MediumMouthBass

I might be one of the few people on earth that didnt fish with a Zebco spincast reel. However i did have a Zebco spinning reel for a few weeks when getting back into fishing. Simplicity sounds nice, not getting birdsnests or the wind creating a mess sounds even nicer. Odd choice here, usually the most gucci glock setups are built on the 19 platform.

Take anything shad or white, use a yellow marker or dip to lightly color a line in the middle, and if you have anything darker blue or grey/black lightly color the top if you really want to match the hatch. The one lake i fish had a bunch of these dumped in there years ago, by some idiots as the guys from the PA fish and boat called them. Various shad patterns (especially electric shad or something like that) and whites work well for the pike and bass.

I have a backup spinning rod with this issue (mine will twist down, stay in place, but every 30 minutes or so i have to retighten....), teflon tape as suggested above was always the recommendation to fix it. Havent tried it because im not sure how much trust i would have in it, i was thinking about just using some loctite. Maybe throw a zip tie on it as a secondary measure. But i dont clean my spinning reels, so there would be no need to remove it from that rod. Using loctite on that would be fine for me, but probably wouldnt be want you are wanting. If its a backup or additional rod you carry trying some teflon should be fine, if its your main rod you might want to look into getting the issue fixed rather than working around it.

Im sure most of us have had that rod or reel, maybe even several, what ones were yours? And whats the story behind them. First up is the Shimano Sienna spinning reel, most of my life i only used what my grandfathers or dad had, my first combo i owned had this on it. I used it for trout and panfish for quite awhile. As i wanted to get more gear i was looking at spinning reels at a few local shops, they were between $50-150 and i couldnt imagine paying that for reel to fish for trout in the creek. I saw the Sienna and its price and bought another, and then another, and now ive got about 8-10 of them. from 1000's for panfish/trout, 2500/3000's for bass/walleye, and 4000's for salmon and steelhead. I have not cleaned a single one, but have dropped them into water, mud, dirt, thrown them down on rocks, etc.... They may not look new, but they keep working. Some when reeling in feel like metals grinding, but hey as long as the handles turning their fine right? This reel expanded my love for fishing, and is probably the reason im so addicted to fishing now, im very glad they had these reels on shelves for the price they were at, i didnt have much of a budget back then.... Since then ive bought several Daiwa Revros reels, and while they are much, much nicer reels, the Sienna will always have a place on my spinning rods. And still to this day i cant imagine paying that much for a spinning reel but to each their own? In my heart i will always love the last gen Abu Black Max casting reel.... I bought the combo on sale at Walmart, the rod was okay but for me it was the reel. I wasnt sure about learning how to use baitcasters, so i held off for quite awhile. This was a very budget friendly way for me to find out if i could even use it. I had tons of backlashes, hours of frustration picking birdsnests out, lost a few lures in the process, but after a few weeks i could cast further and further without them. I bought a second one used because i didnt want to have to retie every 5 minutes when i changed to another lure, also bought an a new MH rod for that and i was able to fish almost everything from the bank. They never failed me (aside from user error of course), i did everything with those reels, skipped baits, frogging in the pads, punching in the grass.... Both are still going to this day, not in use currently, but i have them on my desk spooled up and ready to fish. Are there better reels? Absolutely, most are miles ahead of them. But for anyone on a budget or who doesnt want to spend alot on gear these things were great, sadly Abu ruined the newer ones..... After that i decided to spend more money than i have previously and bought a Daiwa Tatula CT, it was an extreme difference to say the least. I could cast farther than i ever thought possible, i also had a tremendous amount of confidence now that i had a real reel, that didnt have a plastic frame. This really sold me on casting reels, and it just snowballed from there. I have Daiwa reels that cost alot more than it, but they will never live up to the Tatula CT for me. But the one that has the most sentimental value to me is my dads old, (80's? maybe) Daiwa Black Widow spinning combo. I spent most of my life borrowing it when we fished for trout or at a friends pond for bluegill. The rod would be equivalent to todays medium rods, but with the tip of a ultra light action. When i got back into fishing this is what i used for awhile before getting my own.... Lots of fish caught on this combo. I loved the very minimal outdated reel so much, it was simplicity and looked like nothing like something from a space ship compared to the designs of modern reels. I found a better condition one for sale and bought it for my dad, but sadly years ago when we went out fishing my dad slipped on mud and broke the rod near the handle If it werent for these rods and reels, im not sure if i would be bass fishing, or even into fishing at all as a hobby today.

Height has nothing to do with rod length. Source - I fish from a kayak sitting. If anything maybe arm length plays a part? But thats stretching it.

Everyones got their preferences with reels. Ive met and talked to several people that loved their Zillions. And even more that love extremely smooth reels. Im just one of those people that it just doesnt feel right, it feels like a key part of the fishing experience isnt there. To me its like driving a muscle car with a automatic transmission. Sure its faster, smoother experience, but theres a part missing. I like to feel every detail when im fishing, from what the lures doing on the bottom, the line, the way the rod feels when lifting it up to pop a bait up towards the surface, and the way the reel feels bringing it back. Im not saying i dont like smooth reels, i like smooth reels, its the ones that are too smooth. Theres just no feeling or resistance when reeling the lure back in, certain times i had to look down at the spool to make sure it was turning. I completely understand that most people love that though, but its not for everyone just because its for you or for me. Or maybe it was just the SV spool that caused me to feel that way about my Zillion, i havent spent much time with the more expensive, refined, and smoother Shimanos just because the SLX MGL and SLX XT i have give me no reasons to upgrade further. And im not insulted by the budget comment, my starting budget was 15k.... So i dont think thats the reason i dont like the smoother higher end reels. I just realized for me theres nothing a $200+ reel could do that a reel that costs $50-150 cant... Im out there to fish, if i had a $15 zebco and a bag of knockoff senkos id be a happy man, and if i could go back in time id just do that and have bought a C5 corvette with the money saved.

No reason to be so toxic on a fishing forum man, you seem to be a regular in the stir the pot category but still. If you cant take others opinions then dont make a post where they can voice them. And i go by real prices not MSRP, i got my BB1 Pro, LFS Superduty for $100 each, LFS $50... I got my first SLX for $40, and 2nd for $60. The SLX and LFS feel the same, but ill give the win to Lews because of the braking dial. If you or anyone paid that much for a SLX then im sorry. No reel is worth MSRP, not Lews, not Abu, and certainly not Daiwa or Shimano. And Lews makes great reels, like the LFS. Its nothing fancy but a work horse. The BB1 Pro is one of my favorite reels, aside from the SLX MGL and Tatula CT. Its the only reel ive found to cast farther than a reel with a T wing, ive yet to try a Tatula Elite though... Oh and your elitist opinion on that $100 SLX from Japan shows how little you know about them, the $100 Shimanos are made in China or some other country..... Not Japan. And yes Lews makes some really stupid, practically worthless rods and reels. That are marketed toward beginners or youtubers. But when you take those "Mach" prodcuts out of the equation and factor in the LFS, Superduty LFS, Superduty 300, BB1 Pro. They might not be neck and neck with Dawia and Shimano, but they are close. And not everyone wants the same generic reel that everyone has. Some people might like the way Lews fits their hand, and might be uncomfortable with the other brands. So you call them stupid for buying a reel they like because you dont? And not everyone has tons of money, you are going to put Lews down and the people who like them because they make affordable products? And lets talk about KVD, you know the guy whose name is on all those baits and lures in the tackle shops? If Lews is so horrible why would one of the greatest use them? I usually dont like taking sides about brands, i think all make something for someone. Abu and Lews are great for people on a budget, and truth is at one point or another thats most of us bass fishermen are fishing on a budget, the guys with Zillions and endless amounts of money are on here, not at your local lake.... Are Daiwa and Shimano more premium? Sure but they arent going to make you catch any more bass, not going to turn you into a pro..... Oh and yes i hate reels that feel to smooth, it takes the feel out of fishing. Some love smooth reels i dont. I like to feel every part, the rod, the reel, the line, the lure. Take that feeling out and it just feels unnatural. Have a nice day

Seek professional help man, i will pray for you.

Lews is often overlooked because its not thought of as a "premium Japanese brand", i will admit even i was apart of that. But once i got a few of their reels i was very impressed. Smooth reels are overrated, i actually cant stand my Zillion, for several reasons. One of which is its too smooth, feels odd. And smooth reels to me feel weak, I love my SLX MGL (more than any reel i own) but i can never trust it as much as my Fuego CT or LFS. They feel not good, kind of sandpapery. But when im reeling them in i feel like i can pull a shark to the bank.

Berkley remade the Sebile Magic Swimmers, but sadly only the hard bait version. I know its not the soft one you miss but theres looks exactly alike. This may or may not be helpful to you.

(Hopefully this joke will be understood) If youve been affected in anyway by this post please call our law firm at 1-800-ARE-U-NUTS today. There are talks about potential compensation from the emotional stress of another Daiwa vs Shimano post. And we are working around the clock to get you the settlement you deserve! If you or a loved one have been victim to this almost lifelong debate please see professional help. I never really understood the problem people had with this topic, i own several rods and reels from both companies. Both make good stuff, at various price points. I really dont prefer one to the other. They both catch fish, and let me enjoy time on the water, and isnt that what fishing is all about?

Caffeine shad has coffee scent, dont know if it works for the bass but it works for me. And hold both in your hand, youll feel instantly why the caffeine shad skips better. I personally dont like the Zoom flukes, they are too light for me. Which is why i like the caffeine shads, they fall faster, and dont rise to the top every jerk. And for recommendations, Yamamoto d shad, Big Bite Baits has a good one, Academys house brand fluke, i like the Berkley Powerbait flukes as a replacement to Zoom (similar shape and size but you can use them in the water), Grandebass Airtail shad. Then youve got the senko style baits with a fluke like tail. You can also add rattles in some, and nail weights if you need to get down deeper. Oh and keep the ones that get ripped, cut them down and use whats left for trailers for chatterbaits, jigs, and spinnerbaits.

If someone told me the creek im fishing has 0 fish in it, id still fly fish there for a few hours. Its just relaxing. But doing it at night is awful (even in a loaded stream), ive done it a dozen times. Even with flashlights or the car parked towards me with the lights on its still terrible. The problem though is that all the big trout feed at night, and the fishing is the absolute best after dark or when theres a light rain. Atleast near me it is. Theres a local river here about 30 minutes away, huge fly fishing spot. Its a small river, basically a glorified creek.... The people who fly fish at night, and specifically use mouse flies catch monster browns. I dont know how they do it, theres no open spots. It looks like a canal in Europe, but the trees are just a few feet behind and above you.

The big flukes are great if there are huge bass or pike where you fish. The magnum finesse worms are a good alternative for wacky rigs, gives the bass something different than the same shaped senko for the 30th time that day.

I used to love Daiwa, it was my favorite rod and reel brand. Still is for the rods, but i havent had a single Shimano reel no matter how cheap or expensive come defective out of the box. But i have had 3 from Dawia.... And all 3 are from $150-375 MSRP.... My Tatula Ct's and Fuego Ct are the only things keeping me from doing the same thing you did, and switching to all Shimano/Lews for casting reels.... Now for the OP's statement. I own various reels from both brands, from budget reels to more higher end. The Zillion and Tatula SV TW i own are both smooth, the Tatula 150 and Fuego CT feel awful (about the same as my $30 never cleaned and bought used Abu Black Max), the Tatula Ct's feel good, not smooth but not rough. The base SLX and SLX A feel worse than the Tatula CT, better than the 150 and Fuego CT however. The SLX XT feels better than the Tatula CT but not anywhere near the Daiwas i mentioned that have the SV spools. The SLX MGL 70 (last gen) feels the best to me. And while im here i might as well talk about the Lews reels i own, the LFS, Superduty LFS feel and sound like somethings dragging across cardbox. The BB1 pro is really smooth however. I feel like no matter what brand you prefer there cant be a claim made as to which is better as a whole, since nowadays quality control is hit or miss, grease can dry up, and if you take into consideration that some people are better than others at cleaning their reels, and using different products to service them can play a big part as well in how the reel performs.... You would really have to take dozens of the same reels from both brands, using the same greases, oils, and do an actual study before making a claim that big.

Repair shops would be a good amount of cash, you can buy a diy kit for about $10. Can be done quick and easy with the help of youtube.

I fish a place thats infested with these, mono and fluoro get destroyed there. Sounds exactly like what hes talking about. I would have to cut off 10' of line every 20 minutes.... But he said he doesnt believe he has them in the river. Could be a broken guide or something with the reel like others have said. The q tip is worth a try but doesnt always work. I have a rod that came faulty out of the box that would shred line, there would be particles on the T wing of my Daiwa reel, and pieces bunched up at the top of the rod. Tried finding which guide it was and they all came back smooth and looked new, couldnt figure out which one was causing the line to shred. Switched rods and havent experience that again. Could be a bad spool of line maybe, big games very cheap and changing it would be the easiest option to try after a q tip. And Is the river rock bottom with wood all over?

Ive heard this alot, and always wondered what people were talking about. I have over 14 of these rods, spinning/casting, 2 piece, 1 piece, ML, M, MH, H. All but the ML rods feel as stiff as a board. Compared to my other Fast action rods they are either slightly less, feel the same, or stiffer. Although what is very odd is my favorite and most used one, 7'3" MH has been my lipless crank rod mainly (but used for just about everything). Been ripping baits through grass, hauling in bass and weeds constantly. It changed its action after a few years. I use 1 specific brand lipless more than anything, and when i lift the rod up it always had a certain feel. And the rod would only bend so much when doing so. One day i thought maybe the hooks got stuck in too much grass so i brought it back in, well they were clean. It no longer felt the vibrations of the bait moving like it once did, and when looking at the rod tip while working the lure, it was more flimsy and much more of a bend to it. Compared to my other identical rods i was able to confirm it. It bends farther down the blank now, and when wiggling the rod it moves alot, and lost quite a bit of sensitivity. You guys with the ones that feel like a moderate fast, where did you buy yours at? Maybe the date they were made or where they were sold have something to do with it.... I always here people saying theres feel like it but sadly none of mine do, except the one i maybe "broke in" after years of use. I would love to get an actual new moderate fast feeling Aird X for my other crankbaits. @LCG has a point, they are not stocking them as much anymore, DSG has 1 7'3" rod left in the whole country to ship online, only 1.... Midway is sold out with no back orders on casting rods, some companies that used to carry them i cant find them listed when i just searched. Seems like TW has them in stock though.

I bomb cast almost every cast unless fishing specific areas of cover. I try going for distance, i have a few rod n reel combos that really let me do this. Rarely ever get bit where the lure lands, usually on the way back, about a quarter from where it lands. But once saw a fish come to the surface really far out, was able to cast right on top of the bubble and bam, fight was on. It was a pre spawn 10lb female. Using 12lb YZ hybrid line there was no issue with hooking it from a distance. But that was a lipless with trebles, i also have had success with football jigs and ned rigs from distance too. Have used braid, braid to fluoro leader, and hybrid lines. All with cheap rods that have basic sensitivity. Edit, and the lipless wasnt moving, i was letting it fall on slack line to the bottom when it bit.

I only did deep dives on ned rigs, lipless cranks, and bladed jigs/chatterbaits. These are my top 3 bass/big bass producers, i know them like they are family. And i have more of them than any other type of bait or lure, and its definitely overkill.... I spent alot of time fishing them and researching them, understanding the different weights, actions they have, how fast or slow they fall, which ones work here or there, what ones come through grass and rocks, and which ones have to be reeled in because they cant handle grass. The ones that float, sink, suspend, etc.... Along with tons of different colors, and then the money i have invested into it. After all that i realized most of them just dont work for the bass i fish for, so i now use a more simple approach. Just a few of each that i know will work in a select few sizes and colors. But it was and wasnt worth it, the wasnt worth it i already spoke about, but the part that was is that i know these baits very well now. How, where, and when they work best. And the confidence i have in them is truly amazing, regardless of weather or time of year, ill fish them over anything else. A deep dive on a certain bait or lure is only worth it if you think it is. Not if someone else does. You have to have the money to invest in it, and the passion to fish that bait more than anything else.

SDJ is meant for fishing for several hundred pound tuna..... Its easy, simple, clean, and extremely strong. I always used palomar knots, but broke off constantly. It has to be tied correctly, there are a few ways to mess it up that can do some damage to the line if done incorrectly. And like what @AlabamaSpothunter said about the heavier line, absolute pain to tie the palomar....

I was extremely detail oriented when i got into bass fishing. Dozens of tackle trays full of lures, very organized and thoughtout. Had a rod n reel combo for each type of bait. Some even had 2-3 combos just for them. Realized after awhile it didnt matter much, i can take my favorite 7'3" MH rod and fish just about anything on it. I would bank fish with about 6-8 rods, now ill use about 2.... The revelation came to me when i didnt bring my cranking rod to the local lake, i used my stiff, MH rod with stiff line to fish my lipless crankbait. Lost a bunch of really nice bass, even a 5lber too.... I was upset by this and blamed it on the rod not being a moderate cranking rod. (I spent quite a bit of money on cranking oriented gear and left it at home that day). This was when pre spawn was on fire here in PA. I simply tried loosening my drag and that changed the game for me. After that with the same combo i caught hundreds and hundreds of bass with lipless among other crankbaits. Ripping them through weeds, over wood and rocks. And hauled in alot of big bass. Including a double digit 10lber.... I still refuse to use actual cranking rods to this day, they can sit in the corner and collect dust. I started trying other baits i once thought "i need this exact rod and this exact reel or it wont work", well they worked, and worked well. I have since started putting more and more gear for sale locally, because for me personally i can do just about everything with 2 rods with the right reels of course. And with a quick change of the drag i can go from pitching a jig into brush, to ripping a lipless or chatterbait out of grass. But for some people the match is needed, especially with certain baits. And i bring in about 9/10 bass i hook, regardless of it being not the proper combo.

What kind of jigs? Football, swim, punching, flipping, finesse? And no one can really tell you if you need a MH or H rod, for an example, i have a few M and MH rods that have more than double my H rods lure weight ratings.... Every rod material, and brand have different ratings. Some are just extremely backwards the way they do it. Like one of my swimbait rods, can handle up to 6oz, and its only a medium. And since theres no set standard in the industry, ive no longer based a rod by its power, more its ratings. This has been helpful especially with Dobyns. So to give you a more, helpful answer for your question, whats the lowest, and highest ounce lure you would be throwing the most? (Including the glidebaits)

I fish about 6 lakes/ponds and 1 river regularly. I pre rig the rod and reels before the trip, but have different tackle trays filled with a few lures, bags of soft plastics, along with terminal tackle for each place. I know them well, and what works. Even if i brought 10 rods and 100 lures, ill often only use 2 rods and 4 baits at most. And bass are eating for survival, even if there are better baits for that time of year im sure a bass will bite my confidence baits.

If it were me, id take my kayak down to Florida. Check out the different cities and destinations that make the top vacation spots. Miami towards the end. And more than likely forget to fish until the last few days. But for you, both states have big bass, and hot weather. Florida is odd, depending on where you are at its either nice or the weather could change at any minute. Texas is just hot, hotter, hottter, and hottttttter. But the point about the recent hurricanes, and the event with prize money give Texas an advantage. In all honesty, im a big fan of Florida, and for a vacation i would choose it over anywhere else (other than Vegas maybe). Fishing is a way of life for many of us, but it shouldnt dictate the whole trip, like 90%. The other 10% try finding some places to check out, go to good restaurants, see whats going on for events in those areas. You can only fish so many hours of the day right?