Goose52

Thanks for the info! I didn't bother to check the spool availability from JDM sources - I knew it would be a bit spendy. XTs are fun to play with at the price I got it for....but if you put too much money into an XT, you could have got a used Conquest instead. I did put a stock Calcutta 100B handle on this XT so I'm into it for about $145 total - that's about the upper limit I want to go. Still, a bullet-proof all-aluminum reel, in good shape (a little rash but who cares), 21" IPT. It's a nifty cranking reel for only $145... The only other upgrade I'd consider would be carbontex drag washers but that's a nice-to-have...not a need-to-have.

Indeed. I looked at Shimano's parts listings to see if that hub was available separately and it isn't (at least for a USDM Calcutta 100B). Regarding a new spool, not sure the USDM 100B spool would even plug into a JDM 100XT. I only paid $130 (shipped from Japan) for this XT and I don't really want to put more money into it. I think I'll just play with this system. I just cleaned it and will now have to wait for soft water (and a warm thumb) to check out the performance with these brake collars. If I think I'm "overbraked" - I can always try some lighter collars. Yikes - I can picture it - people firing up their Dremel tools (otherwise known as "fully-automatic assault files") and cutting down their brake hubs...

Thanks .RM. ! I pulled the spool and got a magnifying glass and examined the hub. You can see grinding marks where all six of the "wings" on the hub (that secure/lock the brake collars) have been removed. At one time, this was a standard hub as shown in the photo below of a 50XT spool. Good grief - redneck tinkering in Japan. The PO must have thought: "I'm only going to use two brakes anyway...might as well shave some spool weight and get rid of all the stuff I don't need !" Well, I usually only set two brakes myself although I might have to play with some different weight brake collars. Still a nifty reel !

Pulled the spool on a recently acquired JDM 100XT and discovered this "Ambassadeur-esque" two-pin system with non-captive brake collars. I was expecting a typical 6-pin system with captive collars. I have a couple 50XTs and they have 6-pin systems. Question: Is this system typical/standard on early Calcuttas? OR, is this some custom system the previous owner in Japan installed? The black plastic hub has positions for six pins...but only two are present. Any info? Thanks !

Recent post: Flushing Bearings?

I'll fish a jig on any rod that I think is sensitive enough for the purpose, and has enough backbone to set a thick single hook. Length is determined by where I'm fishing and what I'm fishing around. As far as a "primary" jig rod goes, I'd have to say mine is 7'5".

Nice layout in that boat. I like the twin rod lockers - pretty nifty for a boat that size...

Of course....now you have to show the handle that you put on the Conquest 50...

Country Mile for fishing purposes = 140 feet

I not only got the 2014 Master Catalog in late December..............but I just got my SECOND 2014 Master Catalog today! I usually end up getting three of the Master Catalogs - I keep one in my den/office/bunker, one in the throne room, and one on the tackle bench in the garage...

...of course, sometimes the end results aren't what you expected. I was counting down this RES and felt a bump - turns out this little snapping turtle went after the bait on the fall. Cute little guy...

Just seems like these threads are more fun if you get to see the end results of a recommendation...rather than the theory...

Why mess with success - get another Supreme and fish on...

1/2oz RES in Orange Belly Craw works fairly well..............although, I bet you could get an even bigger bass with the above mentioned 3/4oz RES in Sexy Shad...

Here's one of the features that Bantam1 posted - nice to see this added: Center Clutch Design The clutch has a more positive engagement and disengagement with this new design. It is also a two way clutch. This means you can use the thumb pad to engage the clutch for flipping applications.

There will most likely be better deals than that one...

Welcome to BR ! Spring Creek used to sell a trolling motor bracket that would plug into their universal receiver (the cross-bracket). They discontinued it due to low sales. When I called them about it, all they had left was their toolroom prototype which I bought cheap. In the photo below, you can see the bracket plugged into the UR. It would be possible to order a longer UR than you need (Spring Creek will provide longer URs for xtra$), and make your own TM bracket that you could bolt right to the UR. All this would work if you have your floats located aft as they are on my boat. Some folks run the floats more amidships and in that case you'd need the separate motor mount. If you haven't been there yet - check out the Spring Creek goodies here: Stabilizer Floats Regarding balance, I offset my seat a bit to the port-side to offset the weight of the trolling motor hanging off the starboard side

I'm hoping. Otherwise, Rakuten or some other JDM vendor will be getting some of my business...

Duh - of course you're right about the D - I mentioned it but then didn't even think of it as a high-end reel in the line-up. If the 100 is the same design as the 200...the foot isn't recessed:

I had the same thought. JDM Antares and Met are now sold here. No high-level Calcutta available here (other than DC models). CTE-GTs discontinued quite a while ago. Seems like there might be some pent-up demand for a high-end round reel here in the USA.

Unfortunately - the Conquest is taking a page from the Calcutta D's book. While the diameter of the palming side of the reel is reduced as compared to the old model (100 size diameter now similar to the 50)... the reel foot is no longer as deeply recessed due to the larger diameter spool. So, the new 100 will still have a higher effective palming height than the old 50. The reel foot position was reported on TT in their review of the Calcutta D and is also illustrated in the photo of the 200-size Conquest at the above linked web page. Until they come out with a "50" size 2014 Conquest (if they ever do) there is just no replacement for the sweet "palming experience" of the current 50-size Calcuttas and Conquests. Let's see what the future holds - maybe they'll come out with a 50. In the meantime, I'll have to try the 100 size "on for size"...

Thanks for the link. Of those...my interest is in the Conquest...

X-Ship is basically just a second bearing on the pinion gear to better hold the pinion in alignment with the spool shaft and the drive gear. There's nothing there that creates "power" that I know of. "Power" (mechanical advantage) is a combination of the relationship of the sizes of the drive gear to the pinion gear...and the length of the lever (handle) where force is applied to rotate the gears and subsequently the spool. I'll let the physics majors out there take it from here...

I guess the benefit is more adjustability. VBS gives you six brakes, and in some cases you can play with different weight brake blocks. SVS also gives you 6 brakes (and two different weight brake blocks were included with my reel), as well as a six-position external adjustment. Set the internal brakes to fit optimum conditions, use the external adjust to compensate for conditions. Adjustability is all theory for me right now as I got my SVS reel (Antares) just as winter broke and I have VERY little time on the water with it. Some people have commented on the maintenance requirement in the instruction manual to lube the brake pipe every 5 trips or once a month...but Bantam1 (Shimano rep on TT) clarified that there was a translation error when preparing the English language manual. Bantam states that SVS shouldn't really require any more maintenance than VBS. The brakes get noisy, or you think you're losing casting distance, add a drop of oil on the brake pipe.