FishTank

Went to Dicks Sporting Goods to see if they had stocked the store for Black Friday and they had recieved the new Stradics. These reels are fantastic . What amazed me the most is how well it is balanced and of course how smooth it is. It was as smooth as my Sustain but the way it was balanced felt different from any other reel I have picked up. So when the bait monkey comes banging on my door, I think I will have to pick one of these up. It looks like Shimano has taken another step forward in their reel production .

Photography and jets........

Here a few of mine 1) Fishing in front of the Park Ranger's station for hours with no fishing licence. Then telling the ranger that these fishing rods are not mine, I just found them. He was laughing so hard he couldn't write me a ticket. 2) Leaving a lure tied on, then putting my rig in the car only to hook that nice Lucky Craft lure into my wifes new leather seats. 3) Letting someone you don't know drive the boat while you're skiing 4) Catching a snake and for some reason put in the boat so you can take the hook out of it's mouth 5) Getting your spinning reels re-strung, driving for hours to your favorite strip pit to only find out that the spools are strung backwards

I have a Loomis BCR803 with the Recoil Guides and I don't care for using braid with this rod. It can be done with out any problems but the sound is annoying. So I guess it is a personal preference. I would recommend using flourocarbon instead. As far as if it transmit sounds into the water, I have no idea.

I had a Curado 201 and did not care for the weight and size of it. It performed well but the feel was not what I wanted. I should have purchased the 101. I ended up returning it after fishing a whole weekend. I can't imagine what the 300 size reel is like.

Great article. I wish they had more articles like it more often. Sometimes there seems to be so much hunting stuff, info, ect. and not enough fishing articles. Still a great magazine though.

I don't change at all. I fish slower and use a lot of patience.

Thanks for the update on the line. I thought I had some last year that a buddy picked up for me at the Boat, Sport, and Travel Show. The line went white quickly and it was a lighter shade of green. Thanks for the post and hats off to PowerPro for being very descriptive on the fake line.

The Curado 100D gets my vote. Great reel for the money.

Never heard of these guys but thanks for the link. Let us know if it catches anything.

I think this is common for BPS. They can call their reels what they want and make them look anyway they want but they are all a branded in house reel made for BPS. It may be a good reel or it may be a P.O.S. I would still shop with them but be aware of what you are buying and shop on your terms, not theirs. If that means going some place else, so be it. I have always received good service from their stores though and when I have had an issue with a product, they have gone out of their way to make me happy. I can't say the same for their online/catalog .

It sort of looks like a Megabass Vision Oneten. Cool color.

Here are the options I use to get some good deals on LC lures. 1) Dicks Sporting Goods: They always have spend $50 get $10 off 2) BPS will have them on sale a couple times a year 3) E-Bay: I am sometimes able to get them at a 2 for 1 price (Just keep your eyes open) Good Luck

I have been using a Daiwa Zillion High Speed and a G. Loomis MBR844C. It has worked out great for frogs this year. The reel has a ton of power and the rod is sensitive and powerfull enough to pull some big ones out of heavy cover.

I would call your local store and ask if it is the current model. I went looking for a Johnny Morris reel last year that was advertised at an extremelly low price and it ended up being a model from 3 years ago. They had a few in stock when I arrived and all of them had been returned and all but one had string on it. So be cautious with some of their sales.

I like the Gamakatsu 4/0 or 3/0, Owner 4/0 and sometimes the Gamakatsu G-Lock 4/0 for the Kreature.

I like Berkley Flourocarbon 15lb. It has been great line for me so far. I would highly recommend it.

I think it just boils down to what you're most comfortable with. For me, I am right handed and I have been using spinning gear for years (with the exception of an old abu garcia reel). I found it easier to use the new baitcaster when the crank was on the left hand side. It just felt natural. I don't think I could use anything else.

Avid, You're scarying me.

I have an older Calcutta 251 and it is a tank. I use it for soft plastic (senkos and ikas) and crackbaits. I thought it would be hard to use at first since you have to take the spool out to get to the breaking system (I think this is only on the old style reels) but that was not the case. This reel actually turned out to be one of the easiest to cast. I plan fishing this reel forever .

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Antique-Pflueger-May-Bug-Lure_W0QQitemZ170167726729QQihZ007QQcategoryZ36172QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Thought this was cool. If your a serious collector or just want to see an expensive piece of fishing history, check this out.

I had a chance to fish a buddy's President for a weekend and it was a fine reel. I would say that the feel and power are very similar to the Symetre. My personal preference would be the Symetre though. I just get the feeling that is a better made reel. But I don't think you could go wrong with either one. On a side note, I was able to pick up a Shimano Stradic 2500 for $75. This a great buy in the price range you are looking at and it would be a nice step up from the two reels you're looking at.

Enjoy. You might have to change your avitar ;D.

I have a hard time flippin so to make it easier on myself I use a heavier bullet weight 3/8oz or 1/2oz. It makes this casting technique easier, especially when their is wind or heavy cover.

I have tried a couple and the ones I have are well made but I have yet to catch a fish with one. I not going to give up on them just yet, they just have the apearance of a bass catching machine. If I don't have any luck this fall or next spring, I am going to switch back to Booyah.