Nick S

Falcon bucoo (non micro version) and a daiwa tatula.

7' medium power fast action st.croix avid

Buzzbait Yum christie craw Pearl fluke Sk 1.5 square bill crankbait Jig-n-pig Poor boys erie darter jr- for cold water

I've always thought shortening a rod made the action faster...maybe I'm wrong.

I'll agree the ballistic is a great reel for the price, I have the 3000 ballistic ex and I like it better than my 4000 stradic ci4+. The jdm Daiwa luvias is another awesome spinning reel for the price, plus it's made in japan. I'm not sure if this new daiwa fuego has a direct screw in handle but I know the procyon doesn't. It has the shaft that slides through with the screw on the opposite side. Definitely a deal breaker...for me anyway.

They were talking about both. The new Fuego spinning reel is probably decent for 99 bucks, but I'm sure it's not even in the same league as the Fuego A spinning reels. Those were some of the best spinning reels ever made! You can't really compare a 99 dollar reel to a 300 dollar reel though. It's just a name.

The color that works the best is the one you have the most confidence in. I usually stick with black and blue in muddy or stained water and some kind of green pumpkin in clear water for plastics and jigs.

Will it wear you out..no. will a lower gear ratio with the same ipt have more cranking power..yes

I like aluminum. If I ever get to the point where I feel a like an 8.3 oz or even a 10 oz spinning reel is heavy I think I'll quit fishing.

I'm also wondering the same thing. I know the stradic fj 1000 had a graphite frame.

Trey harper gets my vote!!!!! http://threeltuningandcleaning.com/Threeltuningandcleaning_LLC/Reel_Service.html

Nothing new. River smallmouth fishermen including myself have been rigging soft plastics on weighted mister twister keeper hooks since the 80's. It's VERY snag resistant compared to conventional jig heads. Winco custom baits and confidence baits both make weighted hooks also for this purpose. I've caught hundreds of smallmouth this year alone on a yum christie craw rigged on a 3/16 oz mister twister weighted hook, maybe I'll make a name for it.... how about the yum twisted rig?

What is a rage rig?

7' medium power fast action st.croix avid. 2500 size daiwa and shimano or 30 size pflueger reel of your choice. The new sclll 7'1" medium fast mojo spinning rod is another good option for less money

I replaced the gears in two of my citica E's and they were smooth again at first but after a few days on the water they went right back to feeling rough. I have a curado I and a citica I, hopefully they stay smooth like you said.

If you are referring to the curado I over the citica I they have the same breaking system. They are the same exact reel except the curado has anti rust spool bearings.

It's not a grinding, It's rough gears.

you are NOT crazy! Every E series reel I've owned and almost every shimano reel I've owned has felt like this! The gears got really rough after little use. And like you everybody else's e series reels I tried felt the same way. Everybody I mentioned it to acted like they didn't know what I was talking about, and every time I mentioned it online I was bashed. A new set of gears will make it smooth again but it won't stay smooth. I've gotten rid of most of my shimano reels except two of the new I series which I haven't used all that much yet, if they get rough fast they're gone too. I also have two d series curados that are still nice and smooth. All my lews reels and my daiwa zillions have stayed smooth which is why I like them so much. I just sold 6 citica E's for 50 bucks each and was happy to get that for them. But just wait... I'm going to get bashed for saying this.

I don't understand why anyone would pay that much for the curado i when you can get the citica cheaper... it's the same reel! Especially if you're going to swap out the spool bearings, buy a citica I cheap on ebay swap out the spool bearings and you have a better reel than the curado I for much less.

Yep, lews has the best customer service!

The bb1 pro is better for heavier baits, but is an awesome reel. I'd say the tournament pro would be a better comparison to the curado I. I like my tournament pro's better than my curado I but they are both great reels. If you choose the curado I look at the citica as well. The curado retail price difference over the citica is not worth it, the are basically the same reel.

Just because a reel is made in japan doesn't necessarily mean all the parts were made in japan

If you think the curado I is horrible why would you consider getting a new citica? It's the same reel.

The elite tech smallmouth rods which are discontinued were GREAT rods for the price, the new elite tech bass rods not so much imo. I would spend the extra 50 bucks and get a 7' medium avid spinning rod.

On my local river when the temps drop and the water is muddy and rising it's time to go fishing! If the water is muddy and rising pick a dark colored jig or soft plastic and fish it slow tight to cover in slack water areas. If the water isn't rising or muddy yet from the rain I'd stick with the jig or soft plastic maybe in a lighter color and fish it slow closer to the current seams. In small rivers I don't think smallmouth "suspend", most of the time they are hugging the bottom and feeding down, jigs, tubes, crankbaits etc work best. When they are looking up and chasing baitfish those are the times,to throw jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater ect.