FishTank

Every tournament I fished in last year, except one, was won with FFS and a newbie fisherman that understood how to use it. You can't deny its a tool to find fish. With it, the days of beating the bank are almost over. My hope is that it does get banned in tournament fishing and guys can start fishing with instinct and knowledge again instead of video game level electronics.

Every rod is different. I look at the ratings as just a guide line and try not to do anything stupid.

Be warned, he's everywhere and has a second job.

So far so good. It's designed for eging but works just fine for bass fishing. It's super light and casts well but it's not as smooth or as powerful as my Shimano Vanquish. It's just fun to fish though.

Different tools for different things. Globally (fresh and salt), there are just as many spinning reel offerings as there are baitcasters.

I am not one to change the look of my reels strictly for the bling factor but when I saw Gomexus had a handle that specifically matched my Daiwa Emeraldas Air FC LT, I had to jump on it. It actually helps balance the reel and it feels and looks amazing in hand. This is my third handle from them. The other two I have are on my cranking set ups and I couldn't be happier with them. They make cranking a deep bait a pleasure. Anyway, just thought I would share and see if anyone else has been using these handles.

I have all three so when the time comes I will take all three apart and see.

One more time.... What does FFS stand for? Do you mean LFS as in Lews Speed Spool LFS? If so, the few I have worked on don't have a pinion support bearing but do have a spool shaft bearing. The spool shaft bearing may make the reel smoother (at least in theory) but I don't think it does much in the way of support for the pinion.

I think I understand that but maybe I am confused on the terminology. I thought the two bearing support on the pinion was what "Hyper Double Support" was? I am not exactly fan of their marketing terms and their website definitely needs some work but no matter the case the reel I have is pretty smooth. We will see how it does after some real time on the water.

Am I missing something from the schematic? It has an extra bearing in the frame for the pinion, part #27 but no support shaft like in the Zillion.

Never thought I would recommend a hook from Berkley but the Fusion 1/16 and 1/8 oz have been pretty good for me and the cost is not bad as well.

If you are not planning on getting another baitcaster, a DC reel would be a good choice but if you want to truly learn how to use one, I would get a non-DC reel. The JDM Zillion would be my pick. Also, as stated above the rod will be the key to having a good first experience. I would consider what you are going to throw and try to find a jack of all trades rod with a soft tip. So most likely a M or MH Fast around 7'.

I took it out today and caught two small keepers. My first impression... this is a bad little reel. It casts well, it's smooth for what it is, and does a good job of bringing fish in. It reminds me of the 50 size reels from Shimano. I am actually pleasantly surprised at how good it feels and the blue is super cool looking. This will be one of those reels that adds to my fishing fun.

No bearing on the spool.

I found a good deal on one. It showed up yesterday. It's a pretty sweet little reel and it holds a ton of line. I will try it out this weekend.

Went to one of my local honey holes a few days ago and saw these guys all over the place but no fish. I am hoping fishing will be better this weekend.

I use all three for the appropriate lures.

I have the older IMX and GLX. Both have been great but they may need to be retired soon.

Both of these reels should be able to cast light lures provided small diameter line is used. The big key above all else is the rod. I would use a BFS rod that has a lure weight starting at a 1/16oz.

Maybe a few things from Berkley and some Senkos but not much else happening for me. There are some good deals on electronics. I don't have any of their rain gear but I always hear good things about it. This is usually the best time to get a good deal on it.

I would say no to the P5 rods. The shorter length version seem more technique driven and it wouldn't be all that great to just have a 6' to 6'6'' rod just rolling around. Don't like telescoping rods. I would look at the Megabass Triza line of rods, if you can find them. They sell out quick.

Nothing white, orange, or green. Function and quality components come first but if it looks cool it's a bonus. One line of rods that just looks amazing but their components and overall function are just as good, is the Megabass Valkyrie. They just do it for me on every level except weight.

I've been thinking of getting the Coastal TW80. I have two new rods that need reels and wanted to see if anyone had more to add to this. Also, I saw this while researching this reel on another forum. Daiwa needs a new marketing term.

Thanks. I took my wife jewelry shopping. The couch is softer than I remember but better than the dog house. I think if I empty the dishwasher a few more times, I'll be in the clear. ? I took the Dobyn's out today. I left the NRX's at home. I know what to expect from them. The Dobyn's was awesome. It's listed as a Medium but it's pretty close to a MH. Overall, I am really impressed with it. The tip is soft but the rest is pretty stiff. I think this will be my new "best bang for the buck" rod. We will see.

My father-in-law was a Mopar guy. He passed away just a year ago. He had a 72' Dodge Demon. Every family member on his side drove a Chrysler product. Anything from 90+ was bad. He was certified Chrysler mechanic but worked as a train repair/rebuild mechanic. His father worked at the Chrysler foundry for over 35 years. He owned numerous muscle and drag cars. His mom and brother worked at the parts plant. He drove this truck 10 miles a day but took the Demon out or one his Harley out from time to time. He wasn't one to travel. Also this truck was parked in a garage most of the time. He drove an 82' (maybe) Dodge Ram for over 20+ years prior to the truck I am referring too. After Chrysler refused to warranty the newer truck, he did some body work on it but the underside was always cleaned during his weekly car wash. His wife's 2010 Honda Civic did not have a drop of rust on it and it was parked outside. She passed away the year before he did. That car is still being driven by her son. If you want a list of the dead, under 5 year/100,000 mile cars they had, I can send it to you but it serves no purpose here.