FishTank

Is it the new one? If so, very nice..... I took one of these apart over break. I guy clean reels for, once in a blue moon, bought one at BPS and wanted me to look it over. I was really impressed. I am not the biggest Lew's fan but this reel fixed a few minor things that I find annoying> knobs, drag star assembly, cast control knob, spool polish, etc.. One thing I didn't care for is the pull pin on side plate. Push and pull the wrong way and the side plate will bounce off. The breaks are also a little different than the other centrifugal brake systems. I am not sure how to feel about them just yet but it looks like they improved it from the previous generation and I really can't say yet what makes it different. All in all, I think this reel is the best one I have seen from Lew's yet and for $160, its a steal. Enjoy and I hope the Covid goes away soon. I have had several family members and coworkers deal with it and it is no fun.

Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop. It's the 7'1'' model (MH Fast) you are looking for. Like above, not on sale but still not bad at $119.

For spinning gear, I would go up to 10lb in FC and 8lb in mono but my favorite is 6lb FC.

When I first started using baitcasters, I bought a right handed reel and just couldn't get the hang of it. Somebody handed me a left handed one and problems solved even though I'm right handed. I have been using left handed reels ever since. I can use both now but prefer lefties.

Help me out here..... I thought Abu Garcia offshore manufacturing went to Omoto in Tawain. I knew that some of the parts made for Daiwa's lower end stuff (blister pack reels) were brought in from Doyo.... but what have they done for Shimano? I have heard from more than one rep and a designer/engineer from Shimano that there are no more ties to Lew's other than the technology that is shared by all low profile manufactures. Also, there was an issue with importing Shimano products to Brazil which included parts. I have seen reels from Doyo under the "Marine" name that are again exactly like Lew's. So for me the question remains, who designs Lew's reels. Doyo or someone from Lew's? Or is the Lew's name just a store front name like Browning and Field and Strem, etc.

For crankbaits and chatterbaits the 6.X:1 would be my choice. If you need to bring a lure in quicker, just reel faster.

I got ton of fun stuff for Christmas including 4 Megabass Vision 110s, 8 bags of soft plastic, 3 crankbaits, hooks and sinkers, a pair NRS kayak bibs and dry boots, and a Stormr jacket to fish in..... but none of that was really the Bait Monkeys ? fault. This crazy purchase was though... Who in their right mind spends $90 on pliers?

A Shimano Curado would be a good one. Easy to use and set up. Smooth, casts well and is pretty much bullet proof. To order to Canada, check out Amer. Leg. Fish. > I don't think I can spell their website all out on this forum but hopefully that is enough so you get the idea. They are located in Evansville, IN. They offer reasonable shipping to Canada and total cost would be cheaper than buying there.

To share a story...... I use to work for a company where this actually happened. We would get a Christmas bonus every year that was between 5-10% (on average) of your yearly income. We knew how much we would get based on the amount of work/production we got done. The managers would remind us at every meeting. So for some of us it was pretty good and yes, at that time you could actually get a pool installed with a bonus. We would get it the pay check before Christmas. Then the last year I worked there (1999) we received these yearly subscriptions to various things in side our paycheck envelopes and somebody actually got the jelly of the month club. I received Sports Illustrated and National Geographic. My brother got Omaha Steaks and the ladies got either Avon or Mary Kay stuff. There was no warning, no notice, only the HR payroll person and our corporate people knew. Our CEO group and board members were the only ones that received money and for them it was more than ever. It was sort of heartbreaking and made for a rough Christmas for everyone that year. But on a happy note, this year was great and I feel blessed to work for the company I am at now.

I wouldn't throw topwater or jerkbaits on an X-fast rod. Medium power maybe. Ideally, I like a MH fast with a soft tip (sort of a Mod-fast rod) for jerkbaits and depending on the topwater bait, a Heavy with a strong but section and a little bit of a soft tip. My thoughts on jerkbaits with an x-fast taper rod..... Bass tend to smash jerkbaits. A x-fast tip will load the rod too quickly. For topwater with an x-fast rod.... You need the fish to be able to almost swallow the bait especially frogs. Topwater poppers may be a different story. I would change what was said above to a MH fast for both techniques but the rod would need to be able to handle a wide range of baits.

I use to think the general rule of thumb was clear line for clear water and green for stained water. Today after going by this thought for many years, I don't think it makes a difference. Trying out some new Camo line next season... So many shades of green. Looks cool but will it make difference. We will see.

I have the Curado DC and it's a great reel. If you have never owned a DC reel, this would be a good one to have. I have yet to find a flaw with it.

What did I just watch? Horrible in a way I can't describe. Why did they let this movie even get released? I liked the first movie and the next two weren't great but they were at least entertaining. Anybody else loose 2+ hours of their lives watching this lurid schmutz?

The Junior is pretty much the same as the regular Vision, just smaller. As far as the +1 and +2, they tend to pull back a little or at least that's the way it feels when fishing them. I only have one +2 and it seems to fish deeper than it's rated, 20 feet easy. I tried trolling with it and it seemed to just go deeper the longer I left it out, plus it didn't catch any fish. When fishing it like any other 110, I had the best success with long pauses, like 5-10 seconds.

If you can find it, Shimano Calcutta 200B. Just a thought, most swimbaits do not function well with high IPT reels. Too slow = no action .... Too fast = it lays on its side. Another consideration would be the Tranx. Low profile, easy to palm.

Deeper diving jerkbaits, wacky rigged senkos, spoon shaped baits on occasion, and a finesse worms. None of this matters if you don't find the fish and generally you have to put the bait right on the fishes nose and hold it there long enough for them to react. I also chose the bait and equipment that will give me the longest casts with the least disturbance.

Looks like a nice sweatshirt but I don't how it would be for cold weather. Most of the windproof material sacrifices warmth and breathability to stop the wind. Unless you generating a lot of body heat on your own, it may not be warm enough to get the job done without a really good base layer. On another note, I guy that fishes in my tournament group is sponsored by them. All the stuff he gets, according to him, is top notch and he is super picky even when it is free.

You kind of need to experiment with your water conditions. Cold, still, clear water, I'm probably not going to be using a jig. Slightly stained cold water with a little bit of current, I want something with a lot of movement. Currently I have been using Net Bait Paca Chunk and GYCB Flappin Hog. There are several others that would work but for me the key is to bounce the bait up and down as much as possible.

This is what I have been using. It has worked great so far. I have, not quite, two rows set up for bladed jigs, one row for finesse jigs, one row for swim jigs and the rest for regular jigs. It fills up quick though.

Something different that has worked for me during the fall season was the Deps Bull Flat on a free rig. Fun to fish but it requires patience.

G. Loomis 844C IMX Pro. Works for tons of stuff, including topwater.

San Diego Jam knot is the way to go but I wouldn't use FC on Swimbaits. Mono, Sunline Defier would be my choice.

I would ignore the nicknames and focus on the actual rod specs to give you a better idea of what the rod is capable of. If I had to guess as to what they are referring to as "Tactical".... It might be that is accurate and versatile.

Either one would be fine. Personally I use the Curado DC. I often find that jerkbaits can be tricky in the wind and the DC reel helps to get a little extra distance compared to some other reels. The size compared to a 70 size reel is no big deal to me.

I tried a few but they fall apart quickly as a jig trailer. Sad thing was I didn't catch anything while fishing them. I like their chunk crawl but have done better with Zoom's version.