mrpao

Most of my reels are shimanos. I use both the shimano and TW covers. With the shimano covers, I cut a slit at the front for the line. With the TW covers, I haven't done that because there's some extra seams woven into the cover that may come unraveled. An issue I've had with the shimano covers is that there's some kind of glue that hold the seams together. In hot weather (I'm in the South)sometimes the glue will melt off the cover and get on the reels. It's kind of a pain to get off. Not all the covers do it, but I've had a few to have this glue issue. The TW covers are a liitle smaller so I use them for smaller reels. The shimano covers are better for mid size to slightly larger reels. Shimano also makes round reel covers which I use on my Calcuttas and Conquest. I alternate between those and the round reel covers from Academy Sports. Both are good, but the ones from Academy are cheaper in price.

It has been quite a while.

Dont forget majorcraft rods. They are well known for their light action rods.

Shimano exage or SLX would be good beater rods. Plus it will match the colors of the reel. But they may not be slow enough for you.

I had that same model. Used it one time and got rid of rid. It was to flimsy for my needs. Some of the other models are great though.

I haven't fished a SLX rod. I haven't fished the jerkbait special. I do really like my 6'10" exprides for both jerkbaits and topwater. I do wish it had a little more backbone though. But the flex in the tip helps to keep the fish pinned on those treble hooks.

I still have some black cumaras that I use all the time. Probably one of the best rods shimano has put out.

I have only heard mediocre thing about the IMX Pro. I personally haven't fished one so I cant say. But I do really like my exprides.

Try a jigging spoon or blade bait. They seem to work pretty good for bass in deeper water.

^^^^ I agree. Too much noise. Makes it sound like the reel is about to break down.

What models were you wanting and what is the intended technique?

I clean and repair my own reels. Once you do a few, it becomes fairly easy. They are virtually all very similar. Upgrades can be fun. And expensive. I enjoy tinkering with stuff though. To me, it's part of what makes fishing fun. To get a piece of equipment and see if you can make it better or build it to your liking. On the same note, hardly any of my reels are stock. Most have been changed around to some degree.

Or shimano may just bring the SLX mgl over and make that the next USDM 70 size reel

Is there a new 70 series coming out?

Shimano won't service it but I'm sure many other repair places will. I'm pretty sure it shares similar parts to the other 500 size reels. There's a video on YouTube, where someone is using it for inshore fishing. I'm surprised he didn't get spooled

Shimano also makes the JDM Soare 500s. Is a CI4+ reel coming in at 4.9 oz. It has a shallow spool so don't expect to get much line on it.

I'm not saying the FL isn't smooth. It's a different smoothness. Perhaps it's the weight difference but the CI4+ retrieve feels more airy. The FL has a more solid feel. 1000 CI4+ with braid is 5.8 oz. 1000FL with braid is 6.6 oz. How it feels in hand will be dependent on how particular a person is about their reels. I can tell a difference in the weight but it's not a huge one

I have the both 1000 ci4+ and the FL1000HG. While the FL is smooth, I still feel the CI4+ is a little more smooth still. The FL has a kind of geary sound on the retrieve. You can hear the same sound if you watch Tackle Advisor's review of the FL on YouTube. My smoothest retrieve is on a Ultegra 1000. There is very little resistance when turning the handle and no noise what so ever.

Personally I have never used those little shim pieces. Never really had to.

I agree ^^^^

If your water is clear go with fluro. If it's stained then you can go with braid. I dont use a leader with my braid, that's why I usually only use it in stained water. Most of the time I use fluro.

Somewhere around 7:1 is a good choice.

I usually have a zoom 6" lizard tied on. I usually texas rig them but will also Carolina rig them. Color just depends on the water clarity. The watermelon red flake is a perfect imitation of a red spotted newt which is fairly common in our southern waters here.

Also does it only make the noise when you cast or during the retreive too? I had to oil the brake race on one of my conquest recently because it was making a horrible noise when I was casting. After I oil it lightly, all was fine again.

Or take some fine sand paper and lightly sand it down. Then clean it well and see if it still makes the same noise.