OnthePotomac

I keep it simple: 8lb mono on my spinning reels, 17lb mono XL for top waters, spinnerbaits and chatter baits, 15lb Invizx for everything else except for frog rod with 50lb Sufix 832. I guess it works since I don't lose fish.

BPS just started a nice sale. The ProQualifier 2 is on sale for $75, down from $100. Numerous baits are also on sale. I had a ProQualifier for three years some time ago and they are really incredible little reels. Mine did duty for frog fishing with 50lb Sufix 832 braid and never failed a hint. I maintained it myself and thought it was very well built. It got traded in at the spring classic sale for $50 allowance with gift cards for a Chronarch MGL, but there was nothing wrong with it all. I picked mine up on one of these mark downs for $80.

Never attempt to free a bait using the rod. Cut a piece of 1" dowel 6" long, take a file and file a grove around the middle of the dowel then when snagged, wrap your line around the dowel groove off the end of your rod and you will either break off, retrieve your bait, or haul in what your bait has snagged on (if it is moveable) and save your rod. I carry three in the boat always.

I have two brakes on on every Shimano reel I own (back to my Curado 100Bs)and that seems to be the sweet spot for me. On the newer Shimano Curados and Chronarchs with the exterior dial, it is either on 2 or 3. I have noticed that the Chronarch MGL and the Curado K requires a tighter cast control than the others, but does not effect casting distance, which in my case is not a mile because I am grass bed oriented and you do not want the bait too far away fishing heavy grass beds..

Toxic, I do the same because I don't trust myself. Only difference is I crank a new dry line back through a cotton ball soaked in KVD, sort of killing two birds with one stone.

I use Shimano reel covers and they are easy on, easy off.

I have read of others having a problem with the Shimano side cover slide lock but I have not experienced this on my several reels with the same sliding lock. What I have experienced is making sure it is really locked with a final hard push with my thumb nail. The little slide locks can be deceiving.

I have posted this before, but here it is again to explain from the manufacturer why KVD L&L works better than Reel magic, which is silicone. The only other thing I will add is that I have seen comments stating that it should never be used on Braid. Not true. Line & Lure is a special polymer blend that becomes part of the fishing line it is applied to. Other line treatments you find on the market are primarily silicone oil and solvents. Silicone oil only temporarily coats the line and solvents can damage line. Silicone oil rapidly comes off the line (on your hands and in the water), requiring re-treatment of the line after just a few casts. The special polymers in Line & Lure are hydrophobic (water repelling) and very slippery. It doesn't allow water to draw back on to the reel spool, which eliminates the line drag that a "wet" spool has. It also protects the line from wearing out as quickly as un-treated line because it resists the abrasion that wears line out. It contains no oils or solvents as in Reel Magic that can build up and collect dirt like silicone/oil treatments will.

I do my own reels and am paranoid about reel cleanliness, so at the end of the year, no matter how little a reel is used it gets the strip down and relube. Necessary, probably not, but DVT can probably provide a comment on the a need, if any to clean and relube a low use reel.

You will love the smoothness of the 200K once you get it dialed in. I ended up with two brakes on and the outside dial on "3" for senkos with 15lb invizx. The micro gears are really nice. You may also find the cast control requires being a little tighter then usual, but has no effect on casting distance.

Invizx 15lb flouro (.013) on all my baitcasters for all plastcs and on my fishing partners spinning reel (my daughter) simply 8lb mono and she never loses a fish. Go figure.

Hey, my brother in Michigan is still fishing for walleyes with a 25 yr old Mitchell spinning reel on a rod he paid $20 for back then.

Don't own either, but I have read countless favorable comments on other forums on the BPS cranking stick and by anglers who use high end rods, so they say.

Anything faster than hand over hand works LOL

If this helps, I use a KVD 7' medium heavy fast tip, 1/4-1&1/2, 10-25lbs line rating on the Potomac beds and it works just fine. I use 50lb Sufix 832.

Minnow, when you replace the cover, place it on the spool shaft with the front of the cover pointing down a bit. As you approach connecting it to reel body rotate it up as you connect to the reel body. See if this works.

Trilene XL 17lb is my go to line for spinner baits, blade baits and top waters. I know it can handle a 20lb snakehead since they hit like a freight train. Love the Potomac surprises. Never brakes with last year's spool. I use the Palomar knot with it.

Senior, go on every bass fishing site you can find and read, read, read. Concurrently, study the countless UTube bass fishing videos before you even venture onto the water. There are many videos by bass pros which will set you straight. What you will find is numerous versions of how to fish every technique, but after doing the foregoing you will be able to sort out what is the best way for you. Every bass site will have a ton of bad information by alleged experts who like to run up their number of posts on the site. The videos by bass pros will help you discount the bad advice. Sorry to sound cynical, but I went through this 20 years ago when I retired and I read an article by a bass pro who offered this advice. It will really cut down on the learning curve and frustration. My dear wife also bought me a bass fishing book series on various techniques, which is no longer in print unfortunately.

For the no-tournament angler you can go nuts thinking you need a different rod for every technique. With the exception of a couple I have, all the rest are MH, or Medium and all the same make, Carbonlites. I think they are on sale now for $100.

LOL

Looking back, when I first got into bass fishing years ago I had 14lb BPS Excel mono on every reel (four) and fished every kind of bait on it. Even frogs.

I have a 15 year old KVD rod for frogs with 50lb 832 and not problem at all.

I am a Shimano reel fan, but I have been a Carbonlite fan for the last 10 years in 6'6" MH, 7'MH and 7'Med and have never had a problem with them. All were on sale for $80-$100. A 7' MH will weigh 4.3-4.5oz, which is why I like them. The 6'6" MH micro guides is 3.6oz. The tidal Potomac is tough on fishing equipment and they have been bullet proof. I added a 7'MH 2.0 rod and a 7'Med 2.0 this winter and can't wait to give them a try. The Medium weighs 4.2oz and MH weighs 4.5oz. My new Curado K will move to the 7' MH for plastics with 15lb Invizx. I can't begin to recall how many bass these rods have hauled out of the Potomac grass beds. I fish only for pleasure. Can you feel a fish burp with them? Don't know, but I rarely miss a hookup. I have a Carbonlite 7'2" Med spinning rod with a 2500 Sahara my adult daughter uses when she fishes with me. Her favorite line is simply 8lb mono and she is good at hauling 2-4lb bass out of a grass bed with 5lb of grass on it.LOL

Are you locked into Lews? The Curado K is $180 and available searching around for less. Pick your speed in the line up. Love mine. Very smooth with the micro gears.

Keeper, Zona was using a Diawa spinning reel as was his co angler. They both were using a little bait called Strike KIng KVD drop shot plastic 3.5" Half Shell in bright chartreuse.