Tywithay

Been awhile since I took it apart, but I seem to remember the only difference between the DC and K, as far as taking apart, is when you remove the palming sideplate the K has centrifugal brakes on the spool. The DC module is attached to the sideplate, but can be removed by taking out the screws, think it's two of them, if you want to get to the bearing that's behind it. If it's casting well, you can probably get away with leaving that bearing alone and focus more on the gear side.

If I use them a lot, I clean them once a year in the winter. Some of the ones that don't see much use I'll clean up a bit, but not tear down for a couple years, unless I'm bored. I wade a lot, so I clean them if they get dunked as well, to keep the fine silt and stuff from getting in there.

Generally speaking, it's oil on bearings and worm gear. Grease on the gears. I bought an Abu Garcia Black Max probably 10 years ago to tear down and learn how to maintain my own reels. Sending them to a professional is great and I've done it, but you can't really learn if you never do it yourself. I just take everything apart and set it on my table in the same order it comes out.

If foam or winn grips don't deaden the vibration much, I doubt the finish will make a huge difference.

Don't know if the internals or brakes are the same. But that big gear box looks Abu Gen3 to me.

"Specialized" rods are also developed to sell more rods. Some manufacturers will make 3 rods that are almost identical and slap a different technique on the side to convince fisherman they need one of each to catch fish. I throw t-rigs a lot on a "spinnerbait" rod. The rod doesn't seem to know the difference.

I only take one or two if I'm on banks, two in my float tube, and usually 10-12 on the boat, if I'm bass fishing. It's mainly out of laziness, so I can throw something new without retying. I own roughly 50 rod and reels, but they're for different species, techniques, etc.

I have spinning reels from $50 to $750 and while there's a noticeable difference, it's not really night and day. If you're truly looking for an "upgrade" you'd be better served spending as much as possible on the rod versus the reel. There's reels in the $70-$100 price range, like the Fuego and Sahara, that are an excellent value. You'll get more satisfaction out of a $200 rod than a $200 reel, in my opinion.

It was brand new from Gander Outdoors, so it was just a sale price. I might see if they have any on display to see if there's a difference.

Bought one of these on a whim, because it looks cool and the price was right. I have zero experience with Quantum spinning reels, so I didn't know what to expect, but I'm not impressed out of the box. Right now it feels geary and the handle rotation is very sluggish compared to other reels I have. Just curious if anyone else has one and whether or not it frees up and gets smoother with a little use? Otherwise, I might return it.

Depends on the reel and the rod. I have an Alphas CT SV on a 6'10" ML rod and it can do pretty much everything a spinning rod can do, aside from the very smallest ultralight.

I've upgraded now, but I used my 70MLF Triumph for nearly 10 years for everything from bluegill to 20+ lb catfish. No bells or whistles, but it fishes well. I thought mine felt whippy in the store, but it didn't fish that way.

Daiwa reels aren't necessarily supposed to lay the line perfectly even. The spools taper down from the top.

I'd vote for the Fuego. I haven't used the latest supreme, but the fuego feels better than the supreme Mg that I own. It has also stayed smooth over a year. My pflueger patriarch started crapping out in less than a season.

Honestly, I haven't noticed much difference between 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x ratios, as far as torque. At least not in modern reels. This biggest difference is made by handle length, in my opinion. I've tried cranking with an 80mm handle and it is a chore. Get some leverage with a good 100mm or 105mm on a quality reel and you can winch in a boat.

Somebody just got a little heavy handed when they epoxied the thread

Send a message to the Tackle Trap. Those guys are megabass experts and fish nearly every model. Only F6 I've owned was the X4 Destruction and I never threw cranks on it. I had the Gen 1 F5 Extreme Mission and I don't think I would have used that for deep cranks, fwiw.

I'd have to double-check, but I think we tested that material for some aircraft parts and it was extremely expensive. It also has to be machined. I think most of the graphite reel bodies are injected.

The CT models were pretty much identical, aside from the t-wing and the necessary components to engage the wing. The new 100 model has a more compact frame and smoother operation, in my experience. I still have a Fuego CT because I wade the river and don't want to risk tumbling with a $500 combo, but almost everything else has been upgraded to some iteration of the 2020 Tatula.

Frame on the 100 is more comfortable. Not a ton of difference in the performance. I prefer the tatula, but I don't know if it's $40 better. Guess that depends on the person.

It doesn't necessarily have to be Lews just because he already has one. If he's using that quality of gear, I'm sure he's aware of other stuff on the market. A Curado DC or a Tatula Elite on an Expride rod would be an incredible bass setup for a similar retail cost.

I have both, but haven't used them side by side, or with similar applications. I've been far more impressed with the Elite over the SV though, even with lighter baits.

I haven't seen it anywhere, but it may have the ATD system. That's Daiwa's fancy drag that is supposed to help protect light line with an easier startup.

This is pretty much what I've found as well. I don't know if it shines in any one place, but it seems to do everything really good. I changed mine from a 1/2oz squarebill to a spinnerbait and never changed tension or brakes. It's definitely stress free performance. I cleaned mine the day it came in and the drag was pretty dry. I put some cals on it and it seems to be pretty smooth. Unfortunately, I can't compare it to out of box because I never fished it that way.

Pretty much every fish tastes good, if it's prepared properly. I had patties made out of carp that rival any walleye filet I've eaten. My personal favorite is the belly meat from flathead, or cold water blue cats. Only fish I don't care much for are wipers and stripers. If you cut the strip of red meat out, they taste good. Just a lot of effort for not as much meat, once you're said and done.