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I've heard good things about the 1003. They aren't made anymore but they appear to available through certain sources. Edit --- I'll defer to the next poster since he owns a Black Max.

I know you want a left hand reel, but I also know you like Abu reels. Have you considered the EXT reel? I have the EXT Pro and it is an awesome reel. It casts like a round Revo. It has an effective magnetic brake. It has a solid aluminum frame. It is ultra smooth and has an incredible drag.

The mechanical (aka centrifugal) brake uses a set of pins arranged in a star-fashion attached to the end of the spool. Each pin has a small weight that can be slid up or down on the pin and locked into place. They can be fixed in the up "on" position or down "off" position (In any combination you wish). The weights slow the rotation of the spool. The amount of braking effort can be adjusted by locking some, or all of the pins down near the hub. Think of a figure-skater spinning. When she hold her arms out she slows, when she pulls them in she speed up. A magnetic brake uses a series of magnets to achieve the same effect. Adjusting the location of a plate over the magnets has the effect of either increasing or decreasing the influence of the magnets. Both systems work. It's a matter of personal preference which one you want. In my experience, centrifugal brakes seem to work a little better at controling over-runs than magnetic brakes. However, i can get longer casts on my reels with magnetic brakes. Others may have different experiences.

I hated the Curado BSF. For me it was a horrible caster and a noisy reel. Some poeple loved it, though. Westpalmdude, if you want a reel with a mechanical brake, I'd go with the Citica. If you want one with a magnetic brake, I'd go with the Revo SX-L. I have 5 Revos and 2 Curado D 200s. In my experience, the Revos cast further and handle light baits better, but the Curados (same brake as Citica I believe) have much superior brake and backlash control. The Revo S with the mechanical brake seems to have a recurring theme of brake pins popping loose. Until that's resolved, I wouldn't consider it. The Revos SC, SX and STX are fantastic, though.

Now that was cool. Watching somone paint to me has always been like watching grass grow. but THAT was really cool, though. Thanks for posting it.

At the end of that video, the celebration in the water with all the Hawaiian boats and dancers is Israels' funeral. His ashes were scattered in the water off a beach.

I clean my rod. And strip line off reel, clean and lube, back off the spool tension and drag. I keep all my reels in reel covers. I usually keep a few rods going all year in case we have a warm winter day.

I like the Inshore, but 1) I wanted something different (I have 5 Revos already) 2) I like the size of the Curado 200 (I'm 6'4" and 300 lbs, I got big hands). I've owned several Shimanos in the past, 1 Curado SF, 2 Cardiffs and several spinning reels. I liked the spinning reels but hated the baitcasters. I've heard a lot good things about the Curado Ds and after trying it I was impressed with it. So I'll give them a whirl. I messed around with one a little today. I can get much better distance on my Revo, but the brake on the Curado is much more effective. I think once I adjust the brake i will get better distance.

I have 5 Revos, 2 are SXs. They are great reels. Smooth, strong, well made, and cast like madmen. The brake could be a little more effective, though. There isn't much difference between minimum and maximum brake settings. The drag is great, maybe the best of any low profile reel.

5 years ago? $250? The only one that comes to mind would be the Morrum. These were great reels. If you are buying it, make sure you know the specific model and search the internet for its MSRP. The Morrum had several incarnations being priced from well over $300 to under $200. The current incarnation of the Morrum sold in the US is the EXT. I have the EXT Pro and it is a fantastic reel and casts a country mile. Here's what the older expensive Morrums looked like:

Me, too. Mainly WWII military aviation. Nothing like a good, juicy debate over the vices and virtues of a P-51D Mustang.

I don't think Japan had any intention of "invading" the American mainland. Their intent was a land grab over a vast portion of the Pacific, including islands and other outposts necessary for the defense of their empire. However, while the Aluetians were considered part of the United States, not a lot of people remember that the Japanese did launch attacks on the mainland United States as well - in an effort to terrorize and destroy natuaral resources, mainly forest. In September 1942 a Kugisho E14Y "Glen" float planes flew from an aircraft carrying submarine I-25 and dropped 2 76kg incendiary bombs, in an effort to start fires, near Cape Blanco, Oregon. The second attack came the same month near Port Oregon. The later sub succeeded in sinking two tankers off the Oregon coast while they were engaged in these operations. During these early years, Japanese submarines surfaced off California and shelled oil and power installations with mixed success. Attached are photos of the planes and sub that launched the attacks. Also, Japan had no illusions about defeating the US. They knew they could not hope to succeed in a protracted war. Adm. Yamamoto, the mastermind of Pearl Harbor, was a very perceptive adversary noting that when he was ordered to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor, his prediction was thus, "In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success." That's exactly what happened. The goal was to knock the American out of the war quickly. Japan had no hope or expectation of conquering the American people - not seriously anyway.

I have to say, these reels are pretty cool. I can't wait to fish with them. My last Curado was a wreck. I hated it. These reels are everything it wasn't. No plastic knobs anywhere.

Correction --- The Silver Max has a clicking drag star, too. So, only the Pro Max and the Silver Max had clicking drag stars, not the Black Max. None of them have a clicking spool tension knob. Don't get me wrong about the appearance. The reels look nice. The asthetic fit and finish is what I would expect from a reel in that price range, good, but not perfect. I know money can be tight. But I just think that in terms of value someone would be happier with a Revo than one of the Max reels. The Revo S is $50 more than the Black Max, and just $20 more than the Pro Max. You get a very nice aluminum frame and crank side panel with the S. A few exceptions notwithstanding, the S has proven to be a very good and capable reel. I just can't see buying a Max when the S is just a little more.

I had a chance to mess around with these reels today (not fish them). I have mixed feeling about them. These reels LOOK like Revos. But there are, obviously, significant differences. The frames aren't aluminum, they are some kind of polymer. Of the three reels, only the Pro Max had any sort of click adjustment - the drag star. Otherwise, the drag star on the Black Max and Silver Max, and the spool tension knob on all three, have no click adjustments. The fit and is not up to Revo standards. The chrome pieces (I call it bling) don't always mate perfectly to the frame like like on the Revos. Some pieces showed slight gaps. The thumb bar is chromed plastic on all three models. It's not the same design as the Revo. The Revo's thumb bar is much more solid and screwed onto an underlying support. The thumb bars on the Maxs are just chromed plastic, and hollowed out. They seems to flex when I pushed them down. Since I didn't fish these reels, the best I could do is depress the thumb bar and give the spool a spin. I lossened the tension knob and set the brake to the lowest setting. The spools spun but nowhere near as long as on the Revo. The brake did seem more effective than the magnetic brake on the Revo. When I set it to the mid-point, then to max, the spool slowed noticably and proportionally. These reels look decent. I suppose if you are spending $49.99 to $79.99 they will do - but expect to get a $49.99 to $79.99 reel. BUT DON'T BUY THESE REELS IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GETTING AN INEXPENSIVE REVO. These reels do not copare to the Revos. IMO, if you can afford $79.99 for the Pro Max, you can afford $129.99 for a Revo SC at Cabelas. Just skip a meal-out and you'll have the difference in cost. I think you will be much happier with the Revo.

I fished a buddy's Curado D for a little while yesterday and have to say it was a far cry from my old green Curado SF. I wanted a couple of reels for fresh and brackish water and some rods for fishing bigger plastics, jigs and spinnerbaits. So I got a couple of Curado 200 DHSVs and two All Star American Classic ACSBR2 6'8" MH/F rods. Hope they are all they're cracked up to be.

Corrective action is called protectionism, and it's not necessarily a good thing for the U.S. Japan, China, and many European countries' economies are built on production and export. The US economy is much less dependent on export. It's a precarious thing for the export countries. Because even slight jitters in US buying habits can have magnified consequences on the economies of export countries. These countries depend on the US to buy their stuff. As far as "losing the middle class," it ain't so. Despite the loss of some manufacturing jobs, unemployment has remained very low, meaning those workers that lost work have found new jobs. BTW, the US is still the #1 manufacturer and exporter in the world (Depending on how Germany is calculated). Yet our exports account for only a fraction of our economy. The US is the most important economy in the world, in part, becasue it props up the economies of so many other countries. In some respect, the US IS the dominant country in the world. We don't wantt o go screwing that up with protectionist measures. Buy imported goods if they represent the best value and quality. Reward those firms with your business. Same with American companies. Doing so will ensure that our economy remains the strongest in the world, and it will foster true competition which is the biggest driving factor for quality and value.

Both of them have held up exceptionally well. Mine are a several years old. Bass Pro owns (or manages, or whatever) Browning fishing. In the last year or so both models have changed. I don't like the news models. There's something significantly different - they seem cheaper, less smooth, and have bling on them. My Medallion and Citori will be my last Browning reels.

If I recall, Raul's Black Max is a Cardinal spinning reel, not one of the new low profiles. Here's mine 1 x AG Revo STX 2 x AG Rexo SX 2 x AG Revo SC 2 x AG Ambassadeur C4 5600 1 x AG Ambassabeur C4 6500 1 x AG Cardinal 500 ALB 2 x AG Crdinal 802 1 x AG Cardinal 804 1 x Browning Citori 1 x Browning Medallion (edit) Just added 2 Shimano Curado 200 DHSV + couple of Daiwas I've retired.

Try several different brands till you figure out which one you like. I fished Bagleys and Spot Removers today. I was fishing on sandy/gravely bottom on an incoming tide. Some how, some way, I lost three Bagleys to snags (and had several more hang up) and lost not one Spot Remover. Can't figure it out.

Does anyone know if Shimano reel grips, like the ones on the Curado D, are interchangable to other brands? I love the fat, soft, no-slip feel of these grips. The hard rubber grips on my Revos don't compare. And I don't want to use those slip-on rubber grip covers. I fished in 51 degree water yesterday and in cold water you really appreciate decent grips.

Depending on how big your eel is, circle or octopus hooks work well. When I'm striper fishing, a 4/0 or 5/0 hook works best on a large eel. If you are fishing smaller eels, I'd try a 2/0 or 3/0 hook.

I'm not sure which reels made in China don't retain their quality. The Daiwa Tierra or any number of other Daiwas? The Abu Garcia? Okumas? Pfluegers? Most Shimanos are made in Malasyia, another country not historically known for quality. But somehow, they churn out good reels. These companies get good quality products from these manufacturers in these countries because they expect it, and because they enforce quality control standards. And being "made in Japan" is no longer a guarantee of quality. Here's an interesting old article about diminishing Japanese quality, and growing Asian quality that threatens to exceed it: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/business/worldbusiness/21quality.html The last thing I look at when I buy a rod or reel is where it's made. I look at a brand known for high quality who will hold its manufacturers to high standards wherever they are. I read reviews on the products to get an idea as to how it will perform. Then I buy. Where the product is made is incidental to these things.

No one is arguing that. I was just curious what sort of tackle companies existed in China - that's all. Now, feast your eyes on these:

With all the talk about "Made In China" I thought it might be neat to look at some Chinese tackle companies. I found a few. Who knows what sort of quality they turn out. And who knows who's "favorite brand" they may produce ( ). http://www.cxzcl.com/ http://www.fishing-reel.com/index.asp http://www.shinyico.com/product.htm http://fishing.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008807480465/Homepage.htm http://www.gawafishing.com/main.php Somewhere in China, someone's bail on their Zungzang reel broke, and their buddy is telling them they shoulda bought a Weihai.