Mr SwimJig

I would go with the Premier. I have both of these reels and both perform flawlessly. But I feel that the bearings are better in the Premier and I also like the bigger spool in the Premier as well as the 2 extra magnets in the Premiers magnetic braking system. But you cannot go wrong with either one. SJ

I love Power Pro, till last year. I bought a couple new spools and was having all sorts of breaking issues. Breaking while tying knots, breaking on everything. Mind you I have been using Power Pro for a couple years and had never had any problems of this sort. Contacted Power Pro, sent in samples and it turns out I got 2 spools of different lbs that were both bad. Both spools bought trough Wal-Mart. 30lbs and 50lbs Power Pro sent me replacement spools and no problems with them. There are better, rounder, smoother lines, but it is hard to beat Power Pro price wise and it is tough as nails. SJ

I have looked at the reels at BPS and Cabelas and have not been very impressed at all. I know TT gave them a good review but the ones I have seen and handled in the store just do not feel very smooth or well built at all. Know that does not mean that they are not good reels, but I will definitely not be trying one out. SJ

I may be wrong, but I thought that reel had a all aluminum frame & sideplate. The Tournament Pro has graphite side plates, the Team Lews Speed Spool has the aluminum side plates with the titanium deposition. The handle on the Tournament Pro is graphite, it is not painted to look like it. It is very very light and I really am liking those knobs. So far the reel has given me no problems on the several outings I have used it on. When comparing it to my Premier, they are pretty even. Except for the fact that the Tournament Pro is roughly $100 cheaper. Time will tell if it will hold up to day in and day out abuse. SJ

Fluorocarbon is great for jerk baits and yes it does help get the lure down a little deeper and help keep it there. The lighter the line the deeper. SJ

Return it for a different one, it definitely should not be doing that. SJ

The Bass Pros, Bill Dance and Hank Parker are my favorites. SJ

Watermelon Red Flake, Green Pumpkin or June Bug are my favorites. SJ

It is a great little reel. Basically a scaled down version of the 200E7 and E5. SJ

Confidence in yourself is key, if you do not have confidence in yourself then your going o struggle with whatever your doing. Then you also have got to have confidence in the lure and color your using. My son is learning this the hard way, but at least he is learning. SJ

Be sure to visit the Stratosphere and ride the rides on top of the tower and then enjoy a great dinner at Top of the World in the tower. SJ

Well, if the designer recommends it, then I guess it can't hurt. SJ

Jerkbaits are great this time of year. Just work them very slowly. SJ

It is the frame that most of the Daiwa reels are built on, the Zillion probably being the most well known SJ

X2, if you do not like the feel of the TD style frames then look elsewhere. SJ

Braid is just as sensitive as fluorocarbon and no it does not lose sensitivity. Both have their place. SJ

I would look at the Veritas rod, 7' 3" MH/F rod and would look at going up to the Revo SX. If that is not possible then I would look at the BPS Carbonlite, Pro Qualifier or the Shimano Citica. SJ

6 to 8lbs SeaGuar InvizX, going to try SeaGuar Tatsu this spring. SJ

Kids now a days I believe act accordingly to with what they see on tv and video games now a days. I also believe kids behave the way they are raised and if the parents don't play a very active role in their life the kids can become out of control. Parents have to be very active in their children's life's and activities. SJ

If you had bought it local and could walk into the shop with the receipt then yes you could do the over the counter, but since you bought it from a ebay store you will more then likely have to send it into Shimano along with a valid dated sales receipt. You might get lucky enough to go into a BPS or Cabelas and be able to exchange it, but I wouldn't bet on it without a receipt, but who knows you might get lucky. SJ

Well I got my Lews Tournament Pro Bait Caster last weekend and have been putting it through its paces as much as the weather will allow me. The reel is very solidly built and is incredibly smooth and looks awesome. Not sure about the knobs yet, but they haven't caused me any problems yet and they are definitely better then those foam grips that came on my Revo Premiers and my Patriarch XTs. So first day out I did some pitchin with the reel and it is very smooth and I had no problem pitchin and hitting my target every time. The retrieve is very smooth and the drag is very smooth as well. Caught 6 nice fish on it, nothing over 2lbs though. I was using a 3/8oz jig on a Micro Magic 6' 9" MH rod. This combo was just unbelievably smooth and powerful. Next day out I decided to try some moving baits so I tied on a Strike King Red Eye Shad and went back out to the same lake. The reel casts very smoothly and very effortlessly. The retrieve was very smooth and once again the drag was very nice and smooth and powerful. So 2 days out with this combo, about 3.5hours of fishing time and I can honestly say that I am more then pleasantly surprised with this combo. Only time will tell how it holds up over the summer and constant day in and day out use. But as for right now I am very impressed and am adding a couple more to the arsenal for this summer. I will update as I get to use this combo more. SJ

These definitely do not need a stinger hook. When a bass hits one of these they annihilate it. SJ

Well I got my Lews Tournament Pro Bait Caster last weekend and have been putting it through its paces as much as the weather will allow me. The reel is very solidly built and is incredibly smooth and looks awesome. Not sure about the knobs yet, but they haven't caused me any problems yet and they are definitely better then those foam grips that came on my Revo Premiers and my Patriarch XTs. So first day out I did some pitchin with the reel and it is very smooth and I had no problem pitchin and hitting my target every time. The retrieve is very smooth and the drag is very smooth as well. Caught 6 nice fish on it, nothing over 2lbs though. I was using a 3/8oz jig on a Micro Magic 6' 9" MH rod. This combo was just unbelievably smooth and powerful. Next day out I decided to try some moving baits so I tied on a Strike King Red Eye Shad and went back out to the same lake. The reel casts very smoothly and very effortlessly. The retrieve was very smooth and once again the drag was very nice and smooth and powerful. So 2 days out with this combo, about 3.5hours of fishing time and I can honestly say that I am more then pleasantly surprised with this combo. Only time will tell how it holds up over the summer and constant day in and day out use. But as for right now I am very impressed and am adding a couple more to the arsenal for this summer. I will update as I get to use this combo more. SJ

I would have gotten a Z9. ;D Happy B-Day and I believe you will be very happy with the combo. Be sure to use KVD L&L on that fluorocarbon, it will help tremendously. SJ

Either reel would be great. If your fishing heavy cover and need to get the fish out of cover quickly then go with the 7.0:1 reel, if not then the 6.4:1 would be fine. I personally would go with the STX, I really like the drag and the dual braking system better. But you won't go wrong with either reel. SJ