Tywithay

It's more cost effective, for sure. Maybe he gets a better deal through bps or something. Good to have options.

A 30 pack a week would be almost $100 a month. Some people do that or more without even trying. They could quit drinking and buy a couple $300 rods and reels a year without spending an extra dime. They've made their financial choice, others have made the choice to buy fishing gear.

A $400 reel is not necessarily considered "enthusiast," and it is compared to those, in a way. They've set a precedent, whatever that entails, and that's the standard by which all of their products are measured. It seems that people that use the PQ got their feelings hurt because a major review site doesn't think the reel is as great as they do. There was nothing bad about the review at all. So it doesn't cast light lures well; it's a workhorse reel, not a finesse reel. It doesn't crank as well as the Zillion, bfd, the Zillion costs $300. It's not real refined, that's because it's a $100 Chinese reel; it's not made from the highest quality materials or with the greatest precision, and the cost reflects that. It's a fair rating for a fair reel. If the review was based on "under $100" as a caveat, it may have scored a 10. You can't expect it to score a 10 against Tatulas, Zillions, Curados, Chronarchs, etc. Those better products come at a premium, but they are indeed better products. That has nothing to do with whether or not any of them catch fish better than one another.

If I were you, I'd wait another couple weeks and get one on sale during Independence Day sales. TW usually has 15% off. That's a pretty good chunk off on a $330 rod.

I have. I actually felt that the new blank with TET was slightly more crisp than the Elite. I just didn't care for the reel seat or the handle. The grip material feels great, but the handle was very short and kind of an odd shape The skeleton seat just didn't feel good either, plus there's an absurd amount of exposed threads above the foregrip which can be uncomfortable after rubbing your finger all day. I like the Elite because it's more traditional and plenty sensitive. I also like the full handle.

I'm a reel guy and it's not even close.

If you like the Avid, get the Elite. My 70MF Elite is maybe my favorite rod. I upgraded from an Avid and there's no comparison.

It's an $80, 8oz+, reel that hasn't been redesigned in several years and it scored nearly a 7 in 2014. I don't think that's anything to complain about. In the grand scheme, it's just an entry-level reel and is not meant to compete with Curados, Zillions, and certainly not the Steez.i understand that nobody wants to hear that their favorite rod or reel isn't the greatest thing ever, but not everyone will agree with you. It may very well be the best $80-$100 reel ever, but it's still an $80-$100 reel and it cannot compare to the more expensive reels. I've used a PQ and found it to be an ok reel, but it felt cheap and unrefined to me. That's partly because I am used to using the higher end stuff and that's where the bar is set for me. It doesn't mean it's a bad reel by any means. The particular chap that reviewed it typically does all the lower end items and I don't think he's as blinded by enthusiast gear like the other two guys. He gave it a fair review that was largely positive, and I think it's a fair representation of the reel's capabilities.

Independence Day sales will be the next big chance. Fish USA has some rep samples, but models are limited.

Depends how badly I want it. Most of my stuff is between $100-$250, but I'm not above spending $500 for a rod/reel if it really interests me. I don't have any real habits outside of fishing that cost money, so I put my money into fishing.

I'd take a couple combos over being teased by a hot celebrity that I'll never see again.

I didn't care for it a whole lot. I wish it had a screw-in handle to tighten up the backplay some. It also has bushings in the line roller which led to some quick line twist problems. It felt nice enough and looked fantastic (looks especially good on my Tatula rod), but I felt like they cut some corners that could have made it a much better reel. I returned mine to Cabelas after using it a couple times and having so many issues with line twist. Ended up putting the money towards a Stradic CI4+ and haven't had a single issue since.

Xship on the Symetre is nice, but the Stradic is the better reel by far. I didn't care for the Supreme at all. I ended up selling my Supreme and Patriarch because they started feeling really sloppy after less than a season. Shimano seems to have better line management, due to the propulsion lip design, as well.

Sunline Shooter. It's not an opinion though. It really does have the least stretch and best abrasion resistance of any fluorocarbon. It has been proven in tests.

I'd get a Tatula and Kistler KLX. I like the Tatula rods a lot, but the KLX is another step up in sensitivity.

I believe that's their main intention. The crbb's speak to that.

Are you using braid?

I've been cranking with 12lb Shooter and I don't retie unless I change baits.

I would probably use mono then to get you by. You can buy the cheapest braid available, but it's going to be crappy line. I think the cheapest braid I have seen is Cajun Line.

If a rod is manufactured poorly, it will break within the first few uses. Anything past that is some form of misuse. Whether the blank got a little nick, highsticked, etc., it will not break under normal conditions after its already been used for a year.

I must cast different then, because I never change my T3's or Tatula's for lures or wind. I just set the tension tight enough to remove any side to side movement of the spool, set the mag on 6, and cast whatever it is. I don't even have to use my thumb with those settings.

I have my mag reel knobs really loose and centrifugal reels tighter. I use 1 break on my centrifugal reels and my Tatula stays on 6 pretty much all the time. My Tatulas do have bearing upgrades that make them run a little faster. With my stock Tatula it was 4-5 on the dial.

I think the "proper" technique is the one that's both comfortable and effective. That may or may not be the same for everyone.

I've heard a few reports of paint chipping on the Curado as well. Mostly it has been around the edge of the sideplate, where it swings open. My opinion is that people are pushing the spring in when trying to close the sideplate and knocking it against the reel; then they complain that the sideplate doesn't fit properly. No reel finish is bulletproof, especially if it's mistreated.

Antares HG on Orochi XX Extreme Mission....any technique, basically. I can pitch a 1/8oz microjig or cast a 3/4oz spinnerbait with this combo, without even adjusting the brakes.