FishTank

I am never out on water without sunglasses or some type of eye protection. I have seen too many accidents at work and out on the water. The best set of eye protection I have seen so far is from Smith (own several pairs now). I don't own this particular pair but I have seen guys with them out on the water and at work..... the Operators Choice Elite. They are like bullet proof sunglasses and are the same fit as their popular Guides Choice. They are ANSI compliant, anti fog and scratch resistant but they are pricey > $239 retail.

It's been windy here in Indiana as well. In the early morning it hasn't been too bad but around 11am it's getting pretty windy consistently. Being out on a kayak in open water is almost impossible.

Couple of favorites.... 17lb CXX, 17lb or 20lb Abrazx (my favorite at the moment), 20lb Invizx and new to me this year, Sunline Defier Armilo 22lb.

A ML Mod. rod (casting I assume) would be great for 3/16 and 1/4 oz crankbaits and depending on manufacture you might be able to get up to a 3/8oz crank. Personally, I like fast rods for jerkbaits, topwater and some soft plastic and x-fast rods for jigs and senkos.

I think I have tried them all and have yet to find a knock off that compares to the original senko but they have gotten pretty expensive so like others I wait for sales. I have found them at Dicks clearance out for about $5 a bag and with a coupon it brings them down to about $4. I stocked up last year and bought about 30-40 bags at that price. They will last me a few years. The only one I might recommend is the General from Berkley but it's actually about the same when comes to durability.

My guess.... Anything they already make for the Japanese market will probably arrive hear rather than new models or updates. A few possibilities .... the Calcutta BFS, the Calcutta Conquest DC, something like the Scorpion BFS or the Aldebaran MGL 30. BFS reels are big in Japan now. I have a feeling they will make it over here eventually.

Cals and Shimano drag grease work great. I have also used Ardent Reel Butter but have since moved on.

Check out Simmons Sporting Goods on eBay. I picked up two of the KVD Tour Rods from them and they are not bad but not the greatest. They were definitely worth the money.

This reel is, for the most part, just like any other reel. But if you have not taken a bait caster apart, I would hold off until the end of the season and send it to DVT.

Still waiting on a couple 110's to come in but received the bulk of the bait monkey's latest splurge. I also picked up 2 new pairs of Smith sunglasses (also backordered) and an Outdoor Research paclite jacket to keep with me in my tackle bag.

The SLX without a doubt.

I have the 6'8'' M Fast Legend Elite and you can pretty much do whatever with this rod. It is truly a fine rod, not too long, not too short, not too heavy, and powerful but soft at tip. I have paired mine with a Daiwa Steez SV TWS. Another suggestion would be the G. Loomis 783C GLX. This is one of favorite rods. It can also do pretty much anything but it just has that magical feel to it.

I am using the Bantam MGL 6.2:1 for deep cranking and it's not bad but I prefer a slower reel for this> Revo Winch. My favorite though is the Antares 16 5.6:1 but oddly it has about the same retrieve (IPT) as the Bantam. Both are fantastic but the Antares cast further, it's a fuzz smoother on the retrieve and when a fish is on and it slightly more powerful when bringing in fish from deeper water. I picked up the Antares for less than I paid for the Bantam from this guy on eBay...... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-AnTares-Left-Handed-Low-Profile-Baitcasting-Fishing-Reel-5-6-1-Brand-New/333614135704?hash=item4dacf3b998:g:ky0AAOSw8exdjTRl

Nice reel. I considered this reel at one time and ended up getting the Antares 70. This looked like it would be too much of reel for what I was wanting to use it for but it does look truly amazing. I hope it brings in some monsters.

I kind of have mixed feelings about Abu's baitcasters. I currently own 3, Winch Gen. 4, Revo Toro Beast and the ALF. These three reels have been great for me but I have had three other Abu's that got returned, STX Gen. 4, Revo Premier Gen 2. and a STX 1st Gen. The three I am currently fishing have had no issues. The ALF is one of the funnest reels I have fished. The others though, the biggest let down was the new STX. It's just felt cheap and not smooth. It didn't cast well and the casting was not consistent. What surprised me though was that the Winch was not the same way at all. I get the sense that getting a good reel from Abu is possible but there also seems to be a good chance that you could get a bad one. So I guess, buyer beware on Doyo reels.

Have you tried taking the spool out and replacing the cover without the spool in the reel? > Just to see if the gap is still there.

I say use patience. When the bite is slow so should you be. Also, I will second the use of Smelly Jelly. It won't attract fish but if they bite, they will hold on. Besides most bites aren't really bites per say> bass tend to inhale/slurp the bait when things slow down.

I use mainly clear lines but have tried bright blue, orange, yellow and the usually different shades of green. I have caught fish will all. My fishing brain says clear and green are the way to go but my analytical brain says it doesn't matter much when I have caught fish in clear sunny day water with bright colored reflective line. The one that gets me is the orange (Runcl mono). It's completely visible under water and yet the fish don't seem to care. I have caught tons with this line.

I totally get this. I work on a few reels for friends every winter, just the basic stuff, and I am always surprised at what they give me. Some reels are fished a ton and seem like they are new out of the box when I get them and others seem like they have been used as clubs. Each of these guys takes care of his gear differently, some even leave it outside all year (still don't get this one). This years gem... A Curado B that had never been serviced. All the bearings were rusted, gears were questionable, drag washers broke apart in my hand, the brake ring was grooved and two of the brakes were toast. Not the worst one I have seen but once cleaned/lubed and a few new parts, it worked well. The problem was, the owner looked like he did not know how to fish when he used it after the repair for the first time. He had set it up as he did before, casted the same way and he couldn't control it. He thought I broke the reel until I showed him it would cast a mile and bring in the fish. The reel had been in bad shape for so long he had forgotten what it felt like new. Sometimes the people are harder to deal with than the reels.

On my K, I set with a 1/2 oz crankbait so that it falls somewhat quickly and I leave it there. Most of the baits I through are between 3/8 and 5/8 of an ounce so the 1/2oz lure does it. I also thumb the spool if necessary but rarely have I had to. This reel does a pretty good job on it's own.

I do not own one of these but worked on a new one for friend that likes to have his reels cleaned and lubed before he fishes them. He was out of commission for a few months and said I could fish it until he recovered. Personally I did not care for this reel and it had issues a plenty. It felt rough as soon as I put line on it. I thought if I cleaned and lubed the usual stuff it would recover but it only got worse. Casting was never consistent. One cast would be perfect and the next would have no breaks at all or way too much. I eventually gave him the reel back with my apologies but he was aware of my thoughts on this reel from day one. He did reach out to Lew's and they sent him another after they worked on the first one. The second one from what he tells me has developed the same issues. This was back in April and I have not heard from him since. I would contact Lew's and see if they can help. From what I have heard, their service is excellent.

Nice. Just curious, which IMX rods did you have? I buddy of mine has an old one, it may be the 1st generation, and his got caught in a car door. The top 5 inches are gone. He just glued a guide on it and has been fishing it for years. I have been trying to get him to replace it but he sort of likes it. If he could get a GLX instead, he might change his mind.

BioSpawn Vile Craw has worked well for me but nothing made out of softplastic lasts forever.

I have had the same experience in the past as well and questioned if the guys at Shimano actually fish. Luckily the guys have I been in contact with the last few times seem to be fishing their equipment and have some first hand knowledge. Often times though, they get a product in and it comes with a spec sheet so they just stay to the script.

Actually the line being on this particular rod and reel (G. Loomis 844C and a Shimano Chronarch 51e this year) is a testament to how long it lasts. The 30-40 yards that get beat up stay in pretty good shape throughout the year. I just cut off some at the end of the year and change it the following year. I fish this set up about once a week but it's not one that gets used as much others. As far as the knot strength goes, I use an improved clinch knot. And as far as the lure goes, it will remain a secret.... ?