LCG

Well sir, you just opened a whole other world Still would recommend Daiwa or Shimano, but the high end reels are out of my league. I have been impressed with their low and Mid tier offerings.

Daiwa or shimano, pick your budget. They both have good offerings.

What about a backpack, sling bag, or fishing vest? Plano has a box that has a handle that you could use a carabiner.

St Croix mojo 6'8 m-xf spinning or 6'10 ml-xf.

I have the St Croix Mojo Bass 6'8 m-xf spinning rod and its very good. The avid x is even better. Not a fan of e6x.

I had it on paper towels, I figured if I couldn’t get it back together I could use BR. The problem is this is my first time doing this and I’m 16.. I am 38 and took apart a baitcaster for the first time, it did not go as smooth as I hoped :). Tacklejunky81on YouTube has a great 3 part video of taking apart reels and putting them back together. It's not shimano but close enough. Work slow and be thorough. You can do it.

Great advice here. Pay attention to what others are doing, then do something different, somewhere different.

I had the ugly stick gx2 medium spinning rod for a season. It's durable, relatively cheap, and will catch fish. It's also heavy, slow action, and not the most sensitive rod out there. If your a casual angler, it will do just fine. If your an enthusiast, you will want to upgrade in short time. I do think they would be good for carp or catfish though.

I don't think your handcuffing yourself at all. Use what works for you. I find I am far more accurate pitching with casting gear, which is why I bought one. If your pitching and flipping into heavy cover then I would use a casting rod and reel, if it is more open water then no worries. I was fishing awhile back using a medium power spinning rod near some lay downs. Hooked a good size bass and he ran for the wood, but I didn't have enough power to stop his run. In the end he wrapped himself around a branch and I could not get him off (bank fisherman). So I now use a medium heavy baitcasting setup for power and accuracy in that type of situation or if I might be bring 10-15 lbs of weed and grass in with the fish. I recommend trying a casting reel if you can or borrow a friend's for a bit. You can always buy something used and resell it if you don't like it. Worse case scenario, you tried something new

I use both spinning and casting. Neither is required, it's about using the right tool for the job at hand. Pitching into heavy cover where bass live does require thicker line and strong drag, something casting reels do well. Accurate pitching is another technique that casting reels excel at, for me anyways. Baitcasting rods generally are beefier for throwing heavier jigs, lures, and plastics. Open water, lighter line, with lighter baits is spinning terrority. Spinning rods throw lighter baits very well and spinning reels allow the bait to fall naturally. At the end of the day it's about using what you like. I wanted to learn the advantages of casting reels so I tried one and liked it. It won't replace my spinning rods, rather add more versatility. Live bait does not work well for my lifestyle. I fish whenever I can, may not be able to store live bait or go get some. I actually enjoy the endless choices of plastics. Some of it is marketing for sure, some of it is a hobby that people enjoy, and some of it is about learning new things.

I usually fish this time of day. I find drop shot, wacky, Texas rigged worms pitched near cover works well. Other fast moving baits can draw them out if their in the mood. Mepps in line spinners work well for. Trying chatterbaits this year.

Congrats on taking the time to learn and not giving up. My first year of fishing I caught one bass. What seems simple now wasn't so simple then. Like rigging a bait straight so that it looks natural. Give it time and learn one or two techniques at a time. Focus on those techniques and take your time. It will pay off. By the way, the learning process never ends and that's part of the fun. Just wait until you meet the bait monkey...

My apologies, for some reason I thought the regular president did not have that feature. Thanks for correcting me, don't want to pass on incorrect information.

I am also a bank fisherman and last year purchased my first baitcasting rod and reel. The learning curve is not near as bad as I thought. These forums and YouTube are great learning resources. I use both spinning and baitcasting now. Spinning for lighter plastics and lures. Baitcasting for heavier plastics, jigs, and Frogs. Using a 6'8" m-xf spinning rod and a 6'6" mh-f casting rod. Very versatile. It's funny, once I learned the baitcaster my casting with a spinning rod improved as well. I think it's because you start to dissect the motion of casting more and the attention to line and lure creates more of a focused cast. Maybe it just me.

I have two of the xt models. Highly recommended. Differences include braid ready spool, higher gear ratio, lighter, and I prefer the color of the xt. Had them for two years and zero issues.

The casitas is a nice reel and has lots of positive reviews. I just purchased a new baitcaster and it was between the casitas and the Daiwa Fuego. I ended up with the Fuego because of their mag z breaking system and aluminum frame. Food for thought

I agree with the advice of loose spool tension and thumbing the line. Also focus on being smooth and not trying to cast underhand, pitching is for 10-30ft, underhand casting is more forceful and higher for more distance. Slow, smooth, and loose.

That sucks for both you and the fish. At the end of the day thin plastic is not the best choice for 8lbs of weight. Maybe something like the Boca grips would be better.

Mh baitcasting and m spinning should cover most techniques.

A buddy is pairing his ci4+ with a Shimano Zodias 7ft medium heavy. He loves it, I have not held it or fished it so can't be certain, but he raves about it. Kind of a st Croix fan myself.

I usually use 10lb braid to 6-8lb leader and a #1 vmc drop shot hook. Never bent one out yet. Caught bass up to 5lbs no issues. Drag set loose.

Zoom trick worms Zoom fat albert curly tail grubs Senkos Mepps #4 gold in line spinners

It does happen from time to time. One thing I try to do is learn from every outing. What did I do right, what did I do wrong, was there a better spot to try, did I follow the cues of mother nature's (wind, birds, etc), right type of bait for the conditions, etc. The list goes on. I think thats what makes the greats of fishing so great. They studied, practiced and learned. Failure is just part of the learning process. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Does the tatula ct need a cleaning or lubrication?

Reel: I like Pflueger and Daiwa. President xt is nice as is the new tatula. Second set up: have you given any thought to a baitcaster? A 7' MH baitcasting rod would make a pretty versatile combo.