edfitzvb

Cleaning and lube are for those cold winter nights. I try to make sure every reel is maintained once the weather turns cold. It's a good thing I don't live in Florida.

Here in Tidewater Virginia I live about 10 minutes away from two Walmarts, and two DSG stores. The BPS is about 40 minutes away, so it is still do-able. No Academy, no Cabelas. BPS has by far the best selection, but Walmart has the best sales during the off-season when I buy most of my lures. Additionally, DSG has good off-season buys on clearance stuff. Bought several reels a couple of years ago because of that.Having said that, I do probably 75% of my tackle buying online and second hand. I like getting a BANG for my buck.

Also, make sure your levelwind assembly is clean. I ordered the whole assembly... worm guide plus pawl to be certain. It was very affordable. However, once I adjusted the reel it was working again by the time the parts arrived. Now I have them sitting until I really need them.

I have both. I could use only spinning if I had to. In that way it is more versatile. I am more accurate using bait casting tackle, and my hands hold up better. I would suggest using both, but if the original question was "Which should I buy if I can ONLY have one," then spinning, because it opens up more possibilities. I like having choices, and when fishing from my boat, I generally take 3 bc and 2 spinning, using the bc setups >80% of the day.

I have both the Tournament Pro and the BB-1 Pro. I like them both, but I prefer the Tournament Pro. It casts about as far, is lighter, smaller, and adjusts in very small increments. It is my FAVORITE reel to use. I don't have any reels in a higher price range, but I have many reels in the 200 MSRP range to compare. I am a big fan of Lew's products.

I like pistol grip rods in a 6 foot length for walking baits. Much more comfortable the way I fish. Other than that, I prefer 6'6" to 7'. The longest rod I own is a 7'10" G Loomis frog rod.... unless you're talking about fly rods. And I own way more than I NEED....

My favorite popper is made by L&S... the mirro-lure folks. They make a jointed popper that casts like a bullet, sits at an angle, and produces a variety of effects. Available in several colors, I have never lost one and have had them for decades. I don't recommend walking them, but I haven't tried. If I want to walk a bait, I have others that are better. For a popping lure, I usually reach for the L&S first.

Big lures back in the '60's. I really liked to use a yellow hellbender in rocky areas and gravel bars. It roots along the bottom and stirs up smallmouths pretty good. I always have a couple in my tackle box.

I can't imagine wanting to be out in that lake where I can't see what's under the surface.

Poppers, spooks, jitterbugs,frogs, buzz baits, prop baits, and floating jerk baits have accounted for LOTS of fish for me. Soft plastics will outfish them, but I enjoy the challenge. That's why I RARELY use live bait.

The trick with those is not to set the hook too hard.

It does indeed sound like experience and increased braking will fix your problem. DEFINITELY increase the setting from one to AT LEAST 5 on the side of the reel and watch that suggested video. Good luck.

I have successfully used Mend-It for one of my son's frogs. A pickerel hit it and put some rips in it with his teeth. So far, so good, and the frog remains flexible. I can recommend the product. Nice folks, too, in their dealings with me.

No votes for jerk baits? Rapalas, Rogues, Long A's will catch fish all summer long. Also poppers and a Jitterbug or two......

Did you measure the length?

BEST polarized glasses I ever wore were Maui Jim. If you re patient you can get a pair on eBay for under $100.

I live at the coast. Spinnerbaits will work, flukes and jerkbaits will work, grubs will work, spoons are always good, and flukes work well also. RINSE EVERYTHING DOWN and be careful about accisentally getting sand in your reel, especially if you use bait casters. Forgot to mention spooks and poppers.

GOOD ideas from a company that I already like. I see one of those in my future. Thanks for posting

Nice fish. Why not send in both sets of paperwork? The VA Citation has no time limit. The other is still valid if you decide to send it in.

As has been said, a one piece rod has better structural strength, but that is problematic if you have to transport it in a small sedan. I have both types, one and two piece, so that i can transport it in the trunk of my car if necessary You're the only one who can answer that question. I have not (yet) have a rod fail at the joint.

Just got back home from a week long vacation with the family. We went to Fairystone State Park in Virginia. It was real hot, so I fished mainly dawn and dusk for bass, then did hiking and trout fishing in the local streams during the day. Did fairly well for a lake that is absolutely HAMMERED by fishermen. My son went also and he caught the most fish, but our last night there I caught a real nice bass on a black Jitterbug brought by a submerged pine tree in about 14 feet of water. Just filled out the Citation form for a trophy fish in Virginia to send in and add to my collection. We didn't have scales with us, but I would estimate from the heft the fish was at least 6 pounds, and my son thinks it might have gone 7. I was using my Revo STX on a Shimano Clarus rod, and I can endorse both. They are in my "top five" combos that I usually take. Jitterbugs, Rapala original floaters, and Mepps inline spinners catch just as many fish today as they always have. Nice to know in a fast-changing world that some things don't change..... Tight lines!

I have a lot of reels to choose from, most around the 200 price point. My favorite(s) are Lew's Tournament Pro Lew's BB-1 Pro Shimano Curado 200 G7 Abu Garcia Revo STX Quantum KVD model I bought used somewhere I have many more, but these are my favorites. If I HAD to choose only one it would be Lew's Tournament Pro (6.4:1) It just "fits"

First let me state that I was reluctant to open this thread, because I know the old saying about opinions, but I need some input here from people who know what they're talking about. I started out fishing on the old Garcia Mitchell 300 reels back in the '60's. About 30 years or so ago I started to use bait casting reels, and now use mostly bait casting tackle. I really like Lew's products and Shimano. I want to update my spinning tackle, and my next purchase will be a spinning reel. Right now I have some economical reels to choose from. I have a Quantum Qvex, a Mitchell 300X, and an older Lew's spinning reel. I am looking at Shimano and Lew's because I like the quality control they have in place. There are a wide range of options to choose from and I want the best bang for my buck at around 80-150 price range. What models should I be on the lookout for that will be good choices for functionality and durability? I will be using this reel for bass fishing (surprise.) Thank you in advance for sharing your experience with me.

I often catch bluegills on bass baits. Throwing spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and jerkbaits, I have caught yellow and white perch, crappie, catfish, bowfin, and pickerel while TRYING to catch bass. Once I was lucky enough to catch a musky while bass fishing. That was fun.

My first "quality" baitcast reel was an Abu Garcia 5500 C3 back about 30 years ago. I started out most of my life using spinning gear, but I kept seeing pros use baitcasting stuff, so I bought a cheap Daiwa combo, learned how, and then took the plunge with the Abu. I remember it felt like a Swiss watch compared. The things last forever. That one is gone (young boys leave things) but I have a 6500 spooled on a heavy rod and a couple of other "round reels" if the need arises. They will indeed cast a long way. They are not as comfortable in today's age of low profile reels, but then again comfort doesn't enter the conversation much when throwing big swimbaits or umbrella rigs.