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Anyone have any experience with this gear? I have a set of insulated Guidewear that I bought years ago. Good stuff, but way too much for California winters. I can live with the insulated bibs, but the parka is too hot and bulky. Looking for a non insulated parka and saw these in a Cabelas catalog. Anyone have these, if so how are they? Joe

Music to my ears! Now to get out and toss practice plugs and learn the reel before taking it on the water. Thanks for the input all!

Yes the Loomis is a 6’6”. I recently got a Dobyns Champion 705 MH/MF that I was going to use as an all around crank bait rod. It will be paired with a Fuego CT.

TW too. Seeing these was why I posted my original question.

Just got this reel today and want to pair it with a rod I currently own to get the best benefit from the reels capabilities. I was thinking of a 10 yr. old GLoomis GLX MBR783 that would be used for light-med jigs and worms, underspins, keel weighted swimbaits, spinnerbaits, or crankbaits depending on the water fished. Would this rod fit the bill? Thanks....Joe

So a size 4.5 Indiana (shorter, but wider) will run like a 4.5 Willow.

Was thinking of switching out blades on some of my spinnerbaits from Willows to Indianas. How do you determine the best size/length of the Indiana replacement? As an example, most of my baits (3/8-1/2 oz.) have size 4.5 Willows on the back, the actual length is 2 1/4 inches. I looked at Hildebrant Indianas and their 4.5 was close to a half inch shorter. Do you match the size or the length? Thanks....Joe

Looks like you spend a lot of time at Berryessa. Got a question for you. Where exactly is the area known as The Vineyard? I really should know this, but it's been years since I've fished there.

I've always used Smelly Jelly, either Crawfish or Garlic. The smell will gag a maggot! I've known guys that will rub it on their hands to mask any scent such as sunscreen when handling baits. It's getting a little too messy for me. Will Megastrike do the same thing? Not that I would waste it as a hand conditioner, but would applying it cover any scent that may be on your hands? Do you use only the Original? Joe

Thanks all! The video and your input helped a lot! That DC braking system concept is right up my alley! So the only difference between the Curado K and DC is the 4 external adjustments on the DC? Thanks again....Joe

I have one of those I got at BPS on a combo sale with another old favorite, a Bantam Curado 200. If I recall right you got both for 159.00, the rod alone was 100.00 and the reel was 120.00. The rod is a spare now, but would like to unretire as a spinnerbait/underspin rod.

What is the difference between the Curado SLX 150, Curado 150 DC, and the Curado 200K? Across the descriptions on these reels I see terms like X-ship, micro module and 1-DC4. What does this all mean? The 150DC and K have X-ship, but one has 1-DC4 and the other a micro module. The SLX 150DC has 4 external brake options. With the DCs, how does digital cast control work? All my older Shimanos use centrifugal brakes. Thanks....Joe

Anyone else experiencing this?

^^^This is what I was looking for, failed to mention it in any of my posts. Thank you.

Thanks all! My older Curados are 6:1, so they’ll get the moving bait duty. I just got a Fuego in the 7.3:1 and wanted to get it in the lineup. Since I only carry at most six rods, usually 3 spin and 3 bait, I was thinking double duty for the Fuego. Now that I think about it, I couldn’t tell you the gear ratios on the spinning reels! It never crossed my mind that it would matter. Live and learn! Joe

Can you use this gear ratio to effectively throw crankbaits by slowing down the retrieve? I’ve looked at numerous articles and posts where the opinions are that it is a lot easier to slow down the retrieve with a higher speed reel than it is to speed up with a slower speed one. Can you work the bait the same by slowing down a higher speed reel as opposed to using a slower speed? Joe

Had the Velcro straps from BPS for years, no problems. Used to bundle 6 rod/reel combos. Since I recently returned to fishing I now make two bundles of 3 each. Takes a little more time, but it’s neater and not as bulky. Also the reels line up better and don’t bang against each other.

I should have instances when I may. I’m still trying to decide between snap or tie to split ring myself. I would like to experiment between the two without removing the split rings from my baits. Joe

When you say “I don’t remove split rings”. Do you attach clips to the split ring or to the line tie and leave the ring on? I say this because there may be instances when I would want to tie to the split ring without using a clip. Joe

Thanks everyone for your input! I ended up getting a Dobyns DC705CBMF. Messing around with it, it looks like with the power and taper I’ll be able to throw light and heavier crank baits with it. Joe

That was a very good choice! I bought a set of Guide Wear insulated years ago, they were 400.00-500.00 back then! It is quality gear, but overkill at least here where I fish. I fished a club tourney on Lake Shasta, it was snowing and very cold, but I was barbecuing in the stuff! I should’ve looked into it better back then! They haven’t seen the light of day since. Now looking for a set of uninsulated. One option, for me at least, is to keep the insulated bibs and get an uninsulated jacket.

Thank you for the tips! The hooks appear sharp, so I’ll leave them alone for now. If I think I need to switch them out I at least have an extra to experiment with. Joe

I came across a couple of these stuffed away in a garage cabinet, one in the original package. Were the original hooks on these lures good or should they be replaced? I see that the hook to body connection is a harness like piece that prevents the hook from rotating forward and has two small screws that hold it in place. If the hooks need to be replaced are those harness screws easily removed and put back in without striping them out? Do I need to add a split ring or should the new hooks be put back in the original configuration? Thanks....Joe

For me it's going to be spending more time on the water. I've watched many technique videos on T-Rig plastics and jig fishing in the attempt to get better at these applications. The cast is made, the bait hits the water, then the bottom. The bait is popped or dragged with the rod, then the person makes 3-4 turns, sometimes more, with the reel. That's moving the worm or jig at least 10'! Okay where the water is real shallow, but on many bodies of water, that bait would pendulum back to the boat. Yeah I know that you need to know where the drop offs are, but the guy just trying to learn this technique doesn't have a clue as to why he can't catch fish.

Thanks Tom, I’ll check it out! Could save some dough with one rod, maybe get some baits to throw on it! Joe