MN Fisher

The Crush may be a 'better' reel then what you have, but you're still moving from a plastic-frame reel to another plastic-frame reel. I'd wait and get a good aluminum frame reel on a better rod when you have the money. Entry level to that is around $200-$250 (Pflueger Supreme on a Diawa Tatula XT/Diawa Fuego CT on a Dobyns Fury).

I look at in in a manner of perspective - it's ABOVE zero here, it's BELOW zero there. The mind is a wonderful thing...that zero mark means something.

I'll take our 5-above vs your 4-below.

I enjoyed using my Fuego CT-XS for pitching/flipping/frogging so much that when I decided to set up a dedicated crankbait rig - I went with the Fuego CT-H.

$80 for the 761HFB - jump on that while it's still on sale.

If that 'under $100' is firm - I can't recommend a rod specifically designed for flip/pitch. Up that a little and you got a couple choices that I'd look at - both at $120 Diawa Tatula XT 7'6" Heavy Flipping Rod (TXT761HFB) - https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-DAIWAROD.html?from=basres Dobyns Fury 7'6" Medium Heavy (FR 765FLIP) - http://dobynsrods.com/rod/fr-765flip/ https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dobyns_Fury_Casting_Rods/descpage-DFC.html I do flipping and pitching on my 7'0" Diawa Aird-X Heavy/Fast (AIRX701HFB)

One page is rods/reels/line - runs 25 lines One page is lures/plastics/teminal tackle - runs almost 250 lines

I just keep an inventory of all my stuff in Excel. Separate page for purchases/wishlists.

Example of this. Diawa Fuego CT Daiwa Tatula CT Same basic reel. Tatula adds the T-Wing system and 2 bearings. Want to know where those extra bearings are? In the handle-knobs. Doesn't affect the internal working at all. So more bearings don't necessarily mean a better reel.

Since starting to use KVD, I've never had a need to try anything else. On mono or YZH, it just works.

I've got 4 Aird-X rods and I've been pleasantly surprised by them. My best of last year was caught on my President BC...my UL spinning reel is a President-25. Diawa and Pflueger are my reels of choice.

I think it sounds more like a rock group...

That would be kind of cool - but come on...New London is where the Academy is - can't get more 'Coast Guard' than that. <- Grand-uncle retired from USCG as a Rear Admiral...class of 1934

Up through this past year I'd been using a ML/F Avocet combo. Purchased a Fury 702SF which I'll be mounting my Trion-30 on as the replacement. I'll be doing Drop-shot, Ned, Tubes, Wacky with it...same things I did with the Avocet. If you're looking for a shorter rod - Fury 661SF (6'6") or Sierra 692SF (6'9") would be the ones to get.

Congrats. Another ten years and you can be like me...you think it's bad now - (grins evilly)

You think YOU got it tough? No hospital will take me because they don't want half the staff ending up as patients.

Huh - and AccuWeather is predicting higher than normal for us after a 2-day drop. We may see earlier than average ice-out this year.

I concur.

Ya...my entry was along the lines of 'Plastics are consumables. If you use them, you WILL lose them.' So having a bunch isn't a want...it's a need.

I also have a limited budget and it's spent for this year...so the jerks, topwaters, jigs, soft-swimbaits, spinners, chatters, buzzbaits and terminal tackle I have are it for the coming season. But I USE my plastics... (whimpers)

I have limited space in the canoe - one 3700 size bag with 5 boxes for tackle, one 3600 size bag with 7 boxes for plastics.

Mike's been in the business for a while and from what others have reported, does a bang-up job. But also remember - years back he was just as 'clueless' as anyone else...he just learned, trained and practiced until he was good enough to start his own business doing this. There's plenty of vids out on Youtube - some done by other professionals - showing how to service reels. Everyone CAN learn to do it as good as the pros...just depends on if you WANT to or not. @Delaware Valley Tackle

We got a little rain on top, so the surface is 'crunchy'...no blowing around even with the wind.

Mono - Suffix Elite Hi-Vis Yellow in 8# test. Really lets me see the line when it's out.

Casting...vertical - makes no difference. You have to watch the line closely when you cast, which is why I use a hi-vis line on my DS rig. I can see when the bass takes the bait as the line moves. Then it's just reel down the slack. 15-20 yds is my furthest cast with DS as well.