The_Natural

I'm painting a couple of my TD-Z's metallic black. A black reel just looks mean on a rod IMO.

The Carrot excels in the weight department...maybe the lightest sticks I've held. However; I don't like the guides at all, and I don't think the Carrot blank has the level of sensitivity of the Cumara or Zillion. Just my opinion of course (I owned two carrots for a few months). Unlike some; I actually like the looks of the Carrot sticks. That said...the Carrot stick is a $150 rod, and we are comparing it to $220 rods. The Carrot can hold it's own against any $150 out there; it excels in some areas against the Crucial/Cara/Avid.

Hell I own 5, and that is waaay too many Jig and Worm rods. I generally only take two with me.

Daiwa will replace your Zillion, you just have to pay for shipping. As far as the rods go...they are both very sensitive rods, and are both at the same price point. I think both are light weight as well. The Zillion just has further refinement when compared to the Cumara. Shimano could have at least thrown some aluminum winding checks on a rod that costs $220...not to mention some decorative wraps. The Zillion has as many or more wraps as a lot of customs I've seen; it's commendable they didn't take a lot of shortcuts. The Zillion has five separate wraps before you even reach the first guide! Two wraps right above chrome-trimmed locking nut. Two more wraps right after the rod identification writing... and of course the wrapping on the first guide... I don't have a close pic of the split grip with the aluminum winding checks, but it looks nice and makes a difference. *edit* Found one on TT... Even my Quantum PT Superlites have nice aluminum checks with wraps above each. Get the most for your money!

I agree; it did that and more. I mean...look at the thread title. Burley finally got his Herpes taken care of.

Whew!!! I tought it was just me. The name of a reel and the color are way low on the priority list : Color definitely isn't a priority, but if you have the same two reels available in two different colors...why not pick the better looking one?

BOY IT PAYS TO BE THE MODERATOR AND THE SHERIFF AROUND HERE How many threads do you think start out with I am thinking about an ABU or A Flooger and want to make a choice and then there are at least a half a dozen SheMano Steering posts on that thread, but they get to stay :-? : Muddy...I understand your cause. There is no doubt most anglers on message boards prefer Shimano or Daiwa reels, but those brands account for most of the U.S. reel sales so it makes sense. I own and love 5 Quantum PT Superlite rods, and Quantum isn't nearly as highly regarded as it was in the '80s and early '90s. I'm OK with that. I have my favorites, but I realize some young and new anglers are influenced by message boards and if your brand isn't a 'favorite' it can be insulting.

I don't know about that. He has Pauly from the Sopranos in his sig. The Sopranos 'took care of' Christopher's girlfriend even though he loved her. Business is business....she better not inform the tackle junkies of Shimano's upcoming products or she might get 'taken care of'.

They probably got a hold of some of that salmonella laced peanut butter.

As Soon as Quantum and BPS copied Daiwa's swept handle, I wondered why daiwa didn't patent it (Obviously they couldn't for one reason or another). Shimano and Daiwa have always had their own styles...they are both big companies that have large R&D departments. The swept handle is an improvement, but I don't think Shimano will utilize the technology just out of principle . I'm being serious....

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who believed that. Performance is a given with a $300 Shimano....

Who knows. It could be some equipment failure to a couple of the rod finishers getting the flu. They'll take care you.

Actually; the Scorpion has been the same price as the Curado for as long as I can remember. This is a common perception though...many think because its a japanese reel that it is expensive. It may be $20 more or so than the Curado just due to the dollar being low right now compared to the Japanese Yen. The Japanese Curado (Scorpion) is what started the JDM reel craze many years ago; it was the same price (roughly) as the Curado B, yet offered a significantly lighter titanium ported spool, adjustable centrifugal brakes, and an aluminum spool tension knob. Essentially more for your money. The short handle was the only drawback, but it didn't bother most.

My first 'real' bass rod was a 6' medium power, fast action Berkley Lightning rod (spinning). I used it for everything. Worms, grubs, topwaters, crankbaits, rattletraps....you name it.

Fluorocarbon was used as a leader material for many years before it was introduced as a main line. Fluorocarbon leader material is very stiff and indeed stretches very little. To make fluorocarbon suitable for main line use, manufacturers had to mix it with resins to improve its flexibility. This softened the line up, and in turn increased the stretch. It seems the no stretch perception of fluorocarbon leader material carried over to main line fluorocarbon. Upon using main line fluorocarbon for the first time, it seemed apparent to me it stretched at least as much as the copolymer I was using. There wasn't anything to back it up until the TT tests. It wasn't shocking to me at all.

Just got back from my weekly trip to Cabelas, and they had about 12 Graphite plus's in the bargain cave. I think they were $79.

Loomis CBR845

A color anodized spool just looks nicer. Even with line on your spool, you still see the edges of the spool, which highlights the reel similar to what winding checks do to a rod. Most spools are anodized, so why not anodize it a cool color? Gold is so 2001 8-)

I had a few Scorpion 1000's, and the burgundy was decent, but black would have been better. Japan Tackle's picture of the Scorpion that looks black isn't a closeup, and I guess it kind of makes sense that from a distance it could look black. However, that pic of the new Scorpion XT is a closeup....and any available light should show the burgundy transition. If it is burgundy....it baffles me that it didn't show up in the pic. The scorpion, like the green curado, was a huge seller and it would make sense that it would be burgundy again.....but a man can dream. I guess we'll have to wait.

An original red Curado sold on ebay recently. It was NIB...it had been in someone's closet since '92. It went for $140....graphite frame and all!

The Japanese Curado is black with a black anodized spool. If it's under $200 like the Amercan version....I'll be buying one.

No...it looks like a TD-Z. Anyway; I have no doubt this reel will be coming to the U.S. It is the Mg50 Replacement, or a 'Core 50'. The problem is....ICAST is a looong ways away! Shimano also better leave it alone for the U.S. market....I swear, if it comes over here and the paint is silver with a gold spool....I'll @#%^&**!

The Compre, Premier/Mojo, and Quantum Energy are all good rods. The HSX blanks Quantum uses are rolled by Lamiglas.

The Black Widow II is essential a TD Advantage, so it's should be a durable reel. The Citica's are obviously durable as well. Since both are quality reels; I take the Black Widow over a Citica D....just due to looks.

It seems like most of these recommendations are for your standard 4 or 5" Senko. The 6" is a totally different animal. It's a big bait...a 6/0 hook bait. I generally pitch them to cover with a heavy action rod.