Capt.Bob

Take your reel with you and try it on the rod you like, go with what you find feels the best in the power and action your wanting. Any shop will let you do this. Then your as close as you van get without building a custom rod to match your reel. Color and bling don't catch fish! Like Lipps said, I wodn't pay much attention to what will work unless they have the same setup, then it might not be right for you!

Been fishing this river run for over 40 years, this year was great, kinda different than the last 10 or so years. This year with the real winter and spring back on time (it was not late) everything was back like it used to be. The rains kept the water levels high for the most part, and the fish kept pull'n. This was the first year in a long time you could still pull limits after the first week of May. The freezer is restocked and I am stocked up for another year. The last few tripp's kept a few White Bass for the smoker as well. Didn't unhook the "METAL "MISS" FIT" the whole month of May!! Been pretty descent Crappie fish'n the last 2 weeks,love this time of the season.

Congrats, thats some mighty fine eat'n.

When I'm after numbers of big boy's,,,,good ole minnows we catch a lot of 13" 14" fish 2 at a time. Nut'n like a mess of big 0'l perch!!

Congrats, thats a dandy!! and great eat'n, who has time for them nasty Bass when you can get into Walleye like that,,,,,

I have every reel changed over in the last 2+ years to 832 Sufix, I have tried about,,,every line out there, for abrasion resistance it is rated as good as it gets over braids. I also use leaders for every setup I have ---over 20--- for tuff situations I have found Trilene Big Game to be the toughest line made, but to much memory for mainline. In rocks grass wood pilings steel post you name it, very abrasion resistant. Now when you hang one of them heave hooked lures up on anything solid,,,,,it's nice to have anything lighter than your main line to break off when you have to without sacrificing main line. This makes adding backing or changing main line a thing of the past. For gin clear water I go with Seaguar Abrazx or Invisx. I always fish 2 to 10 lbs test lighter than my mainline depending on the situation and technique!

Awsum that is a great color,,,,good job!

Don't know the power of you Powel but would get the other in the Avid MHM or MM, whichever weight your Powell isn't. If you do plan on getting both in the Avid, most that use them agree, awful hard to beat!

Like has been said, it is all in the format. Try a med fast rod with a Lew's Team Pro super tuned at sub 6oz reel weight, rigged with 20# 832 and a 12 or 15# leader throwing carolina rigged floating jigs and dragging 5 to 10 lbs Walleye out of a the largest tributary to all the Great Lakes in spring thaw flooded conditions, in boulder ridden whitewater, in April if you think fighting fish on a baitcaster isn't fun. It isn't, it's a ball, you will learn to use your rod, and not very rewarding if you try horsing them in!!! Now that is fun! Then on the other hand if you think spinning riggs are to light to set a hook, try using a Heavy action 6 1/2' rod with a Stradic 4000 on it and 50 lbs. 832 in rock and wood riddles rivers fighting 30 lbs Chinook Salmon in fast running river, this aint wimpy but sure aint any heavier rigg than my MH Avid with my Lew's Super Duty on it and 50# line. Talk about fun Like other extremes, most use heavy for what they do, but I try and set up light for any situation, give the fish a fighting chance, and have to make no mistakes or he wins the round. I personally have a ball using both, and can make scenarios where either one is boring or either one is a ball!!!! It's all in what where and how you use them. One thing is for sure, anytime you use the lightest possible equipment, both types of equipment are "FUNNER"!

Yep don't use it without, it is a needed part and not just there because it's handy. Most factory replacement OEM caps come as a complete unit, but be sure and ask when you order it.

Verdict is in we all agree like Frank said I did it my way, I use the thumb bar and the edge of the frame to help stabilize and control the pad of my thumb. whatever you do make it comfortable to you and like shoot a bow always the same way, repetition is what matters.

My rod builder showed me those new guides and it was tempting, they are great look'n guides and very light and I am sure very sensitive. But the hole thing I wanted when I thought about this rod was plain jane, in most folks eyes down right uegely, a rod no one would want to steel, kinda like a "RAT ROD" rod, Built for one purpose only, high performance fishing. Plus the fact that after using recoil's they grew on me, and I wanted the lightest most sensitive rugged guide I could get. Believe me, my new build will win no beauty contest. There's no extra decorative wraps, just guides and a small drop shot keeper. I even bought my own thread in pastel colors, no metallic or bright colors, just kinda dull and plain like the girls I never got to date. I will have a full cork handle with a little contrast added to it, some things you just can't give up. You guy's have a way of making me second guess myself, they rely are the guides my builder first recommended. But that is why there is always next years rod!!!! Besides if the handle doesn't balance the rod within the length I want with the Sustain, and I have to buy a Stradic C14+ in a 1000 size,,,,,,,well I would probably have to build another rod then for the Sustain?????? sounds logical to me, then I would go with the new K- frames,,,,,don't know if Jeannine would understand, sometimes women don't seem to have the same kind of common sense I do,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I almost picked that blank but weight was my deciding factor, and I didn't think the 1000FG would balance it with a short enough handle to suite my likes. I have the new Sustain for the one I went with but if the handle requires shortening up much under 7.5" to balance it I might have to buy a Ci4+ in the 1000FA, not the micro line model, to suite me. If that happens I am going to wish I went with the 5S610MLX to keep the Sustain, decisions decisions, hope I picked the right pair. Like to see it when you complete it, what hardware you gone with?? I am sure you will make it sweet!!

Well I been draggin my feet this spring gett'n a new setup. I been really busy with the Walleye since the last week of March and Crappie having a fantastic spring so far for the last 2 weeks. I finally decided on the outfit to bring into the cabinet this year. I do a lot of Smallmouth and Walleye fishing, so after last year when I put a couple new casting rods in the cabinet with some custom work, I thought this year I'd build another spinning setup. I got everything ordered a week or so ago, and yesterday the first package came, now I just need the Guides from REC, I feel like a little kid at Christmas, guess when it comes to some things we never grow up. This is a 6'6" MLF (5S66MLF-G) Blank, going for light weigh and sensitivity, with a new Sustain 1000FG hoping to get it around 9 oz. or less, not much bling and really kind of homely with Recoil Black Pearl Guides for weight not looks, and since the two Extremes I bought and customized last year use them, I am a believer in the recoil guides. I will have a minimum of flat colored windings on the guides and am skimping weight everywhere,,,,,but the grip, gotta be cork for me. I want this for finesse fishing for multi species. I hope I don't regret going with the 6'6" blank, but really wanted to keep accuracy along with good distance and keep weight down, and hopefully this will be a trade off for everything, balance casting distance and accuracy, weight, and still have enough rod to handle an 8-10 pound Walleye or a 6-7 lbs. Smally (if I get back to Erie this year these are all probable, not rare). At the same time should be a great rod for Perch'n on the big pond and smaller lakes with some Crappie fishing thrown in. The older I get the fewer outfits I need are the goal I'm trying for. But just like it was when I was a kid,,,,I gotta have a reason to keep adding more outfits to give the grandkids someday!!!! + I did get rid of 4 outfits over the winter, so my counts gett'n low???? When the guides get here the handle seat and assembly can begin. I almost taped some spare guides to the blank and and taped the reel on just to try it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,patience is not one of my strong points.

Baid: Sufix 832 Fluorocarbon: Seaguar Abrazx or Invisx Mono: Trilene Big Game No Copoly,,,,,The only line I spool spinning or casting reels with is Sufix 832, 10 lbs. test to 50 lbs. test, all other line is for leader only and why I use them, most would be to much memory for spooling but have a great abrasion resistance!! My leaders run from 18" to 12', and from 4 lbs. test to 30 lbs test. Fishing for pike musky and big Toothy critters, I use my custom big game leaders from 100 lbs. test to 130 lbs. test,,,,,,,Fluorocarbon!

Leaders all the time as needed, my 832 mainline,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well maybe every 3 or 4 years!!

I don't know Dan but I would be suspicious of anyone telling people abec 9's would be worth any significant increase over an abec 7 in any fishing reel application. I also do know the difference in a baitcast reel going from abec7 to abec 9 ceramics, is even less difference than going from abec 5 stainless properly lubed to abec 7 ceramics,,,,,,, there are many that think there is something magical about spending money uselessly, and many more that have been there and know better!!! I agree with Mike and .RM., if the guy can't throw over 20 yards with properly lubed factory bearings he is not going to throw 25 yards by throwing money at bearings. Far to many people are told bad advice, and to suggest abec 9 bearings to any of my customers would be taking advantage of them in my book. There are many that throw money madlessly at there equipment and become delusional at the results,,,,, I would do some research on abec bearing classifications and the application requirements to benefit from them. Hopefully this guy listens to Mike and realizes his educated opinion and doesn't get more screwed up than he already is!!!

They are all Lifetime warranted rods,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

X2 Like I have said many times, these reels don't turn enough RPM's to benefit from abec 7 bearings!!! Like DVT said the abec 5 is the ideal bearing for your reels performance capabilities, I personally will not run ceramics, I have and run them wet for smooth AND QUIET, defeating the purpose of ceramic. Now I run Hi Grade stainless steel only and am giving up nothing especially my money for nothing!!! I always suggest stainless Boca abec 5 bearings for my customers, they all thank me. Listen to .RM. and Mike, these guys have seen it all, let someone else service the reel before you risk more damage, you will be assured it will perform as good as your BPS reel when you get it back,,,,,,,and 20 buck's is cheap when it's right and you don't need to replace parts every service!! P.S. if I were servicing a reel for saltwater use I would always use ceramic,,,,even though I would run them wet. I have two reels with ceramic for trips to the gulf, this does not eliminate the need for cleaning and maintenance when I use them in salt water, but does give me insurance my bearings will be more robust against corrosion.

X2 what he said, if you decide spinning thats easy too,,,,,,,Stradic FJ in your favorite size!!

For 400 bucks you can get a setup you won't want to upgrade for quite some time to come, The St Croix SCIII Avid AVS68MXF a 6'8" MXF rod would be near the best out there at any price and as good as it comes for it's price around 160 buck's. Top that off with the new Stradic Ci4+ in the 1000FA size with XSHIP for around 210 bucks, and you got the slickest smoothest stoutest and lightest spinning reel made for this type of fishing. Put this set together and I doubt you would be happier with any other combo for this price. If you want a split grip and better a blank the SCIV Legend Tournament TBC610MLXF a 6'10" MXF for around 240 bucks, with a Stradic 1000FJ for around 145 bucks, would be the same quality real but a little heavier by about 1 oz. Awful hard to come up with a sweeter package's for close to this money, and both will be within your 400 dollar budget!!!!

They make a few models with SCIII material, but the Avid uses better hardware and carries the Lifetime Warranty,,,,most who have tried one will attest to the fact, for the money you wont buy better period. And it is made in the USA, Park Falls Wisc. hard to beat unless you want to spend twice the money!

Well I have used both of these reels and at one time owned both, they both cast very good, their are a few things that could be causing your problem, did you remove the shields on your bearings when you degreased the G?? Then if so did you replace them? If so they could be damaged causing bearing drag. Do you have the tension knob on the handle side backed off enough to allow the spool to drop a lure freely? Since you are speculating at distance, is there a difference in the line on the two reel's. 65 lbs. braid on the G spool will loose considerable distance with lighter lures than say 30lbs. If you cast the other reel without concern the G should give good cast also. The G spool with 65 lbs braid will require nearly twice the RPM's to feed off the same amount of line it would using 30 lbs. test. The reel is holding less line so as each layer is paid out on a cast it is dropping lower to the center of the spool, lower on the spool means less line per revolution, the closer you get to the center the less line each revolution caries and the quicker you loose rotation??? If all the mechanics are right with the reel drop the 65 lbs test of and try it with 30,,,,see if that makes you on par with you BPS reel. One other thing I noticed is the amount of breaking,,,,I use 2 brakes with lighter line and lures, but at 40 or 50 lbs 832 and 3/8 or better lures 1 brake and free, free spool!!! good luck but change the line first and see what you are getting, I have one reel with heavier than 30 lbs. test 832 and that is my Pike Musky reel, a Lew's Super Duty with 50 lbs 832, I also use it for pitch'n and flipp'n jigs in heavy veggies!

I own one IMX the last loomis I will buy. I was not happy with the balance the weight or the sensitivity, I replaced it with St. Croix Avid and am very happy with it.

The Tourney Pro with better main gear and lighter weight is the better reel over the Tournament, both have a better drag and better braking than the Speed Spool which is the reel on sale and with the rebate, it is a good reel but the Tournament and Tournament Pro are better. The SS with rebate is a great reel for the price, but nowhere near the reel the other two are,,,,,,,,,,save your money and get the TP which is a much more refined reel, all are good buy's for the money.