MediumMouthBass

@PhishLI I havent used the reel in several months, took it out yesterday, in order to cast it i had to set the brakes with as many turned on as i could just to make it castable, it didnt backlash but it also couldnt cast past 25-30 feet because of how over braked it is. Meanwhile the 2nd SLX at the same/lower braking settings casts great. So even if i did change the brakes, it doesnt matter either way it tops out at 25-30 feet.

Lews is a great band and i own many of their rods/reels, that being said their budget stuff is the opposite, their rods/reels under $80 fail soon if used too hard. A Carbon Fire was mentioned and while they are really cool rods, i bought the combo awhile ago used at a good price, had it out a couple times and then checked the reviews, the rod and reel are now in storage. So if you do buy a budget rod do alot of research on the reviews first. I own 43 rods, from $25 Berkley Cherrywoods, to $375 St Croixs. Most of my expensive stuff is in storage because of not wanting them to break, so i needed some rods that would have sensitivity, quality, and be good all around rods that had great reviews and if they did break they would be cheap enough to buy another. I did some research on TW and here on the forums, the Daiwa Aird X comes highly recommended, and is $55 so i picked 2 up. They had good sensitivity, good quality, and are great all around rods, TW had a promo awhile ago (not doing it now) where if you buy 5 or more of those rods you got them for $38 each. So i now own 14 of them. These in my opinion are the best rods $55 and under. Do some research on them here. (btw if you had any Tatula CT reels the rod matches in color). On a sale though i spent a bit more and got 2 Lews rods, the KVD Cranking rod and the TP1X casting rod, these rods run around $100-110 but i got them on sale for $66. Havent used the KVD yet but the TP1X rod is a very good rod if you can get one on sale and like Lews rods/reels. The place i got my Lews at is still running the promo but they arent a sponsor so youll have to do research to find the deal.

@dodgeguy Power Pro 50lb.

Thank you to all who replied, i appreciate you trying to help me with my reel. Many of you suggested that the brakes on the problem reel werent adjusted properly and that they should be at 3on/3off. Heres the problem with that, both reels came out of box at 3on/3off, the SLX with braided line was at 3on/3off and was having the problems casting/backlashing on that setting, but the SLX with hybrid line on the same setting does great. So if they are both on the same setting, and many of you recommended 3on/3off for the reel, why is one doing great and the other terrible on the same setting?

My Dobyns Fury is one of my favorite rods, but because of how many people break theirs ive put it in fishing storage and havent used it yet this season, i was just thinking about getting it to use for texas rigs and now heres another post about you breaking 4 of your Dobyns rods. I have some nice/expensive rods but am afraid of using them for this reason, so ill stick with using the $55 Daiwas for fishing, they are cheaper to replace if i break them.

I have 2 reels that can throw light lures, not bfs light but close enough for me. Daiwa Tatula SV TW 103 $210. Shimano SLX MGL 70 $150. These reels are both amazing at what they can do for the price they charge, they both excel at throwing lighter lures easier and farther, and thats both of their main selling points. The great thing about these reels is that you dont spend $300+ on a reel that can only throw bfs stuff, these can throw light lures and then the next day you can fish a jig off the bottom or do some flipping and pitching in the lily pads (with a line change or spare spool of course). Check out some reviews and videos on these 2 reels, they are a good investment and can be used for other bass fishing applications.

Awhile ago i bought a new Shimano SLX reel, spooled up with Power Pro 50lb braid and put it on a heavy rod for frogging and flipping into lily pads. Before i go any further into details, Yes i put mono backing on before braid. Yes i know how to use a baitcaster. Yes the braided line was put on tightly. Yes i put the reel on a Daiwa rod. But out of almost 2 dozen baitcasting reels this is only my 2nd one with braided line, so not sure if its the line or the reel since everything else has mono or YZ hybrid. When trying to cast a lure of any size/weight i can only cast it very gently around 20 feet. If i try to cast like i regularly do or put any amount of force to it/try to get some distance, the braided line will go insanse and backlash, birdsnest, get knotted up, etc.... Let me rephrase that, the reel can cast way past 20 feet, its just it will destroy the line. If i thumb the line it will backlash, same thing without thumbing the line. If i try going past 20 feet, it backlashes. Ive tried the spool tension on almost every setting, loose, tight etc... Same result. I decided to give another SLX a try, put 12lb hybrid on it and with the same settings i can cast lures very far with no issues, unless a little bit of fluff when throwing spinnerbaits, but it throws them far. Both reels are the same, only ones a left and the others a right, same gear ratio. etc.... I havent used the reel in awhile out of it not performing correctly, but i was originally thinking maybe it was because i had the braking system on how it came from the factory, well the 2nd one disproved that theory, it came the same from the factory on stock braking adjustment and works amazing. Most of you are probably thinking to adjust the internal brakes, but they are the same the other ones on? So before i dust it off and try it again, can the same brake settings be that much different from using 2 different types of line? And if so please give me your opinion on what they should be on/off so i can use it. Thank you.

@MontclairDave it might not be a total waste, they might have some older stock LFS boxes with the extras in it and give you one of them if they have any left.

Ive been trying different brands/sizes of spinnerbaits recently and i just dont know what they are doing in the water, i cant feel them vibrate so i dont know what speed the blades are going or where it is in the water column. So i just dont fish them much, which is a bummer since so many people catch big ones on them. But recently discovered that Strike King makes a night time one with a big colorado blade and this works for me, and works good. You can feel that blade turn every second you reel it in, im able to slow roll it right on the bottom and know exactly where its at and what its doing, and when it stops vibrating (stuck on grass) i just pop it up like a bladed jig and back to business.

This is going a bit too far, i dont understand why people are talking about no longer doing business with Tackle Warehouse over this. This isnt their fault, this is how Lews does thing now. I spent over $700 on Lews reels and got them exactly like yours, i was thinking maybe these were returns or someone stole the accessories, i emailed their customer service and they replied to me that my reels were all brand new and this is how they do things now, they do not include any plastic wrapper for the reel, no oil, no warranty card, no manual. Doesnt matter if you buy a LFS or a BB1 Pro, all you get is the reel and box. Your reel is more than likely brand new. Im guessing Lews is doing this to cut the costs down so they dont have to raise the prices of their reels $5-10.

Once youve saved alot of reel boxes you can put them on a wall and have a cool display.

Like those above said, depending on where you are green pumpkin can be the complete opposite color to use, im not sure what the crawfish in my local lakes are so i use greens, browns, oranges and reds. But for the river i found out awhile ago they are blue. Colors for bass are an interesting thing, you dont have to be exact, fish a trout swimbait in a lake with no trout and they will still eat it.

I ordered several $200+ Lews reels a few months ago, when i opened the boxes i thought maybe they were used or returned. I thought maybe their cheaper reels wouldnt come with it but their more expensive stuff should. Emailed their customer service and they told me they no longer give anything other than the reel in the box.

I can understand the part about him using the frog, sometimes when i know i can use a lure that will catch fish i will use something else because i either spent alot of money on a bunch of those lures, or i will try to catch fish on something i dont use alot.

@Darth-Baiter they are real and being sold as a one time offer direct from oakley to this place ive spent alot of money on other fishing products. They are the Valve and Canteen models if it helps.

Seems like most people arent liking Oakleys, but if i were able to get a pair or a couple pairs of new Oakleys for $70? would they be worth the investment at that price? I have wanted to try polarized glasses for awhile but they are usually very high priced so if anyone can tell me if these are worth it on sale i would appreciate it.

@Jar11591 yet another person missing the point. Im not saying work for free, im saying all small businesses and trades will eventually all fail because they will never be able to compete with companies worth billions and hundreds of millions. The entitlement im talking about isnt the pay, it was about the workers in my generation, the laziest generation to ever exist in all of humanity, the people my age either 1 go to college and come out thinking everyone else should pay for it, and they should be treated like royalty. 2 they barely ever show up to a job, and if they do they let everyone else do the work while they take their 20th brake of the hour. This is just my experience working with people my age so far.

Entitlement is my generations biggest problem, they believe as soon as they get a degree they should be worshipped like royalty, thats probably why 75% now work at burger king for $25 flipping burgers.

The point im trying to make that not many are getting is, Owning a small business in America now is extremely difficult, you have no idea what these guys have to do to stay in business in a post covid era. The insurance costs, utilities, maintenance, fees, taxes etc... So with inflation they are paying alot more to get what they are selling, but if they raise the prices too much their customers will complain and stop shopping their. So please tell me how a small business barely staying afloat that is paying alot more for products but can only raise the prices a small bit without losing customers is supposed to now pay each employee $10-$15 extra per hour on top of minimum wage for entry level jobs. A big corporation worth hundreds of millions of dollars can afford this, but in my opinion this will ruin the work force of America, and will cause many if not every small business/trades to go out of business. No one will work these small shops anymore because hey go flip burgers for $25, instead of working there for $15. The older men and women will think wow ive been working at this job for 3 decades and i can just quit and flip burgers for the same price. With inflation, yes workers should make more, but not an insane amount. I can understand paying good long term employees in harder jobs more, but their pay is staying the same. While entry level jobs that shouldnt even be higher than minimum wage are now skyrocketing way past what they are worth. What will happen is this. All the mechanics, plumbers, welders, doctors, construction workers, etc... will be gone because why do hard work that matters when you can bag grocerys or flip burgers for the same if not more money.

@ThatFishingGuy alright, but then youll be complaining when your paying 50% more for everything you buy from that shop right? And thats the big corporations plan. Make sure no small business can pay their workers and then they will own it all.

In the old America, men and women worked in terribly awful conditions and got paid a couple cents to a couple dollars for an extreme amount of work. Ask any older man or woman who lived during or just after WW2. These workers today have it made, and are being treated like royalty for flipping burgers.

Most people on here have said to tell your friend to pay more since most big corporations are paying 5-10 dollars more for easier work. Thats just the problem, these big corporations come in offering what took most people a decade or 2 of work to earn for doing basic level entry jobs to people with little to no experience. These companys can definitely afford it, but can all the small businesses in your town survive if they are paying out more than they are making? If everyone in America can make $25 for working at a fast food chain, then any and all small businesses and trades will eventually all fail. If you take these new workers and tell them work ethic means nothing and hard work means nothing, but hey heres twice as much in pay as that small shop down the streets paying, that small shop down the street will be closing. And in order for these smaller shops and stores to stay open and actually have people employed, well they will have to eventually raise their prices atleast 25% if not way more. And then no one will shop their because they can get it from Amazon or Walmart cheaper.

@biggin the shoalie, like most kayaks inst meant to have the seat taken off to fish, so that big fish is cool with that option, but theres more than plently of room for standing on the deck. Right in front of the seat are the low position built in seat holders, they dont get in the way if fishing on the deck. After that, all the orange-ish cork is foam deck pad kit. Towards the front is the built in fish finder holder, this is so far towards the front i doubt anyone would need to stand that far towards it (balance would be very stressed if putting all the weight in the front or rear of any kayak). The built in measurement area is made to put a catch board in if doing a kayak tournament, but is around half inch-inch in the middle and gets deeper on the sides, it may seem to be in the way from pictures, but ive had mine since November, and that area doesnt get in the way at all. Check out a youtube video on them to get a better idea of the floor on it. I bought it because it fit my wants for a fishing kayak 100% of the way, excellent stability but yet still very easy and fast to maneuver/turn, excellent tracking and speed even with higher winds, plus the hull design meant for the river (im 5 minutes from Susquehanna River). Its made with Aquatuf material which is "proven to have the lowest failure rate in the industry" plus the lifetime warranty and made 100% in America. It took me a few months of research and alot of work to know for sure this was 100% for me, but its not for everyone. Every kayaker wants/needs different options, accessories, certain brands, paddle/pedal/trolling motor. Some want more stability over speed, some want more features over both. Id highly suggest finding a kayaking dealer near you that does demos or rentals and try a few to find what one fits you the best. Edit. The area you circled right infront of the seat is raised, that whole area under and on the side of the seat was designed exactly for tackle tray storage. so if you took the seat out it would be in the way.

Are you talking about the built in measuring area? if so it wont be a problem with standing and walking on it. If thats not it can you draw over the image?

Sieberts Jigs are very, very high quality, so those are my main Football/Flipping jigs. Although if im fishing brush where the line might break off ill use Crock O Gator jigs, these are good too, they are around 2 jigs for $3 or less.