• Ready to add to BFT arsenal(it is the last one I am buying).

21 hours ago, ATA said:

• (it is the last one I am buying).

🤭

21 hours ago, ATA said:

• Ready to add to BFT arsenal(it is the last one I am buying).

What ya fishing for? Those have stainless gears don’t they? Sweet!

On 8/16/2025 at 5:52 PM, ATA said:

• Ready to add to BFT arsenal(it is the last one I am buying).

 

aiming for those Yellow Tails aren't you ? 

On 8/17/2025 at 12:31 PM, F14A-B said:

What ya fishing for? Those have stainless gears don’t they? Sweet!

That's my smallest Bluefin Tuna reel 😃

19 hours ago, Falkus said:

 

aiming for those Yellow Tails aren't you ? 

yup and yellowfin and bluefin.

Just done a preorder today to get a new NASCI 3000 when they come in. Could be in during September (hopefully). If not, no big deal, don’t really need it. Looks like price increase is only about 10%. Expected it to be higher. Has a few new features that I like what I see. 
I fish quite a few of them now. No complaints and never a problem. 

Tactical Bassin 210 Wake for $20 on sale (retails for $75) 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/River2Sea_Tactical_Wake_210_WakeBait/descpage-R2STW.html

 

Also picked up a Shimano Tranx 150 for inshore fluke fishing for NC trip this week. My first baitcaster for the salt. Hope it holds up. Feels like a bit of overkill to me—but the fluke down here get to monstrous sizes and it will double as a small glide bait reel for freshwater up north. So one way or another it will get well-used. 

On 8/23/2025 at 1:20 PM, MontclairDave said:

Tactical Bassin 210 Wake for $20 on sale (retails for $75) 

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/River2Sea_Tactical_Wake_210_WakeBait/descpage-R2STW.html

 

Also picked up a Shimano Tranx 150 for inshore fluke fishing for NC trip this week. My first baitcaster for the salt. Hope it holds up. Feels like a bit of overkill to me—but the fluke down here get to monstrous sizes and it will double as a small glide bait reel for freshwater up north. So one way or another it will get well-used. 

 

thanks for sharing.

I know few post back I said that reel will be my last, But this two combos are for her, Not me. She earned them fair and square.

Days like today are what I live for. I hit the pawn shops again today looking for rods and reels for my 12 year old son to beat up in saltwater and I found one for him and one for me today.

 

 

I found a unique old Zebco/Quantum HyperCast spinning reel, an HC3 still smooth and fully functional. A neat old reel! I think my son is going to like this one. And it came on a brand new Berkley CherryWood 7' MH F rod for $10. And with the cork grip still covered in its original new plastic protective cover still on it. Like new. So my son gets a rod and reel for $10.

 

When I finish rebuilding this old reel and getting it all cleaned up, who knows, I might use it for a bit. Never had one of these!

 

AI search says:

 

"The Zebco Quantum Hypercast HC3 is a vintage spinning reel featuring a unique one-handed operation system with a lever to open the bail and grab the line, a complexity highlighted by its internal fork and firing pin mechanism. It incorporates a worm gear drive for its balanced rotor, front drag, and auto anti-reverse. As a relatively old and uncommon model, it is often found on marketplaces like eBay and Etsy."

 

But that other rod stopped me in my tracks. I search and search and search for these rods and persistence pays off every once in awhile and today was one of those fabulous find days!

 

I found a rod and reel combo in a rack for $25...

 

 

Upon closer look and what did I find today? An unbroken in good used condition, an All Star rod made in USA by LCI, Inc., or Loomis Composites Corporation, Inc.  from back in the days before Founder of All Star rods Morgan McCain was making his own "made in Houston, Tx" rods.

 

Morgan McCain when he started All Star rods he did NOT make his own rods at that time. He sourced all of his blanks from Loomis Composites Corp. which was Gary Loomis and his partner Don Mook. Later on Morgan McCain would ask Don Mook to come to Houston, Texas to build him his own rod blank factory so Morgan could begin making his own rods. This one predates that! It is definitely an LCI rod!

 

The cool thing is I can rebuild the reel, an Abu Ambassadeur 5000 and resell it online for $50 to $60 all day long, and when I do, this Gary Loomis rod will not only be free, but that pawn shop will have paid me $20 to $30 just to take it off their hands! How cool is that? Paid to take another Gary Loomis rod! I did the same with my last GLoomis pawn shop rod find. Persistence and determination pays off today!

 

This one is kind of a rare model and sought after. The last comment in this old thread shown below is some guy asking if anyone wants to part with one of these rods. Um, no, not really. I plan on stripping the guides off this rod today and start turning it into a spiral wrapped rod with modern micro guides. Can't wait to finish this one. Like I needed one more rod. I cannot pass up a Gary Loomis rod. Once it is my hands it is NOT going back in the rack unless the price is outrageous. But not today! SOLD!

 

 

 

 

A Zell Rowland "Topwater Special" rod. Online says its a MH F rod, but by my estimate its an upper M F.

 

One thing I did pass up today and I am kind of kicking myself for doing so was this box of lures. A lot of them in there were all wooden older Rapala lures. Priced at $25 I probably could have bought it for $20 or less. I might go back and take a closer look. Just one lure in this box could be worth what they are asking for the whole box.

 

What a great Loomis day today is! There is a God! And the he side of God made Loomis rods! 

 

 

And this one just arrived in the mail today. Another saltwater baitrunner. This one is an Okuma Avenger 8000 in almost out of the box like new condition. It was offered on ebay as a broken parts/repair reel. Only one other person bid on it. I got it for $15 plus shipping. These retail around $100 or so.

 

I emailed the seller and asked him what was wrong with it and he said the drag did not work. I did not say a word to him about it that maybe, just maybe he did not use backing line. I saw no reason the drag should not be working on a like new reel. So I kept my mouth shut and bought it because its an 8000 size for my 12 year son to use in saltwater, and sure enough the line slips around the spool no matter what he sets the drag to. Gee, that's a simple fix. Thanks!

 

Should I email the seller and clue them in? I don't want to make him feel bad for messing up like this. But hey, maybe he will do it again! 😁

 

I'd say all that free braid line is worth what I paid for the reel! Maybe I should feel guilty or something? Nah.

 

2 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Days like today are what I live for. I hit the pawn shops again today looking for rods and reels for my 12 year old son to beat up in saltwater and I found one for him and one for me today.

 

 

I found a unique old Zebco/Quantum HyperCast spinning reel, an HC3 still smooth and fully functional. A neat old reel! I think my son is going to like this one. And it came on a brand new Berkley CherryWood 7' MH F rod for $10. And with the cork grip still covered in its original new plastic protective cover still on it. Like new. So my son gets a rod and reel for $10.

 

When I finish rebuilding this old reel and getting it all cleaned up, who knows, I might use it for a bit. Never had one of these!

 

AI search says:

 

"The Zebco Quantum Hypercast HC3 is a vintage spinning reel featuring a unique one-handed operation system with a lever to open the bail and grab the line, a complexity highlighted by its internal fork and firing pin mechanism. It incorporates a worm gear drive for its balanced rotor, front drag, and auto anti-reverse. As a relatively old and uncommon model, it is often found on marketplaces like eBay and Etsy."

 

But that other rod stopped me in my tracks. I search and search and search for these rods and persistence pays off every once in awhile and today was one of those fabulous find days!

 

I found a rod and reel combo in a rack for $25...

 

 

Upon closer look and what did I find today? An unbroken in good used condition, an All Star rod made in USA by LCI, Inc., or Loomis Composites Corporation, Inc.  from back in the days before Founder of All Star rods Morgan McCain was making his own "made in Houston, Tx" rods.

 

Morgan McCain when he started All Star rods he did NOT make his own rods at that time. He sourced all of his blanks from Loomis Composites Corp. which was Gary Loomis and his partner Don Mook. Later on Morgan McCain would ask Don Mook to come to Houston, Texas to build him his own rod blank factory so Morgan could begin making his own rods. This one predates that! It is definitely an LCI rod!

 

The cool thing is I can rebuild the reel, an Abu Ambassadeur 5000 and resell it online for $50 to $60 all day long, and when I do, this Gary Loomis rod will not only be free, but that pawn shop will have paid me $20 to $30 just to take it off their hands! How cool is that? Paid to take another Gary Loomis rod! I did the same with my last GLoomis pawn shop rod find. Persistence and determination pays off today!

 

This one is kind of a rare model and sought after. The last comment in this old thread shown below is some guy asking if anyone wants to part with one of these rods. Um, no, not really. I plan on stripping the guides off this rod today and start turning it into a spiral wrapped rod with modern micro guides. Can't wait to finish this one. Like I needed one more rod. I cannot pass up a Gary Loomis rod. Once it is my hands it is NOT going back in the rack unless the price is outrageous. But not today! SOLD!

 

 

 

 

A Zell Rowland "Topwater Special" rod. Online says its a MH F rod, but by my estimate its an upper M F.

 

One thing I did pass up today and I am kind of kicking myself for doing so was this box of lures. A lot of them in there were all wooden older Rapala lures. Priced at $25 I probably could have bought it for $20 or less. I might go back and take a closer look. Just one lure in this box could be worth what they are asking for the whole box.

 

What a great Loomis day today is! There is a God! And the he side of God made Loomis rods! 

 

 

And this one just arrived in the mail today. Another saltwater baitrunner. This one is an Okuma Avenger 8000 in almost out of the box like new condition. It was offered on ebay as a broken parts/repair reel. Only one other person bid on it. I got it for $15 plus shipping. These retail around $100 or so.

 

I emailed the seller and asked him what was wrong with it and he said the drag did not work. I did not say a word to him about it that maybe, just maybe he did not use backing line. I saw no reason the drag should not be working on a like new reel. So I kept my mouth shut and bought it because its an 8000 size for my 12 year son to use in saltwater, and sure enough the line slips around the spool no matter what he sets the drag to. Gee, that's a simple fix. Thanks!

 

Should I email the seller and clue them in? I don't want to make him feel bad for messing up like this. But hey, maybe he will do it again! 😁

 

I'd say all that free braid line is worth what I paid for the reel! Maybe I should feel guilty or something? Nah.

 

Nice Loomis. Is the rod still straight? 

Perfectly. I don't buy crooked rods! That would bug me forever. I'd have to try and straighten it.

 

I passed one of these rods up a few weeks ago in Deland Florida pawn shop that had too much tip broken off to be useful. Had to put that one back in the rack and it killed me!

 

That's 3 Loomis rods in less than one month, and total spent less than $120 for all 3. Not a bad month. And the reels will help pay for most of them once sold. I was working the bundle deals hard!

A dozen years ago,  I spent a lot of time in Corpus - all my major clients in rock-throwing distance.  When I had an afternoon to kill, I'd sweep the pawn shops, looking for old leverguns, falling and rolling blocks that possibly made their way from S. Texas ranches (never found one that wasn't too pitted to be interesting).  

The shop that carried the most tackle was in Flour Bluff, over the bridge from Padre Island.  Most times I was there, the same teenagers arrived to sell tackle.  

No question they swept the canal neighborhoods (VRBO rentals) on Padre Island and "collected" tackle.  (probably at night, probably from docked boats)

22 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

 

 

 

 

I sure do remember that reel.

 

I never owned one but I definitely remember seeing it in stores/magazines.

 

Cool find.

I had a hypercast my dad would use.  He hated it.  You had to check the line at the bail on every cast.  Braid would wrap around the bail arm instead of falling into the line roller and then fail to release on the cast.  I think it would work fine with stiffer plastic lines but braid would catch.  

The other extreme from @ATA's bluewater rods.  

A pair of UL IM6 Japanese ferruled rod blades matched to Ali Express champion-ferrule rod grips.  

4'8" spinner (Hitotoki Wickman) matched with micron-frame Tica Cetus, 1-10g

4'7" baitfinesse (Kuramochi Limbs) matched with bench-mod + mag brake Langley 310XN Streamlite, 2-9g.  

Both grips were kits, with bench epoxy work.  The LureSport spinning grip was $40, vs. $140++ for equivalent Japanese grip.  

I paid a bit more for the Aioushi offset bait grip, but still half of the closest Japan grip.  

The casting blade was such a light twig, I had to swap the cork grasp with the carbon grasp I already had made up - couldn't feel the lure weight with cork grip.  

The niche is stream trout, throwing micro-spoons, spinners, and micro-plugs in tight spaces, but I'll mostly use them for endemic river bass (Texas Brook Trout) in limestone headwaters.  

So anyone who’s following the latest sales thread knows a handful of us bought Abu Garcia Veritas TE rods. Here’s mine paired up with the reel of choice as of now.

What is in that case?

20 minutes ago, ATA said:

What is in that case?

Poker chips, my 18 year old son and his buddies get together quite a bit and play Texas hold em tournaments 😉

Edited September 21, 2025Sep 21 by Eric 26
Grammar

Picked up my GLoomis SJR721 IMX pro today that I had ordered from my local shop.   Not sure I really needed it but my IMX pro SJR 782 is a gem of a rod that I really love for a variety of techniques.  The 721 version was one I always wanted as its twin for lighter baits. I feel like this is a rod that may eventually get phased out and if I wait too long I’ll miss out.  So placed the order. 
 

It’s a sweet little rod that is for sure.  Still need to fish it but in my hands it is all I’ve come to expect in Loomis rods and appears it will become a favourite too. 

 

Funny my 782 although rated medium, to me always has fished as a ML.  This 721 rated light feels more like a medium at first look. A soft tip then just a wicked back bone for a little rod.  Feels like a special taper. Can’t wait to load it up on a bass!
 

Amazon got me with one of their sneaky coupons that seem to show up for no reason. 30% off a Dobyns champ extreme 745C

Paired with an 8 speed Tatula 100

On 10/4/2025 at 9:53 PM, Jaybert said:

Picked up my GLoomis SJR721 IMX pro today that I had ordered from my local shop.   Not sure I really needed it but my IMX pro SJR 782 is a gem of a rod that I really love for a variety of techniques.  The 721 version was one I always wanted as its twin for lighter baits. I feel like this is a rod that may eventually get phased out and if I wait too long I’ll miss out.  So placed the order. 
 

It’s a sweet little rod that is for sure.  Still need to fish it but in my hands it is all I’ve come to expect in Loomis rods and appears it will become a favourite too. 

 

Funny my 782 although rated medium, to me always has fished as a ML.  This 721 rated light feels more like a medium at first look. A soft tip then just a wicked back bone for a little rod.  Feels like a special taper. Can’t wait to load it up on a bass!
 

Awesome! I have the slightly longer IMX Pro SJR 901 and I love it. 

21 minutes ago, Hulkster said:

Awesome! I have the slightly longer IMX Pro SJR 901 and I love it. 

Nice ! IMX pro are fantastic rods, expensive  here in Canada but good value overall and worth it in my experience!

10 hours ago, Jaybert said:

Nice ! IMX pro are fantastic rods, expensive  here in Canada but good value overall and worth it in my experience!

Agreed! I'm in Ontario and they are $540 up here, our dollar SUCKS lol 

 

I would give my pecker away to be able to fish with the next level up, but as you know the GLX's are $800+ up here

4 hours ago, Hulkster said:

I would give my pecker away to be able to fish with the next level up, but as you know the GLX's are $800+ up here

 

Bro, ain't no fishing pole worth THAT price!!!