The Bassman

I bought a 100B on e-bay several years ago and gave it some TLC: new gear set (probably unnecessary) fresh spool bearings, carbontex drag, 90mm aftermarket handle, and a Chronarch 50 Mg spool. Have considered selling it but I know I would have seller's remorse the rest of my life. They are very special reels.

I've been doing real well with this bait, a Megabass Dark Sleeper. Today with low 30's air temp and water in the 40's they were eating it up. One of my favorite cranks, a Rapala Rippin' Rap was getting follows but no commitment. Put this on and as you can see they had every intention of eating it.

Looks like my old Loomis 722 IMX. I've got an Aldebaran 50 on it. Weighs next to nothing.

Nobody's mentioned neg rig. Not glamorous but very useful. I'm in central IN and fish all winter when I have open water and the ned is a primary tool.

Curious about your comparison of the SLX MGL and the Scorp 70.

And this was funny years ago. We live in a different world now. 64073995-7e59-4def-9950-8720e450f56b.mp4

Looks like you've been fishing for him when you're bored. Welcome to the forums and just know that I'm joking. Don't have a real answer.

Supposed to be in the 60's late this week but raining. Gonna bundle up and try today. Kinda stinks after last Sun. being 66.

Looks like you've been given some good advice. I will add a side note about the 832. It's thick for its stated strength. 6 lb. is as thick as 10 lb. PP. On light setups that will affect casting distance (if that's an issue) for you. I bank fish so it's very important to me. I use 4 and 6 lb. Fins Windtamer. It throws a country mile and is very strong. I use pink which is easy for me to see.

Jerkbaits are a real head game with me. I've had brief flurries of action on them but just can't get myself convinced of their effectiveness. That said, I see a trend within this thread. I've said this before and I honestly believe that all of this comes from my head and not the fish's. We have our confidence baits and if we direct our efforts mostly on them they catch fish for us.

And fish can still be caught. The difference for me though is my perception of the air temp. After being out when it's 65* 45 seems colder than 35 did a month ago. Guess it's part of getting old.

Why not get him a Fuego LT? Cosmetics would go good with the rod, also.

I think I know what women feel when they look in a jewelry store showcase.

Had a wonderful early spring-like afternoon catching mostly smaller 12-14" bass and one close to 3lb. Caught this bonus on a ned rigged hula stickz.

Nothing that would specifically target big bass. Normal retrieve for me is to reel slow with an occasional pop to hopefully trigger a strike.

Chatterbaits seem to be a high percentage/bigger fish bait for me.

The Texas eye heads seem a little big for a Hula Stickz. The hook would take up a lot of the bait. I use smaller finesse t-rig jig heads like Bass Pro finesse and Charlie Brewer Pro Slider heads. I try to stay with ned heads most of the time but the t-rigs come in handy in the summer.

Nice bass. Most of my fishing is in neighborhood lakes. Some can really produce. Let me also welcome you here.

You,ve clearly had a rough go since all those neat river smallmouth posts. Look forward to seeing them again.

Refill your spool as @A-Jayrecommended. I like to fill my spools about 3/4 full with whatever I have that's cheap or old then top shot with my braid. Spool it fairly tight then see if your line lay is level. Then if you need to adjust washers it's not as simple as mentioned on Daiwas. There's a very small clear o-ring on the main shaft that (for me) is a challenge to take off and replace. Some guys just tear it off. It only serves to retain the washers if you tip the reel down with the spool off. Your pic doesn't convince me that your line lay is off, just loose and unmanaged. I keep my line snug by holding my index finger down so that it makes light contact with the line as I retrieve.

Tackle Tour. More of an enthusiast forum. More practical info here, though.

Thanks for waking this thread up. We've got a few guys (myself included) that could keep the ball rolling. I got out yesterday afternoon and really struggled until about 4:00. Got on a good bite and caught seven in about 45 min. Biggest was about 2.5# but definitely bailed out a tough afternoon.

And lest we forget, the one-eyed Sammy that outfished any spook you ever threw.

I use a small piece of electrical tape so I can grab an outfit and give it a spin when I'm bored and can't fish.

Don't know what I was thinking. FL is the new metal Stradic. Shimano's site doesn't show schematics for FJ anymore. ereplacement parts might be your best choice. Good luck. Edit: I guess they do still have it. Didn't see FJ's mixed in with FK schematics. Eyes are getting old.