fowlskies

Whoa! Just read this thread and some people either don't have enough worries in life or have too many and its coming out over shimano vs abu. Un-bind your panties, jeez. But thanks for giving me a good laugh over the pettiness of it all, I needed a break from all these d@mn taxes, come on April 15th!

I picked up a Citica 200e on clearance for around $60. On ebay they are around $80-$100 and at that price (especially at $60) I don't think they can be beat. I've never used one but people are always raving about PQs so there must be something to it, although I imagine they are not better than the Citicas. (disclaimer: I am NOT part of the Shimano legion) I think next yrs offseason purchase may be a Lexa 100, I've heard a lot of good things about them too.

Citica 200e on a 7' MH Falcon Bucoo U.S. Reel Hibbdon 800sx on a 6' 10" MH worm and jig Shimano Sellus I have to say I have been VERY impressed so far with the 800sx so far. I didn't realize how much friction was caused at the worm guide until I used a reel without one. I've been waiting anxiously for the ice to melt to put both of these through their paces. jbsoonersfan, wow quite the lineup and I thought I dropped some money this yr on fishing tackle and equipment!

I'd figure out which reel you want to throw treble hook lures with and put that reel on the medium rod and whatever reel you want to use for jigs, t-rigs and other mono-hook applications, I would put on the MH rod.

I bought one around Xmas time, so far I really like it but I haven't put it through the paces. I've only messed around out in the yard and one time off a bank, but man it casts and pitches a bait a mile. I just bought a Citica 200e and can't wait to compare the two when the weather warms since their original prices were very similar.

Ha...snuck the anchor in the grocery order last week while we were at Walmart, the battery is all that is needed now.

Well...I ended up buying the Citica 200e tonight. I got a $10 off a $50 purchase coupon the other day and couldn't pass it up. With 10% off the clearance price and another $10 off of that I walked out with the reel for a little over $60. I still have about $30 left over towards a battery, so I'll save a little bit up and should be able to buy a battery by the time the water softens up or shortly there after. I'm going to pair it up with the Falcon Bucoo I got for $25. Not a bad little combo for $85.

I'm a San Diego Jam knot man myself. Only time it has failed on me is when I cut it so there is no tag end. I hate tossing a cast out to only watch your lure go sailing never to be seen again.

HA! That guy could get my boat up on plane faster than my motor.

Ya that one had me laughing too. I was picturing myself out in front of Walmart...but I think I'll pass on that thanks. Surpised LgM didn't jump on clayton's comment either, lol.

This is my dilemma and what has me second guessing myself and weighing out what choice I should make.

Whoa you guys are doing a good job of backing me away from the shiny new reel. Although I shouldn't be surprised, there are a lot of level headed guys on here. fl_bass, I have a gas motor on my boat so I'll be able to get around, it just limits me to using an anchor to position my boat. In all reality I will most likely be able to buy a battery by the time my boat goes in the water or shortly there after. The thing is I have already overspent my fishing budget and don't want to spend more but I really would like to step-up in quality of reels. It would push back me buying my the battery for a more sexy purchase. That and I already own more reels than I can bring on my small boat this would just be the best one on it. Keep it coming guys...you're talking me off the ledge at this point, my wife would appreciate it even though she has no clue about it.

My local DSG has a Citica 200E on sale for 79.99 plus 10% off for being a display model. This money is suppose to go to a new battery for my trolling motor and I also need an anchor. The money would be better spent on the former but d**n I am really close to pulling the trigger on the reel and pushing myself around with the oar when in the fishing spots like I did at the end of last season.

That's when I got mine, right around Xmas. I've tried it a few times so far and I do really like the reel. Unfortunately I have spent my offseason budget for the yr. I spent it before I bought the rod but I couldn't let that deal go. Just curious what are your thoughts on the reel? smalljaw thanks for the reply, thats what I was thinking too, I just really like a lot of sensitivity when jigging. I probably will go with the C3 on it and use it for my hard swimbaits also. Using braid with it helps with soft tip on the spinnerbaits. But, man, I am still really tempted to use it with the Hibbdon for jigging.

As I stated in an earlier thread, I got a great deal on a new rod. I was all set on my setups until I got this new rod. My rods were setup as: - A Pinnacle Matrix XT on a 6'6" M Berkley amp rod for my shallow cranks - An Abu 4600 C3 on a 7' MH Berkley Shock rod for spinnerbaits and deep cranks - A U.S. Reels Hibbdon 800SX (throws lighter baits well) on a 6'10" MHF Shimano Sellus worm rod for jigs and plastics Well I just got a good deal on a 7' MH M-F tip Falcon Bucoo Trap Caster. I was thinking of putting the C3 on it for spinnerbaits and deep cranks since that whats the rod is more designed for BUT I am REALLY tempted to put the Hibbdon on it for jigs because of the better sensitivity and put the C3 on the Sellus rod for spinnerbaits. The Shock rod would get put up until I get another reel for it and keep the amp rod in the lineup so there is M setup for when its action is what i want to use What do you think? Should I use the Bucoo and its better sensitivity for jigs or should I use it as my spinnerbait/deep crank rod because of its tip??? BTW they are all spooled with PP braid.

I wish they had more at that price. I would have bought them all and sold them on ebay. They had a wooden floor rack of clearance rods with about 8-10 Bucoo's on sale for $100 and the next clearance rods in line on the rack were Abu ambassador rods on sale for $25 from $33. The associate who must have put the clearance stickers on the rods went one rod too far with the Abu stickers and accidentally put an Abu sticker on the last Bucoo. I just noticed the mistake and capitalized on it. I would have never done it if it was my local independent outfitter/gunsmith store (I would have told him about the error) but Walmart I have no problem taking advantage of their mistake.

I just got back from Walmart and scored on a 7' MH Falcon Bucoo Micro Guide Trap caster for $25...Keep an eye on those clearance racks you never know what you'll find!!! I usually use the $50 price point rods so I'm pretty pumped to try something in the next "class" up.

Someone chimed in earlier with NY's fee of $29 (which is correct) from November to November (which is NOT correct). NY sporting licenses are valid from October 1st - Sept 30th. I wanted to clarify that so he and anyone else from NY that took that as the actual dates do not get fined for fishing or hunting in the month of Oct without a license. Every year, sometime in Sept., I buy my Super Sportsman license in NY for $88. It includes your fishing, small and big game, bow hunting, muzzleloader and turkey licenses. My next step is to the post office to get a federal waterfowl stamp for $15 and I am set for the year to the tune of $103. Now I need to find a way to pay off my wife so I can get more of my money's worth out of the licenses. Although she is pretty good about it and I get quite a bit of time out in the field and on the water.

WOW...Mine had some Exaliber squarebill cranks on sale for 2.96 so I picked up a few. Those prices you got are ridiculous.

I haven't been able to get their videos to work anymore. I think they went to a paid membership fee

Also the way the scrounger rubber cup is designed makes it weedless so you don't have to t-rig it.

Isn't this the basic concept of a scrounger jig? http://www.basspro.com/Luck-E-Strike-Scrounger-Swim-Jigs/product/10209876/ Worm: Fluke: Looks like it might have a little more wider wobble than the scrounger but again, the same basic concept.

I can tell you that I love my C3 and if you are looking for a workhorse reel that you're not afraid to abuse and that can easily take the abuse then I would pull the trigger on that C4. I have no problems with distance on my C3 and the C4 being an upgraded C3 I don't think you'll have a problem, it probably won't cast like your Chronarch (I don't own one to compare) but I can't imagine you'll be disappointed. I would think you'll be using it for larger baits for stripers, pike and musky anyway and when used for bass use 3/8 oz lures and above. I don't think twice casting 1/4 oz lures with mine.

As far as price is concerned, I look at it as comparing it to the coin some hunters drop their rifle setup, the newest climbing treestand, the latest sent eliminating apparel and so on. All of these on their own can cost more than that reel. So in my opinion a rifle is to a hunter as a rod and reel combo is to a fisherman. Hunters easily drop over 1k on a rifle and have multiple of them in all different calibers so if you are a fisherman why not spend that on your passion. Now I love to do both so I tend to try and buy the workhorse equipment, i.e an Abu C3 for fishing and a Mossberg 535 for hunting waterfowl and turkey. You'll never see me spend that kind of cash on a reel but on the other hand in the next couple years I will be in the market for a rifle (currently borrow my brother's extra) and I am looking at easily in the $400-$500 range for something I may shoot at my quarry once to twice during the yr. Now compare that to how many times I would be casting a reel towards my quarry during the year and its into the thousands of casts per year. It makes more sense to put the cash into a reel, but will I? Nope.

U-40 is the sealer just found it in the article posted above. Wish I could find it in a brick and mortar, hate paying $5 shipping for something that costs $5.