Reel

Same reasons ,but I fish large rivers and river lakes ( between 2 dams ).

I've got a Shimano Zodias + 7 foot 2 ML that I really like. A very light versatile rod that is ideal for what you want to use.

Are you sure the Vanford comes with a double handle ? The Spirex had a double handle but I have not seen a Vanford with one in the U.S. or Canada. With that being said, I have 2 or 3 Vanford and really like them. They are very light and perform well.

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Excellent answer. Fast action is more versatile.

I paired my Miravel 2500 with a Curado rod. It makes a great outfit.

Not to bad ! I put my boat away at the beginning of November with the first snow. I'm way north. Water is still open here also. It's been warm. Today minus 6 Celcius and sunny. I use to take the batteries out of the boat to charge them every 2 or 3 months. Now I leave them in and don't charge them. They are AGM and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I've done that the last three years.

No For me a loop knot is a sliping knot and slipping is not good on any type of line. And why would you want more action when the tendency today is toward less action for more realism.

Welcome neighbor

I couldn't stand it anymore... I started cleaning and lubing my reels this morning.

Those that head for deep water are rarely catchable. Those that head for cover, you can come back a second time down the weed line and maybe catch them.

If you cast to the outside first and the splash scares the fish, where will they go ? .. Inside! I fish outside first and then go inside slower.

I tried one big one (Helix 15) and I prefer 2. Went with two Helix 12 and really like this set up.

For me, diameter is more important than material. I like a small grip.

I fish for largemouth where gobies are very numerous ( St-Lawrence river system) and this has not caused the largemouth to grow to larger size. Even if this is a river, it's similar to Michigan waters. Here a six pound largemouth is a really good fish. I fished tournaments for a while and never saw a seven pounder weighted.

Same here. I will be trying the new Shimano Mastiff.

Most everything is frozen here to. I'm about a 600 hundred miles east of A-Jay and maybe a little more north. Season for smallmouth will open only on June the 14th, 2024, so a long wait.

I'll give an example that is not about bass fishing but just fishing. Where I live, we shad fish. Everybody lines up almost shoulder to shoulder and uses the same tackle ( spinning rods and shad darts) and fishes the same way that is drifting the lure in the river current. This eliminates a lot of variable. Most of the time you can have a hundred fishermen two feet apart using the same color lure in the same way fishing the same water. Day in day out, 10% of these fishermen will catch double or even triple the fish the others catch.

I fish extremely clear water and long casts are often important (around 100 feet). I fish flats for smallmouth with spinnerbaits and jerkbaits (1/2 oz) and bomb them out there with a DC reels (Calcutta and Curado). Precision is not important here. Distance casting is done with two hands.

I've got a few Zodias rods, old and new generations and one of the most versatile is the 6'9'' ML. It can be used for a variety of applications from Spy baits, to ned rigs and shaky worms. The 7 foot L rod is a bit slower and softer, more finesse oriented.

My jerkbait rod of choice is the old series Shimano Expride.

I've got a few 7'6'' spinning rods and they balance out well with a reel around 7 to 8 ounces. If you want to stay with the Vanford, you can go to the 4000 size gaining in distance and stopping power but with the right weight. If you want to stay with the 2500/3000 size, you can go to the Stradic ( FL or FM) ou even to the Twin Power.

I ice fish so I use spinning reels, and rods with large guides sprayed with silicone ( WD 40). I use special line made for ice fishing and lube my reels with only oil for ice fishing.

If you want the best for bottom contact, you should look no further than the G. Loomis NRX 852. It's expensive but well worth it. Two other that I also have and that are exceptionnal are the 7 foot 6 Curado spinning rod and the 7 foot 6 Intenza. Less expensive but really good.

I have the same reel ( Shimano Vanford 2000) and use it with mono for trout. I like this reel a lot. I have put fluoro on it and it worked well with no more than 6 pound test of the softest fluoro and a lot of care when casting and retreiving. Fluoro does not do well when the temperature is cold so that is why I use mono in spring and fall