PhishLI

Be sure to post pics once it arrives?

Update: So now there are 3 of these reels in my immediate orbit. Each person is very happy with their choice after about 6 months in. No weird sticking thumbar issues that were common with some earlier Lexa models. The gear train has remained smooth after primarily throwing larger billed resistance baits like crank down wakes which snag up on bottom nastys. So far, so good.

It's December in April practically over night, and I'm frozen again, but the bite is hot, hot, hot!

And that right there is the whole ball of wax, IMO. Over the same amount of time different people will end up merging varying degrees of developed skill, will, and intuition. Personality plays a huge role. That's why some people consistently out-fish others. Some people crack the code, and apart from random dumb luck, others never will. That's the beauty of fishing though. Most people can thoroughly enjoy themselves for a lifetime armed with little more than random dumb luck.

Amazing catch, man! Congrats. That beauty beats our state record in NY by a pound! Salute!

Just got back from an over-nighter grind of a wade with some pals. The original theme was supposed to be BIG swimbaits, but they wouldn't play along, so we eventually capitulated. I went really small and got the bottom two on a 3" Dark Sleeper and a 4" MB Hazedong Shad. LOL. So much for BIG bait dreams, for now anyway. We all hit good numbers and some nice chunks, so smiles all around. P.S. My buddy wore "that shirt" again just for you @TnRiver46 ?

Grab a Daiwa BG 2500 like @jimmyjoe said. It's a tank. Great drag too. Maintain it and your grandchildren will inherit it.

https://www.lews.com/casting/tournamentmp I'd step up $10 and grab the Tournament MP. It's worth it to have the centrifugal brake + magnetic brake.. I fished with my buddy's the other night. It's a capable aluminum framed reel for bombing frogs and it includes the important P2 feature mentioned by @bulldog1935

A chilly rain all day and into Monday night quieted down last night's bite, but the Phish brothers beat dat skunk anyway with a few feisty buck bass, and none of my baits got murda'd by pickerel for once. Happy days.

Even though your location is a big secret for now, why don't you provide a detailed description of the water body you're fishing. What's the current water temp? Are there shallow flats? Is it mostly deep with limited shallow water? Pads or grass? Stick ups? Brush near the shallows, or emerging pads? Describe where you're fishing in detail and you might get some meaningful advice. You need to locate the fish. If there's a fish parked in a spot it'll bite a thousand different lures if it's hungry and you present it correctly at the right moment. That means at the the right speed and angle for that particular moment. LM Bass are less picky about what they'll bite right before the spawn as they have an imperative to eat, but the little things can make a difference at any given moment. Your success as an angler rests on figuring those things out. They're biting everything under the sun right now in the NE. Don't get too hung up on the bait. It matters, but it matters quite a bit less than what you're doing with it and how you're doing it.

This one's worth a look. It's been a winner for me. Versatile bait. Will run right at 3ft with the right line choice, Casts great on casting gear. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Ima_Bill_Lowen_Squarebill_Crankbait/descpage-IBLSB.html

Really? Maybe you should start a poll thread. See what users beyond yourself and a few others feel about it. I'm not saying you're not affected by the flaws that you perceive, because I know they're real, but you state them as if the reels are nearly unusable, and they're not. Daiwa and Shimano need to produce a Fuego or a SLX for $12-$15 to be profitable when sold in a retail setting. That number includes packaging and paperwork. Bigger retailers can demand a lower wholesale buy price due to volume sales. There's just no room left for more than you get. SLXs become geary rather quickly and Fuegos are a bit clackety, but neither reel seems to breakdown because of those nits that drive you out of your mind. The vast majority of users here and elsewhere love them for what they are, especially given their retail and street price, and that's not just my opinion.

This jerk and a mob of his snaggletooth buddies shredded half a pack of my all time favorite, most effective, unobtanium and discontinued 5" JDM paddletail swimmers. Not very nice at all!

Dah! I can't do it. I'd never be the same if I found leeches on Mr. Jingle and the bells.

Et tu, RW Et tu?

Stick your CT spool in and go the the lake and chuck and wind a spinner bait. You shouldn't hear it. If you do and it makes you batty then exchange it. It's likely you won't hear the play you're hearing while twirling it around in hand without a load.

That suggestion was simply made for simulating a load, silly boy.

I'll let @Delaware Valley Tackle play the heavy on this one. I'm eating my pancakes right now.

That's a no-no. The racket when unloaded is a common Daiwa thing, like the others said. Both of mine do it including the one in my hand, but it stops under simulated load. It's been jacking frogs through pad fields for 3 years and the ARB is still righteous.

You're gonna be one happy camper.

It depends on your rod's action and the bait you're skipping. For me that might be anywhere between 7-11 on the dial. I like zero side to side play, then a skosh, which sounds to me how @Bluebasser86 sets his. So if zero side to side play is 12 o'clock, if you were to put a mark on the tension knob, I may go to 1 o'clock. Again, that all depends on the above criteria. There's no harm in maxing out the brake to start out, as @BaitFinesse said. Yes, you should be able to skip thumb free with the dial/brakes set that high, but you'll probably get sick of that quickly when the bait stops far short of your target.

Add some spool tension or ride your thumb on the spool, then crank it and the sound will stop. It'll also stop under load while reeling in a bait with some resistance or fighting a fish. Not to worry.

That's fine, but here's the thing: The gear ratio, or IPT thing, splits into two camps of people with some who can comfortably slow crank a faster IPT reel, and others who can't control themselves. A typical 7 spd reel is a nice choice if you possess a smidge of self control.

And there you shall remain until you form your own opinions based on your own experience and positive results. After that, and on a daily basis, you'll be entertained by mind boggling statements posited by seemingly reasonable people that run in stark contrast to what you've seen with your own eyes, or deduced. If at that point you feel tall enough to broadcast your thoughts, they'll conclude that you're nuts too. Have fun!

God bless you for sticking with this, J. I'm nominating you for sainthood.