The_Natural

The split-grip extracts a little more sensitivity out of the blank, but I wouldn't say it is substantial. exactly, it would only make it a little lighter and a little more sensitive...so basically they just restyled the Premier. I agree with your point to an extent....it is definitely the same SCII blank that the Premier uses, but it looks and feels quite different (in the hand...I haven't fished one). Facelift might be a little understated; everything is different but the blank (I think anyway). If I wouldn't have known it used the SCII blank, I'd have guessed it to be a much more expensive rod. Looks do have something to do with it, but that is part of the deal. Great product launch IMHO...they will sell a bunch of these guaranteed.

I'm predicting the report will be available in the Flea Market section. ;D I think he would have gotten along much better with that reel if it had centrifugal brakes. That is the only reason I'm interested in the Skeet Reese Revo. I owned 2 SX's and that magnetic system is too temperamental for me.

Thanks, but I will lighten the load. The Zillion rods and Quantum Superlites are here to stay, as well as the XMG 50's. I imagine I will sell a couple of the Steez rods though. They are very nice, but I just don't need several of them. I'll thin out a few reels as well. I admittedly have fallen in love with the steez compile-x spinning rod though....it's a keeper. I'll probably keep both. You have to step back and look at what you are actually using versus what is just a trophy on your rod rack.

Yes. They were nice, and I couldn't wait to try them out. I have major A.D.D. though, and I end up doing this every year. The Citica surprised me as a reel than could do a lot for the price, and was great looking. I had decided that I didn't want to spend a lot of money on reels, and the Citica fit the bill. As deals came along on better reels, I just had waaay to many. I had 8 Citicas 2 months ago, and sold them all on the Texas Fishing Forum, but I still recommend them.

I don't have dedicated setups. I have all my rods on my rod racks, and my reels in soft reel cases. When I go fishing, I choose the rod/reel combos I need for what I want to do. What line the reel has on it is a pretty big factor as well. My arsenal changes yearly, and I'm addicted to foam split grips at the moment. I only own 1 loomis rod right now! I sold most of them to my uncle for a good price. I could have all Loomis rods next year....I'm spontaneous like that. Right now I have... Reels: 2 Daiwa Zillion 7:1's 2 Diawa Zillion 6.3:1's 5 Daiwa Anniversary Zillions 5 Daiwa Vientos 6 Daiwa TD-Z's 2 Diawa TD Avantage spinning reels Rods: Daiwa Zillion 7' M XF Daiwa Zillion 7' MH F Daiwa Zillion 6'9" MH XF Daiwa Zillion 7' H fast Daiwa Zillion 7' H fast Daiwa Steez 6' M Daiwa Steez 6'3" MH Daiwa Steez 6'3" MH Daiwa Steez 6'7" MH Daiwa Steez 6'8" ML Spinning Daiwa Steez 6'8" ML Spinning Lamiglas XMG 50 704 Lamiglas XMG 50 704 Quantum Superlite 7' M Quantum Superlite 6'6" M Quantum Superlite 7' MH Quantum Superlite 6'6" MH Loomis 723 IMX Spinning I have several bulk spools of Trilene 100% fluoro, so I'm using fluoro more than I normally would or 'need' to (i.e. cranking). I'm using 90% Trilene fluoro, and 10% CXX at the moment. And just FYI, I'm more of a rod junkie than a reel junkie. I bought all 5 Viento's at a stupid price over this fall, so I couldn't turn them down. They turned out to be great reels, and I ignore the twitchin' bar. Everything but the TD-Z's and IMX were bought this year. I live 5min from Cabelas and know the guys in the bargain cave, and visit it at least once a week to snag closeouts and liquidation items. If a rod has a guide foot that slipped out....I get it for a lot cheaper than I should ($150 Steez's) I have way more rods and reels than I need, and I will generally sell several and start again next year. It keeps me satisfied with buying things, and I don't have to spend a lot of money. I'm really curious about the Skeet Revo right now, and may have to trade a couple of Anniversary Zillions for a pair. Tackle buying and selling is kind of a game to me, and I love it.....

I use and love both Daiwa and Shimano casting reels. Shimano also makes a great spinning reel, but I think Daiwa edges out Shimano in this category. Just this year, I have owned a Fuego, '08 Stradic, '08 Sustain, Tierra, and TD Advantage. I actually preferred the advantage and sold the others. I bought them all at deep discounts, and just had to decide which one felt the best. The TD Advantage is essentially a Tierra with a sealed wet drag. It just feels better to me. The TD Advantage (and Tierra for that matter) are just so d**n smooth it's ridiculous. To Shimano's credit, the high end market is a wash between the Stella and Steez, and I owned the old white Stradic for years and it performed well, but I feel Diawa is leading the middle spinning reel market at this time. So I say TD Advantage if you can afford it, or Tierra if you need to step down a hair. The new Fuego spinning reel is ridiculous....but expensive. The new Zaion material is very rigid and the new Fuego is one of the lightest and smoothest spinning reels I've played around with. I just can't shell out that much for a spinning reel though.....

The split-grip extracts a little more sensitivity out of the blank, but I wouldn't say it is substantial.

They just feel better in your hand versus old premier (I'm definitely a split grip fan). The fit and finish seem to be better. The sensitive would increase going to a split grip, but I realize only marginally. St. Croix did well; they took a Premier and made it a rod you would be proud of.

Daiwa Advantage....I have a couple and favor them over the Stradic or even the Sustain.

I didn't know there was a mono other than crystal clear CXX! Seriously though, CXX's 'abrasion resistant coating' waterproofs the line, and the crystal clear also has the most clarity of any line I have used (even fluorocarbon). Fluorocarbon's advantage is refraction; not clarity. If I hose down my spool with reel magic after spooling with clear CXX...I can see the bottom of my spool. No joke. Some anglers want the softest, most relaxed line on the market. That is not CXX. CXX is for angler that want the strongest, hardest, no-nosense line available. It's the 'Jack Daniels' of fishing lines.....

I will reluctantly reply even though I haven't fished both 'current' rods. I fished the Compre rods when I was in college and couldn't afford high-end rods, and they performed above their price IMHO. I owned 8+ Compres. I have fished an HMG, but is has been a long time. The Compre has been improved over the last model I owned (brown), but the HMG might be improved as well. I will say the the Compre fishes like a middle market rod.....I would compare the sensitivity with several rods in the middle market....

I make my own using the best head/hook I can find. Footballs I use Picasso, All Terrain Tackle, and RT with my own skirts. Picasso heads have the most detail....each head is airbrushed. Gammy hooks are also something I prefer....they are twice as expensive as Mustads, but worth it IMHO.

I'd be interested in hearing more about that. :-? me too - you have a bad history or something? Back in 2004, Someone posted a thread on the Bass Pro forums about a Helium LTA versus an IMX. The Helium was pretty new, but had some fans. It got a little heated when Kistlers warranty issue came up, and then Trey Kistler appeared and posted a few replies. He said Loomis rods were popular only because they sell you on their warranty (implying kistler didn't need a lifetime unconditional warranty because of their quality product). The next day he erased his posts, but a few were saved from people replying with a quote. I just didn't like his attitude....

The boring answer would be it depends on the manufacturer, but fast versus true X-fast represent totally different rods. Loomis is the perfect example for me, because I used the MBR for a few years before buying some BCR's. Very different rods. When I was first introduced to the BCR's and their X-fast actions....I thought it simply equated to a stiffer blank, but it isn't that simple. The blank's power in an XF rod just continues further up the blank towards the tip versus tapering off sooner with a 'fast' blank. My XMG50 704's are not powerful rods at all, but are definitely XF. Whatever power they offer goes almost all the way to the tip. Generally, XF rods are for jig and worm fishing, because they aid in hook setting and moving fish. It seems they are more sensitive as well, based on my experience with the same blanks in fast and Xfast. This isn't fact....just a theory of mine.

I honestly can't recommend either. I sold my two Carrots; I didn't like the guides and the sensitivity was just mediocre. The Kistlers still have a bad rep for frequently breaking. I'm not a fan of Trey Kistler, so it pains me to say I'd choose the Kistler if I could only choose from those two. You might look on ebay and see if you can get a quantum superlite for $150. Lamiglas hooks up Quantum with a really nice blank for those rods, and they hang with my other high end rods.

The Booyah Boogie Bait is the only 'chatterbait' that caught me fish and made me a believer in that type of lure. Not to mention when compared to others, it is clear the boogie bait is of higher quality. Thicker blade with better plating....unbeatable hook system.....just quality IMHO. Cortez Shad is the one to get.

I've had my airbrush for over 6 months now. I did the cheap acrylic paint thinned with windex for a while. It works, but it clogs your brush faster and just doesn't atomize like the higher quality paints with smaller pigments. I invested in createx and it made me a better painter.

Sunline Sniper and Searguar Inviz-X are probably the softest fluoro's out there, but you sacrifice abrasion resistance. They would be considered the 'Trilene XL' of the fluoro world. Trilene 100% is very manageable and has excellent abrasion resistant....it is my go-to fluoro.

That's not sad at all; I'd be thrilled if I felt that way about a bargain rod. Unfortunately for me, my Steez drop-shot rod is my favorite :-/

The 803 is underrated. 5/8oz jigs would be no problem; the 803 has surprising power.

Does Big M know I have 14 brothers and sisters?!

Sounds like your sorter is broken.

Silstar manufactures pflueger, BPS, Browning, and a couple of others.

Make sure you post a review in the rods and reels section. I own several zillions, but not the flippin' stick. Several of us are eyeballing it but I don't know anyone that has bought one yet. I bet it is a best, and could yank fish out of grass. I know the sensitivity will surprise you, but I want to know how the rod feels in the hand and if it balances. I hope it has a longer handle than the 7fters, it would need to help counter the extra length and power.

I scored some cash on christmas day, and splurged on another Anniversary edition Zillion at Bass Pro. I was looking real hard at the Skeet Revo. It was one of the smoothest reels I've ever handled. The Zillion seems to have slightly tighter tolerances and feels very smooth and refined, but the Skeet Revo has that extra butter feel like the calais (The one on display at BPS did anyway). I also found some deals at Academy: Bang for $1.88....I bought 8 cans Kick-n-Bass for $1.88 Bought 3 bottles Boogie Baits in Lavendar shad for $2.88 Bought three That is it for 'fishing' stuff.