QED

I mostly fish BFS casting gear, but I find UL spinning gear pretty fun as well. A Tennessee handled UL Fenwick HMG rod with a Shimano Stella FK 1000 or Vanford 1000F is an enjoyable but challenging way to fish for bass.

Daiwa Steez AIR TW 500XXH for BFS/finesse. 4.75 oz!

Probably just the manufacturers enforcing anti-grey market sales practices against the larger retailers. They can't police all the smaller vendors though.

I grew up adjacent to the SJ County delta system and started bass fishing using UL spinning and baitcasting gear. No heavy gear for me except at venues that strictly required it.

I like the convenience of the Gamakatsu G Finesse Swivel Shot Drop Shot Hooks which have a swivel as part of the assembly. They work great so I see no reason to switch.

So then I guess you're not part of the target market segment for the Shimano Stella or the Daiwa Exist class spinning reels... ?

LOL! Accurate characterization and yet you still offered help. Good on you. "You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!" (Kipling)

The Shimano Poison Adrena 267ML is a great ML spinning rod. Coupled with a light reel like a Shimano Vanford C2000HGF results in an 8.5 oz rig that fishes wonderfully.

One of the best starter lures for relative newbies to bass fishing.

Ryobi hasn't marketed or sold fishing gear in the US for quite some time, so US resident's would have to buy via the grey market.

Sorry about the busted rod but at least you have a uniquely funny story! ?

Anecdotal evidence without sufficient context. For one more anecdotal data point, I have four Shimano PA and one Poison Glorious and they are all exceptional rods with no issues. Plus they are very light. If you are looking at St. Croix, look at the Legend Xtreme with the carbon fiber guides. All of the above are awesome rods - but I might be suffering from confirmation bias. ?

I'm currently using my CT SV TW 70 XH with a Saint Croix XFC68MXF and the combo is pretty enjoyable to fish with. The Shimano Poison Adrena/Glorious/Ultima rods are a bit lighter though, if that is an important factor for you.

The Shimano PA 267ML coupled with a smaller Vanford reel (e.g., 2000 form factor) would make a great, very light, finesse rig.

Steamed whole largemouth bass (1-2 lb fish) is considered a delicacy and is often served as part of an elaborate banquet meal. If the fish is a goner, might as well do something cheffy with it! https://thewoksoflife.com/cantonese-steamed-fish/ https://whattocooktoday.com/hong-kong-style-steamed-fish.html

Weird. This thing is older than dirt and still works fine.

The large auction site has so many users now that prices tend to be efficient market prices or more, so I only use it to find interesting out-of-production stuff or current stuff that is not otherwise available.

I'm most impressed by recent, high-end BFS reels, some of which weigh less than 5 oz. Coupled with a light rod, such as a Shimano PA BFS, you can have a great performing rig that is at or just under 8 oz. Just amazing.

Daiwa Steez CT SV 70 XH. Best compact casting reel I've ever used. https://daiwa.us/products/new-steez-ct-sv-tws-70

Yuppies and other types of white collar professionals generally don't hunt or fish and consider such activities to be déclassé. At least here in Silicon Valley. Which is fine because it means more range and lake time for me. ?

Please let us know what you find. I mostly fish on the lighter end of bass fishing gear and haven't had issues skipping baits using a baitcasting reel.

Are you trying with appropriate baitcasting gear? Baitcasting skipping has similar requirements to BFS gear, e.g., shallow, low inertia spools.

I fish mostly UL/L/BFS/ML gear. Unweighted Senkos are actually pretty heavy (4" Senko with o-ring and hook weighs about 0.23 oz) and cast very well with BFS gear and 6 lb test.

I bought a bunch of 6" Mann's Jelly Worms from the large auction site as well as a bunch of 6" auger tail worms about a year ago. So manage what you have and don't expect to refill other than perhaps at the large auction site. [editor's note: sorry to revive a dead thread but I really like those old lures and they are still somewhat available in the smaller sizes.]

I have many specimens of all three brands and have had nothing but great experiences with each. Lew’s didn’t seem to participate in the very high end but their iCast 2022 announcement seems to indicate that they are headed there. Competition is a wonderful thing whether in the sub $200 range or otherwise.