Double post

I suspect I'm not as well educated as you!

Something about these "best of" list's. Seldom see much in the way of reels under $100 on them! I have never paid that much for a reel and have three ABU's and I love them but there are other's made just as well! Hard to believe isn't it? My most expensive ABU was my 6500 but then I've had it a long time too!. Actually have had most my level winds a long time. I switch off on rod and reels all the time and as many as I have, not much by a lot of standards, I'm never gonna wear one out! Better than these best of articles I think would be articles looking at specific reels. What does someone really think of some lesser cost reel? My ABU's are all over 20 yrs old and still work fine but I have enough reels that these days I use them once every couple weeks about just to give them their turn! I ain't gonna wear out much of any reel! A reel I got on sale that surprised me is my Daiwa Millionaire. Gave something like $30 for it at a going out of business sale, wish I'd have bought every one they had but I'd never read much about them and just figured for the price, I'd try one. Should have bought them all! Have a Kastking Rover 40 and the only reason I have it is it was about $45 at the time and I figured that wasn't gonna break the bank. Only reason I ever even heard of it was some guy on an internet site was bashing it and I could not believe anything could be that bad, it's no where near that bad! I bet you already know this but the best reel just depends on who your talking to! Best for the money is to me a phony description meaning you can do a lot better but they never tell you what they don't like about the "for the money" reel!

Decide what you want, low profile or round and then go look at as many as you can find and handle them a bit. Or if you see one on the internet that appeals to you and the price suits you, try it! The only reason I have my Kastking or my Millionaire is because for the money(!) I decided to give them a try. I'd buy another of each in a heart beat if I wasn't so reel poor!

I had an Ocuma I gave away, only like UL for the most part. But I have to give Ocuma credit. That was one well built and smooth reel, big too. How big of fish he be looking for? Ocean makes a big difference. As a kid we'd go fishing in Long Island Sound for Flounder and Fluke and started out with Penn level winds. Got a bit older and added Mackeral to it and used Mitchell 300's. I'm not so sure getting one rod and reel is a good idea unless he target's the same size fish all the time. What works well for a Flounder might not be so hot with a Salmon!

I mentioned Ul for Mackeral but I don't think you'd have a lot of use for UL other than that in the ocean. I have a Daiwa J-25 spinning reel that I'd consider for bay fishing here with a 7' MH rod. But the Ocean is a long way off and the few time's I have gone over there ti fish I've taken my ABU 6500 on a 7' rod.

Brownlee Resivour near Huntington. Best in Oregon!

I used to do a lot of rifle shooting and over the years I've seen the same thing happen there. Guy's really digging in and making it a lot more technical than need be. Funny thing to me is I've been using level winds by choice for a lot of years and I see guy's tear them apart to clean and oil them and they seem to know what they are doing. I don't have a clue. On the occasion I do tear one apart, I use regular car lube grease and sewing machine oil or if none of that 3 in 1 oil! I don't know, seems to work. I always start wondering if I'll really get it all back together working but so far so good!

I was wondering about the handles up bit and now I remember. When I learned on an old direct drive Zebco I was told handles up also. Boy that was a long time ago. I do still do that a lot but ever so slowly growing away from it! BTW, those of you don't know, handles up means to cast turn the reel on it's side with the handles facing up! Damn that was a long time ago!

I think if I wanted to do it, this would be the way. What I do with old line is cast as far as I can and cut the line in front of the rod. Then move the sinker back to the cut spot and cast again. Cut the line and call it good. Seems to me reversing the line is more trouble than it's worth. You could by simply using a new reel but then to get it back on the same reel you'll have to do it two more time's. Have to do that to simply reverse the line. Just seem's like a lot of bother to me. After the second cut you can tie new line to the line left on the reel and re-spool.

In the end, your gonna find that the secrete to it is in your thumb. Start with easy toss's. As you toss keep light contact on the spool with your thumb. The reels today can maybe adjust that out for you but I find it best to control the spool with my thumb. Takes a bunch of getting used to but works great!

Got four decent eater catfish but other than them this has been a really bad year. Been out a bunch of time's and after those four, not a thing. last night went to the deepest hole I know of and absolutely nothing!

Sounds to me like you cut the tag end to short! Something you might do is before you cut off the tag end, tie an overhand knot and slip it up to the other knot. Had to go look at that snell knot, it's the one I tie hooks on with but can't remember the name of all the knots. A good knot if you don't want the snell is a Palomar knot. Easy to tie!

https://www.animatedknots.com/fishing-knots

That is called a direct drive reel. You simply cast and need to learn to control the spool with your thumb. I have a couple of those including the original Zebco I learned on. Drag is in your thumb also on most of those. I've seen years ago, guy's attach a leather pad on the reel to keep from burning their thumb. Looks like I can only find two. That old Zebco that I got new about 1968 and a Shakespheare. Once you get used to them they are fun to fool with!

Wish I could launch my boat at Prineville Res and go for crappie, I'd invite you along. For now I'm going down to the John Day river about 15 mi from here for catfish but still kind slow there this year. Have to walk in and I usually take along a bucket to sit on. catching cats is fun and if crappie are on, fishing is fast!

USAF 1965-1973

Nice thing I think about the kayak is easy to launch about anywhere. But if you had say a 10" aluminum Jon boat pretty much the same could be said. Then on the Jon boat you put a small outboard and you get where your going quicker. I've though about a kayak a number of times but, not sure standing in one at this point in my life is a good idea. Also you sit close to the floor in them and getting up is hard for me. I have a 16' fiberglass canoe I'm finally gonna take out this year, boat ramp's at my favorite place are not working due to really low water. The canoe is really pretty heavy but I can drag it and get it on top my pickup one end at a time! Have been out when the water was really low before and have had my 15' Jon boat and 20 hp motor in about 2" of water, I don't go very fast then and am looking for a way out. If I had to choose between my Jon boat and a kayak, I'll take the Jon boar every time. If I was 20 yrs younger that might change and then I'd probably have both!

I add to it every year or two. Would do it every year but I forget! Take a 2 oz weight and cast as far as I can, cut the line and do it again then tie on new line and refill.