shimanoangler

Our line ups are very similar. I have the Nasci and the Ultegra on several of my set ups, and I love the St Croix Avid X rod. One of my favorite rods and that includes several G Loomis rods I have. I have switched some of my lighter set ups to Pfluegers, the Patriarch XT and the Supreme XT, because of how light they are, ie almost all are 7.2 ounces or lighter, whereas the Shimanos are 8.5 or higher. I have the heavier versions on my MH set ups, where I fish heavier swimbaits and mid diving (larger) crankbaits. My other rod and reel of choice is the Okuma EVX B series and the Okuma RTX 25 and 30 series (clones of the Ci4 without the price tag).

I am right there with you. I live in the northeast and our waters are typically deep clear cold waters without a ton of grass, weeds or pads, so there isn't a need to be pulling bass out of the slop. Most of the techniques that work in my region are truly best fished on spinning gear, with a few exceptions, so my entire fishing "fleet" is spinning gear. What are your reels of choice? What about rods? Always interested in hearing what other spin fisherman are using for gear.

Thanks. The mechanisms all work without any feeling or sensation from the gears. In fact, from that standpoint, the hand turns without any hesitation and there is no slop or play in reeling forward or in reverse. So, maybe I will do some maintenance work on the reel and apply some lubricant to see if that helps. Its just that the difference in how easily the handle rotated between the Shimano and the Okuma was VERY noticeable and I wasn't sure if there was something going on with the Okuma since I have never owned one before.

Should a brand new spinning reel out of the box spin freely when you turn the handle? By this I mean should you be able to crank the handle firmly and have the reel turn over multiple times, ie more than two or three? I just purchased a new Okuma RTX online and when I took it out of the box, the retrieve, when turning the handle, feels VERY stiff. When I "spin" the handle, it may revolve once, one and a half times max. Is that normal? My shimanos will turn 4 times easy when you crank the handle, with no stiff feeling what so ever.. I am not sure if this is the measure of a reel's smoothness or not. The Okuma RTX (which I read has been compared to the Ci4) I just received feels so much stiffer than my other reels. It is smooth with you turn the handle, ie no grinding, no gear mashing, no negative feedback other than just a firmer starting inertia than my other reels. Just curious if I should send it back under the notion that there is something not right with the reel? I would appreciate any feedback on this topic. Thank you.

I didn't...... I should have.... But I didn't.... In the Northeast, open water is a bit of issue, and unfortunately boat show season doesn't coincide with open water and I didn't want to miss out on a show special on a 16 holdover, so I bought it knowing I may have a slight upgrade cost to get the right motor knowing it wasn't going to cost me any more in the end based on the deal being offered on holdover models (equipped the way I wanted, motor excluded). So, in the end, I get what I get, but it doesn't mean I married to the motor, as I can always swap that out as long as I have the boat I want... This boat came with a 24v trolling motor, but the one I had (riptide with Ipilot) was better, so I had it taken off my current boat, took the stock one off the Targa, had it installed on my other boat and had the riptide installed on my targa. Did the same with the helm electronics, ie kept my hook 7 and moved out the basic Hook that came with the Targa.

It has been my gut since I walked out of the showroom. I am working on an "upgrade" before taking delivery. There were certain reasons why I bought this package, 16 holdover, so the pricing was really good for the overall package. I just now need to sort out the power situation and I fear you are more right than wrong....

Just purchased a new Tracker Targa 20, which is a 20'2" long boat with a full 8 1/2 foot beam. This boat has a Merc 150 hp four stroke, which I have on a 19'6" long boat with an 8 foot beam and it worked great, but this new boat his heavier, wider and longer. I am thinking repower before I hit the water while the motor is still brand new. As soon as I hit the water, the motor is used and its trade value is less. I am thinking that the boat would be better powered with a 200 hp Yamaha inline 4 four stroke. Anyone with any experience with 20 foot deep Vs and 150 hp four stroke.? Please share your feedback/experience. Thank you

I have lived in my Maine all my life and I need to find Winchestertonfieldville... :-) Sounds like a great place. Thanks for the feedback, it is probably the best I can do.

That is what I am finding, ie no commerical printing of detailed water maps. I think I can use the navionics site to pre scout a body of water to identify the spots that fit the depths I anticipate the fish to be at and then use my boat's electronics to hone in on those areas when on the water...

I know this may seem like an old school request, but I would like to get my hands on printed/hard copy detailed lake and pond contour and depth maps for Maine. I know I can buy these for my boat's electronics, but I would like to have something I can read and study before I head to the water so I have an idea ahead of time where I may concentrate my fishing attention. Delorme used to be this outlet until they were purchased by Garmin, now I am unsure where to go to get such printed/hard copy information on the bodies of water I fish in Maine.

With the advancement in line technology (zero memory, thinner diameter, greater strength) and the advancement in gearing on spinning reels (higher retrieve rates and better drag systems), is there really a need to fish both spinning and bait casting applications or why one would choose bait casting over spinning? You can get rods with the appropriate backbone and/or sensitivity paired with the right line in terms of breaking point and abrasion resistance, that makes spinning gear capable of handling any and all bass fishing applications. I fish swim baits, jigs, tubes, senkos, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and top water. I have always fished spinning gear, and although I am an admitted newbie in terms of years of experience, I wonder if I am missing something, other than spending more money than I already do, by not fishing bait casting set-ups for smallmouth bass in the northeast?

What Brand Braid are you using and what lb test??? I too do a lot of fish bass fishing, I am looking for a low stretch set up that allows me to throw light baits a long way to cover my water while looking for fish. I fish a lot of open water, clear water, lakes for smallmouth bass at all depths.

Do you use a leader or do you tie directly to the lure? Based on a lot of what I have read, the question is what lb test is best. What lb test do you use for the applications you mention? I live in the northeast, and so when you say open water fishing situations I suspect you mean clear deep ponds and lakes without a lot of weed or grass cover? We have tons of deep open lakes and ponds where we fish smallies hanging out around and on rock beds with sandy rocky bottoms. Not tons of vegetation to fish through. Fish can get spooky as the lakes are clear and visibility is really good, so long casts and presentations are needed to get to fish that see tons of fishing pressure.

Here is what I think I have learned from reading the responses to my post. I think that having just one type of line for all fishing conditions and situations is not feasible and its impractical. Where I live in the northeast, we have a lot of crystal clear lakes where you could be fishing at just about any depth, ie 3-5 foot of water or 20 to 30 foot of water. I fish predominantly smallmouth bass, so the various types of fishing methods used perform better with different types of fishing lines. It sounds like each line has its pros and cons, hence the reason there are so many of them. I like this format of collecting feedback, as it is based on experience not advertising dollars. I appreciate the feedback and I find it very informative, so please feel free to keep the comments rolling in. So how should Nanofil be used? What are those conditions/situations where Nanofil works best??

What braided line do you use and what type of fishing do you do, ie heavy weeds, clear water, etc etc?

What do you use for line? Seems like braid is the holy grail when it comes to bass fishing line. I feel like I am missing something with using mono???

Thanks for the feedback. I have been fishing Trilene XL without really any issues, but I saw an ad for nanofil and the two things that jumped out at me were casting distance/ease and zero memory, with zero memory being the biggest attraction being a spinning reel fisherman. In the end, I guess the old adage applies, if it aint broke, don't fix it, applies. I haven't had any problem with the Trilene, and it I don't have to worry about it fraying, breaking off or being tough to tie knots with, so I guess I will just stick with plain ole boring mono... Having fly fished a ton in my youth, I get the leader concept, but it feels like having to use a leader to make a line work better seems like extra work and an extra break point that you simply don't have when using mono. Unless there are clear advantages for switching lines, I don't see the value in changing lines for all the potential issues that have been outlined above. Thanks again folks, I really appreciate the feedback and the insight based on your experiences with the product.

Thanks JJ, this helps. I am going to buy the low vis 8 lb test. I have traditionally used Trilene XL 8 lb and 10 lb and have had GREAT success, but I was attracted to the distance claims of Nanofil, low member claims and the toughness/durability claims. There is no substitute for real life experience, so I look forward to trying it this spring. I appreciate the insight and feedback on the knot strength. I will be sure to learn those knots when I tie it on. Do you use leaders often? I guess since I don't fish heavier superlines, there is no need to use a leader....?

I fish spinning reels exclusively and am always on the lookout for low memory line to minimize twisting and backlash situations. Berkley has a ton of claims with its new Nanofil line and I am wondering if anyone has tried it and if so, what their take/feedback is after having used it??

What did you upgrade to?

I could be wrong, but take a look at the Shimano Custom X reels, 1000, 2000 and 3000 series. I believe those reels were all steel frame bodies. Very rugged. The Speedmaster, which I also fish, were the move to graphite and titanium.

It really sounds like if they meet the need, and you have confidence in it and its performance, use the reels you have. I love Custom X and Speedmaster spinning reels. Great gear ratios, rear fighting drag systems and a simple appearance, ie black. Honestly, it would be a struggle to pry these reels out of my hands. Love the look and performance of the Custom X reels and the overall performance of the Speedmaster reels. Rugged, tough and functional is all you can ask of a reel and I guess I may be a little nostalgic in that I like using vintage equipment. Thanks for the replies and posts. I appreciate it.

Looking for a little feedback. I have several of the older, original, Shimano reels, circa 1980s, made in japan with 3 ball bearings. The reels are smooth and rugged, as the bodies are made with steel not aluminum, and I love the rear fighting drag systems. Aside from being a little heavier than their aluminum counterparts, I am looking for feedback on whether I am missing something with today's higher ball bearing count reels? I don't necessarily subscribe to the more is better line of thinking, but it seems like its a race to 50 bearings in today's reel market....