gulfcaptain

FC sinks. I use mono for topwater, P-Line makes a nice mono.

You're right I was off the topic responding to rippin-lips and my personal experiences with Shimano(sorry don't have any idea where you saw saltwater spinning reels mentioned) and the discussion about removing parts in a reel that are supposed to be there. If it's for a back up then there is a reason behind it. And considering we put more pressure on our tackle if we are using braid and pushing our gear to the limits I wouldn't want to remove anything from the reel. So if it the gear he has isn' working right my first post was have it cleaned and serviced, not just take that part out you don't need it. But I will appoligize for getting off topic.

Have both, and have used topshots, just have to make sure your albright knot is nice and tight and all tag ends of the mono or fc are trimmed as so they don't catch on the guides when you cast. But they are nice. I've become quite fond of the minima guides which are inbetween the standard and micro. Gives you pretty much the best of both worlds.

I've owned 4 shimano's, and have destroyed 2 of them. Be it they were ocean reels, but they were supposed to be sooo much better then my Newell's. Destroyed them both in a matter of a year. Only shimano's I would even consider owning anymore would be the older TLD 10 and 15....nothing new. New seems to break a lot quicker then the older stuff. I've upgraded to Diawa's Saltist and it's a beast of a reel. But it does make you think if Diawa doesn't have the gear back up, what does Shimano know about their berings that they put a back up in so if they fail it catches it.....hmmmmmm, I'm thinking cheaper parts for more $$$.

Wow, now I know why I don't fish Shimano's. Just my own opionion but I would rather have my gear work as it's intended to with all the pieces that are supposed to go in the reel. If you have to take pieces out to make them smoother just doesn't make sense but it's your equipment. Sounds like you have fixed the problem, until the bering go's out at the wrong moment and your back up gear isn't there to stop it from becoming a knuckle buster. Trust me when you loose your anti-reverse everything gos bad quickly especially when it may be the fish of a lifetime.

I would send it in for repairs instead of taking parts out. They all have a their reasons for being there and you may end up causing real damage to your reel.

PM Siebert Outdoors and he will set you up. Got some jigs from him and he has a great selection as well as prices.

try a drop shot since you seem comfortable with the shakeyhead.

Fiesty bullhead cats will do the same thing in small ponds. They grab the worm, you swing and they have one end and you have the other. Fished a pond in Louisiana behind a buddies house and they did a number on my dropshot roboworms till I finally caught one of those slimmy bas%@%d's. And you would be suprised what will end up in ponds over time. You may not think certain kinds of fish are there but then they show up....ie carp. Nobody stocks them into ponds but they all seem to have them. If there are birds then there may be toothy critters as well as those pesky larger warmouth perch. Just like Jurrasic Park, "nature will find a way".

Being rocky, you may want to look at a swing head jig....Bifflehead or any of the others that have a football head and rig a creature bait to them or a football jig. But odds are if you catch them there with other baits they will eat them as well. If it drops off that fast, fall may bring you an added bonus. Look at fishing one of the smaller umbrella rigs at that place (5 wire work best if you can fish 5 hooks, if not a couple dummy baits instead) and fish them like a spinnerbait. You will be suprised at the size of fish that will inhale an A-Rig but will pass up a spinnerbait. Nature takes over and they have crush them. Good luck and as Glenn said, "Welcome Home"

The Accurist is pretty good. I have the older model and they are rock solid reels. Keep them maintained...drop of oil once a month on the berings and they are good to go.

Although I'm on the West Coast, fish quite a few city park ponds. Big fish are not out of your reach by any means. My largest fish (all of them) have come from less then 30ft from the bank. Observe the weeds and look for deep pockets or quick breaks closer to shore....can indicate deeper water. Save up and and get a dedicated flipping rod and learn to fish the grass/weeds with confidence. You would be suprised how many fish over 4lb sit right off the bank tucked away in the weeds. Creature baits work great and make perfect pitch flip baits and check out Siebert Outdoors website as he has awsome prices on tungsten(once you start fishing these you will be supprised at what a difference it makes over lead especially in weedy conditions) and has awesome colors in punch jigs. And if you're looking for a bigger profile, the DB Rage Craw will give you a big profile with a 4" bait and they hold up pretty well.

The Accurist's by Quantum are right at $100. I have 2 and haven't had any issues with them. Both perform exellent. TW has the Diawa T3 Ballistic's for $110 which isn't much more then your budget. You have quite a few options in your price range. Don't know if I'd go with the Victory though, and the new Exceler would also be a good option.

Gene Larew Salt Craws were a mainstay of mine in the early 90's texas rigged. Just can't find the color I want anymore....they don't make Plum with chartruese claws or sliver claws anymore. Those two color combos were killer.

Simms Sungear sleeves and shirts. I'd rather be a bit warm after a day of fishing then sunburned. Also wear sun gloves. Columbia now makes sleeves in their zero line. $30 for sleeves or $40-50 for the long sleeve shirts. Sun/neck gaiter $20-30 and gloves $20

I fish umbrella's from fall to post spawn in CA, and same rules, only 3 hooks. And 3 wire rigs do not swim right, so I use dummy heads on smaller baits and fish the 5's. Looked at the Boo rigs but the one I wanted was sold out and going to have to wait.

***'s, why...well have 2 one black and just got the green. Don't like the handles on the Ducketts and the Carbonlites. Love the handle set up on the Omens and the lenghts. I don't knock BPS rods as I do have quite a few of their rods, just not the Carbonlites. So I guess my vote would be either the black or the green....just make sure it's an ***.

Yum's Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr with the 5 arms...if you can't fish 5 hooks, dummy hook as many as you need to be legal with 3-4" swimbaits and 1/8oz lead heads. Work it just like a spinnerbait along the outside of the weedlines just under the surface or dropped down below the school.

Don't have the Mettle, but do have one of the Menace....first baitcaster I ever bought at was over $70 and very well made and 3yrs later still smooth as ever. I would say you're in good shape with the Mettle, just keep it oiled and maintained and it will last you. Their H20 rods are pretty nice as well for $60.

Spinnerbaits, blade baits, buzz, squarebill, rattle-trap style baits. Find a 6:1 ratio reel and spool it with 15-20lb FC or Mono. Let the rods moderate action help with these baits as stiffer rods tend to pull the baits away from the fish when we set the hook. Now you have a deep crankin rod and a shallow muti use crankin/blade rod.

As I'm sure you have read in many posts probably the best all around casting rod would be a 7'MH. That is unless you are talking about a spinning rod which then I would try to find something in the 7'M action. As for brand, well you have a lot of choices, *** has pretty good sticks (both black and green omens) in your range, Falcon, many of the ABU's, quite a few Shimano's, Duckett's, Daiwa, etc. Have to find the handle length and trigger set up that you like best. But you have lot's of options.

Just like any other knot, need to check it and if it looks worn or it's been a while retie. We do it to hooks and lures all the time. If I have a really good day on the water, typically when I get home I replace the topshot. But then I only normally fish a 6-10ft piece of FC or mono.

if it's shallow, go with the line thru, you can work it slower and kill it as well as adding nail weights to make it suspend just under the surface or sink really slow.

#1 buy the biggest display you can. The more features you have the better visual picture you can get of the area you're fishing, but all on one screen the smaller the the images so the bigger the display the better off you will be. If you're gonna opt for one, buy one that you can plug in the other options later as you upgrade. Ask lots of questions.

first off if there's a NO TRESPASSING or NO FISHING sign, well that might be a tough one. If it's an open course you can probably walk on and fish, just be respectful of the golfers and stay out of the way, make sure you leave no mess, and did I mention be respectful. Stay out of the sand traps and greens, and don't fish right where you're in the middle of someone trying to go down the fairway. If you're wanting to ask, go into the clubhouse or pro shop and ask if you can speak to the course manager and ask him. If he gives you permission ask if he has a business card you can have for reference if anyone questions you being there.