21farms

i love mine. my only regret is that i bought it before lefty versions were available. the DC system works as promised...i occasionally get out an hour before first light and use the night mode (no thumb required) and it works. i love the angry mosquito sound it makes and the drag clicks when line is being pulled out by a strong fish...very cool. the only negative in the performance for me is that it doesn't pitch light lures particularly well but i have other reels for that.

the other difference between the two is that the handles are skinnier on the newer bass series. honestly, i'm dumbfounded why manufacturers moved to skinnier handles...are peoples' hands getting smaller? (i don't think so). fenwick went even skinnier with the aetos rods. the smallmouth series felt great...i don't know why they felt they had to change.

i have the 7'1" He3 in MH/XF and it is very stout. for 5-inch senkos, the M is a better fit.

my STX had it. my revo rocket has it. my JDM revo eliteIB rocket9 has it. i sent the STX to abu-garcia and they "adjusted the clutch"...dunno if that fixed it or not cuz i got rid of it immediately after getting it back. with the two revos that i have left, i've learned to manually push up on the thumb bar when it sticks...it now only happens maybe once every hundred casts or so and i've learned to live with it.

curious why you'd want a gen2 revo STX? i doubt cabelas or BPS carry the previous model anymore as abu-garcia moved the revos to gen3 back in 2012. in any event, i'm a tackle junkie and have had 'em all. i've owned every generation of revo and i have 8 of the free abu-garcia sweatshirts that came with them to prove it. i've owned multiple curados from every generation going back to the greenie curado Bs. back in the 70's when i was just a teen, i had two of the original lew's BB1s and so it was only natural for me to get one of the "new" BB1s and, of course, i had to get a BB1 pro too. of the three choices you listed, i'd strike the STX off your list. IMHO, it's the most over-priced for what you get. the handles are a ridiculously short 80mm, the tiny centrifugal brakes wear out really fast and need to be replaced often, the finish rashes far too easily, the line guide is small and difficult to get to and i've had multiple issues with the thumb bar sticking. the curado i is a fine reel as all my curados have been. they stay feeling great for a long time and are just simple, solid fishing machines. the 84mm handles are an "okay" length but the septon power knobs are IMHO the best in the business...they just feel great wet or dry. as with all curados, access to the spool is unfettered and threading line through the guide is a piece of cake. i moved on from the curado i just because i think it's ugly (but that just me). that leaves the BB1 pro. excellent caster, easy access spool and line guide, nicely long 95mm handle, solid finish. the flat paddle knobs aren't everyone's cup of tea but i do find them comfortable and nostalgic. i like the thoughtful little anchor provided on the spindle of the spool for tying braid. the only problem i've had with mine is that it's more important on this reel to keep the brake surfaces clean and lubed or it can squeal while casting. the folks are lews are nice and very helpful too. good luck with whatever you decide.

if you have a choice between a composite frame and a solid, one-piece aluminum frame, take the aluminum frame every time. every good reel starts with a strong frame. (fwiw, i had a caenan briefly) hoosierhawgs, it's monster fishing tackle that has the excelers (the new EXEs) on sale.

nice rod! i have the orochi XX F3-611XXS which has almost identical specs. mine weighs 4.1 ounces and i'd guess yours weighs between 3.9 to 4.0 ounces. for me, a 2000-size daiwa or a 2500-size shimano would be the best bets on your rod. you don't want a reel that is too light as that may not balance too well on the rod. a few years ago, i thought 'lighter is better' and bought a pflueger patriarch XT 9530X that weighed 6.3 ounces and promptly gave myself a severe case of tennis elbow that affected me for months. i personally like reels around 8.5-ounces for all the medium-light spinning rods i have. as for inches per turn (IPT), whether more is better depends on how you fish. for bottom-contact and slack line techniques such as dropshotting, wacky rigging and texas rigging, more is definitely better as you can take up slack quickly to set the hook or catch up to the fish. for moving bait techniques such as spinners and cranks, a lower-geared reel offers less resistance while you're reeling and may allow you to fish at a more comfortable pace without "overworking" our lure. either way, just keep in mind that IPT is typically much higher for spinning reels than casting reels. for example, a 6-to-1 ratio casting reel typically brings in 24-26 IPT but a 6-to-1 2500-size spinning reel will bring in 35 IPT. the smaller reels have smaller spools which, if you're not using braid, will give your fishing line tighter coils and less casting distance and a higher propensity for twisting. they also have small drag discs for less powerful drags. i'd opt for the stradic FK in 2500 for the balance, the feel of the body (i'm not a fan of the way Ci4 feels) and the cosmetics. YMMV

mark perry confirmed that the tatula and zillion blanks may share the way they are built and materials used but they are not the same blank. so, in addition to the blank, the extra $80 gets you a lifetime warranty instead of a 5-year warranty and K-frame SiC guides vs. alconites and the "carbon air handle design". i have owned multiples of each. the tatulas are great rods and quite lively, sensitive and light. i'd have zero reservations about fishing tats instead of my zillions.

yup, i have one. unfortunately, i can't tell you much about it...i bought it last year but it's still sitting in my rod rack in my man cave with the wrapper still on it gathering dust. i did weigh it though and it comes in at 4.4 ounces. another rod that is highly recommended for frogs is the megabass orochi XX perfect pitch (which i also have) and that one is a full 2 ounces heavier. regardless, i don't find it tip heavy feeling with a reel mounted on it...then again, frogging is a tip-down technique so i wouldn't mind too much even if it were. anyway, i like what jtesch said...i've had 4 tatulas and 3 of the new zilions (still have two). the tats are great-feeling rods. the reason i "upgraded" from the tatulas to the zillions was for the cosmetics if you're looking to expand your rod brands, you should also consider the brand new dobyns DX 746C HP

mark, they're daiwa 100mm custom accessory handles. here's the link: http://daiwa.com/Accessory/custom_handles.aspx they also come in blue and also in a power configuration with only one knob. tackledirect among others sell it. to the OP: lew's sells a 95mm accessory power handle that will also fit on daiwa reels. it too has the huge, round knobs but it is $10 less. TW carries it.

just put one of these bad boys on it. 100mm daiwa replacement handle. $50.

the only rods i can think of that might fit your bill is the megabass destroyer orochi X7...either the seven-eleven or the black python (i have the seven-eleven). both are rated 'extra heavy' but i think that's skewed for the japanese market...in the US, it feels more like a finesse flipping stick. although i love the rod, i am not really a fan of the telescopic feature as it makes taking it out of the rod locker a little awkward. in addition to the seven-eleven, i also have the 7'9" megabass orochi X4 flipping special and a daiwa zillion 7'6" flipping stick (for me, they all have their place). regarding length, i'm 5'8" and i find that longer is better for flipping but shorter is better for pitching (i can get a faster pendulum motion without my rod tip hitting the water). everyone is different so it's best for you to experiment and see what works best for you. my rule of thumb regarding action of flipping sticks is, the more powerful the rod, the slower the action i want and vice-versa. typically, the closer into cover i get, the more powerful stick i want and if i get a hot fish close to the boat, i want the rod to bend down the blank a lot more to keep her pinned. if the cover is not as thick, i can be further out with a less-powerful stick but i'll want a faster tip for better sensitivity and quicker hooksets. i'd actually recommend you settle on the flipping stick you want and not worry about pitching with it. after all, you can pitch with any rod.

i have the He3-SpMH-71XF and it is rated correctly at extra-fast.

it is monofilament construction (single strand) but the filament is made of a copolymer compound instead of just nylon or just fluorocarbon. i think there might be some confusion with cofilament lines like yozuri hybrid and pline fluoroclear which have a two-layer construction.

excellent rod. of the five dropshot rods i currently have, it has the most "spring" (i don't know what else to call it...when i cast a dropshot rig, it flat out flings it waaay out there). good sensitivity, good power, excellent handling, good tip action. slightly better than average at 4.1 ounces. the handle is a little skinny for my large hands and not coming with a hook keeper drives me bananas though.

i was a total seaguar guy until i my last spool of 10# abrazx. it was clearly a defective spool as i was breaking off constantly. i had previously emailed them with general product questions a few times before and they had always responded quickly. but, when i emailed them about replacing my defective spool, suddenly i didn't hear from them anymore...twice. so, i made the jump to sunline only to discover i liked their FC lines even more. haven't looked back since.

i've owned one and used another stinger-tipped dropshot rods. both were daiwas so i don't have any firsthand experience with the megabass one so i don't know if my experience translates or not. what i found was that the stinger tips were excellent (and fun) for vertical dropshotting. but when casting the dropshot rigs out and working it at an angle, it didn't seem as lively or sensitive. the other thing i noticed was that the solid tipped rods are more of a one-trick pony...awesome for dropshotting but i personally really didn't like it for anything else whereas my other dropshot rods could easily double for shakeyheads and darterheads. i much preferred my standard mb orochi XX F3-611XXS and loomis NRX 822S DSR.

i'm right-handed and regularly use both left- and right-handed baitcast reels. for bottom-contact baits, i use high-speed left-handed reels where i can use my stronger arm for working the lures and setting the hook. for moving baits, i use low-speed right-handed reels where i think my strong hand is better at winding. for spinning gear, i reel exclusively with my left hand.

i have several of the swept avails and i personally think they're the best handles on the market at that price. i like 90mm best. that bearing size looks funny to me...i thought it was 4x7x2.5 although 4x8x2.5 bearings would probably allow you to install revo/lews knobs onto the avail handle (i have not tried this myself yet)

not sure what you mean by "interesting". i have five different flipping sticks but i just picked up a megabass X4 seven-eleven which is, by far, the most interesting. in addition to being telescopic, it has spiral-wrapped guides and a skinny handle.

i had the 6'6" herm action with the micro guides...i thought it was great rod. mine only weighed 3.5 ounces and the sensitively was amazingly good for the price.

braid + fluoro is all i throw. i've had zero problems with 15# power pro and 6#-10# sunline sniper FC on my NRX 822S DSR or my NRX852S JWR with an alberto connection knot.

fwiw, the lew's boat bag is big and heavy...i'd hate to be pulling that out when i want to change baits. anyway, i like keeping my plastics in their original bags. what i do is buy the open compartment utility boxes like the plano 3607 or 3707 and just throwing the bags in there.

heh-heh, not hiding, just turned my main interest from reels to rods (specifically, NRXs) so there's less to talk about. as for the revo elite IB9, i like it but don't love it. like all revos, my biggest gripe is it's hard to access the line guide to thread the line through, especially when there's a lot of line on the spool...something that is always super easy with shimanos. the clicking drag is nice and much simpler and elegant than shimano's clicking drag mechanism in the exsence DC. i was disappointed by the color of the reel...i thought it was bright chrome like the shimano calais/antares but it's actually kind of a smoky chrome and always looks like it needs to be cleaned or polished. but, at least it doesn't share the lock-up problems of my revo rocket

no experience with steez rods but i have the new zillion flipping stick and frog rod and had the 6'6" H/F. i've also had four of the tatula rods and two of the first-generation zillion rods. it has been reported that the blanks between the new zillion and tatulas are the same but the rods feel very different to me with the zillion feeling slightly stouter/slightly faster and the tatula feeling lighter. unlike the first-gen zillions, the power and action ratings of the zillion2 and tatula seem pretty accurate with the exception of the tatula flipping stick which felt more like a long, all-purpose MH/F to me. overall, i think these new daiwas are excellent.