PixInTheSix

They fit my hand really well and run beautifully, casting long and they're super smooth. I have 9 TD-X 103HVA and the TD-X 105HiA I just found.

Found this locally today on a buy/sell site similar to Craigslist to add to my 'classic' TD-X collection. It's a TD-X 105HiA that looks like it was only taken out of the box to spool up (with some really thin braid which I've already taken off). There's no signs of wear/use anywhere on it at all and the spool spins forever after a I put a couple of drops of Hoppe's 9 oil on the bearings. He was asking $250 for it (Canadian, so ~US$180) and I very quickly talked him down to half of that which works out to ~US$90 - and he delivered it to me for no additional fee. My plan is to replace the main, pinion and worm shaft gears and drop it down from 6.3:1 to 5.1:1 and use my brand new 20+ year old reel for crankbaits.

Not sure if you heard but Jim Scoutten passed away in July of this year. I used to watch him on the rare occasion that I was able to catch an episode of Shooting USA; he was really easy to listen to and knew his stuff.

Despite owing dozens of them in different sizes and colors, I've never caught a bass on a flipping jig. I've never even missed a bass on a flipping jig.

You mean clean like this...? Knowing how fragile the finish on these reels is, I've just always made a point to be sure they sit reel up on the deck because as we all know, boat carpet is like sandpaper.

Nice. I wish I had a few more of them. This one was a sample from Top Brass that I never got around to using.

That would definitely be the same company. They make a Carolina Ready Rig which is everything (weight, bead, swivels, etc.) all put together on a wire so all you need to do is tie one end to your main line, add a leader with your favorite plastic on the opposite side and start casting. They're in Mississippi. Their web site is pretty rough but it's here; https://www.topbrasstackle.com

I was going through one of my bins of tackle and found this that I'd completely forgotten about. In the mid-late 90s I was a small volume distributor in souther Ontario for a number of brands including Top Brass and they had just come out with an all metal lipless crankbait called the X-Shad. It was (obviously) heavier than a Rat-L-Trap and had a great, loud rattle. I don't recall seeing them around for long and can't find anything online now.

Loooong time lurker, I decided it's high time I logged in and contributed something. Here are a few frames I shot recently of some of my gear which includes a stable full of Team Daiwa TD-X baitcasters and some Shimano Sustain & Stradic spinning reels (almost) all exclusively paired with Castaway rods out of Texas.