FishTank

Gitzits and Venom. I figure they see enough coffee tubes from Strike King that something slightly different may make a difference but the coffee tubes aren't bad either.

My father-in-laws Dodge Ram looked like that at 7 years old. It started rusting at 4. Dodge would not cover it because he said he put snow and sand bags in bed to weigh it down in winter. Just after the 7 year mark (less than 50,000 miles), he went to start it and the steering column had rusted to point it came off of the frame holding it. He got out the truck and the column and half the bottom was on the ground. He called to have it towed and when the tow truck showed up, it fell apart in two and the engine mounts busted out, leaving it in pieces. He had to have it loaded with a crane on to a flatbed. Last Chrysler product our family ever bought. All car manufactures make a bad one but this thing was legendary.

That's for sure. It reminds of a kids book both my children loved.

If you are getting noise and vibration, I would just replace the spool bearings and see if that improves it. Most manufacture's factory part bearings are cheap and often better than the original. Just in case....What reel is it?

Never going to the Indy Boat, Sport and Travel Show again cause my wife introduced me to my new home. I also picked up a few baits and a new landing net.

I decided to revisit big baits this year. I am going to throw glide baits and A-Rigs on this monster.

I am unfamiliar with KLX Rods. I here good things but no personal experience. I like my Levante. It does the job and I think it's the best bang for the buck. Also, I use to be in the camp that any M Fast rod under 7' could do the job but once I found a Med stout rod with a soft tip, I knew it was going to take a specialized rod to get the job done for me and that drove the cost up on the rod I wanted. The Levante was a compromise. In a way, I want the new P5 110 Special.

Ok. I'll bite..... It comes with Braid and Leader in one box? Under $20? Looks like a good idea.

I have two of these now. I like the design and they hold a ton of stuff.

I have the same opinion as you on this line. I tried multiple spools but didn't like it and it frayed easily and just was not for me. I am not trying to trash Sufix. I like Elite and Siege. I have bulk spools of each.

Most of the reels I have purchased have not been 100% out of the box. I do the basics when I get a new one. I oil and lube the spots needed or in some cases remove the excessive grease from insides. Most Daiwas are dry to the bone. Shimano it's a toss up. Some Lew's reels have been drenched in grease. I clean them and get them to my liking. I have also had a few that have performed better after being fished hard for a few months, like they needed to be broken in.

I like this line for its properties, not necessarily its pound strength. I probably have some of the same lines you are referring to on other setups. I use 16lb FC on my deep diving crankbait set up and I have 17lb CXX copoly on another. I throw some big baits on these as well but there is something special about the Defier Armilo. It feels kind of like a FC but handles more like copoly without the memory. It's long lasting, thin but strong and it casts well. I do like braid to leader but not for glide baits or medium swimbaits.

20 or 25lb Sunline Defier Armilo.

The thought of breaking one does run through my head. It has kept me from buying the P5 Wind Buster, probably the most popular P5 rod next to the X-bites. I always see people saying "I love the Wind Buster but I broke it." and it happens in odd ways, like stepped on it, casting a 1/4 oz bait, or the infamous hook set. I haven't had any bad luck on breaking but I did get a rod that had a finish. The top coat of resin started to flake off. Megabass replaced it. I got it in about 3 days after filling out a warranty claim. Odd on the price change. They never discount their rods unless they are discontinued.

Not too unrealistic for the P5 Super Destroyer. I read the above and took mine out rigged with a Shimano Bantam. Over two the trips, I tried 4 different baits with this set up (1/2oz jig, 5in senko weightless and weighted with 1/8oz bullet weight, Deps Evoke 2.0 Crankbait, and a 6in Magdraft). All did just fine but it did struggle some with the 5in Senko with no weight. On the high end of it, I have been using a 6in Magdraft on this rod since day one. It does max it out but it works. This rod is weird in that the tip is a little fast but the mid section is soft and the butt of the rod has some power (not too much though). It also loads differently but correctly at different weights. If I had to pick one rod to do just about anything, it would be this one. My only complaint is that the handle is slick when your hands are wet.

I have about a dozen. I fish them but usually not the best choice for most of my lakes, too many trees and stumps. My favorite is the original one knocker from Xcalibur.

The Megabass Levante gets my vote. If you want something more traditional, the St Croix 6'8'' Legend Elite M Fast is also fantastic and very versatile.

I would check out Gomexus. The prices aren't bad and I love the way they feel. They are also super smooth. I have replaced three casting reel handles so far but no spinning reels yet.

I have a few from Dirty Jigs. They have a few colors that are unique but as others have said, Sieberts is the way to go.

Sorry, I missed this..... That's crazy. Beast hooks are usually the toughest of the bunch. The Ryugi is thinner. I don't think it would be any better than the Owner when it comes to fish like that.

3.5 inch and a 4/0 EWG or 5/0 Wide Gap Plus Owner. Scuppernong Blue Flake has been favorite. I fish them either weightless or on a free rig with an 1/8oz weight.

If you are prone to breaking a rod from time to time, the 844 GLX would be my choice. I have had mine for years and love it. But on the other hand, I am going to assume the P5 FMJ is going to be a touch more sensitive and bit more powerful. I have 5 Megabass rods, soon to be 6, and love each one but I did have to warranty one. It went great and they treated me well but they really wanted to dig deep and try to assess accountability for the defects. It was weird. Also, Megabass USA is a really small operation. They gave me the impression it was just a handful of guys in an office and a few guys looking over warranty issues.

I am going this upcoming weekend. Last year was pretty good but not great. I was able to find two rods, a few baits, a battery for my kayak, and a spare lifejacket. All were at pretty good prices. Only one booth had any sales on reels but nothing I wanted. There was an Okuma booth last year. If you blinked, you would miss it. They had a single stand of reels and one stand of rods. I talked to them for a few and it was not going well. Both their rods and reels had issues but they were all demos just for show. The rods had grips that were loose and not glued and some of the reels would not turn. They told me, based on feedback at the show, they probably would not be back. I sort of felt bad for them. Also last year Lowrance had a reps at one big booth. They had deals on all of their stuff. The biggest one was a Ghost trolling motor, two 12in displays, Active Target and all the hook ups for about half price. There was also a deal on getting it installed but can't remember what it was. I hope to find something worthwhile this year.

Back to what the OP asked about.... Get the Steez A II from a JDM site. It blows the old version out of water. Fantastic reel so far.