How's your GAS lately?

[Rambler]

The post count that wouldn't die lol. 2 away from 4000 Ramblings

Wow - you actually keep track of that sort of crap? Thanks for letting me know. I'll try to husband my next 2 (oops - 1) so that my 400th is meaningful. Not that anything I've ever posted here is even close to meaningful but we can always hope.

[HEDDONFROG]

Idk if anyone has noticed my lack of gas posts this year but itā€™s because I set a dollar limit on my gas this year. Other than some replacement baits for those Iā€™m always losing I never really went nuts. Since Iā€™ve done so well I have the remaining surplus to blow by years end starting to get more into big baits and have slowly started acquiring some stuff over the course of the year. After having several good outings just throwing glides and swimbaits I decided to commit to it. First step is the right rod. I wonā€™t be throwing giant 6+ ounce baits so on Mikeā€™s suggestion I just picked up a new MegaBass Destroyer Mark 48. Itā€™s a 7ā€™-8ā€¯ Xtra heavy swimbait rod for 1-1/4oz to 5oz baits. Smaller overall then their truly giant bait rod and I can also use for my 1-1/2 to 2-1/4oz big bladed jigs and some pitching duties when needed. Iā€™m swapping my Shimano Bantam MGL to this rod and picking up Mikes Daiwa Steez A to replace on my heavy G-rod

Little 3.2ā€¯ Keitech in the photo for scale. 7.8ā€¯ & 6.8ā€¯ Keitechs. 6ā€¯ BPS speed shad. Ima Glide Flukes in 5ā€¯ & 7-1/2ā€¯, another S-waver 168 and some Gancraft 6.8ā€¯ swimbaits. 2 Replacement Jacks and Iā€™m trying out the 1-1/4oz model

[joetrain]

I like big baits and I cannot lie. See what I did there.
~JOE~

[Grain]

Little 3.2ā€¯ Keitech...

I bought a pack after listening to all oohing and aahing, after 10 casts the tail was gone. Never again.

[Lip_Yanker]

I like big baits and I cannot lie. See what I did there.
~JOE~

Yeah, except the price on them and most other things these days. I guess I'm just getting old and bitter.


.

[cletedius]

The good:
I got a new GLX MBR842C!

The bad:
I broke my old GLX MBR842C" last week!
(Or, more accurately, someone broke it for me.)

Kinda mixed emotions on the swap, really.
New version is superior in many ways, but "feels" like a different rod.
A bit more power than the old & less of a tip to it.

20191010_224808_Film1-768x1024.jpg

Not sure how its going to work for what I used the old 1 for, but on the + side, its a really sweet rod that Im sure will do a few things really well!
On the - side, its going to take me many many years to work as much ground-in dirt & fish slime into the handle as I had on the old1.

20191010_230541-768x1024.jpg

Loomis' expediter replacement service is a pretty good deal. Buddy called loomis on monday, rod was delivered today. I put the broken 1 in the shipping tube the new 1 came in & slap on the shipping label & drop off @ a fed ex location within 30days for 125$. Not as good as St.Croix's return policies/replacement prices but quicker & more convenient. Overall, they get a from me.

[HEDDONFROG]

The good:
I got a new GLX MBR842C!

The bad:
I broke my old GLX MBR842C" last week!
(Or, more accurately, someone broke it for me.)

Kinda mixed emotions on the swap, really.
New version is superior in many ways, but "feels" like a different rod.
A bit more power than the old & less of a tip to it.

20191010_224808_Film1-768x1024.jpg

Not sure how its going to work for what I used the old 1 for, but on the + side, its a really sweet rod that Im sure will do a few things really well!
On the - side, its going to take me many many years to work as much ground-in dirt & fish slime into the handle as I had on the old1.

20191010_230541-768x1024.jpg

Loomis' expediter replacement service is a pretty good deal. Buddy called loomis on monday, rod was delivered today. I put the broken 1 in the shipping tube the new 1 came in & slap on the shipping label & drop off @ a fed ex location within 30days for 125$. Not as good as St.Croix's return policies/replacement prices but quicker & more convenient. Overall, they get a from me.

The Loomis Expediter people recognize my voice Iā€™ve called so often, lol their warranty program is a life saver. Iā€™ve always been a 3 or 4 power GLX guy. Iā€™ll have a 783 in the quiver until the day I die. Hereā€™s the full review of the updated 842

http://tackletour.com/review_gloomis_20 ... 2cglx.html

[Bassin' Ted]

Dobyns rod replacement program is top notch as well. I am embarrassed to say how many times I have used them over the last year. Plus, you can upgrade your rod or change the model unlike Loomis. Never broke a rod until last year.

[Lip_Yanker]

Does UNgas count? Still working on downsizing the fishing gear collection- So I traded all this stuff away for a box of cigars.

[Rambler]

^^^

[cletedius]

Iā€™ve always been a 3 or 4 power GLX guy. Iā€™ll have a 783 in the quiver until the day I die. Hereā€™s the full review of the updated 842
http://tackletour.com/review_gloomis_20 ... 2cglx.html

Handling & throwing a few casts with this 842 definitely makes me feel like I need to have an 843, too!
Read that review. That dude is smoking crack!

Dobyns rod replacement program is top notch as well, you can upgrade your rod or change the model unlike Loomis. Never broke a rod until last year.

This is why Ive really leaned towards St.Croix over Loomis in recent years. It would be great If Loomis adopted a similar policy.
That said, theres a few Loomis rods that life just wouldnt be the same without, for me.

Anyway, some minor GAS.....
https://www.amazon.com/SLONIK-Lumen-Rec ... B07D27L1NR

Never heard of the brand & was skeptical of rechargeable, but I took a flyer on this 1 & after a couple weeks of use I have to say its the best headlamp Ive owned! Ive spent 2x as much on lamps that werent half as good. Durable, well-sealed aluminum housing with easy access to battery/charging port, super-bright, this thing can literally light up the forest, & best of all : very simple 1-click on/off & a click/hold to cycle thru 5 brightness levels. No annoying dimmer cycle to click thru to turn off, which is so common. Also useful is the abilty to easily remove/replace the light from the headband to use as a handheld light.
Had 4 of the COAST headlamps that came in 2-packs from costco. They were very bright, but seemed like I was going thru 7-10$ worth of AAAs a week using them, & 2 of the 4 crapped-out in just over 1 year. We shall see how this 1 lasts.

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20191011_032346-1024x768.jpg

[Phil6]

Nice pick up, cletedius! 18650 is the way to go, I'm trying to shift all my flashlights/headlamps to 18650s. I took the dive into "torches" a couple years ago and have no regrets. Theres some seriously powerful (and cheap!) options out there once you shift away from walmart, dicks etc. AAA/AA style lights.

I use nitecore H33, 1800 lumens in "turbo", it will quite literally light up the side of a mountain. One of the big reasons I picked this style is because you can pull it out of the headband and use it as a 90degree flashlight, and the bottom has a magnet built in so it'll stick to anything ferrous. If anyone is looking for a new headlamp or flashlight I would highly recommend looking into 18650 powered lights. The initial battery cost is more expensive than AAAs but will quickly pay itself off. Black diamond and PETZL make some great backpacking/light headlamps but are generally limited to under 500 lumens, which is fine for most applications, but if you really wanna reach out and light something, 18650 or bust.