FishTank

I use to use YoZuri Hybrid. I picked up a spool of XL FC for $10 instead of $20 during a Black Friday sale a few years ago. I was hooked on it after that. I like the way it casted and how limp it was. The stretch was just right and it lasts a long time. If I find it on sale, I grab it. There are better lines but I found this one to be just right for the price.

6lb Trilene XL FC

I use my gear for whatever is biting. I am always aiming for bass. But if catfish start biting, I'll change my lures over to some catfish bait. I did this last week with a big batch of crappie I ran into. I took the t-rigged worm I had set up on a Daiwa Steez off and put on a light jig with a grub. I had a blast for about 30min and caught over a dozen. As far as being on a river, White River here in Indiana with all of the rain we have is swollen, making boating in certain areas not only tuff but dangerous. I would say my gear gets the same "beating/use" on a river as it does on a lake. If I were to pick gear that would cross over better between big species and bass, I have a Shimano Calcutta and a Fenwick Elite Tech Bass Rod that I use for bigger catfish and as well as for small to medium size swimbaits for bass. I don't think the catfish care. If you are going to target bigger fish as well as bass..... Round reels or bigger bait casters would be my choice (Shimano Calcutta, Daiwa Lexa, Abu Garcia Revo Toro Beast, Shimano TranX, Abu Garcia C3 or C4... just to name a few).

Great info. I have a pair of Serengetis that finally started to fade last year. So I bought a pair of Smith's Captains Choice and until that point I never really thought about what you need for a good pair of sunglasses and also how important of a tool they are. One thing Glenn did say that I too can't stress enough.... Get a second pair... just fun or to look cool in.

Definitely the way to do it. The larger spools are a more economical way to get my reels spooled. The lower memory is just a bonus. I just wish they were readily available in stores.

For the smaller ones I use a St. Croix Avid 7' MH Fast with a Shimano Curado. For the big ones I use a Fenwick Elite Tech 7'2'' H Fast with a Shimano Calcutta 251 (reeling very fast).

I would say that normally any reel I buy new out of the box is good to go but this past year's buying spree has changed my thoughts on that. Between this year and last fall I have picked up a Curado K, Curado DC, a Bantam, a Abu Garcia ALF, a Abu Garcia Winch, and a Daiwa Steez. They all were either under lubed/dry or over lubed. I spent 10 or 15 minutes with each one and cleaned and lubed them. It made a made a huge difference in the Bantam and the Steez, a noticeable difference in the Winch and the ALF and a marginal difference in the K and DC. I think going forward I will just take a few extra minutes on a new reel to make sure it is done right.

I was once considering both those reels as well and I ended up going with the Bantam. I have no regrets.

I have a couple of the reels listed above (Curado K, Curado DC, Abu Garcia STX Gen4, and the Bantam). Depending on what you want to use it for..... I like the Curado DC for an all purpose reel but the Bantam is a super smooth casting and retrieving reel. It is also built like a tank. The only down side to the Bantam is that it does not have the DC casting control and its just a fuzz heavy.

Some good stuff, if you have not seen it already.

I have always been partial to cork. When I picked up the Extreme it felt great but weird so I decided to get the Elite. I think it boils down to personal preference.

It has low stretch and it casts a mile. Overall most of the Co-poly lines I have tried have been great up to a point. Once they are done, they're done. For me they don't tend to last as long as FC but the cost definitely offsets the longevity. You just need to change it more often if it is your main line.

CXX is the has been great for me. I might not use it on spinning gear though.

Well.... I have the G. Loomis 783GLX. To me, this is the perfect rod. The Legend Elite 7' MF is just a fuzz under that. What would make it perfect> I am just really splitting hairs. I think it is just a bit less sensitive but the components are top notch. I paired the LE with a Steez ST TW and it has that perfect feel and balance I wanted.

For me, I have two current favorites... 12lb Invizx and 12lb CXX.

I have the Legend Elite 7' MF and it is a great rod. Light, sensitive, and surprisingly powerful. It almost the perfect rod.

I have the Steez SV TW and it is great for t rigged plastic (weighted and weightless) and light jigs. It's smooth and casts a mile. Is it worth the price tag?..... Maybe but I think the Antares is worth a look as well.

I would say with salt for most fishing but if I want to do a shakey head or some other type of finesse I would go with the one without salt. Personally, I have not had much luck on the zoom trick worm over the years but everything else zoom makes has been killer.

I don't know about you guys but every time I have a day off to get out to fish, it has been raining and windy here in Indiana. I usually don't mind fishing the rain but when the boat gets blown around the lake and a trolling motor and an anchor are pointless, I find it hard to get out on the water.

https://www.pehub.com/2019/06/peak-rock-to-sell-lews-to-bdt-capital/# Some how I get the sense that this may not be a good thing. I think the real winner here is Peak Rock Capital.

I can't speak for the Zodias but I have a 7 MH fast Avid. It's a great solid rod, sensitive, and casts just about anything. I even used it to cast a Mepps #3 pretty much all day when the crappie were biting. My only complaint would be the hump by the reel seat sometimes feels weird compared to other rods. I have had various Avids over the years and they have never let me down. The newer versions do seem less stiff (which is a good thing).

Earlier this year I picked up an Eagle Talon from DSG for $320. It was on sale for $400 and I had a 20% off coupon that was good on anything. It's not too great but not too bad. The tracking so far is questionable in open water. Otherwise, it has been a lot of fun so far.

I would just let it be. You would need a special tool to remove the bushing and add the bearing.

Just a guess, but it looks like it is over spooled.

For me, the best fit for most crank baits is a 7'+ M Moderate. My favorite is the St. Croix Legend Glass 7'2'' M Moderate. Best crank bait rod I have ever used.