22RangerZ520R

^^^This......^^^

Page 164 for me. I too have changed since then... I sold the Exsence 3000's and bought Stella FJ 3000's and sold the Aldebaran 50's and bought Metanium MGL XG's.

Nice, I like the colors.

Save up the money and get a NRX or Conquest. But doing so will cause you to want to sell all your other rods and get all NRX's or Conquest's... (I say that from experience. I had all NRX's until the Conquest's came out and now I've got all Conquest's, minus my big bait rods and those are IMX Pro's). Good luck in your search.

I've got a trip planned next week to Chick, was hoping it would get somewhat back to normal. But the weather forecast isn't looking promising.....

Yeah he wasn't cheap, but you get what you pay for... They were almost triple the cost of what Lake Fork Taxidermy and other companies similar to that charge. I figured I've spent a ton of money on my truck, boat, rods, reels and tackle so what's another few grand on a couple pieces of art that capture the color patterns and the 1:1 scale size of each fish. I'll be able to enjoy both of the mounts for the rest of my life with no peeling or yellowing. Just my .02

They look better in person! I recommend Dave Campbell every chance I get when guys ask about replicas....

Yep, I'm on CFF

I had a 4 day trip planned there this week and I'm glad I cancelled it... They're getting tons of rain this week, the main lake is already stained pretty good/muddy and they're rolling 115k+ through both locks the next few days. Got two trips to Chick penciled in for next month, can't wait!

^^^ This ^^^ I'm 100% Shimano. Shimano and Daiwa are the top dogs in the bass reel industry period. Stick with one of them and you can't go wrong. Good luck. ^^^ This ^^^

Congrats! My son is 8 months old now and I can't wait to take him fishing!

It's my favorite lake (within 4.5 hours of Louisville). Both my PB's came from there, a 12lb 8oz largemouth and 6lb 4oz smallie. It's the land of the giants.....

Bass will be in all stages of the spawn during that time. You might be able to find a big girl locked on a bed and sight fish for her. Good luck!

I've got 10 of the Metanium MGL's and love them. I'm a diehard Shimano/Loomis guy and have been for 20 years. As long as you stick with Shimano or Daiwa you'll be fine, can't go wrong with either of those two companies. Handle both in person and see which one you like. Good luck.

Shimano

I've got four Stella FJ 3000's on Conquests and those combos are beyond amazing. Get the best reel you can afford is my only advice. Good luck.

I've watched a lot of his videos. There are awesome slow-mo shots in all his videos!

Nice! Color scheme looks similar to mine

I've never been in a Z185 or Z518, so I can't speak on those models. You might make a different thread asking about those two models, I'm sure there are some owners of those models on here that will chime in...

Yeah, I have seen a bunch of poor paint jobs on replicas. I think Dave did an excellent job on my two mounts, if you look close at my the pics he has a pic in the background on both fish where he made everything black and white besides my fish so that he could get the color and color pattern as close as possible without background colors throwing him off. And yes, the OP had an odd shaped (in a good way) largemouth so it's tougher to find a mold out there with his exact dimensions.

Username... 2018 Z520L

When I worked on reels, we used a small flat punch and light taps with a hammer to remove that pin. And obviously lay it flat on something that has a hole in it for the pin to drop in, so you don't bend the spool shaft. And then lightly tap it back into place, making sure the two parts that are exposed are equal lengths so the pinion gear doesn't get damaged. And yes, the drag washers should be apposing like you mentioned - ().

I agree that if there is a 12lb smallie out there, she's in the TN river system somewhere or up north in the Great Lakes... Thanks! While I was doing all my research on a replica mount it was crazy how many people wanted to get a "bargain" mount verses spending the extra money to get a true work of art. We spend thousands of dollars on our trucks, boats, rods, reels, tackle, lodging and gas chasing these bass! So when you run into a fish of a lifetime, why would you want to "cut corners" on a replica mount of a fish you spent all that money trying to catch?!?! Just my .02

Have fished it in rain and other conditions for almost 6 months now, love it. Not slick or slippery at all when wet.