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Reelx on spool bearings, Rocket Fuel Liquid Grease on other bearings and the levelwind and cog. Cal's Drag Grease strictly for the drag and Yamaha marine Blue grease for the gears.

I believe there was a recent thread announcing Ardent no longer produced reels in the USA. There site is clearing out what remains of the Edge or whatever previous lines they had, for 30% off. All other models on their site are specified off shore built. I guess those poor Mo. factory employees he promised a future to are out of luck.

I almost always have to use leaders because of the inshore fish that inhabit my local freshwater. I try not to use over 20# because I feel it hampers the action of the lures I prefer to use. When I used to use braid I always used a leader, I myself have no use for braid anymore. My waters are very clear and heavy pressured so I was more confident with a leader, but never bought on to the floro thing.

That Morrum has been made in Korea for the last 2 series so I wouldnt expect too much from it even if it is assembled in Svangsta now. Its still Pure Fishing engineered which isnt saying much and its NOTHING when compared to pre 80's true Abu's. Pure Fishing engineered strictly means, options picked out of a catalog from a OEM factory.

12 or 14# mono. Easy and simple. Your from Clearwater Beach so the big hydrilla filled lakes of central Fl. arent going to be an everyday thing. Hitting the jetty, beach or the water management canals around you are. Most are very clear and getting a snook in the same water isnt impossible. Keep a wheel of 25# leader handy and know how to tie a quick surgeons knot.

I get tons of bluegill snapping at the back hook if I use feathers or flashabou. After a few fish I change the hooks to a 2x or 3x because I catch saltwater fish in the same water as bass. This weights the back down slightly and gives it a different action too. That shows a lot more of the back to the fish so color is more important to me. Orange is a bite producer for me in tannic stained water. I stick with the gold with the orange belly. No matter what color you are after, check all that are available on the shelf. There is a ton of difference in color, shade and often in the portion that gets painted. I've gotten Fl. Bass that had bright yellow bellies and ones with bright white bellies.

I prefer my Lexa 3000 to my Stradic FJ 3000. Only downside is the hard plastic grip has sharp edges around the chromed cap. It feels smoother, longer casting spool design and much tougher finish.

10-20 mono, 1/2 to 1 1/2oz. It handles heavier without complaint though I very rarely use alot of weight other than the shiner and a weighted popping cork.

I use a St. Croix Tidemaster Inshore rod in med hvy moderate for shiner fishing and catfishing here in Fl. It worked well for bigger cats in Kentucky Lake a couple years ago too. Its tough and has a great warranty.

Just the study of fishing the same waters for the last 40+ years and watching its steady decline. All be it from many factors but seeing its cliff dive plummet since the tilapia over populated. I don't really take to scientific studies as I distrust academia more than I distrust government. I'm sure they provide a forage base of sorts, even though many years of using them as live bait, I nor anyone I know has ever caught an impressive Bass, Snook or Tarpon on one. But please understand, I don't know the waters you fish or their condition. Here, the a single tilapia school can literally cover two acres of the surface as they skim for plankton in the dawn. Its normal to pass through dozens of these schools as you travel in search of better locations. Most range from 3-5 lbs. and are not forage to any predator. And all the Snook, Tarpon, Jack and Bass combined don't make a dent into the off spring these huge fish produce each year. I've watched bass spawning grounds destroyed by the tilapias deep pits and they control the grounds through several spawns a year. Native submergent vegetation is long gone except the scads of 'angel hair' that thrives in the now excrement rich water. Once clear tannic waters are now grayish chocolate milk as 'herds' of grazing tilapia mull over the bottom muck like herds of sheep laying waste to old west cattle grounds. Too big to be eaten, even of disinterest to Osprey's, cant be caught with regularity by bait fishermen or fly anglers. All our bow fishing and cast netting doesn't put a dent into the population. I'm glad you haven't had to deal with African-ized Bee's. They have made their way here, killing one person just a few months ago. Elderly lady in a local nursing home was killed in her bed, bitten to death by red ants a few years back. Non native coyotes have killed area horses and calves too. Mostly I see the Nile Monitors and Iguana's. It gets nasty when Iguana's travel down sewer vent pipes and live in homes when 'snowbirds' are living the good life back up home.

Wow, Jay Kumar! I always liked that show you did with that loud mouthed guy years back. I miss that show....... no so much that loud mouthed guy!

In my area of Fl. the tilapia have destroyed almost all the bass habitat. The Blue Tilapia are aggressive towards bass and push them off all legitimate spawning areas even taking over bass beds. They produce in such huge numbers, spawning up to 5 times a year, that the waters become chocolate milk with their foraging and especially their excrement. The chemical content of the water changes, O2 levels go way down. Most of my local waters haven't had any native panfish in a decade or more. Even the freshwater snook and tarpon don't seem to target them.

FWC guys are spread pretty thin. They used to sit in our office because the Gov. only alotted them slight amounts of fuel and they couldnt waste it patrolling. 9/11 made it even worse, when they removed a huge chunk of the force to patrol harbors for terrorists. More often than not in this country your best protection is yourself.

I guess it depends on the type of people enter the tournament! I despise them and the folks who enter them around here. The Flatsmasters and IFA ravage my local waters. Destroy good spots, tear up grass beds. Start fights with recreational fishermen over spots they are already on. Empty entire areas of fish and most die after being released for their selfish gain. Same on my areas bass waters which are pretty small and lay wasted after a tournament. Theres nothing like working a shoreline to have a couple egomaniacs on a airboat try to blow you off it. Just because they are blessed pretend pro's who feel the game makes them more priviledged to water you are already on. Sorry for taking the thread to a dark place!

Great avatar RoLo!

Ditto

All fishing is fun! Fishing with my best friend tops them all. Talking to me in "cracker" slang, telling me the time by just looking at the position of the sun. Telling me these long old jokes that have zero political correctness to them. Then when a school of Jacks or Snook go crazy frothing up the water, birds diving and we are catching them on every cast, getting out lines crossed even, laughing all the way.

Where did you find this fine contraption? Auto parts store maybe........?

Cover provides protection and opportunity to sit in ambush, a bass' favorite tactic. Structure can provide cover too but can be anything from wood and natural growth, to ledges, underwater variety in the bottom like a hump, ledge, old creek bed and man made stuff too. The variety is what attracts bass and their forage so places different things intersect can be dynamite. A bass can sit behind a single branch or stump and get cover from sunlight and the opportunity to ambush. A ledge can do the same thing. Sometimes a bass will sit on the shady side of the tiniest bit of cover to shade his eyes so don't pass up any emergent target you find. I find man made cover and structure to be a gold mine in most small waters I bank fish.

It was pretty much a bust yesterday on the Peace River near Arcadia. A few dinks off points close to the main river channel and baby snook so small they couldnt even get the hook into their mouths.

I've standardized alot of stuff to simplify my fishing life and found its made for the cheapest fishing year I've had in ages. I've found I'm as happy with 12lb. mono as I am with any other kind of line. I buy it in a bulk spool. I've found I'm happiest using Abu Ambassadeur 4600's for my style of fishing and they last and last. I get regular emails from a couple of lure manufacturers that sell direct online advertising crazy cheap deals. Like $16 Sebiles for $4. Its getting easier and easier to save money on rods. I hate the new style of rods and traditional gripped & non technique specific types of rods sell for less. I've found $300 St.Croix's for $99 on their online outlet. Sometimes Dick's Sporting Goods has off the wall sales too. It also pays to talk to store manager's. I got $100 off a St.Croix LTB once because it had been on the shelf of the BPS so long the cork was near black from folks hands.

To compare them to Loomis top shelf is ridiculous, and I'm not a loomis fan at all! I do have 4 of the model below the tactical and find them all to be very good. Good tough blanks that are not overly stiff like most of todays rods are. Line guides are a little bigger, a plus for a multi species angler who has to cope with long leaders with bulky knots. I find the shorter rear grips helpful for fishing while seated in the kayak. I have a 6' med. spinning that has brought in 3 redfish over 20#'s just fine.

I have more confidence in matching the hatch myself. Here that means young tilapia and finger Mullet. Color is debatable and depends in water type but size is important as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah my first baitcaster was a little graphite Shimano Speedmaster if I recall its name correctly. 3.8:1 ratio. Wish I still had it too.

Wow, for me the more I take the less fun I get out of my yak. A couple of the smaller 3 latch water tight clear boxes and maybe a couple original packages the soft baits came in is it for me.