Bit the bullet and decided it was time to retire the 33's from active duty, and bought my first BC reel. Pflueger Criterion LP got a free rod by chance too Quantum Torsion IM6 Medium 6'6".


I ran some cheap Zebco 12# line figuring I would be nesting up a storm. Knotted up a dead soldier I found on the banks. 3/8 lipless minnow crank. Got over my foot partialism after 4-5 cast. Then got some distance, then got a lil cocky, went long and built a nest that would have made an Osprey envious. Sigh'd it off and ran 50 or so cast without any backlash. Read the manual last obv, tuned her up and had the biggest grin. Loaded up my gear and eagerly hit the banks of Texoma. First cast goes 50' straight up. Thought I was flying a kite! Was a lil windy lols. Got over the wind training reel quick. Came back to the compound and practiced the night away.

Looking for any advice on some good rope. From what I have gathered 30# braid might be a good choice?
Pro Line 30# ?

Bank fish mostly, kayak a bit, boat action is rare. Cranks/Spinners/Plastics Casting distance is my biggest priority eventually, backlash second.

Also any good suggestions, tips, mods for my new combo would be greatly appreciated by this noob.

I Like PLine Floro Coated Mono in 12-15lb test. In my opinion Braided line is a pain, I only use it if I'm throwing into heavy cover.

Well with braid your looking at a completely different cast than mono. The fibers in braid do tend to stick together sometimes, thus making mono more effecient for longer casts, BUT, with the lack of memory, it is way easier to maintain. Mono and fluoro tend to flare up due to memory, where braid does not. Braid will help you learn to cast easier before switching to mono or fluoro. Don't try to go for distance right off the bat, baby steps will be key to learning accuracy, which is more important than distance. I also find that braid is a lot more manageable on backlashes since it is much stronger and you don't really have to worry about kinks in the line creating problems down the line. But beware with braid that you do have to check periodically for frays (easily noticable, look for the fibers breaking away from the main line), and be careful of hooking things that might prevent you from breaking the line in case of an accident. Also, make sure that when you do create a snag where you end up breaking the line without cutting it, that you pull out the line past the backlash because braid digs into the spool... HARD! Other than that I think that it would be easier for you to learn on braid than any other line just due to the lack of memory. Just remember, brakes and the spool tension knob are your friend until you get the hang of feathering the spool with your thumb. Good luck and tight lines bud.

Skeet Reese Victory

Citica

Pinnacle-Matrix-XLT

Thanks guys! Running the mono for now. Got the hang of it so far. Braid sounds like another thing I don't need atm. Finding too much, = less happy results.

One of the eyes is missing on my rod, so I have to take it back. Since I got a free rod too that could get me in the $100 range for a reel if I return them both. Worth it to return for a Cit? Lefty also seems it would be a better fit? Pretty ambidextrous fella. Above are a few other options in that range. Thanks again.

Citica for sure. Hard to go wrong with any Shimano product. They have a reputation for longevity.

My first BC catch. Dink! The dif in feel, action, retrieve, bite just can not be stressed enough wow! Ran my BC the whole evening into the night with only one prob, sides taking fish off.

I will be hunting a Curado 200E7 on ebay now

Any Shimano Curado or Citica both are great reels.

Curados are on sale at BPS and Academy for 140$ right now and they are an awesome reel for the money. On the braid comment, i use Sufix Performance Braid in neon Fire, its super easy to see and I run a 3-4' Mono leader about half the breaking strength of my braid just incase i have to break it off.