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Yesterday I caught a 12lb Snook on my CI4 2500. It had an amazingly smooth drag. Its incredible how tough and smooth it is considering its noticibly smaller than typical 2500 size spinning reels Ive had. I can only imagine how smooth and solid a Stella is.

My local Bass Pro Shops has started carrying Daiwas bearing oil and Daiwa Blue Grease, perhaps its also available on line. I think the Blue Grease is the grease they indicate in their paperwork as I used to have to special order it at my local tackle shop.

About a year ago I was fishin' from the bank along a saltwater pond on State Preserve land. It was coming into dusk and I started to hear a moaning like yodel. Ive heard bobcats make their mating crys and all kinds of coyote yelps but this just seemed to come from something much bigger. It was across the pond deep in a mangrove salt flat and the wind carried the sound over to me. Gave me the creeps. About 6 months ago I was reading about local folk lore and learned that an island named Cayo Pelau, directly behind the flat was known by pioneers to be the home of the skunk ape.

There is nothing politically correct nor environmentally sound about my feelings on the subject. South Florida at least on the west side has been dessimated more by the influx of people than by the influx of exotics. Tilapia have totally pushed out the bluegill/shellcrackers here. The Mayans have now come in and for me are a fishery all in their own. They grow to about 3lbs and fight better than bass. When tilapia and Mayans are juvenile they fatten up the landlocked Snook nicely. Florida will survive the exotics but it wont survive the influx of northern'ers moving in and consuming/polluting the little water we have left.

This is to be your Dad's only rod? Has he fished before? Has he used a baitcaster? To put a baitcaster in the hands of a beginner could sour his taste towards 'getting out' quickly. The learning curve would be much more pleasant with a spinning reel and may better serve your goal.

Rocket Fuel is great stuff especially if your a distance nut. But it'll require much more frequent re lubing. If you think hot sauce is good you ought to check out the archived posts and study it further. Besides it stains reel parts.

Be careful using Hot Sauce it will void your warranty if used on other than a Quantum reel. ARe you talking spinning or casting reels or both?

They must be a heck of a reel, Jimmy Houston left Shimano to use them! ;D

Thanks Tenn.Shad. I new the line wasnt too old and it did feel limp and work well when I tried it.

Lindners Angling Edge has been good in the past but seems to be just a commercial for its sponsors now. Hank Parker does have some good pointers. I dont see what everybody see's in Hook-n-Look. Its just a strike king commercial with. The underwater video is overwhelmed by his constant talking.

Silicone? Can you explain?

I got a filler spool of Seaguar Red Label and filled a reel with it to try. A fine talc like powder came off it while I held the line taught between my fingers. I wonder if the spool was really old and on the shelf for a long time. It seems limp on the reel.

I used a buddies today, it was a C400. It was a casting machine. Cranking it, you feel the gears/internals more than a Shimano. Reminded me of using an old well worn in Ambassadeur. There are no external screws for disassembly you have to get it apart via the middle of the frame. Funny thing to me were the grips. There was alot of flashing left from the moulds. A Daiwa fan could never use it, it had at least twice the back play of a shimano.

I use it with a Curado 100 and a Daiwa Sol. Ive used as small as 2lb with a Abu 1500c. I think you'll do o.k. on models meant for the lighter side.

They're on the shimano site. Click customer service, it'll show schematics. Click on schematics and then discontinued models.

I think the way you fish has alot to do with the choice you make in line too. Guys in a bass boat that have a dozen+ rods at their feet can have each outfit matched to a technique. I fish from a kayak or the shore and limit myself to one rarely two outfits. I need each outfit to be more all purpose and mono fits the bill.

Mono's it for me. I try to keep 10lb braid on my new spinning outfit, but I hate it. There are a lot of negatives to using braid too. Rough on equipment, especially reels, just ask any serious reel repairman. You have to have special equipment to cut it and it has to always be sharp. Visability and needing a leader. More knots, less simple. K.I.S.S.

I have and enjoy using the crucial crankbait rod. Its definitely lighter than an s-glass rod. It seems to me that if your using a newer reel nice and light as they are these days, its a shame to put it on a heavier rod. The crucial crankbait and premier crankbait rods seem a more logical choice.

I might agree with a spook but the one knocker is awful big. I think a super spook jr. would be better all round. Black would be the color if I picked a worm and I'd pick an Uncle Charlies ribbon tail 10"er

Watching it get so commercialized and realizing no one is realizing the dangers of that.

Im surprise nobody suggested the 4600C3 Abu. A basic, workhorse reel that will last forever.

That or if you have a D series Curado, I'll swap you my E7 for it. I dont like the E series one bit.

Its fine other than the shaft of one grip? Why not get a replacement handle? If the price from Shimano is too high you could check on those fancy carbon JDM handle upgrades or a generic Hawg Handle from BPS.

That had to be Matt Straw, he seems to only use a coffee grinder. Cant imagine anyone else who ever would try that.

True about the mercury. Too many golf courses using fertilizer and pesticide. I have at least 12 courses in my town alone. Its CPR for all fish, too many yankees keep everything. If somebody didnt release them there would be nothing left!