Florida Cracker2

I had a pelican dive-bomb my lure. Getting him free was a real fiasco. Had to straddle him, pry open his bill, and unhook the lure from his throat. We both survived the ordeal.

I have been using big game for a while and not really impressed with it. Over the years I have had great luck with XL and spiderwire. I have also had good luck with stren and will probably go back to that the next time I hit the tackle store. Big game was just really cheap the last time I bought line and I quess you get what you pay for...

Although I have impulse purchased a few...which turned out OK, I always seem to pick out the rod I like and then pick a reel that matches. The rod to me is more important, but I also have a fondness for Inshore Select Ugly Stiks...so what do I know.

I have the 4500. Great reel. The information I found on them is they are watertite as long as you don't reel it underwater. Every saltwater trip, afterward, I rinse them with the waterhose and wipe with a towel and let them dry. Then oil the bail roller. That's about all I do with any of my reals. I have some over 40yrs old and still work well. I'm sure more cleaning and oiling would be better...buts that's all I have done except when one has sit for many years...then I take apart and relube.

Thanks for the replies. I watched some youtube vids on the 500s and will check them out. I have a couple vintage 025 sigmas that are very small but still not as small as the XR00Fs. When I say small...I mean smaaaalllll. I need to take some pics and post them. When I seen them I had to buy them (just because). I went as low as 2# test but that was just too light. I like 6# spiderwire which is that same diameter as 4...so it says on box. So I've been able to land some pretty good size fish with them. Had to follow a few with the boat until I could get the net on them. Extremely fun little setups.

Hope you enjoy. Let us know.

I have two quantum XR00F reels that have been the smallest reels I have found over the years. I started off with the quantum ms00 which was pretty small but I found the XR00F which were even smaller. I have had the oofs for about 15 years and although they still work fine, I want something a little more higher quality, but still very small. anyone know of something very ultra-light that fits-the-bill? The 1000 series is too big for what I am looking for. May be a pipe-dream....but still I look.

fishing for trees We call that squirrel-fishing.

Well if it feels good...I buy it.

I have a lot of fishing friends and none of them use baitcasting reels...all spinning. It's because the first time they tried them they couldn't cope with the backlashes and didn't bother with them anymore. My Great Uncle used one and he got me started when I was real young. I still use mostly spinning for most of my fishing unless I'm working a shorline... then I use a baitcaster. I can stop the lure right where I want it and can rapid-fire it right back if I need to. But when it comes to real lightweight lures...spinning is the way to go. And when casting into the wind, I prefer a spinning setup.

Pretty rods catch more fish. Surfers wax their boards to make them slicker in the water. I don't expect too much in the way of performance...but they do look nicer and doing this let's me fiddle with my stuff more when I'm not fishing.

If our country keeps going the way it's going, we may be eating them again to stay alive! I know your feelings. My wife feeds the bluegill and tilapia off our dock with bread and I don't mess with them just in case we need them to eat some day.

I was waxing my rods today and wondered how many of you do this. I use meguairs car wax on the rod, and especially on the eyes to cut down on line friction and to make the rod look shiny and new. Been doing this for a long time and it works well. Just curious.

For a 10 buck graphite rod...I say yes. You did well. But then again...I'm not a tackle-snob.

The Caloosahatchee is always brackish. All the way to the mouth...all year long. Don't let the hype get too you. I've lived on it for nearly 50 years. Only when heavy rains hit us does it flow out to the beaches before the tides take it away. Weekdays the river is quiet and on weekends the fisherman hit it in droves. I catch bass, snook (one same lures)...snook hit anything that moves, bluegill, pickerel, tarpon, jack, fresh and saltwater catfish, sunshine bass, gar, ladyfish, bowfin...you name it, it's there. If it wasn't for the freshwater...the estuary would be dead. The polluted water hype is just that....hype. It's been doing this for decades and the estuary needs it.

I don't worry too much about bed fishing because I catch and release. The bass I release are a little smarter than it was before I released it. I've fished virgin ponds and seen first hand how they learn what not to bite. But I also castnet mullet during row season and love eating row so I cain't complain about being unethical. Just use some common sense. Leave some to reproduce.

Well...it could be. Just need a coffee-can full and your set.

Thanks for the replies. Smooth Drags is where I was looking at them. Glad to hear they work well. I will install them myself...but thanks for the option DVT... Yes 0119... I live on the Caloosahatchee. I seen from the ten billion thread that your in the Charlotte Harbor area just NW of me. Yes the snook are still hitting pretty good since the rains we had a few weeks ago. I am a catch-n-release guy so snook hit my line more than others. hahaha I don't need more drag...just one that is smooth.

I see no one has responded so I'll bite. Welcome to the forum. My first starter reel was a 202...over 40 years ago. Amazing they still make them. Will you be fishing small ponds and lakes? Or will you be doing any saltwater fishing? I'm assuming since you mention Texas rigged senkos it will be freshwater. I prefer very lightweight setups for bluegill and most bass in open water. If your going to try and pull them out of weeds then go a little bigger. I don't have any experience with president reels...but compared to the Zebco, I'm sure you will be happy. Keep reading here and you will find the answers...just search the posts. Take your time and if you have a basspro near you, go and check out what they have. They have many reels on handles that you can hold and feel. One will tickle your fancy I'm sure. Then get a rod that feels right with it. (balancewise while holding it at handle in front of reel) Good luck and happy fishin.

After losing a couple large fish, I believe it's time to upgrade my drag washers. Anyone have any experience with carbonex washers? (pros or cons) The drag works great until the fish hits 50 mph. Just over exaggerating. One was a very large redfish and after he hit hi-gear the line snapped. The other was a large snook and it straighted out the middle treble hook on me when he hit hi-gear. I don't have the drag too tight...it is just an old design and not very smooth. A follow-up. When I say drag not too tight, I mean it's just tight enough to set the hook. And as for getting a new reel...this is my baby.

Years ago (late 80s), a couple buddies and I spent a cold day at lake O and didn't catch a single bass. Afterward we helped support a local Clewiston drinking establishment and were told about lock-jaw as Billy posted above. Apparently it is well believed by the locals. Although they didn't mention anything about fish headaches...just that they wont bite during cold fronts. (but the specks do )

I don't remember where I read it, but I read an article online that a charter captain maintained a detailed record of catches and he noticed more fish caught within 45 minutes of either the sun or moon rising or setting. But I haven't seen any evidence of it.

My main baitcaster is a vintage 5000c and I wanted something lighter for all the casting I do, so I purchased a cheap BPS tourney special with pistolgrip rod. After 3 years of heavy use it still works like new and is feather light. I seen them recently on sale for about 80 dollars. Tackle snobs may poopoo them but I have been quite happy with it.

I used to use clear on shallow lures and green on deep runners thinking that if fish were looking up at the line it would blend in with the surface and looking down the green would blend in with the bottom. I haven't noticed any difference so I cannot say either way. I wonder if fish even comprehend the line at all since it moves in a straight line...? But then again, a little piece of grass on your lure and nothing will hit it.