FishTank

I had the B and BSF, both fantastic. I think, for me at least, it was the design and smoothness that made them popular. I still see a lot of these old reels in use, far more than any other. I can't say much about the long term use of the SLX but it looks to be a home run for Shimano at $100. With that said, I think if I had to choose, my heart says Curado B but my brain says SLX.

For what you are throwing I would stick with spinning gear. Personal favorite with this is a Shimano Sahara 1000, 4lb or 6lb test mono, and a St. Croix Avid 6' ML or L, Fast. Shimano also has the Sedona in a 500 size but not one of my favorite reels.

Cork handles for me. I have a rod with EVA and I like the rod by itself but the EVA has never felt right.

Personal favorite over the years was the Shimano Calais 201A but it is long since gone. Since then I have tried a Curado G, a Curado K, an Abu Garcia Winch Gen 4, a Shimano Calcutta 251 and a Shimano Bantam MGL. I like them all in their own way but if I had to choose one I like the Curado K. I can't find any fault in it. It's smooth and easy to handle. The breaking though on the Winch is really good though. The Bantam is super smooth but it's is slightly heavy and it doesn't cast light baits as far as I would like it. For me, it also depends on how the rod loads and how the real feels with it.

You are probably hearing ceramic bearings breaking in. They are designed to run dry. In time, the sound usually will go away. But with that said, not every ABEC 5 or 7 is the same from brand to brand. Generally you get what you pay for when comes to these bearings but most reels today come with pretty good bearings on their own. Upgrading is a personal choice. You might get a smoother reel and longer casts but it's depends on the reel and it's somewhat subjective. I put some ABEC 5 and ABEC 7's from Boca in a few of my reels with mixed results. Personally I did not care for the Orange Seal Bearings from Boca but the regular shielded bearings were great and went beyond my expectations.

New tackle box.....

Love mine so far. It has just been a fun reel to fish. Smooth and it casts most lures a mile.

I just picked up a Lowrance Elite 7ti and it made me realize how much I don't know. I think this device will take me to school.

Love mine so far..... It's just a fun reel. I was surprised at how smooth it is. I think Shimano has a home run with this one.

G Loomis 893C GLX......

If I had to do it all over again and pick my first higher end rod, I would pick the same rod..... G. Loomis 783C GLX. I have yet to find its equal.

I do like higher end gear but I set a few rules to my purchases...... 1. Never pay full retail, even if I need it. 2. Plan your purchases and have cash on hand 3. Don't get caught up on the latest and greatest crazes 4. Make sure it fits what I want to do 5. It must increase my fishing fun factor I always keep two things in mind when I think about this topic..... I will probably never own the Ferrari I have wanted since I was a child but I can afford the Ferrari of fishing gear if I save my money..... If I can save up a couple of bucks, I can exercise my patience and save up some more and get what I want (time is on my side).

I have been using the 6lb test Berkley FC on spinning gear since it came out and have always had great success. I like their 6lb better than Invizx 6lb but prefer the 12lb Invizx to the Berkley 12lb. In both cases I find the lines to be more manageable at the given weight. At BPS's sale price, it's a steal. I would stock up. Also, I can't speak for the Spiderwire, I have not seen it in stores locally and I don't know of anyone who uses it.

It may be too early for me to recommend it (I have only used it a couple of times) but I have the St. Croix Legend Glass 7'2'' M Mod. So far this rod has been the best technique specific rod I have ever used. It takes a few casts and few fish to get use to but it excels at all things I want in a square bill and medium sized crankbait rod>>> It will cast light baits but has plenty of backbone, it's not too whippy, and has just the right amount of sensitivity.

I would say keep it and use it for jigs and Texas Rigged Soft Plastic.

I have the a pair of Smith's Captain Choice Chromapop Ingnitors and so far so good. They do well early in the morning and especially well at the end of the day. They are a transition type lens that makes things sort of pink but like a lot of the other high end sunglasses I find that they could be darker during midday. They are great on glair and sort of make everything clearer and pop. I do like these exclusively for fishing. I find that when I fish a lot of coves that go from regular sunlight to overcast/shade that these lenses are fantastic for that situation. Also, they do a great job of keeping my eyes protected when the boat is moving at high speeds.

This is what I have been using since last year....... I have gone through about 3 other backpacks and maybe 4 tackle boxes and this thing has improved my fishing a ton.

I went to my local DSG last weekend and killed it..... They had all those sales going on but they had a extra 20% community sale going on and it had no exclusions. I picked a 12' Field and Stream kayak. The regular price was $599 and ended paying $320 for it. I also ordered (in store) a Lowrance Elite 7ti for the same price, $320. I got pretty much everything I needed for my kayak and few other odds and ends as well. I couldn't pass it up.

12lb Tatsu or 12lb InvizX

Sort of.... I have my "I don't want to get skunked/the ***** has it the fan" box. It is a medium sized double sided Plano worm box that holds a selection of "should be" no brainer baits and lures. It has 6 bags of soft plastic, 2 spinner baits, 2 jigs, 5 crank baits, and 2 jerk baits, hooks and bullet weights. If I can't catch a fish on the baits in that box in less than an hour, it's time to pack up and go home.

Working in printing, I have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. I have so much storage, I don't now how big it really is. Photoshop and Lightroom have been my goto's over the years. If you are serious about photography, this may be an option but it is pricy.

I have the 2500 FK and it's smooth but the Ci4's I have picked up feel smoother and have less wobble (a minimal amount though) on the retrieve.

#50 Power Pro or #65 Smackdown

I have a Revo Winch Gen 4 with 24lb of drag supposedly. I will never use that much but what is important to me is how smooth and controlled it is when I bring in a fish. I am one that I don't tend to put the drag all the way down and power pull the fish to the boat. I like to control the fish and use my thumb if I have to. I also set the drag to fit the line I use. I have the Curado DC in question. After using it for the first time last week, I believe that it has a fantastic drag, much smoother and controlled than the Revo Winch (which is still really good though). 11lbs of drag is plenty for the way I fish and again like stated above, I believe it is a selling point with most reels manufactures. I think it is more important to use common sense when setting the drag and applying it to everyday bass fishing.

I had the same issue with a President and ended up returning it and getting another Shimano. It was shame because I liked it. It was just a good, do all reel but if it doesn't work, it needs to go back.