LegendaryBassin

Perfectly said. I've purchased ZPI and Hedgehog bearings and wasn't impressed enough to justify the cost. I recommend sending off your reel to a reel tech and let them clean the reel. The last thing I would do is to recommend spending money on bearings.

Keep the Fenwicks. Not a fan of Lews rods at all.

Looking to purchase my dad a new reel for Christmas and have seen the new Shimano Tranx 200. The reel looks super sweet. Does anyone have any experience with it yet? It looks like another good reel from Shimano. I am starting to see them available on Ebay and was curious. Thanks guys.

Look forward to hearing how the fishing trip went and how the reel performed.

Good call!

I was going to recommend the same rod lol

I agree lure rating is important but its important to feel the rod as the lure ratings are not always perfect. Some manufacturers will put lure ratings on the lower side and others the higher side. Its important to actually feel the rod and how it loads with lures and where it falls in terms of power.

The lure weights are just guidelines from a manufacturer. Often times you will see a rod perform well in a completely different range of lure weights.

You want a lure that can load a rod to cast well enough to a certain extent.

While you can use the same rods for finesse jigs and bigger 1 oz football jig, it isn't a perfect scenario in both cases. More rods would be much more beneficial to adequate cover the wide range. So while I understand you can, this isn't what I would ever recommend unless money is tight.

Great reel with a very unique feel (in a good way)

While I do agree G Loomis was leaps ahead decades ago, under Shimano they are still at the top. Personally, if I was going to buy a high end bottom contact jig rod, I would get the NRX or Megabass Destroyer but the NRX is the gold standard for a reason. Everyone has the own preference, ultimately go with what you feel comfortable with and with the best warranty.

She'll warm up to her soon. Then they will be best friends.

Good to hear Tim! Interested to hear more as your gain more experience with it. If the feedback is positive, I may need to give it a shot. I have never had an issue with any fluoro (Sunline Sniper from 8-20lb line). My knots hold well. I fish over 100 days a year and plenty of fish over 10 lbs to prove how strong fluoro is. Some people need to work on your knot and retie on occasion if you are having issues.

Thanks guys! I just know what something is not right and that I should be a happier person. I will definitely start becoming more active as I have also heard that is extremely beneficial. It's definitely hard as I constantly dwell on my past. I wish I had the I don't give a crap or oh well mentality but I don't take failure well. I have a lack of confidence, high anxiety, I worry about everything and let the smallest things get to me, etc. I have always put off getting help, but I think it may be best in addition to exercise.

Thanks Tennessee Boy! I truly hope they will be able to help.

I have been an avid fisherman my entire life and have been dealing with something that many people face and would like not only to share my experience but also receive support from other anglers. Over the past years I was wondering why that I was always so sad all the time,. Has anybody ever gone through something similar? This took a lot for me to come out and talk about this but I figured what better than the fishing community to help me through this. Thanks guys/gals.

Definitely understand the frustration. I would give Fenwick a call as well. Sometimes they are willing to go the extra mile and upgrade the rod to a more expensive rod for a simple exchange. Most companies will do the right thing to make there customers happy. I don't own anything from Fenwick so I don't have any experience with them, but I am sure they will take good care of you. Goodluck!

The Kistler H3 has an inferior warranty than the Tatula and LTB. Overall, I would pick the St Croix just based off of warranty. St Croix has some of the best customer service in the industry. Great family-run company that takes pride in their product and stands behind their product. I agree. I have a few Kistler rods and while they are good, but there are plenty of options as good if not better than them. The thing that concerns me is NFC (Kistlers blank supplier) has filed for Ch 11 bankruptcy about a year ago. Things aren't looking up for NFC as only 10% of all companies survive Ch.11 bankruptcy reorganization. Assume NFC goes out of business and you break a Kistler rod still under warranty, you won't be getting the same rod.

100% agreed. Retailers are not suppose to be involved in the warranty process unless it's there branded products. I couldn't agree more with WRB. Manufacturers have the knowledge and personnel to determine what caused the failure/issue at hand whether it's due to defect or abuse. Since it is Fenwicks product they should deal with the warranty process not others.

Yea. It all just depends on how you plan to use the rod/reel. The Bantam is a good choice but ICAST may reveal some products that may interest you. Also, let all of us know how you like the new Zbone. (I have the prior model and curious). Thanks!

No problem. I don't take it personally. I am just aware of how businesses are run. You have to look at from a retailers/manufacturers p.o.v and be more understanding. Like others have stated you might as well just keep it as its only a $59 rod and no point in paying 33% of the rods for another rod for slightly misaligned guides. However, I do expect better QC on the rod like you stated.

This is a normal practice by most retailers. They shouldn't have to pay return shipping as it wasn't their fault it was the manufacturer. However, as a manufacturer Kastking should not charge the money for shipping. Sorry to hear. I'm sure KastKing will make it right.

It depends on the strain of largemouth bass. Certain species grow and achieve a much greater growth rate and overall weight potential. Many studies have found the growth of the northern and Florida bass showed that northern bass grew faster than Florida bass through the first two years, after which Florida bass grew faster.

I know a ton of people who already have fished them and gotten to see them in person before ICAST.