Capt.Bob

Stradic FJ would make a nice outfit in 2500 or I prefer the handle on the 3000 beter, same frame reel just T handle and same size spool but holds more line,,,,,,, enjoy that rod, it's a dandy!!!

I have both, the 7' will give more distance at the cost of accuracy. I like longer rods on open water and especially when fishing deeper water like over 20' for shallower water and when extreme distance isn't a must I prefer the 6'6 and sometimes 6' rods.

I prefer the Lew's Super Duty, but would suggest any quality reel with magnetic cast control. I just think the reels with magnetic cast control are better suited to flipping and pitching, and the Super Duty is one tough reel!!

X2 thats the way I do it, and always use leaders, mono or fluoro, tied 6' or longer and never use a heavier leader than the rod is rated for,,,,,, but spinning 15 or 20 lbs. would give better everything, casting distance, feel, bait action, what I really like about using no heavier line than necessary is how much deeper and faster your whole rig operates with less weight when rigging, like drop shots, light jig's, Carolina and Texas rigs and the sorts.

Thanks for the comments guy's, it's always nice to hear the approvals from those that enjoy the same sport I do,,,,,,,THANKS!

Everyone is different, but I prefer the 6.4-1 for big deep baits dredges and 16+ I like a 5.2-1 or a reel in those ranges.

I have a 1000F that is the aluminum body reel, and love it, it is as smooth as my non X-ship Stradics, and has been very durable!! It is clearly a step up from the Symetry and hard to tell the difference in my 1000FI Stradic!!

I have both but I had the aluminum body the blue one and with a couple ABU's with super stubborn pins I stripped the threads in the aluminum model. I don't think even the worst reels used in saltwater will give the stainless steel bodied model trouble!!! They are both identical except for the material the body is made of. By body I am talking about the piece that supports the spool shaft both had stainless push pins for removing the drive pins.

Do yourself a favor and buy the Hedge Hog tool!!! I would highly recommend the stainless tool, for some reason cheaper and I found it much more durable than the anodized aluminum tool with the stainless push pins!!! The bearing on the tension knob comes into play when you have a load on the spool and gears,,,,,, as far as solvents if they are Boca Orange seals you should be good to go, if you want use acetone, lighter fluid will leave a slight petroleum film not a bad thing but not as residue free as acetone! I have installed a couple sets of ABEC 7's and end up using a drop of oil to quiet them, so I no longer spend the money as I find the ABEC 5 SS to do an equal job for me when properly lubed.

I just picked up this years rod. I had it built this winter on an Avid blank, 6' but to make it a one of a kind, I had 3" added from a SCV rod just to make it a 6'3" LF for Crappie, Perch and White Bass. I had it balanced to a new Stradic CI4+ 1000FA. The complete outfit weighs in at 8.7 oz. Recoil Guides, and fly rod reel seat with cork center. It's not quite as sensitive as the elite blank but you can still feel every bump when dragging just the dead line across the gravel drive!!! lastly it is 100% balanced right at the line pickup when rotor is in it's rearward position. Last year I had the Legend Extreme built with the 6'6" MLF blank and precisely balanced to a 1000FG Sustain, using Recoils Titanium guides on it also. I like these guides so well I had two factory rods, both Legend Elites, striped of their guides and the recoils installed, what a difference they are truly indescribable and the only way one can believe the difference they make is to try them. These make a sweet light finesse spinning rod set for anything from Walleye and Smallmouth, to White Bass and Crappie. A few years back I had a special spinning outfit built by the same craftsman, it was special because I wanted a spinning rod built for Pike and Musky, but wanted to be able to use it for Redfish in the Gulf, and Snook and other species on the flats and canals of the everglades if I visit Florida. We used a MH casting blank in a XF action to get the speed and backbone we wanted as the MHXF spinning wasn't available, for bigger single hook baits this excells for bigger fish and works great with heavy spoons and Bucktails too!!! I had a Sustain 4000FD on it to begin with but sold it and went with the 4000FJ Stradic instead, I have not made it out for Reds and Snook yet but have landed several Northern Pike on it and a few Chinook and Coho Salmon in Michigan. I am truly blessed to have a rod builder that I have, the guy teaches rod building for a large custom tackle firm on the great lakes, and every time we get together on a project he still amazes me at all the fine details others overlook for eye bling instead of function. These are the spinning rods he has built me to date and I think next year I will build one more, on a Legend Elite 7'MF blank and that should cover everything I can ever imagine I will need. I have two custom casting rods he built on Legend Extreme blanks a MXF and MHM that also use recoil guides and the same cork patterns slightly different but with the same dark brown and natural cork to adjust weight for balance and just a touch eye candy and a touch to define my custom request to make them personal.

I missed 6 weeks of prime time November 19th till the 3rd of January, all of gun season which I don't really care about but almost the whole rut was wasted, still put 6 in the freezer and got a nice 153 7/8" 13 pointer,,, 10 point main frame with a gorgeous bleed hole on the right main beam!!! all but 2 doe came off public Forrest, 10's of 1000's of acres to get away from the crowds in,,,,,I love it. The Buck came with 5 days left in the season. It was after passing a couple 120" to 130" 8 and 9 pointers earlier in the season, and exactly why I pass these smaller bucks up, with only one buck a year the big buck would have had a free pass. If you have hunters in sight of your property,,,,,,,,well lets just say your odd's of scoring just went way down in most cases!!!

Need pic's!!!!!

I agree, but I have eliminated most of the negatives with Fluorocarbon by using 832 Suffix on every reel I own and going with 6' to 16' leaders in whatever weight fluorocarbon meets my needs, from 4 lbs. test to 20 lbs. test. gives me the benefits of both, and so far my most used reels have not needed new line on them going on 3 years now!!!! Makes 832 Suffix one of the che3apest to use even at it's high cost!!

X2,,, I have to pay for equipment made to increase the sensitivity, my instinct is to laking,,,, I think the best thing the OP has going is the line, the reels all pretty much come into play once the fish is on, but use mono and you would notice a bigger a difference than changing the rod to a fiberglass pole with the same 832. If you want to improve feel about all thats left to improve that is the Rod!!! I would only look at St. Croix Legend Elite or Extreme and build it with Recoil Guides, but that is if you want the ultimate,,,,, I would also have my builder build it with lightweight and sensitivity in mind!! I have changed to rods to recoil guides from alconites and the difference is simply unbelievable, If I had done this I would never believe anyone telling me this, but feeling is believing, it's hard to spend 100 bucks for guides when the guides on the rod you have, has nothing wrong with them,,,, but if you do they are lifetime and can be used on any blank anytime you want to change them, well worth the investment!!!!!! PS I missed the 50 pound at first,,,,,, I think the 50 lbs. is way overkill, costing you sensitivity and distance along with smaller bait management, I would never use over 30 lbs test on my MF casting rods in medium action because it is as light as I go on baitcasters. I prefer 20 lbs test on my spinning rigs in that weight you will cast twice as far and have even better feel and much better lure response with finesse baits!!

This is my 42nd year fishing this run, it is the largest walleye run in the world, and is on the largest tributary to the great lakes. I have been running hard for the past 15 days and @ 60 it's taking it's toll on me. Up at 3:30am every morning, out the door by 4am after checking the water level and deciding where I need to be at sunrise when legal fishing hours begin, then 70 miles to the spot I need to be at that day, in the water by 6:30 to secure my position, mainly to keep idiots from going out to their **** and standing in the fish. Then I have a problem leaving when your nailing fish right and left. It is a ball and this is a run I have fished 5 to 7 days a week usually from March 1st to may 10th or so well into the white bass run. I have had a great season so far, after filling the freezer with deer as usual and ending that season January 31st, Now 64 Walleye are in the freezer, I am taking a 3 or 4 day rest as I am just hurting to bad and the need to fill the freezer for the upcoming year is pretty stable, so it's time for a little body repair!!!! I get so tiered and sore anymore wading in this whitewater wonderland and get aggravated by so many of these idiots who think they know more than you, but don't seem to understand if they would just listen they might actually catch fish, then at my age with my health I have to realize there are so many places that are treacherous but great fishing That I need to realize I can no longer fish without paying a penalty, there is always something taken away when I leave the river that is special,,,,,,,,,more memories, always loving the way it was, while learning the way it is, changing with physical changes and learning what changes the river makes every year, aging together and loving every minute thanking God for both!!! Here are a few pics of all the sights and times, but if you had ever been there you could even smell the times, as you literally know when a fresh run has shown up during the night n by the smell when you get out of the truck, and await the next beautiful sunrise as you dress and continue to the water as you watch the tailing fish as daylight steadily approaches!!! Yes this is one of the magic moments of my life every year, and I thank God and pray I can continue to enjoy it for years to come!!! I don't take many hogs I usually limit with jacks, but they are not as good for the grill, little drier because of the thinner fillets. So I do keep 3 or 4 limits a year of females when they are the larger ones, 26" or larger the 2 on the right are 29" and just over 10 lbs. a real fight in fast water on the 7' Avid MF rod and Lew's Team real with 12lbs. test, the thick fillets make for much moister fillets coming of the grill,,,,,, which is whats for supper tonight, with Venison Backstraps butterflied 34" thick,,,,,,, my idea of REAL,,,,, SURF & TURF!!!!! I'll be back after em Tuesday after a 4 day break and probably spend the next 2 weeks back on the same schedule,,,,,,, a tough life but I'll try and live it the ,,,RITE WAY!!!

I know the lazer, MG torn, tourn pro, team gold, team pro, all have the same gears but the BBI and Super Duties I believe have different gear sets. Like was said earlier, call them direct and talk to Rick, he will fix you up if anyone can once and for all. P.S. forgot to mention gear alloys differ between these reels but they are interchangeable to the best of my recollection,,,,,thats worth exactly what you paid for it,,,, Rick will correct me if I'm wrong,,,,,

If you like your Shimano,,, as I do,,,, I'd go with a FJ Stradic, not as light but with the aluminum frame and and same sizes just as smooth, I have both and other than the weight of the reel, and faster drag adjustment on my CI4+ I see no difference in performance,,,,,

Suffix 832 Gohst, I believe A-Jay is right,,, it appears to me to be dye free

I am building a an AVS6LF right now full cork, recoil guides and will have around 225 in it, could have went with standard guides for about the same price as a factory Avid!! I also will point out any St Croix blank is available to anyone, not just custom builders,,,, I buy my own, and then have my builder do what I want, but the builders can't buy it any cheaper than I can. check with your choice of builder and price it both ways. For me I buy everything so he doesn't have any time in anything but building it, for me this is cheaper.

The larger spool I prefer to give better flipping and pitching performance, it does mean a little more weight very welcome to me on most tip heavy flippin rods, just my preference. I believe it is smoother flipping over even my Team Gold's, but mostly my PP

I'd go with the Super Duty, excellent choice for flipp'n, you'll appreciate the advantages of the larger spool!! plus the reel will balance better on a heavier longer rod. I love mine.

I always stick it out, and anymore if a buck wont make Ohio big buck, (140" B&C measurements), they get a free pass from me. I almost waited to long try'n for that big buck this year, but then the week of Jan. 23 to Feb 1st when our season ends, with only one deer in the freezer, I started filling the freezer, and on the 29th this guy showed up with 4 of his buddies, not one under 140",,,,, I was excited and until he appeared I didn't know which one to shoot. With all his character it made the decision easy,,,, with the kickers and bleed hole, almost scorable split brow tines, I new he was the one I wanted to "let the air out of" but he had to get in bow range. after about 20 minuets they all filed past within 30 yards with him bring'n up the back, with the wind in my favor, I let em pass one by one, but he tried to to stay a little farther out,,, I took him at 42 yards with the Mad Max 380,,, all of em as a matter of fact with the same bow, including one in Oct. just cause I ran out and needed steaks,,, 8 days and 5 deer,,,, we should be good till next October,,,I hope, then it all starts again!! Here he is with 4 of his sisters that came to see me that week,,,, the cold temps and nasty weather allways makes it work for me,,, With three days to go I had passed on a multitude of buck's this year wait'n on that keeper,and not seen one that would make Ohio Big Buck, then 5 of em all come in on me at once,,, what a week,,, I started taking my doe for the freezer and after 5 days of bagg'n meat, my buck finally showed up. I will remember this hunt for a long time to come, all on public land the end of January,,,, what more could a guy want???? He had a G-4 broke off his right side but was a main frame 10 with two kickers on his left side, one on the G-2 and one at the bleed hole. he grossed 153 7/8 now it's time for some hard water fishing,,,, Buckeye style,,,,

Shimano is really backing off on what once was Customer Service as good as anyone in the industry. Take a look at their high priced spinning and casting reels they continue to support, their dropping models like they were bubble pack throw aways. Warranty Parts service, you name it, Stradic, Sustains and even Stellas, if their more than two model's old they discontinue them and that includes no longer servicing them, or supporting part's for them. I got rid of all the low profile Shimano baitcasters I owned a few years ago with Lew's, and have never had better baitcasting reels as these. I am now looking to get rid of my spinning reel's for reel's that are as strong smooth and light, that are supported better than throw aways, but that is proving harder to do, as for rods, I have known all along you will never top the quality, or the Customer Service, from any manufacture, over the products and service St. Croix provides with their American Made Rod's,,,,,,NEVER!!

But you better hurry, you won't find a better deal, and the Ci4 I wouldn't rec amend over a Symetry,,,, but the Ci4+ as stated earlier, is a whole other story, I have it and the same size as a Sustain FG, and can't tell the difference in the two other than color!! It is nicer than my FJ Stradics!!

I had one, excellent Pike and Musky reel. For bass swimbaits and a-rigg