FishTank

I have the old the 844C IMX. It works great for Texas rigged soft plastic and 1/4oz weight. I also uses this rod for top water and the occasional jig. It's a very versatile rod.

I tear my reels down once or twice a year. A good reel, taken care of, can last a life time.

Why do people in Athens hate getting up early? .....because Dawn is tough on Greece.

Always back my reels with mono> that way I can stretch the FC over two spools depending on the reel and the lb. test of line.

I stopped in BPS/Cabelas near Chicago and they had quite a few things. It was a pretty nice store but still not the selection of things I might be looking for. I was surprised they had about 10 different colors of Megabass Vision 110's, all the sizes of Dark Sleepers and they also had Megabass Hazdogs. My local Cabela's has none. When it came to rods and reels though. They had about the same stuff. The highest end reel they had was the Curado and the highest end rod might have been the G. Loomis E6X. I can remember the days when they had everything from the Daiwa Steez to the Shimano Antares in stock along with a full line of rods from St. Croix and Loomis.

From St. Croix..... 6'10'' MH Legend Glass. I have the Med version of this rod. Great all around reaction bait rod but a 1oz lure might stretch it for my rod. The MH would be great and the shorter length would work better for WP but this rod does have lot flex at the tip which is not my favorite for topwater. From Loomis..... IMX Pro 855CBR. I have the 903CBR. This may be the better rod for what you are looking at. I personally like a slightly faster taper for top water baits and lipless cranks. The IMX Pro series fits this need but it may be a few bucks over your budget. I use the 903 for lipless cranks and small square bills.

I have two set ups that I use for drop shot depending on how deep I go. For deep water I am currently using 16lb Sunline X-Plasma Braid with 10lb Seaguar Premier leader. For everything else, I like 6lb Trilene XL 100% FC. I have tried others but this seems to be the best balance on price and manageability. I do also like in Invizx.

I like Smith's Guides Choice. My favorite lens is the Techlite Polarchromic Copper Mirror. It changes how dark the lens is based on light and it has high contrast making things easy to see under water.

The spool tension knob is probably it then. I did the same thing on an Anteras 12 when I got it but I noticed it while I was spooling it. I was able to back the line out to the filler spool and redo it. The way I set up a reel before spooling.... I put my thumb on spool and adjust the drag enough to get some tension. Then I wiggle the spool with my thumb to test the side play and if there is a lot, I adjust the tension knob till the is little to no play side to side. The only reel I did not have to do this to was my Daiwa Steez SV TW.

New out of the box? Did you adjust the drag and spool tension knob to where you like it before spooling? I've seen most reels NIB with the drag and spoll tension backed all the way out making a proper line lay impossible.

I'm thinking for $30, just buy a new one. It will take about two weeks to get parts from Shimano.

13lb or 15lb Sunline Defier.

If you are just starting out, I would go with a good quality cheap mono..... Big Game like mentioned above, Trilene XL, Stren, or Sufix Elite. For me, I personally like FC better but I am partial to Tatsu and Invizx and maybe Daiwa's new version. I don't have any issues with backlashes, casting or line digging into the reel but I also like to think I have an educated thumb.

Just a thought..... How about the new NRX+ 903C. Nice collection by the way.

I use 6lb and 8lb Trilene XL 100% FC and have had no issues. I have also tried Invizx for spinning gear. It worked fine but I liked the Trilene better.

So this is a topic I sort have debated for years with people but it started years ago when I was hiking and continued through my powerlifting years...... It was summer time....I was hiking a long trail in Land Between the Lakes and ran into a guy that noticed what I had on. I was wearing a cotton t shirt and a pair of longer jean shorts (80s stuff) and I had a large bottle of water. He told me I was not going to make it with the water I had and the clothing I had on. So I asked why.... He said that cotton suffocate my body and I will basically sweat myself to the point of dehydration despite having a big bottle of water. He told me the material has to fast drying and light polyester (this was before moisture wicking clothing) so basically running clothes. After about almost dying on this hike, I realized he was right. I hiked this same trail under worse conditions a few more times with the clothing he suggested, same water supply, and I was fine. I have followed is advice since. Moral of the story..... Don't wear cotton at all. Your sweat is designed to keep you cool and you should not be smothered by it. Drink water until your pee is clear looking (or near to it).

I have tried the 14lb and really like it. Based on the price, I might start using it instead of Tatsu. We will see how it lasts.

Are you setting the hook on slack line?

Coated>Wrong term.... I should have said resins. I watched a video a while back (couldn't find it) and it explained the process but it used the words coated and fused. It looked like it was just one coating applied over and over again. Sunline FC Sniper on Sunline's website........"Sunline’s most versatile FC product High abrasion resistance Uniform line diameter Triple resin coating for suppleness"

Agreed. I grew up with the idea that white rods are bad luck and they summon the lake omen. I thought it was funny as a kid but I have truly come to not like white rods.

What you are generally paying for when it come to FC is the coating and how long it lasts. I hate to say but for most FC you get what you pay for.

I had a couple of these Quantum PT reels years ago. They look good but my experience with them was pretty bad. I had multiple issues that Quantum tried to fix, which includes sending me a new reel, but they were unsuccessful. I hate to say it but they ended up in the trash. My recommendation is if you want a Quantum, get a new one or the Shimano of your choice. They all seem to be pretty good at their various price points.

I have been fishing with Invizx for years and never found it stretchy but not totally low stretch as stated. It's sort of in between. We fish a lot of rocks and tend to get hung up a lot. Most mono lines I have used over the years will stetch like bubble gum compared to Invizx when I get stuck. Its especially noticeable when I have to break the line. As far as stretchy FC......Sunline Crank

Frabill Titanium Trout Nets are the lightest I have seen but they can be pricey.

I am picky about my gear so noway I'm leaving them in the boat outside. Too many things, especially line, can go bad or wrong.