backcast88

Shimano Symetre.

BPS Tourney Special. Its an IM-7 rod that $10 off right now which makes it $39.97

Will do.

When I went to pick up my Shimano reels from a local shop I was browsing the tackle and picked up some Trilene XL Pro Fluoro in 8lb for my spinning reels and several Spro crankbaits. I already have several Little John's but I picked up one in Cell Mate to add to my other colors. I also picked up a Fat Papa 55 in Nasty Herring. The Trilene XL Pro Fluoro is great. I put some on my Symetre when I got home. It is very very thin. I have some Sunline Sniper in 8 lb and it seems thinner then that. From my limited time fishing with it seems to handle as well on spinning gear as the Sniper. Abrasion resistance appears pretty good but I'll know more when I am around docks and more structure then the small pond has. So far it seems like it will work very nicely, especially on a spinning reel. I made a couple casts with the Fat Papa at the pond and had several follow it. It took me a little time to figure out what the fish wanted but once I did I managed to catch 2 in 2.5-3 lb range. It has a very tight wobble and a one knocker sound. I have been reading about how it is a good cold water bait. That appears to be the case on my limited testing. I was going to take the boat out tomorrow but the motor is still acting up and dad and I need to get it sorted out before going to the lake. But when I make a trip to the lake I will have the Fat Papa tied on.

The reels came in Thursday and I picked them up this morning. The Symetre is great. Very smooth drag, casts great, lightweight, and smooth cranking. I already took it to a small pond at work and caught several bass on a drop shot. Most were 1-1.5 lbs. I did catch 1 that was 3.5 lbs or so. The Stradic on the other hand isn't so great. Its a beautiful reel but its making a weird noise and isn't smooth at all. Its totally opposite of every other Stradic I have handled. The place doesn't stock Shimano reels so they will have to order me another one and I will swap them when the new one arrives.

Not a braid fan at all. I picked up some Trilene XL Pro Grade Fluoro in 8 lb. My reels should be in Friday. I plan on hitting the lake Sunday so I hope to be able to try the new line.

What do you all think about the new Trilene XL Pro Grade Fluoro? I see its designed for spinning reels. It looks like its worth a try.

I use KVD Line & Lure in all my fluoro's and haven't had any issues. I might go ahead and try the AbrazX and if it doesn't work I'll use it for leader material for Carolina rigs.

I ordered my Stadic FJ 2500 and a Symetre 2500. I plan on using the last of my Sunline Sniper 8 lb for my Stradic. I do not have access to Sniper locally and don't really want to order any right now. I have used InvizX and didn't care for it. Lots of stretch and low abrasion resistence. I was thinknig of trying 8 lb. AbrazX on the Symetre. Anybody have any experience with AbrazX on a spinning reel? What about 8 lb Red Label on a spinning reel?

I went to Bass Pro and looked at all the reels nad put them on the exact rod the reel will go on. Here are my finding: 1. Revo SX is out. It looks great, the foam grip is pretty nice. It feels pretty sturdy but it wasnt that smooth. For $159 I wasn't really that impressed with it. 2. Saros is out. I like the Saros but for the money I don't think it offers anything more then the Symetre. So your probably thinking the Symetre is what I will purchase. You would be correct had the girl behind the counter not handed me the Stadic FJ. I know her very very well and she knows I use a spinnig reel mos of the time and did a great job explaining the difference between the Shimano's I was looking at. It is more then I wanted to spend but dang its nice. It balances very well on the rod and is rock solid. Luckily I have some rewards points saved up so it won't really cost me anymore in the long run. Now I have to sell a couple reels and a rod to help finance the new purchase. Then a Stradic FJ 3000 will be mine!!

I like the Shimano's the best and will try each of them on the exact rod I will be using to see which feels the best. I'll also look at the Lexa. I have several Daiwa's now and they work great. I had a cheap Shimano years ago and had a few issues with it but I'll give their higher end reels a try and see how they work.

I am looking to get a new spinning reel this year. I have narrowed it down to the Saros, Symetre, and Revo SX. The Revo SX is more then I really want to spend but if it is worth the extra money then I could probably swing the extra money. I have handled the Shimano's the most and really like the Symetre. I can't decide if the Saros is worth the extra money. Anybody have some input?

Update: I want fishing with my dad this past Sunday and the Sunday before that. The line has worked very good. I caught most of my fish on a Carolina Rig dragging Brush Hogs through brush piles and rock piles and the abrasion resistance has been very good. The sensitivity is on par, maybe a little better, then Bass Pro XPS and it doesn't seem to have as much memory as the XPS but it still has a little memory. Sunline Super Fluorocarbon has been great for the price (sub $15 per spool of 200 yards) and I feel is slightly better then Bass Pro XPS. So far I have been more then impressed by Sunline products and plan on buying a spool of Super FC Sniper in the near future to see how it handles.

Fluoro: Sunline Super Fluorocarbon, BPS XPS, and Sunline Castable Fluorocarbon Mono: Sunline Super Natural Braid: Don't use it.

I never peg, heavy or light cover. If I was punching grass I would peg, but since I don't fish any water where that is necessary I don't.

I really like the Carbonlite rods (especially the Mico guide version) but would not own the reels. I know people that work for Bass Pro and they have informed me the newer Carbonlite reels have some issues. They say the Pro Qualifiers are a better choice for reels. I would reccomend a 7' or 7'6" MH for jigs and flipping and pitching. For crankbaits I would say the Crankin Stick in a 7' or 7'6" MH would be a better choice since the Carbonlite isn't really made for crankbaits.

I have 12 lb Sunline Super Natural Mono on my crankbait/topwater rod and love it. Its very soft but a lot more sensitive then all other mono's I have used in the past.

I did a little research last night and the line seems to be pretty good for its price. I went ahead and bought a spool and will be putting it on my reel in a day or so and hope to go fishing soon to see how it performs.

I have 12 lb XPS fluoro on my Lews casting reel right now and like it. But I can get Sunline Super FC (blue box stuff) for about 1/2 the price of XPS and was curious how the 2 compared to each other. I use 12 lb Sunline Super Natural Mono for crankbaits/topwater and love it. I wish I could get Sniper FC locally but cannot find it to save my life, plus I can't really afford it since I just got out of college. If anybody has any experience with this line please let me know, especailly if you have used XPS. Thanks.

I have used 8 lb fluoro on spinning reels for the past 4 years without any line managment issues. I have used Seagua InvizX (hated it), BPS XPS (solid choice), and Sufix Invisiline Castable (new favorite). Stick with 8 lb and use a line conditioner the night before (and just before you hit the water if possible) and you should be good to go.

Mono for crankbaits, jerkbaits, and topwater. Fluror for everything else. I used braid for most things a couple years ago but now only have it on one deep sea setup for bottom rigs off boats and piers. No more braid for freshwater for me.

Neither. Learn the San Diego Jam Knot. You can use it for braid, mono, and fluoro and is just as easy to tie. Its all I use anymore and have never had one fail, I can't say the same for the Palomar.

I prefer a lighter/finesse Carolina Rig. I stick to 1/4-3/8 oz weights, preferably Tungsten, but will use 1/2 oz on rare occasions. For hooks, either 1/0 or 2/0 offset round bend depending on my baits. The only time I use EWG hooks is when I use flukes or anything thicker then a Baby Brush Hog. I have 12 lb fluoro main line and 10 lb mono/co-poly leader, usually 18"-24". I use a 6mm bead, pastic or glass doesn't seem to make a difference for me, and a no. 6 Spro power swivel. I always use the San Diego Jam Knot for all 3 knots.

Not a fan of braid. Zero abrasion resistance and zero sensitivity on slack line. Not to mention the wind knots that can form. If I was to use braid I would use a leader for clear water and no leader for more stained water.

4.5" Fat Roboworm in Bold Bluegill. Nose hooked, TX rigged, or wacky it will catch fish in clear water like nothing else.