loudcherokee

Havent had any issues with my MG like that. Have you had another reel on the rod to make sure its not the reel seat? If its not the rod, check over the reel for possible cracks or something. That doesnt sound right. LC

Never fished a rippin rap, but have had decent success on a black back rattlin rap. Caught 4 1-2 pounders in 6 casts one day with it. Never hauled in anything much bigger than that on it though. LC

How would you use these hooks? What kind of bait and rig? If texas rig, how do you keep the weighted part from destroying your worm? I bought a 5 pack of them after reading a post on here suggesting a way to use them for something, and now I cant find that post or remember the method that was suggested. http://www.***.com/Gamakatsu_Superline_EWG_Weighted_Hook_5pk/descpage-GSEGW.html LC

haha, you guys are great. I was hoping I could get a laugh or two. What was interesting to me was how aggressive this little guy was. He slammed this roostertail where I could see him. He ever got some air and taildanced for me! LC

It was right at 26 inches. I didnt weigh it though, so no idea on the weight. I guess it wasnt a "really good size" lol. Its my first pike ever so I thought it was pretty big. thanks for all the suggestions folks. I'll definitely be watching that video before I clean this thing. Im thinking some flour, corn meal, and lemon pepper. mmmmmmmmm. LC

yup. live redworm. after looking at the pa fish and wildlife website, and based on where I caught it, it does appear to be a burbot. LC

I thought that for a second, but the color patern of the snakehead is not present. It was a weird little thing. It had a mouth like a largemouth, big and wide open, but its head was flattened, just like a flathead. The burbot thing is a possibility, but the coloration seems different there too. LC

This thing nearly jerked the pole out of my hand, and when I reset my grip, almost pulled me in the water. Luckily, I was able to regain my footing and just barely got this thing on the bank. Glad I had braided line! LC

caught out of a stream in northern pa. weird body, very slimy. Almost like a flathead catfish, but doesnt have whiskers or barbs. LC

I caught a pike today. Really good size one. I think I read somewhere that they're good, but I cant remember. is there anything special to cleaning them? LC

Would an *** M work good for a cranking rod? The more and more I read about these things, the more I want to switch all my rods over. LC

I dont have any of the other Lews reels yet, so I really cant compare. I noticed no big difference from my quantum or my old daiwa procaster. If anything, its more comfortable. If you have a gander mountain near you, they carry the Lews lineup. You can get them in hand and feel it for yourself, to see if you can tell a difference. LC

If you see an actual speed spool mg for $80, grab it while you can. I think you might be looking at the laser MG though for $80, which I know nothing about. differences between the speed spool and tournament MG appear to be drag, handle, and the MG has clicking drag and spool tension knobs. Both are aluminum frame. The laser mg is a graphite frame, rulon drag instead of carbon, and 8 bearings instead of 10. http://www.lews.com/reels.htm LC

I have not, except for the occasional mention on a review site such as tackle tour or ***. Havent come across many actual user reviews of the rods, but im not necessarily looking for them either. LC

I have the MG. I love it. I'm planning on getting a tourney pro, BB1, and a speed spin, so have been doing tons of research on all manner of Lews stuff. I cant find anyone with anything bad to say about any Lews reels. LC

Looking into those too. Nothings final at this point as Im going to be accumulating this stuff over the winter to be ready for next season. Im also not sure about my line choices. Is there anything wrong with mono for cranking? LC

Hmm...good point about the rod sensitivity. I could make them both carbonlites, or add another *** for finesse. I just read a couple places that the carbonlites are good cranking rods. LC

Trying to do this on a cellphone, so hopefully the format is ok. I'll start with what I currently have, then post my planned purchase "wishlist", and finally, my planned techniques for each setup. currently have - Lews tournament MG 6:1 on 7' MH lightning rod shock. wishlist is as follows - Lews tourney pro 7:1 ratio *** *** black 7'1" MH rod Lews BB1 5:1 ratio BPS carbonlite 7' M rod Lews speed spin spinning reel Berkley Lightning rod shock 7' M spinning rod Zebco delta ZD2CP spincast reel ok, here goes my planned setups. This is where I need advice in what to throw on what setup. Lews MG 6:1/Lightning rod MH - 30# braid with 15# fleuro leader ------- weighted plastics spinnerbaits buzzbaits jigs Lews TP 7:1/*** Black MH - 65# braid---------- frogs spinnerbaits buzzbaits jigs weighted plastics Lews BB1 5:1/Carbonlite M ------- 12# big game mono ------------ cranks treble hook lures top water lures (poppers, jitterbugs) Lews Speed Spin/lightning rod M - 15# braid with 8# fleuro leader----------- finesse plastics weightless plastics light lures (roostertails, etc) dropshot Zebco Delta/ugly stik 6'6" M - 10# mono ------------ relaxing beer drinkin bobber fishin setup So that's it. I guess what im trying to figure out is if Im planning the right approach with the right rod actions and the right reel ratios. I kinda feel like the two MH rods on the lews cancel each other out, but im not sure. LC

Too bad we dont have some way of torture testing reels like they do glocks and other handguns: freezing them, burying them, dragging them behind cars and tossing them out of helicopters and what not. Tie it to the leash of a great dane and throw a stick. report back :-p LC

Im gonna go out on a limb and recommend a mitchell 300xe. You can get them from walmart for $50. Mine handles braid well and has plenty of drag. I grew up with a shimano quickfire triggercast. loved it. My only aversion to them now is the way the bail has to go backwards to reach that stopping point. Could mean the difference between a hooked fish and a missed fish when comparing to a reel with instant anti reverse. LC

Ok, maybe its just my eyes. Some pictures appear greenish to me, others appear black. I coulda swore the one I looked at in Gander Mountain had a green hue to it. I WAS also looking at some shimanos that day that were definitely green. the pic in this link looks greenish to me. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004HIX2HY/ref=mw_dp_img?ca=B004HIX2HY&is=l LC

Duly noted. got plenty of fine line tape and masking materials from another hobby I can use if I decide to undertake the task. The pictures ive seen online make it appear green, but the pic above makes it look like a nice carbon black color. If that's the case, no need to paint as it will match a carbonlite or *** black rod perfectly. LC

Tagging for the review. This thing does look like the promax. interested to see how it pans out. LC

All the ones I've seen are an ugly green color, for the tourney pros anyways. My mg is black, the bb1 is black, and the team pro (drool drool drool) is a shiny black carbon type color. I think the super duty is black too. LC

In considering the Lews Tourney Pro as my next reel, the only thing I cant get past is the color. I know it doesnt matter to some- as long as the reel functions correctly its fine, but I do like my reels to look nice. That green just doesnt go with anything in my rod choices. Has anyone ever painted their reel side plates successfully? What kind of paint did you use? Im thinking of cerakote or durKote, which I've used for firearms, and is available in both spray on and bake on finishes, but im not sure what will stick best, or if a laquer based paint will hold up to usage. LC