My response will be limited to developments in spinning reels. Handle knobs --especially in lower-end spinning reels--often have too much side-to-side movement while the handle is turned, resulting in annoying ticks. Bearing installation seems too expensive a fix for some manufacturers, so it would ...

Mean Green's main virtue--as I recall from others' posts about it three decades ago--was its limpness. I bought some spools of it, but just used it for backing on spools after I found out how weak it was compared to other nylon monofilament lines. Compared to AN40, for example, its tensile strength ...

tincanary wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:45 am

Top left, scratch built 2500C IAR from aftermarket and new old stock parts.... The lightest round reel I own coming in at 6.0 oz.

Shazam! I would never have dreamed that possible in the classic Ambassadeur format. I can see why you are so attached to these reels.

Thanks for letting us know.

Thanks for the reply. I probably wouldn't have thought to check the gear interchangeability.

Well done!

Sorry about those big birds, hoohoorjoo! I once had a great blue heron fly low over me from behind to try to grab my walking topwater. I can't imagine trying to unhook a big heron or an osprey!

mark poulson wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 24, 2023 10:39 am

...
Both the carp and catfish, both over 20lbs, ruined the aluminum gears in two baitcasters!

Bummer! Shimanos (Micro Module?) Daiwas, or....?

I just received a JDM Stradic FM (2000 size, 6:1 ratio). It has no ticks, and I can't advise you on that. I do have a question for anyone with the new Stradic FM: Do you find its startup inertia to be greater than you expected? I sure do on mine. My larger (2500 size), years-old Stradic Ci4+ require...

No one ever seems to talk about a J knot. It’s hard to tie with a long leader, but I only have to do it once. It easily lasts a full day of tournament fishing, and I’m talking Great Lakes/St Clair smallmouth fishing…. Where you catch a LOT in a day and big ones too. I use the J Knot when tying Nano...

South Bend Bass Oreno
Ozark Mountain Woodchopper 4.5"
Heddon Brush Popper

What I ever-so-briefly thought to be a state-record smallmouth as I saw its broad white underside begin to emerge on an uncharacteristic full jump was instead a 6 lb. channel catfish. I have also caught a 20 lb. carp that took a crappie jig fished on 4 lb. test mono, three bowfins, a snakehead, and ...

One factor might be how well Recoils vs. ceramic rings pass braid-to-leader knots. Do you plan to use leaders, and if so, what would be the largest diameter? What is your joining knot of preference? I don't know that Recoils would impede knot passage more than ceramic guides would, but the latter ty...

...my favorite copoly line Suffix Advantage...broke off twice on heavy hooksets when fishing shiners. I was using 20lb Advantage as leader with 20lb braid.... The breaks were impact breaks from the actual hook set. Sufix advertises its Advance monofilament as having "only half the stretch of a stan...

Thank you for the detailed comparison, rubs 96. That's exactly the kind of info I needed. This illustrates the disparity in lure ratings among manufacturers. The Legend Elite has a low-end weight rating of 1/8 oz. compared to the Tatula Elite AGS's low-end rating of 3/16 oz., but you have found the ...