Dr. Watson

x2 for the Shimano, I haven't had any luck with quantum products except for their hot sauce. You should like that Chronarch very much, go try one at your local shop, it's very similar to the older Curado.

Why don't you give him a call, he's very customer friendly; if you click on his banner here on the forum, his website has his services.

I would look around for an E series Citica or Curado, they are more refined than the newer G's and are cheaper; if you'd like to get an idea of how the E series will feel go to your local shop and try out a Chronarch 200E, it's very similar to the Curado E and the Citica E is just a little lower than the Curado E. I actually saw a couple of E series Citicas in the flea market. here>>

^This^

Just remember these are the same people that make Trokars, which are some of the best hooks I've used along with my Owners

I tend to prefer my Shimanos, but I like my two little Revos (Revo SX and MGX), both brands are quality reels. Shimano just seems to have a bit more refinement. Good Luck on your purchase!

sorry, that sounds pretty close to comparing it to floro, threw me off

I appreciate your comment, it looked like there may have been a little magnet on the inside of the side plate, that's why I believed it to be dual brakes, either way i like being able to adjust the centrifugal brakes without flipping pins.

I haven't used the Hot Sauce grease, I probably won't ever now that I've read this; but for me, I use Ardent reel butter grease on my gears and drag (light coating), Hot Sauce bearing lube on my spool bearings, and then ardent reel butter bearing lube on the other bearings. To clean and degrease I use the Mil-com reel cleaner sold under the Bass Pro name. This system has worked awesome for me and keeps everything very smooth and clean. I have also used dry lube, like Remington dry teflon lube, for the worm gear; it seems to work very well, but it does need to be re applied after a few outings as it does get washed out a little. I mainly like to use the reel butter grease on my worm gear (light coat)

I usually have all my stuff already tied on and leave it on for a couple of weeks, I'll usually retie after that or after I've caught a few fish that put up a good fight. Haven't had any trouble from it.

I never said it was like floro, a co-poly can be a mix of many different things, not just floro and nylon like in Yo-Zuri hybrid, I was told by some guys at berkley that it really is a mix of the two formulas, most co-poly lines do float, it just depends on what they put into the recipe for the line. I definitely agree with you on it being thin and strong.

I've never used the red box, only invizex, never had a problem with it works extremely well with KVD line and lure. I like seaguar, but I've been wanting to try the Sunline regular 100% floro.

so here is just my little review/opinion of these two lightweight contenders. First off, I absolutely love both of these reels, but I think the Core is slightly more refined than the MGX. I believe this because when they are in my hand the Core seems slightly more solid and isn't noticeably heavier, even though the specs state that the Core is only .1 oz heavier. The Core and the MGX are both very smooth, but the Shimano A-RB bearings seems slightly smoother than the HPCR bearings of the MGX. both of these reels cast extremely well and do not require a lot of setup beforehand, the MGX's dual brakes do there part well, and I actually like the ability to adjust the MGX's centrifugal brakes by turning the switch and not having to undo the side plate. The one thing I do like better on the Core in the spool control area is the cast control knob; on the MGX the knob never really seems to tighten down the spool until you really crank it down, the Core's cast control knob just allows for smoother adjustments than the MGX's clicking knob. Both reels have smooth drags, however the Core's drag system seems to have more lockdown power than the MGX's, even though the MGX boasts 12 lbs. against the Core's 11 lbs. Both reels are rated to handle braid, but I have not tried braid on them yet. As far as comfort, they are tied, both reels feel exceptionally comfortable in my hand. However, I do like the MGX's EVA grips over the hard rubber grips on the Core. If it is looks you are after the MGX wins in this category, I personally love the Carbon fiber handle and how it plays really well into the overall style of the reel, the Core does look good with the red accents but it doesn't really stand out in looks, from some other reels out there. Overall I rate the MGX a 9/10 and Core a 9.5/10; both are exceptional reels, if you are looking at purchasing one of them, you really can't go wrong with either. Here are the Specs on the two: Shimano Core 50Mg7 weight: 5.5 oz bearings: 8 S A-RB + 1 A-RB roller bearing tapered levelwind insert 7.0:1 gear ratio w/ HEG gearing dartanium drag w/11lbs of drag recessed reel foot audible star drag 1/8 turn VBS side plate Abu Garcia Revo MGX 7.1:1 weight: 5.4 oz bearings: 10 HPCR + 1 HPCR anti reverse roller 7.1:1 gear ratio w/ duragear brass gearing carbon fiber drag system w/12 lbs of drag x-craftic frame recessed reel foot clicking adjustments on brakes, cast control, and drag carbon fiber recessed handle Hope this helps anyone with a dilema on their mind, tight lines -Alex

I've used the clear sensation quite a few times, and I even have it spooled on one of my reels now, it's a quality co-polymer, nothing super, but it's not bad; it's really just Trilene xt and xl mixed together. It should work well for what you have in mind.

My Savvy series 663C MHF rod is great, light and powerful, seems to work with bigger worms just fine. Quality built rods at great prices, just wish they were built in the US and not Korea. If you get one have fun with it! tight lines! - Alex

From Left to right: 6'6" MF Falcon Bucoo w/ Shimano Sienna 6'6" MF St. Croix Avid w/ Shimano Caenen 6'6" Dobyns 663C MHF w/ Shimano Citica 200E 6'8" G.Loomis NRX 802C MXF w/ Abu Garcia Revo MGX 7.1:1 7' St. Croix Legend Tournament "teaser" MF w/ Shimano Curado 200E7 7' G.Loomis MBR 843C IMX MHF w/ Abu Garcia Revo SX

I've had a lot of luck with using the 8" Mann's Jelly worm, the paddle tail on it floats really well. It provides a perfect presentation on a Megastrike Shake E2 head; I also have used the Xcite Magnus worm for bigger bass, but they don't always go for this 10-1/2" monster on a shakey head. for smaller finesse presentations i have used the Yamamoto Kut tail, the strike king 6.5 KVD finesse worm, and the Roboworm floating worms.

just take into mind that St. Croix rods are generally stiffer than most other manufacturers. A MH will act more like a H, I have a 7' LTB "Teaser" and it double not only for what it was built for, finesse tactics, but also as a lighter jig and worm rod.

Thanks, you're not kidding about how easy it is to get the spool going; even with the knob cranked down on it it will not lock down very easily, I was throwing a 3/8 oz. jig on it and it cast at least 50-60 yards without putting much into the cast, it was pretty effortless. I have a 1/8 oz. texas rig on it now and it was doing around 40 yards with the brakes set pretty high on it without much effort either. I think they designed it mainly for finesse, but i've been throwing jigs and worms on it without any problem. Although with as light a setup as I have going it would definitely excel at any finesse tactic.

I think i just got my dream setup, Revo MGX 7.1:1 and a G. Loomis NRX 802C 6'8" Jig and Worm rod....

JerzeeD, you won't be disappointed with the LTB, I have both the Avid in a 6'6" MF and the LTB "teaser" rod. The avid is light and sensitive, but there is quite a difference in feel and components when you hit the LTB. It's kind of like the jump from GL2 or mossy back to IMX, I would say the IMX is slightly (notice i said slightly) more sensitive and lighter than the SCIV graphite the LTB uses. The Teaser rod works for just about any technique, but excels at finess and weightless applications. good luck and have fun with it!

Hey mod, thanks, it is nice to be home... i wouldn't exactly say I slayed them, i wish, i went at the wrong time of the day (the worst time according to the time to fish app), but i really wanted to try out my stuff. I just went to Grove Park, it's not to far from where I live, we should get together sometime and see if we can really put the new stuff to use.

Hi all, I'm finally back from the sandbox, the wife decided to get me a christmas/birthday present since I didn't really get to celebrate it over there. She got me a new REVO MGX, i've been using nothing but Shimano until now. I really like it, super light smooth, and casts excellent; if you're interested in one, I suggest you go feel one at your local tackle shop. I also treated myself to a new rod to put it on, yes there was sticker shock, but i got somewhat of a discount. I paired my MGX with a new G. Loomis NRX 802C. All i can say is WOW, the whole setup weighs in at around 8 ounces. I also got to try out my REVO SX and G. Loomis IMX combo, which also balances out nicely. Anyway, it's hard to really judge anything from one trip, but the first impressions made me extremely satisfied. tight lines, Dr. Watson edit: if anyone has any questions about the new gear, just ask, I will answer to the best of my ability.

while your at it check out the HK M468

I know how you feel, I used to carry everything I own, but now I've knocked it down to carrying two rods usually a reaction setup and a finesse setup, a backpack with a leatherman, a scale, my terminal tackle, soft bait bag, and a few nick knacks.