take advantage of St. Croix's trade up program. Even if you do like it, I still recommend trading up. St. Croix has great products backed by great people. Whets 8-)

Thanks JF. However, could you share with us what it is you are looking for. What are deal breakers for you, etc.? Thanks. Whets 8-)

I know there are a fair share of members who get paid to service today's modern baitcasting reels. There are plenty more who do their own work or help out friends while not making a living or paying hobby of it. To you folks, I present these questions. When you look at purchasing a new reel, what do you look for? Do you start by looking for a product from a company you've seen less issues with? Do you start by looking at the quality of the product and materials used to build it? Other than looking at the obvious things like what it is going to be used for, budget, etc., what I'm asking is do you think you may approach purchasing a new reel differently from the way someone like me may? (I broke the only reel I ever tried to take apart.) I look at color, price, whose name is on it, who endorses it, bearing counts, brake types, reviews, etc. For example, if I were a car mechanic and worked on car brands A, B, and C, I'd know the quality of each and base a purchase decision based on that knowledge. I'm posing this question because I've spent hundreds (thousands?) of dollars on reels I have now sold for one reason or another. I'm giving some consideration to the new Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool and I'm wondering how I would go about evaluating this, or a Curado, or a Zillionaire, or any other if I had the knowledge which comes with working on a product. I am long-winded sometimes. You have worked on countless numbers of reels. I guess it all comes down to what do you use and why? Whets 8-)

Thanks much for the replies. I looked at my instruction sheet and I skimmed the website, but I couldn't find my answer. I figured I better put it to the pros. Thanks again. Whets 8-)

Well, after fishing a few seasons with Quantums and Abu Garcias, I have finally took the Shimano plunge. My girl was sweet enough to get me the 201E7 I asked Santa for. My Quantums were nice, but finicky. I'm selling my last one. I absolutely love my winches and my Skeet isn't bad. I was very unhappy with my Premier (2009); so it is on the way out the door too. :-/ After reading all the glowing recommendations for the Curados, and the fact I love my centrifugal-brake-only Winches, the Curado was the logical next step for me. Long story short, I'm pulling it out of the box tonight, dreaming of warmer days when the hard water is a distant memory and I find two sets of spare plastic widgets (what are they called?) for the centrifugal brake pins. One set is pink like the ones on the reel and the other is green. This may be a silly question, but is there a difference between the two other than color? :-? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks. Whets 8-)

I used braid exclusively on my Legend Extreme this past season and didn't have a single complaint. I wouldn't have purchased a rod in this price range if I wasn't 100% confident in the materials and the company. They are basically staking the reputation of their top-of-the-line rods on the REC guides. From what I have read, St. Croix has done extensive testing on these guides with braid without any issue. Now, you can take a random poster's word for it, or you could email St. Croix and ask. Whets 8-)

Bassclary, Everyone always talks about your age. I don't know how old you are. One thing I learned as I got older is that everyone has opinions on everything. Maybe you are still learning this. By spending money on fishing stuff you are doing something your dad would not do so he has an opinion on it. Whether you like it or not, he has it. I wouldn't buy him anything or try to convince him that what you are doing should make sense to him. Personally, I don't care when people give me grief for my rigs. I could get hit by a bus today and be gone in an instant. I do not tournament fish, I can't catch fish using a Texas/Carolina rig to save my rear, and I seldom venture beyond my favorite fishing hole. But, buying and using some of (what I consider) to be the best fishing gear makes ME happy and that's really all that matters. I don't catch any more fish using my St. Croix Legend Extreme. But like I said, I don't care. I was happy and excited to get that setup and I just love fishing with it. Everyone has different priorities and don't let them push theirs on you and don't push yours on them. So, hang in there. When your dad comments on the money you spend, just sit back and know you are happy with what you have and have done. The cool thing is that you can fish with your dad. My dad can't fish for his life, but he loves to do it and I love going with him...even if we never catch any of the catfish he so desperately seeks. Whets 8-)

I would highly recommend Mike at DVT. I recently had him build my first custom rod and service two of my reels. He took the time to work with me as well as educate me on the process and what to look for in my rod. His communication and customer support is to be applauded. By the way, my new custom micro-guide St. Croix looks awesome. Unfortunately, it took me all season to save up for it and now I have to wait until spring to give it a good workout. Whets 8-)

It sounds like you use Revos already but have not mentioned the Abu reel designed for cranking. I swear by my Revo Winches. These have centrifugal brakes and with my 7' medium/modular cranking rod cast really well. They are slow and powerful. I have a Revo Skeet and a Premier. I prefer my winches to both of these for ease of casting and casting distance. Granted, they are heavier than both of these reels, but to me, when cranking, it doesn't really matter to me. I feel you are doing yourself a disservice by not considering the Winches. Whets 8-)

I am a firm believer in St. Croix products. They will still only charge you $50 for a replacement rod if you break one within the warranty period (lifetime on Avids & up). They have an excellent product and all the really good stuff is made here in the good ol' USA. Add to this their trade-up program, and you have the makings for a full line of replacements for your Loomises. I think the Avids offer great bang for the buck. I know very little about G. Loomis rods; so, I can't say if this is similar to the IMX rods. I have visited the factory and everyone I met who worked there made it fun and well worth the many hours I spent in a car to get there from Southern Wisconsin. I suggest you take some time to learn about St. Croix. Whets 8-)

All of my reels have holes in the spool. I've often wondered if I should just run my new line through two holes in the spool and tie them off before filling the spool. This will eliminate any issues of braided line spinning on the spool or the need for a Power Pro type small foam piece placed on the spool prior to reeling on the new line. I've never read whether this is a recommended way of tying on new line or not. I figured this was a good place to ask. So, what do you think, good thing, bad thing, or doesn't matter? Thanks. Whets 8-)

The link got goofy adding periods and watch at the end. Try this. Whets 8-) http://tackletog.com/cal/2010/08/07/connection-knot-for-micros-demonstrated/

I want to catch fish on every cast...including the first. No superstitions here. It's all good. Whets 8-)

Thanks Shad, I don't use t-rigs very often. Your kind of post gives me some direction and confidence in using it. Thanks for sharing. Whets 8-)