Dr. Watson

Sounds like dinner, they better watch out for me...lol

X2 on this This is a good basic cleaning kit, I have one and I've tailored it to my own liking; you will probably end up doing the same. .RM. Is a good person to listen too, usually very sound advice. Just remember, like the others said, when you take it apart just be sure to remember the order and positioning of the parts. Learn the basics and you will develop your own cleaning regimen with time. A little oil and grease goes a long way, too. I use the Ardent grease for gears, the Ardent bearing oil for all bearings, except the spool bearings; I use Quantum Hot Sauce for the spool bearings and high speed surface areas, again very little oil goes a long way. Good luck and have fun experimenting!

Yea, the wife and I decided to move back to our homeland, lol. If you're ever down don't be afraid to drop me a line and we'll go throw some lines in the water. Thanks for the replies everyone, keep 'em coming, Sandy bottom you say, sounds like i'll be breaking out some more jigs and shakey heads. Don't need to worry about any clogged motors, gotta kayak.

Da Heck did I just read

Yo-Zuri Hybrid is wonderful stuff, been using it on all spinning equipment. Trilene Sensation is what I've been using on my bait casters that are not using floro. McCoy Mean Green is my backup, I haven't ever had any problems with it, besides it getting stiff when older.

x2 for what RoadWarrior said about the ShakE2's they are great....I've paired mine up with GY Kut tails, Xcite Maximus worms (huge and awesome), and even Mann's Jelly Worms. Experiment and see what works for you.

Anyone fished this area? I'm under the impression that it is a feeder creek for Lake Okeechobee and has some pretty good fishing in it. My parents plan to camp there next month and my dad and I want to get some good quality father-son fishing in. If you have some tips or colors to use in this area, please share; it's been a while since I've been in the Okeechobee area.

Are you speaking of the lake inside of the Park next to the Meadows that all the rowing teams go to? Haven't fished there in a long time, but last time I did, I kept getting hung on the underwater buoy lines that they used to mark the lanes (with weedless rigs); or is this a different place?

Thanks for the reply, I talked with the guys at All about fishing on 41; one of the guys in there said there was a pretty productive pond right on Bahia Vista, but I'm not sure where, I think he might of meant the one on the other side of McIntosh, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm in N. Sarasota, near University; I'm trying to find places somewhat close that I can just pop by for a few hours and then be right home and the wife doesn't yell. EDIT: Any ideas about Ward Lake off of SR70?

Hi guys and gals, it's been a while since I've been on here. Finished a tour overseas and I've moved back to Sarasota, FL. Want to get back to fishing for some bass, so anyone in my area know of some good spots besides the little canal by Ackerman and what used to be a good place over in the meadows? I haven't lived here for a few years now and wasn't as much into fishing as I am now, so I never really looked for places. Tight lines!

The one piece of advice that I always stuck with when I asked that same question was "you can always slow down with a high gear ratio, but you can only reel so fast with a lower gear ratio" I find this to be pretty true.

If you get an NRX, I'm sure you'll love it, I find myself just holding this rod even when watching tv in the house and not even near the lake. I don't have one of the Green ones mine is the original blue, but it is absolutely perfect; blank is straight, guides are perfect, wraps are tight, and the epoxy is not cracked or overly done. Just make sure if you do get an NRX to get it in person and not order it over the internet' so that you can carefully inspect it. For some reason some of them that are out in the retail world got past QC with some flaws and defects and there are some fakes out there too, so be careful and buy from a Loomis authorized retailer. Also, I have the 802C, but in the back of my head I kinda wish I went with the 803C, either way it is my best rod that I have ever used and if you get one and pair it with one of those Core 50's, I'm sure you'll fall in love too.

x3 for the 50Mg7; I absolutely love mine and it has no problems getting bass out of thick grass and pads.

In the couple of hundred class, I'd pick up either a Dobyns Savvy or Falcon Bucoo in Med for general purpose and medium heavy for plastics and light jigs and pair them with an E series Curado, Citica, or a Lew's Tournament Pro in at least a 6.4:1 or 7.0:1.

Hahahaha, what he said, kinda, I would check your rod. Try A $100 Falcon Bucoo or original and see if that doesn't bring some sensitivity to your fingers and not break the bank.

I have the Core 50 MG7, it is probably the smoothest reel I have and probably casts the furthest with the least amount of effort, If you look though this forum hard enough you'll find the review I did of this reel compared to my MGX. The Curado E is another great reel.

the problem I had with braid on a spinnerbait was straightening out the wire it was tied to, I would keep having to bend it back, and this was on quality spinnerbaits, not walmart specials.

Before I really got into bass fishing I used a Zebco 33 (from 1989) and a 6' pistol grip Shakespeare rod for everything. I still have this setup as a momento, but now have technique specific gear that I use just about every day.

There's an app for that! lol....I tend to use and improved clinch for just about everything.

Or if you want to go extreme I love my NRX, LOL :-p

I would do some research on the Falcon Bucoos i really like my spinning setup and at $100 they really are a great value, plus their made in the US, which I like. They compare to my St. Croix Avid pretty easily.

Ultra soft for spinning! it's capabilities are enhanced greatly with KVD line and lure too.

I haven't used the Carbonlite rods more than just picking them up at the store, I prefer the Bucoo, it feels just about as light and it isn't made overseas. Haven't used the Duckett rods either but have heard great things about them.

The Dobyns Savvy and Champion series are probably their best bang for the buck rods, Loomis really doesn't get amazing till their IMX line, I've heard good things about the St. Croix Premiers as far as value priced, but I haven't used anything below their Avid line (which is a great value in itself); Falcon's Bucoo rod line is great and only $100. As far as an online store, I usually use Tackle Warehouse, great prices, free shipping on orders over $50, and they do military discounts.

I would go to your local tackle shop and start "feeling around" the members on here can recommend things to you all day, but in the end it's going to be what feels good in your hand and what feels good on your wallet. As a general guideline though, St. Croix, Dobyns, Falcon, Shimano, and Abu Garcia all have great values in their lines. If you can find a G. Loomis in your price range they're outstanding. As for power and actions, a MH power with a fast or extra fast action will work for plastics, jigs, and spinnerbaits. A M power with a fast action will handle your topwaters, buzz baits, and all your general purpose stuff. A M or MH with a moderate action will handle all your crank baits; and a ML or a M with a fast action will handle most of your finess presentations. I hope this helps you a little, if you have anything else just ask. I do have a M fast rod for sale in the market too, if your interested. Tight lines - Alex edit: Oh and for reels, you really can't go wrong with an E series Shimano! Abu makes some quality reels, they just don't feel as refined unless you pay a lot for their higher end reels.