Capt.Bob

832 I have had the least problems with, that has become my favorite braid. what they said, softer, thinner rounder = stronger!

Good point .RM., but this is no longer available for some of the FH and older Symetre's and Sradics, I don't remember the model but the FB or FD on older Sustains are also unavailable on some models, and the part suppliers I usually turn to that supply discontinued parts no longer are available either. If you choose to leave it out be prepared to have the bail slam closed on harder cast. The newer reels as .RM. said can be replaced but if you run without a friction ring it is best to open the bail, and turn the rotor till you feel it just contact the ramp that closes the bail, then trip it closed by hand after you cast, as the momentum from the cast wont close it as easy, but you wont have any momentum when you start to crank and it will be harder to turn the handle as you will have no momentum as you are already up against the ramp to trip the bail closed...... and there are different parts for the diferent size frames, the 2500 will be different than the 4000, 6000, etc etc.

The model # is the TS1S Tournament speed spool, the Tournament Pro is highly talked about but owning both the Tournament has more extras dual braking system w/centrifugal and magnetic braking, click tension and drag adjustments and a nicer finish. I own a 5.4-1 and a 6.4-1 and have less than $110.00 in either one of them, they are well worth the money for the next step up. here is a link and you will see their spec's for yourself, http://www.lews.com/reels.htm

Lew's BB1 or the Tournament, great reels around $110.00, and great buy's

Forget the MG and buy the Tournament it has centrifugal braking and is a much better buy. JMO

That's a little bigger boat than I put together, nice but a bit to large for some of the waters I am going to have this thing in. My buddy has that same boat we take to Dale Hollow, very comfortable boat to fish out of!!!

I have never noticed it with any of my Stradics or Sustains, I have a couple FH Symetre's that have never gave me a problem either, but the newer Symetre, and all the other less expensive models use a different oscillating System, and this out of round cam system is what I blame on these reels having this problem, the FH and older Symetre's used the same spool oscillation system the Stradic, Sustain, and Stella uses, which is a worm gear to oscillate the spool up and down, have never seen these reels display this problem, these three do share the same design. It just threw the Symetre down to the lower priced reel class to separate it from the better reels, much like they are doing with the Curado in their low profile bait casting reels!! Who knows which reel will be next to downgrade.

Amen!! I don't worry much about bringing the bow in on the sand or even gravel, just float er in and step out, and the fuel cost will make it easier on the pocket book! I ran about 22 mile and haven't used 1/2 of that 6 gal. tank yet, sweet! you need a tin can it'l work!

it's done J and the pipe insulation is out! That stuff is not UV friendly at all, it gets crumbly and flaky and a real mess. I have very heavy cloth St, Croix rod wraps though that I put on all my rods for transport, when they come out there either in a rod holder or my hand or back in the cloth wraps. The floor is what I wanted, UV resistant and I only attach it with 7 round head screws with attached flat washers 1/2" dia. I can pull it out and back in in 2 minuets. I wanted to be able to do this so I can hang it and raise the tongue of the trailer and spray both out when they get cruddy from sand and mud being tracked in. This thing don't see many boat ramps, but any where I can back in the water and submerge the fenders it's easy on, easy off. Plus I get out a lot and wade fish riffles and sometimes may have to drag it over trees or big limbs. Thursday I hit a small creek about 3.5 miles up it off the river it drains into. I didn't do very well but 1-13" and 4-10" to 12" Crappie, very slow but these are the places I want to be able to go and getting in and out without a dock will be common. I like being able to conveniently hose it out when I want. Remember there is no wood in the boat so as soon as I spray it out, it is air dried in minuets! This was the neat little creek I was up yesterday, and totally by myself. NICE!! I just wish I would have had the trolling motor with me for fishing some of the brush piles, I think I would have had a few more.but here she is trailer'd for the trip. The boat realy makes time on the water when you gotta ways to go, altho no 60+ mile an hour bass boat, she scoots right along at 24MPH!! in the drive complete "EXCEPT" I need the two Starboard side rod holders, and the front hatch cover for the storage area and battery box.

I mentioned in my first post that the BB1 was excellent but don't care for a reel without the Instant Anti Reverse, but had a Lew's Super Duty coming in 5.4 to1 and it has instant AR, but magnetic braking only, well it came last Saturday and after 2 outings, this is my thought's. Well my fears have been erased with the casting ability of this reel. I bought it for deep crankin with big baits "Pike and Musky Bucktails". If that is your intentions,,,,,,look no farther than the Lew's Super Duty 5.4-1!! This thing cast unbelievable, and has crankin power to spare!! I like the BB1 6.4 to 1 but if you are looking for a reel to through lures over 1/2 oz. that pull hard, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS REEL!!!!! It is a jewel with big cranks and bucktails!! For anything smaller and easier retrieving I love the BB1 with it's 6.4 to 1 gears.

The Battery box is huge under the front seats, deck,or whatever you call it now, as the center seat was cut down and put up against the front seat, riveted together and that is for not just the battery but things that you wont want to get wet, I just need to find the 15x 20 to 26" hatch now and it will be done . I will post a couple new pic's on here maiden Voyage yesterday when I get back from my first fishing trip with her today, yesterday I made a 16 mile total run, and planes great with a top speed of 24mph at full throttle, that was with full gear, plus had her trimmed clear up and the depth finder reading zero while churning up silt, so she goes in about 1 foot of water!! I am very happy with my "Lil River Boat"

One expense I don't have to worry about! If it ain't full cork I don't even look at it anymore, after 58 years from south bend to St. Croix and Sage, it better be full cork or like the 2 new Legend Extremes I bought, it will be of to my rod builder and when it comes back it will be full cork,,,,,,,and a little extra spent to assure good looks!! It' just depends what a guy likes, but we all agree it's what makes fishin fun!!

Hard to beat a float and minnow tipped jig for big numbers. Chartreuse or White in 1/32th to 1/8th oz. with #6 or 4 hook.

Well for the past week the fishing on the Maumee has been dying down for the Walleye fisherman and turning on for those waiting on the White Bass. I am spending the next couple days getting the new little boat ready for the season, a jerked over 12R Sea Nymph. I think the lakes in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan should be turning on now too. I had a great Walleye season and the freezer is full, now it's time for some less strenuous fishing, the White Bass are a ball on the river as the river is down to normal height and 50 to 100 a day can be caught, light tackle makes it a ball. Plus the river should have some fine Smallie action going on now. The makeover on the boat will come in handy on these small waters, as the season revs up with Small Mouth breaking the monotony of so many White Bass being caught. I usually don't keep them but have been told they are great smoked, so, I am going to save several bigger ones and give it a try?????? time will tell.

Yep on Lake Erie we had to use nets, the boats we fish in don't allow you to reach over the side and grab anything unless your holding on to something, but for 40 years during the Walleye run when wading the turbid Maumee river I have never used a net, but with all the teeth and as you mentioned the gill plate, you learn real quick to grab em with authority!! ; The point I was making is with the boneier than bass mouth, I use MM or MHM cranking rods for bass, I use MF or MHF crankin for Walleye, and I don't use anything but braid, with a short leader(6 to 12 feet). I like the fact that it doesn't stretch and I have a stiff enough rod to drive the hooks home, no fear of tearing them out once there buried in that boney mouth. If I am throwing jigs, crawler harness, weight forward spinners and general rigging I prefer a MXF rod action, or long lineing I want a MHF. What I am saying is if your hooking up good on the bass, your using the right rigg, but don't expect a one rod fits all for bass and Walleye. One thing I think I always do when I get a strike on anything is reel hard as I jerk to set the hook with even more authority, I think this has cost me some hookups on Bass and why I went to moderate actions as most of my fishing has been Walleye and Pike over the years and habits are hard to change, and a lot of anchored Perch'n. But I would get the other reel anyway, if it isn't the cure, it will be a nice addition to your arsenal!!

There you go!! These guy's usually do just as good a job as sending it back, I would take up S Hovanec on his offer,,,,,,,,,,problem solved!

I have never had them fight like that for me, I have never had them roll on the hook set here, the Walleye in our waters always seem to be just a little slower with the head shakes, less shakes and more deliberate at a slower,,,,left,,,,,,,right,,,,,,left than the Bass, and more like trying to stay down than comming up or jumping and giving the more eratic and quicker headshakes of the Bass. But they do have a much boneyer mout and requier a harder hook set than I have noticed with Bass.

I had my custom rod builder fix an eye on my Legend Elite last year. When I got it back I had my rod builder fix my Legend elite last year, he used the same thread same dura coate and guide as the factory used and when I got it back could not tell which one he replaced, on a 2 year old rod, it cost me $17.00 less than I would have spent shipping. If you have a good one around you he can probably do a rush job for you and have it done plenty early enough for your tourny??? It don't look the prettiest but you can take some 15# test braid and wrap the eyes like tying a jig sorta and cut some duct tape strips about a 1/4" wide to secure the line, a couple wraps over the tightly wound line should get you by for a few days if you really want the guide on the rod, and simple to remove when your done to send it in for repair.???? "Hillbilly rigging 101"!!

I been debating another boat for stream fishing, but don't have room for two let alone three, and I have a pretty deep 12' V that I decided to do a makeover on instead, and use it on small lakes and rivers. So while trying to fish the Lake Erie Walleye run and work on this project the past month I finally got the pieces all installed yesterday. still need to put the seats in and a hatch door for the front mounted battery box, mount the Hummingbird, the Garmin w/inland lake maps, 36lbs. thrust classic Johnson trolling motor, Johnson 15Hp outboard, and later a bow mount troller on the front, I may add 2 backup lights on the exterior for night fishing later also??? My starter for the project. The floor suports in and stood er on end to wash it out so the foam would adhear to quiet the floor stringers and help deaden noise. one with the floor rough cut and laid in for final fitting. one of six cans of foam being applied to the frame work for sound deadening. w/the center conduit for the rear power cable, the duct tape was to allow an air space under the 2 1/2" pvc conduit for drainage to the rear. .the last one for now is with the faoming finished and the floor sheets installed and fastened and the center seat cut down and moved forward for the front "battery box-seat-deck layout" with everything riveted and fastened securely, I will have to put the access hatch in and install the battery with everything else later. The green grass carpet is just laying there, I don't know if I am just going to paint and put silica in the paint for grit, or use the green turf carpet????

I have just went to the same extensive makover on my Sea Nymph 12R, a very nice deep V 12' aluminum flat floor removal of center seat new transum, I made this for river and stream smallies and Crappie, was thinking ether "METALY HANDICAP'D" or "SEALESS"

yep, and it probably feels lighter if it balanced your setup better, even if it was 3 oz. heavier. Nothing beats balance, and a lot of these light reels make an out of balance setup feel heavier than it really is!!

Exactly and why that was never very popular either, you said it your self it's throwing money away, it will always be what it is and never compare to a revo winch or any reel in the middle range, regardless what you waste on it!!

You should remember one thing I myself as well as RM, Francho, Mike, and others who service reels all did it the first time also, and I will assure you we had advice!! and I for one didn't open up a 200 dollar reel for my maiden journey into reel upgrades and super tunes. I agree there is nothing wrong with learning how to take care of your own equipment, but most that become succesful at it usually relized it was better to take some advice from those that had been there done that, than think there is nothing to it and end up like M.R. explained with a handfull of junk and a 60 to 100 dollar parts purchase, on top of the parts you purchased to do the job you new nothing about in the first place!!! trust me,,,,,,,a $40.00 dollar pair of center pin plyers is a cheap investment if you want to do this job, to think any different is simply lack of experience and pi-- poor advice,,,,,,,,please don't ask how I KNOW!!!!!

I have both and agree they are both excellent, the TP is slightly lighter and the main reason is it uses a Duralumnum main gear, with an all brass pinion, great durability. The Tournament is built with one less bearing and a solid brass main and pinion gear, some say the brass is better for smoothness. I frankly can't tell the difference in the two reels, both are butter smooth and cast a mile. I would pick which ever one balances best on the rod you are going with, both would be an excellent choice. The finish I like better on the Matte finished TP with the cool carbon handle over the shiny side plates on the Tournament, so whichever one you choose will make you smile!!