Tywithay

The early generation daiwa exceler. MagZ with a free floating spool. I bought 4 or 5 on closeout at gander, mostly for beater reels for my nephews. Still have 2 of the PG on cranking rods to this day. Great workhorse reels.

I use both. No real rhyme or reason. Usually just depends which rods I take with me. I think I prefer spinning, just because it's easier to find rods with a lighter tip.

People still pay crazy prices for the Shimano Core, but I've seen the Metanium MG going for $100 at times. Don't know why it's slept on, since they're the same reel. Also see previous gen Revo Premier reels going for decent prices.

What are you trying to cast? Most of the YouTube videos are casting plugs to get as much distance as possible to get more views. You don't really have to thumb any spool casting a bait with no resistance. Casting plastics, spinnerbaits, and other stuff that catches wind, that's another story. No reel tech can completely eliminate the need for the angler.

I would never suggest casting a baitcaster with no thumb. If you don't need it, great, but it's nice to be able to slow it down before disaster strikes. Taking some line off may help though, especially if it's too full.

I haven't measured the actual diameter, but they're micro-ish. Not the smallest I've used.

Two handed casting, balance, and leverage.

Braid is a lot lighter than fluorocarbon. A heavier spool will spin faster at top speed, and it's harder for the module to slow it down. Always good to make sure you don't overfill the spool at all with fluoro as well.

Steez SV TW on a 7' M-MH Tatula Elite AGS with 12lb Assassin FC. Typically throwing weightless senkos. If I'm struggling to get a bite with anything else, I can always count on that setup to at least produce a hit. Going to be switching the Steez to another rod tomorrow though. Replacing it with a 2020 Metanium B.

For performance, I'd definitely look at the Exprides. In my hands, it's quite a bit more sensitive than the Champion rods, and even slightly better than the Extremes. For a good blend of performance and added durability, the ALX Zolo and Enox are tough to beat. The T1100G blanks on the Enox rival top of the line blanks from most manufacturers.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any pictures. Imagine ShimLoomis would probably have them taken down anyway. Found one of your 894c available at Susquehanna Tackle though. At least it says they have one. Sfttackle.com

The latest Mojo rods use the same SC3 graphite as the Avid and feel a lot better than the older models that felt like tree trunks

One of the pros at Kissimmee was showing off a full handle NRX. Don't know if it's just a new model edition, or complete revamp. Definitely something new in the pipeline though.

There's a new NRX supposedly coming. Couple that with the covid and the stock is not likely being replenished by Loomis.

Are they the same power? Or just both fast action?

Most of the bps products in this thread are made by the same companies they're being compared to. Only difference with the house items is they go on sale more often. At 50% off, they're a great value. At retail, they're pretty much the same as any pure fishing item of similar cost.

I still have a Daiwa T3 1016 that's made of zaion. Probably 5 years old and it has never flexed once. Just depends on the quality of the manufacturer and the materials they use.

The Patriot rods are very good, but at the same time they are $200. I would expect any rod to perform really well for that price.

Spinning or casting?

Butt end is too small for my liking. They'd be difficult for me to comfortably cast. Hookup is authorized. Probably the #2 dealer in the states, behind the Trap

Really depends what all you plan on doing with it, but a 7'1" MH is about as versatile as you can get. E6X rods didn't have much of a wow factor for me, but they're well-built, solid rods. Made in the USA with a good warranty as well.

NFC XRay is the most sensitive blank I've used, followed by the K2 and SCV. Honestly, at that point you're just splitting hairs though. If one offers a particular action or taper that you prefer, you're not likely to be disappointed in the end product.

I have used straight shooter on my jig rod for a few years now and will likely never change unless something magical hits the market. It's definitely not the best casting or most manageable, but there's few lines that can match it's toughness. Most of the lakes around me are a mixture of rocks, timber, and zebra muscles. I've brought fish in that I could actually feel the line scraping rocks and it was no worse for the wear. The price is tough to swallow, but it lasts seemingly forever. I still have the original line that I spooled on at least 3 years ago and I've seen no degradation or reason to respool.

Shooter is noticeably stiffer and has less stretch. For bottom contact, it makes quite a bit of difference to me. I always liked Toray Superhard for jigs as well, but it has been harder to find lately.

I don't know if there's anything more exciting than hearing a bass hit a buzzbait in the middle of the night. It's just a different experience.