I found some used Saros FA's for under $100 and I love them as an inshore spinning reel. A lot of people recommend the Penn Battle as well. If you look around enough as well, new Daiwa Procyon's can be had for $99. At the end of the day though, I'm personally a Shimano Saros guy. You can find older ...

I love those sickle hooks on that jighead. But that crappie is a SLAB!! Good work.

Absolutely beautiful rod. I really love the look of the reel seat though

CQ51_Livre85mmUL.JPG HH_wooden_knobs.JPG Livre_14new101.JPG HH_dressup_parts.JPG HH_dressup_sideplate.JPG All four are e_bassfisher super tuned (upgraded drag, bearings & internals polished) 1st 51 has Livre 85mm UL handle, PKbearings (5x11x4, 3x10x4 & 3x7x3), carbontex drag washers, Baka-rush hex ...

lpquick wrote:New 2014 Conquest 101 is the REAL deal!

Just handled one at a local tackle shop....didn't think it could get any better. I really love the dial on the side for adjusting the brakes.

I'm still loving my Exsence DC and Calais DCs though.

Not braid, but I use Fireline in 8#, 14#, and 20#. All depends on the application and size of the reel. Fireline once it is broken in is pretty darn good and has a ridiculous breaking strength.

When I spool braid, I always use a small amount of mono backing (to prevent any possible slippage) and then wind the braid on TIGHT. Been doing it this way for 10+ years and never had an issue.

I'm using PE 2 Varivas line on my Shimano Exsence DC. I used to have issues using braided line on other baitcasters, but whatever Shimano has done on their Exsence reels (which are supposedly specifically designed for PE lines) has really helped in overall casting and preventing digging.

I can definitely understand the sentiment about MagSeal on a baitcaster. I only have one MagSeal spinning reel and it concerns me that I cannot do any maintenance. However, I will admit that I have not had any issues with my Daiwa reel that has MagSeal technology. As long as Daiwa's service is good ...

Righty but I wish I reeled lefty :/

Excited to see what new rods they build in the future. I still haven't committed to testing a 13 Fishing rod out yet, but the Omen Green series for inshore fishing seems to be of pretty good value.

G. Loomis hands down. Whether it is factory rods or custom rods I had built on their blanks, they just performed really well. Moreover, their customer service has been on par for me. Broke the tip off a custom built rod and they replaced it with a comparable factory rod (since they stopped making bl...

Conquest 50...just something about those drilled sideplates

Great article to read. Thanks for the share. Hopefully as more fishermen switch to hollowcore outside of the jigging scene, the price will drop subsequently.

I tried for a year to train myself to reel with my left hand on a baitcaster, but it just didn't feel right. Not sure what it is since I reel with my left hand on spinning reels..