JunkYard814

I went back and forth last year debating on whether or not to buy one. Cabela's was running a pretty good sale on them and I heard a lot of mixed reviews. Apparently situations like yours aren't uncommon.

I agree with the O.P. I have a few Shimano reels that I like, but that doesn't mean I like all their reels. I also have had a few Quantum reels that I like, but I in no way like every reel they make. I think a lot of it stems back from years ago when Shimano really blew all the other reels out of the water. Since then, the times have changed and many competitors have caught up. I think many people use Shimanos with tunnel vision and scoff at reels like Abu, Quantum, Diawa and Lews, without even trying them

I have two that I switch between. One is a white Raz-R-Blade (I think Strike King) with two willowleaf blades that I usually throw in clear water, and the other is actually a tandem willowleaf colorado blade spinnerbait from Cabela's that I picked up for like a dollar and change. I always through a variety of spinnerbaits, but I always seem to come back to one of those two.

I never use them but I never really thought about it like that. I guess if you turn them on you can cast a little harder. Usually I just leave them all off and even start loosening the spool tension knob as I go.

Thanks for the replies! I considered using braid with a fluoro leader, but I don't trust my knot tying when connecting lines, and I also don't like having the knot traveling up the guides on my rod.

I'm trying to build a new set-up for finesse fishing with soft plastics. I want to line it 8lb fluoro. I'd like to use a spinning reel, but I've been hearing mixed stories about putting fluorocarbon on spinning set-ups. The real will most likely be something like a Pflueger Arbor in the second to smallest size. What I want to know is will a small reel like this be able to handle fluorcarbon? Any tips you guys have regarding spinning reels and fluorocarbon line I would love to hear.

Although I prefer throwing crankbaits and spinnerbaits, most of my bass come on weightless soft plastics. I'm guessing you've never tried throwing a weightless worm on casting gear.

I took a cheap $40 baitcaster apart this winter to clean it and I made a serious attempt to keep everything in the order I took it off, but somewhere along the way a pawling spring fell out out. I think I found where it goes, but I have no idea exactly how. Put it back together and now it doesn't work. Definitely made me think twice about taking apart some of my nicer reels to clean.

If you can see it better, so can the fish. It probably isn't that big a deal for stained water but i don't know if I would use it in clear water. I've always been told green in clear water.

Should have kept going all the way up with the black

I held both and after playing around with them at Cabela's, I liked the feel of the Tournament better than the Pro. The fact that it was $40 less and had that sleek black look were pretty much icing on the cake for me.

I just bought the Tourament Speed Spool a couple weeks ago and I'm in love with it.

I'll admit the black don't do that well, but the bronze work perfectly fine for me.

I think time has the most to do with it. Most people work jobs that don't allow them to travel all over the country and fish for 5+ days a week. I think a good deal comes from what was available to them and others just put their lives all-in hoping they'll make it as a pro angler. I personally do not have the desire to risk everything I have on the chance to become a professional angler. However, if I had the opportunity with the equipment they have and the time to fish all week, after a year or two I think I could snag a few checks. But equipment and time is half the battle of getting to the top.

You can check the reliabilty of the seller on Ebay and they are usually pretty accurate. If he has a good rating, I'm sure they are real. However, when I buy sunglasses, I go straight through the manufacturer because I don't trust other people. I've even had a friend try to sell me what he thought were real sunglasses but as soon as I picked them up I could tell they weren't. There are also a lot of discount websites out there that have designer sunglasses at really good prices and they claim they're real, but I don't trust them either. In the end, I probably end up spending a little more , but I get the piece of mind knowing I have the real product.

or when people post reviews on a reel because they've had one of the reels in that line 3 models ago

I believe Tackle Warehouse also has some sort of loner program where they ship you a reel and you get to try it for a few days and you can send it back. I've never used the service, just heard about it.

What Capt. Bob said

I've only had experience with Oakleys. I recommend Oakley Gascans with Bronze Polarized. Stylish and they work great. They go for about $170.

I too learned on a Shakespeare like this 2 years ago. You have magnetic breaking on that, which can all be adjusted from the outside, without taking the side plate off. That dial on the last picture is your magnetic break. When the dot is at the thinnest part of the light gray area, it is pretty much off, and will cast the furthest, but you have a better chance of backlashing. On the other side of the reel is the spool tension knob. Tighten that enough so that when you release the spool, your lure should fall to the ground slowly and not backlash upon hitting the ground. I would then tighten the magnetic break down all they way and cast a few times and slowly back it off as you get comfortable with it until its completely off. I rarely use any breaks now. It wil be easier for you to cast heavier lures such as big spinnerbaits and cranks. When I first started, I tied a 1 ounce weight to the end of my line and just started casting inj the yard until I got the hang of it. Don't get discouraged, casting lighter lures is always difficult and cheaper baitcasters are a lot harder to cast. I learned on a $20 reel, but when I went out and bought a reel for over $100, it became so easy. Using bait casters, the better you get, the fewer backlashes you'll have, but they will always be a part of it.

I have 2 pairs of Oakley Gascans, 1 with Polarized Black Iridium, 1 with Bronze Polarized and I have the Batwolf with Grey Polarized.

I've had my Lew's Tournament Speed Spool for about a week and right now I already like it better than my Shimano Curado 200e. I bought the Curado because I was told it pretty much was the best baitcaster you could get for under $250. I like the reel, but I didn't understand all the hype it gets. I think more of it has to do with the Shimano reputation than actual performance. 20 years ago Shimano may have been producing better products across the board for fishing reels, but this is 2012, and I think a lot of other brands have caught up. As far as the Tournament Speed Spool, for $30 less than the Curado, and $50 less than the Cronarch, I'm going to take it everytime. I can't attest to the Lew's durability because it's a new reel, but I haven't heard anything to think that it's going to crap out anytime soon.

You'd be surprised how much lense color effects it too. I have three pairs of polarized oakley sunglasses. One lense black, one bronze and one gray. I can see into the water with the black and gray, but the bronze makes it look like the water isn't even there.

I've been fishing the Horny Toads and Yum Money Frog lately and I was wondering about the hooks you guys use. I see a lot of peope are using 4/0 or 5/0 hooks, but I was wondering if I should use the double frog hooks that I have. Do any of you guys use these or do you recoomend I stick with a single hook?

This new reel question has been a big topic over the last few days. I know Shimano has down graded with the new Curado. I've heard mixed reviews for the Smoke. The Revo STX's are on sale because the new line is coming out, and it seems like every post someone is bringing up Lews.