07-05-2007, 04:18 PM
I'm a newb here on BFT, but have been fishing a long time, ever since I was 7 (I'm 35 now), I've tried lots of different kinds of tackle, from the basic Zebco 202 kit I learned on as a child, to the latest Überfast retrieve, high-tech, rear "Fightin' Drag" equipped spinning reel, and super-high-end Ultra-Graphite rods, i've even dabbled in Bait-casting equipment....
I've been "out of the loop" in fishing for a couple years, due to a heavy work schedule and having moved a couple times, my previous general purpose rig was a Daiwa Procaster PowerMesh 6'6" Medium action rod and a first-gen Shimano Spirex 4000, great setup, I loved it....
I thought I had lost my fishing rods in the last move, and was rather annoyed with myself, so, I needed to replace my setup
I shopped around, and without getting too wordy and in depth (i could post a long, rambly account of my quest for replacement hardware, but it'd be long and rambly and perhaps not too interesting.....), I picked up a Shimano Sonora 2500 and a 7' Ugly Stik Lite, great little setup, long, effortless casts, smooth retrieve, a great general purpose setup with 6 and 8 pound line
the feature that most impressed me on the reel was the Super-Stopper II infinite anti-reverse, my previous reel, the Spirex, had the Quick-Fire II self-centering bail, and I always hated the self-centering feature, too much back-play for slack-line hook-sets, so for me, the Super-Stopper II technology was quite impressive, I never really saw the need for QFII, but the Spirex only came configured as a QFII reel
So, I was happy with my new rig, but I still missed the tackle that I lost, it aggravated me that I misplaced a good amount of expensive fishing tackle, so I took one final, halfhearted look through the garage, nothing on the walls, I swung my flashlight up into the open rafters....
the beam from my modified SureFire E1L (McR 20S reflector and Seoul Semiconductor P4 LED, approximately 90 lumens of light off a single CR123a battery) glinted off a familiar round shape, sticking out of a blue canvas bag
could it be??
let me change the angle a bit....
It IS!, I FOUND my long-"lost" tackle! WOOHOO!!
I grabbed a ladder, and pulled the bag down, it was all there....
my Bass-One LH retrieve bait-caster on a 5'6" Medium Berkeley Lightning Rod Pro
my Daiwa 500EL Ultralight on a 6' Fenwick GLC Graphite UL rod
my Daiwa Procaster PowerMesh 6'.....wait....where's the reel....
Oh here it is, a first-generation Shimano Spirex 4000 on a Gaylans HMG 6'6" Medium Graphite rod, when did I buy *that* rod, oh yeah, on my vacation 2 years ago to Virginia....
Hmm, I never realized how annoying QFII was, that Super-Stopper II thing is so much better....
Hey, I have a spare rod, the perfect excuse to buy another reel!
So, I went back to Kittery Trading Post, and purchased a Shimano Sedona 4000, and had it spooled with 6 and 8 pound line, I bought the Sedona with a very specific purpose in mind, I was going to perform a "Handle-Ectomy"
I swapped handles with the Spirex, I put the Spirex's double-handle on the Sedona, and the Sedona's handle on the Spirex, moved the Spirex to the Daiwa Procaster, moved the Sonora to the Gaylans HMG, and moved the Sedona to the Ugly Lite, now I had my *perfect* setup...
A Sedona 4000 with Spirex handles on a 7' Medium action Ugly Stik Lite, I get the balanced handles of the Spirex and the superior Super-Stopper II anti-reverse of the Sedona, the Spirex handles really smooth out the retrieve of the Sedona
Hmm, and it looks like the Spirex handles would fit the Sonora as well, maybe I should order a couple spare sets of Spirex handles from Shimano, I really like the balance of the Spirex Double-handle....
It took me a while, but I finally have my perfect general purpose freshwater setup
[signature]
I've been "out of the loop" in fishing for a couple years, due to a heavy work schedule and having moved a couple times, my previous general purpose rig was a Daiwa Procaster PowerMesh 6'6" Medium action rod and a first-gen Shimano Spirex 4000, great setup, I loved it....
I thought I had lost my fishing rods in the last move, and was rather annoyed with myself, so, I needed to replace my setup
I shopped around, and without getting too wordy and in depth (i could post a long, rambly account of my quest for replacement hardware, but it'd be long and rambly and perhaps not too interesting.....), I picked up a Shimano Sonora 2500 and a 7' Ugly Stik Lite, great little setup, long, effortless casts, smooth retrieve, a great general purpose setup with 6 and 8 pound line
the feature that most impressed me on the reel was the Super-Stopper II infinite anti-reverse, my previous reel, the Spirex, had the Quick-Fire II self-centering bail, and I always hated the self-centering feature, too much back-play for slack-line hook-sets, so for me, the Super-Stopper II technology was quite impressive, I never really saw the need for QFII, but the Spirex only came configured as a QFII reel
So, I was happy with my new rig, but I still missed the tackle that I lost, it aggravated me that I misplaced a good amount of expensive fishing tackle, so I took one final, halfhearted look through the garage, nothing on the walls, I swung my flashlight up into the open rafters....
the beam from my modified SureFire E1L (McR 20S reflector and Seoul Semiconductor P4 LED, approximately 90 lumens of light off a single CR123a battery) glinted off a familiar round shape, sticking out of a blue canvas bag
could it be??
let me change the angle a bit....
It IS!, I FOUND my long-"lost" tackle! WOOHOO!!
I grabbed a ladder, and pulled the bag down, it was all there....
my Bass-One LH retrieve bait-caster on a 5'6" Medium Berkeley Lightning Rod Pro
my Daiwa 500EL Ultralight on a 6' Fenwick GLC Graphite UL rod
my Daiwa Procaster PowerMesh 6'.....wait....where's the reel....
Oh here it is, a first-generation Shimano Spirex 4000 on a Gaylans HMG 6'6" Medium Graphite rod, when did I buy *that* rod, oh yeah, on my vacation 2 years ago to Virginia....
Hmm, I never realized how annoying QFII was, that Super-Stopper II thing is so much better....
Hey, I have a spare rod, the perfect excuse to buy another reel!
So, I went back to Kittery Trading Post, and purchased a Shimano Sedona 4000, and had it spooled with 6 and 8 pound line, I bought the Sedona with a very specific purpose in mind, I was going to perform a "Handle-Ectomy"
I swapped handles with the Spirex, I put the Spirex's double-handle on the Sedona, and the Sedona's handle on the Spirex, moved the Spirex to the Daiwa Procaster, moved the Sonora to the Gaylans HMG, and moved the Sedona to the Ugly Lite, now I had my *perfect* setup...
A Sedona 4000 with Spirex handles on a 7' Medium action Ugly Stik Lite, I get the balanced handles of the Spirex and the superior Super-Stopper II anti-reverse of the Sedona, the Spirex handles really smooth out the retrieve of the Sedona
Hmm, and it looks like the Spirex handles would fit the Sonora as well, maybe I should order a couple spare sets of Spirex handles from Shimano, I really like the balance of the Spirex Double-handle....
It took me a while, but I finally have my perfect general purpose freshwater setup
[signature]