FrnkNsteen

AND one of the few stands at the show. I was disappointed in the lack of availability of rods and reels. There were only a few vendors that had much of anything to offer. I was hoping to see some offerings of rods like Okuma, Ark, and other rods getting some attention lately, but didn't really happen. That stand you mentioned by far had the best selection to see though, and they DID seem very helpful. We saw Billy McDonald there talking to some people for a while.

For the record,... Shimano reels have been starting to climb in price too recently.

Personally, I think a reel with magnetic brakes is more controllable for someone new to pitching, as centrifugal brakes aren't as effective at slower speeds like a magnetic brake. My personal favorite are the Daiwa reels, especially when trying to skip the bait. Technically, ... Anything will work for flipping because you don't use the reel for flipping, you just manipulate the line,.... though the definition of "Flipping" has changed in recent years. That being said, once you get a feel for feathering it in with your thumb, pretty much any reel will work for pitching too.

Same experience as others. I bought bulk packs of their worm hooks and EWG hooks and haven't had issues with either.

Agreed. I went with the Tatula Elite Pitch & Flip model to replace it. I have a SV on another rod that works great for skipping. Haven't tried skipping with the P&F yet.

One thing to watch out for,... Some of the BFS spools offered in the aftermarket warn against using mono because it can deform the thin legs of the honeycombed or drilled out spools. If they are that delicate, you may want to watch out for putting heavy line and loads on them too!

Yep,... Thats the whole concept behind the Lews Pro SP. I never understood using the centrifugal brakes for pitching and skipping though. In my opinion, magnetic brakes work better for those due to lower spool speeds. I actually used my Pro SP for BFS before I sold it. Shallow spool with centrifugal brake worked great for casting light baits on a Dobyns Sierra 740c ultralight casting rod.

If it is barely engaging the pin on the spool it will reel it fine with little to no load, but if you put a heavy load on it, the pinion can jump on the pin. Hold up on the thumb bar and slowly pull the line to see if you can feel anything in the thumb bar when it slips. It doesn't really sound lume a grinding pinion though....

Could your anti-reverse bearing be slipping? Or maybe your pinion is not seating and engaging your spool? I agree that it doesn't sound like a drag slipping

Thanks.... Something to take into account for sure. Passed on the sale price, but I will try to go compare both and see the size difference. Not in a huge rush, but if I'm going to do it, I want it in before our Ontario smallie trip in June.

This would be one unit used for Livescope only since I already have all my Birds and Ultrex networked. The more I read, the more I see balanced responses, with the slight edge going to buttons, saying they are more controllable in waves and not as many misclicks, and no smudged screens. Cost is not a huge deal if I move now because local shop said they would extend a 20% off deal on the 12" touch to me until tomorrow. Means I could get the touch for about the same price as the new 1242 button unit. If I go manual, then no sale price to worry about and no rush. If going touch, I would need to commit today and go get it. Leaning towards non-touch in either the 1222 or 1242 models. He said there was a couple hundred $ difference between those models.

Question for the Garmin Livescope owners out there. I am considering buying a new Garmin 12" unit and Livescope. Debating between touchscreen and manual units. Have heard some say they prefer the manual units because it is easier to adjust sensitiity and gain by turning a knob, vs hitting arrows on the touchscreen. Interested to hear people's opinions. I can get a pretty good deal on a touchscreen right now, but want to get some feedback on if the manual units have their advantages.

Question fir the Garmin Livescope owners out there. I am considering buying a new Garmin 12" unit and Livescope. Debating between touchscreen and manual units. Have heard some say they prefer the manual units because it is easier to adjust sensitiity and gain by turning a knob, vs hitting arrows on the toughscreen. Interested to hear peoples opinions. I can get a pretty good deal on a touchscreen right now, but want to get some feedback on if the manual units have their advantages.

So what's an Oklahoma blade?? I'm familiar with Colorado, Indiana, Willow, French, olympic/turtleback, ... but don't know what a Oklahoma is.

For spring and summer, I bought one of the Bass Pro HPR rain jackets. I have a set of Cabelas Guidewear I wear in cooler weather.

Jigs. Usually Brush jigs aeound laydowns.

I wouldn't say the DX 745c is a lot heavier than the 610-4 or DC744, but a little. I use mine for pitching 1/2oz jigs around cover with a Tat Elite Pitch and Flip model. Occasionally, I put a braided reel on and throw 1/2oz - 3/4oz football jigs and drag them around the edges of creek channels on some flats we have. My opinion is the 610-4 and the 744c are closer to the DX745 than they are to my 734c

Well, they would know better than anyone. From my own personal experience, I don't know that I would say they are heavier, or if it just feels that way because they are faster due to being designed for specific techniques. The 610-4c is the Skipping rod that has a good strong backbone with a fast softer tip. Designed to load up quickly while skipping jigs under docks and laydowns. The 744c is the extra fast Jig Special that is a different animal than thw other 4 power Champion rods. In my experience, those two rods are a little different than the rest. I use my 610-4c for skipping 3/8 - 1/2 oz jigs + the trailer. So total weights of around 7/16 - 5/8 oz, and it works good for that No experience with a DX744, but I do have a DX745 Extreme that I like.

Nice shop. I wouldn't say they offer a lot of great deals,... but the people are good and I like supporting the smaller shops. Good supply of Daiwa and Shimano reels, Loomis rods, and a variety of other things.

Thanks,... I really like them so far. It was at Honey Creek Tackle in Bargersville, IN. If you don't know where that is. It's a suburb on the SE corner of Indiana by Greenwood.

I have a handful of Fury rods and haven't had any issues, but I am not hard on my rods,... Other than the occasional tip in the ceiling fan!! ??

Really?,... Didn't realize Lazy Ike was the manufacturer name. All this time I thought that was the lure name. Had no idea! Learn something new every day. Some days, more than one! ?

This is what we called a Lazy Ike I do have a couple of those too though. Didn't know what they were called

What we called a Lazy Ike didn't have a spoon on it. It was a boomerang shaped crankbait with a very wide wobble. I'll see if I can find a picture rather than going digging through old tackle boxes.

It was a pretty big deal here too. Never known them to put something like this on. They put on a 3 day event with Swindle, Ehler, and Scott Martin as speakers, nice sales on all reels (15% off), and good discounts on Daiwa Tat Elite (35% off), All Lews (30% off), and Loomis (15% off) rods. Strange thing is,... I've been noticing quite a few fishing expos in the area this year for some reason.