MN Fisher

The whole reel is smaller. The MGL is basically designed for smaller lures...not quite a BFS reel, but pretty darn close. If you're tossing standard lures (a 1/2oz spinner is pretty standard), I'd go with the base SLX. If you were looking for something for wacky, drop-shot, poppers and such...then I'd go with the MGL.

Yep - same here Also, Raleigh/BelAir cigarette coupons - both parents smoked and on the back of each pack was a coupon...save up enough and get things like dishes, flatware, appliances. Cartons came with 10 extra coupons.

NBC Mystery Movie and ABC Movie of the Week Both were big with dad and I...the first one more so.

I remember dad bringing home a game that we had to hook up to the old B&W TV...never had to hook a game up to something before...new, exciting, addictive. Pong!

We still have that. When A&W started closing them, the manager of the one near me bought it off them and re-opened as the 'Minnetonka Drive-In'. Still service at your car, still A&W Root Beer on tap.

You have the same neighbors I do? Since when did you move down to this side of town?

Yes - the 'good old days'. Got my first crush back then too - Nichelle Nichols - when I saw an Episode of Star Trek in 1966 and got hooked #alsobornin59

I get a kick out of telling people that 'Yes, I walked uphill both ways when in school'. Literally the case. Lived in West Warwick, RI for two years. House was west of the Pawtuxet River, junior-high was east of the river. Down a hill, cross a bridge then up a hill...both ways.

I've got 4# on my ML rig for shore fishing/panfishing. I've had to rip the hook out of weeds and one time 'harvested' a lily-pad...stem and all...pulled it up by the roots. 4# is plenty strong for where I use it.

The PFDs are rated by how much 'additional' buoyancy they provide. The average person only needs about 24# of buoyancy to keep them afloat. Top of the line Class I has between 30# to 40# of buoyancy. If you're built dense - like Jason Momoa or The Rock...maybe you need more, but any body fat adds to your ability to float. At 6'1" and 195 - relatively fit but with a bit of a 'beer belly' - a PFD rated 25# or more is plenty sufficient for me.

I'm clearing some stuff out that I no longer use. Already sold my handguns to a shop, have a potential buyer for my shotgun...just looking for someone to buy the old .22 cal I've also got a bike I'll be putting up - since I wracked my knee a couple years ago I can't ride it anymore. It's a classic with lots of memories - I bought it as a teen for my paper route back in 1975...frame still has the original paint-job and the stem-sticker is mostly intact as well...but it was 'overhauled' by a local bike-shop about 4 years ago, so everything works fine.

Most states require that a life-vest be USCG certified - FAA certification doesn't matter. ^ Listen to the retired 'Coastie' - get a good vest - trying to save a few dollars can cost you your life.

Voice of experience, JJ? I use a short length of 1" dowel myself.

^ What he said. Especially if you ever plan on tying on leaders - unless you can get the joining knot to be minuscule, it's gonna cause issues when casting through micro-guides.

Two products that seem to raise the ire of users and have them dump the products in the trash Ardent Reel Butter Quantum Hot Sauce From my reading, almost anything else is better than those two.

Dunno how you missed this - but our own Frydog has done the hard work for you.

If it's a 'quick' clean - no. I just take off the brake-side plate, take out the spool, flush the bearings and put a couple drops of oil on. Quick flush of the level-wind pawl and a couple drops there too. Yearly clean in the spring before the season opens (bass is closed here from end of February to mid-May) - I do a complete tear-down clean. I've been using Abu Garcia grease and oil since my first reel (a Mitchell 320 spinner) back in the late 60s...haven't seen a need to change even though I don't own any Abu reels - Mitchell, Diawa, Pflueger is what I have.

I don't make any, but Janns Netcraft is a good source for all things lure-making. https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/lure-making-parts/

If it gets low on the reel, I'll re-spool then - otherwise Mono, FC - once a year YZH - once every couple of years Braid - umm...my Heavy rig still has the same 50#PP I spooled up when I first got it 4 years ago...still not low enough to need a re-spool.

My one other purchase this year is going to be a Fury 765FLIP - waiting for 'that other site' to have it's 25% off Dobyns sale that happens every year around BF.

I have YZH on three rigs now, upping that to four next year. Lots complain that the diameter for the pound-test is high...but if you look at the true breaking strength, it's right in line with just about anything else. I like the fact that it seems neutrally buoyant - doesn't float like nylon, doesn't sink like FC...they seem to have gotten the mix exactly right.

It's the way I've held my rods for 50+ years - the part of the rod behind the reel is called a 'handle' for a reason.

Ya - with the Aird-X I can feel the blade vibrating on retrieve even though I don't palm and don't have a finger on the line...definitely fishes above it's price-point - which is why I have no immediate plans to upgrade it.

Well, with the 'shuffle' I'm doing for next year with the new reel I just got. Patriarch 7.9:1 (32-IPT) is going on the Aird-X for moving baits (spinners/chatters/buzz) Patriarch 7.1:1 (29-IPT) - the new purchase - is going on my Fury 704 for bottom contact.

I've had lots of success on my Fury 704C with chatters. Funny enough, my 7' Aird-X MH/F also does well with chatters.