Mike L

The only thing I can add to what everyone else has already told you... DON'T try to cast with the wrist flick type cast you can do with a spinning reel and think you can get away with it! That was, and still is my biggest problem with a bait caster. If you cast with a fluid motion keep your wrist straight and the crank pointing up [if you're right handed] you'll get the hang of it. Watch the video, adjust your brakes, practice and don't give up on yourself. You'll be fine Mike

Ditto! Mike

Just wondering, what style you guys use? I have always used the offset, but recently I bought a package of Gammy Skip Back and I'll tell ya I kinda like them. It seems to me the plastic doesn't slide as often. Anyone else use, like or dislike them?? Mike

If you can't find the advertised "Wacky Tool" or whatever name they want to call it, get yourself a ball point pen [the kind you have to screw apart to change the ink refill tube] the bottom part where the point comes out is your wacky tool. Mike

Ditto! Mike

7' Compre MH/F Mike

Sounds like you're doing just fine to me! The best luck I have is with no weight and just let it fall, raise the tip, and let it fall again. Mike

All very good responces! The only thing i would add is while you're cranking fast, slow roll, shallow or deep, every few seconds give it a hard horizontal pull..crank a little more and pull again. Mike

Sometimes we're our own worst enemy. All we can do is what we can do to be better than the next guy. Mike

I've always used an off set hook for soft plastics but recently changed to the skip back style. I feel it holds much better. Mike

Ditto... I'd buy a couple dozen! Mike

I used the Ardent line butter and then tryed the KVD line and lure.. Havent touched the line butter since. Mike

Dead sticking is you cast it out and let it just sit there...Don't move, twitch or shake it.. Good Luck and do what what these guys have posted. I was like you not too long ago. It'll come Mike

X2 [in a freaking hurricane!] Mike

If it were me the first thing I would throw would be an unweighted watermelon fluke. Toss it out as far you can over the pads and let it sink. Twitch, wait and twitch again...slow roll it to another hole and repeat. Mike

X2 1.5 in sexy shad, and skinny dippers. Mike

As a co-angler I went thru 3 bags till I found the one I liked, that could hold all my stuff without being to big. I had a Cabelas but a different style than your's, It had the flap that went over the complete top and snapped closed. It was ok but that flap kept getting in the way, and over a year or so it just didn't have enough room. Then I bought a BPS horizontal tray model thinking it would would be better because it had a storge compartment on top to throw things in and carry an extra reel, line etc. but that proved to be too combersom as I couldn't get a tray out from the back of the boat, without stepping off the deck to get something, then back up as I keep the bag on the seat. I finally settled on a Flambeau AZ8. That has all the compartment's I need, not too wide or long, and just the right height. They also make a few smaller models as well. Depending on your situation check those out, you may like it better. Mike

I don't buy 'em if they don't have them now. The older one's I have I put it on. I learned the hard way. Lost too many fish over a 2 day tourn and lost money. Mike

Thanks I have a 7 ft Techna AV and yes it's a very beefy. So much so I used it for flipping grass on the Big O last weekend and did just fine. Mike

Anyone know how they compare to the Techna AV line that was discontinued? Thanks Mike

20# Seagar for soft plastics and 50# braid for jigs Mike

After over 40+ years of useing spinning gear, I wanted to learn to use a b/c. I just really started to learn how last year, and getting better with each trip. 1st was an Extreme because the guy behind the counter said it was a good one to learn on. 2nd was a used left handed model Quantum Accurist because I wanted to see if I liked reeling with my left hand any better (I don't) 3rd was a PQ, mostly because of the reviews here and on bps site. 4th was a Revo, definitely because of the reviews here. That's 4 reels from 3 different manufactures each with different weights, line capacity, drag, bearing counts, and most importantly different combinations of braking. I'm learning more and more about what I like and don't like. Now, I'm not even close to some of you guy's in overall knowledge about what is best and what is junk or to say which manufacturer is better than another. All I know at this point is that I like either dual or cent braking only. That's It! My point to this is...You guy's just keep your reviews and opinions coming, regardless of how you form them... Thats what brought me to this site and thats what will keep me signing in. Mike

Thanks Fellas

Ditto I use a MH/F Compre with 17# invisix. Works for me. Mike