The Salty Fisherman

That's awesome to hear. I have had nothing but great experiences with Shimano's customer service and it's great to hear that others have been treated the same.

I was wondering if it would be a problem if the reel had such light line on it. I guess that it makes sense.

It doesn't seem that small to me... I always thought that it was in the 5000 size reel class. Maybe I'm wrong.

I love casting bailess reels like Van Staals in the surf. I know of the smaller surf reels like the VSX 100, but are there any reels that are even smaller than this. I would love to see a company make a 2500- 4000 size reel that can be used in both inshore and even freshwater applications. I was wondering if anyone knew if this type of reel exists, or if it would be possible to modify something like a Stradic to allow for bailess use. I guess this would be done by adding an oversized line roller? Has anyone ever tried? Thanks in advance Salty

I don't do much drum fishing. Can you catch them off of flat beaches, or do they have to have lots of structure? I have an beach near me that is pretty flat all the way out with the occasional divot. Should I try fishing some clam here? And if I do, should it be around this time of year?

How about a Shimano Tranx? It is marketed as a low profile saltwater baitcaster... I have used the one that my friend owns and I absolutely loved it.

I own an 8' St Croix Mojo Surf. It's a great rod with a great feel and I love fishing it. The only thing that you have to be careful about with this line of rods is the guides. I don't think that they are Fuji guides, and they actually seem pretty cheap. I have already had one ceramic pop out. You surely can't take anything away from St Croix's customer service though. They will generally be pretty good about replacing or repairing the rod for either very cheap or even free. As for what rod you should buy, I would say that it would depend on the size of fish that you catch. In my area, there are not many huge fish, so I generally use the lightest rod possible.

I will. Still hoping that I'll be able to eventually get my hands on a pair...

Yeah, I just realized that. It’s a shame that the real sportsmate pliers are so hard to find right now.

I just found a website that actually has Sargent Sportsmate pliers still in stock. Would these be more reliable than the Manley pliers?

Wow, 70 years! That's amazing!

“They are in” Thanks for the opportunity

I fish with an combination of both modern lures and techniques and old school plugs. Both are super relaxing, and both have their place and time to be used. To be partial to just one group (modern or old school) is in my eyes just stupid. There are certain things that old plugs can do that new ones can't, along with there being things that new lures can do that older plugs can not.

Great news, thanks for responding. I noticed that yours are all silver, but the ones that I found online had black jaws. Are these the older version?

Has anyone used any of the Manley pliers? I have wanted an pair of Sargent Sportsmate pliers for a long time, but unfortunately they are very hard to get right now. I have heard that these piers are a pretty good replacement. For those who have used them, how do they hold up over time and how do the cutters work? Also, what do you use for a sheath? Thanks in advance Salty