Tywithay

With an NRX and Tatsu....you don't have to watch the line, you'll feel the bite. Only issue might be the topwaters and buzzbaits with fluoro because it sinks, though it's doable. I like fluoro much better than braid for weightless plastics and shakyheads though.

Trigger is the same, though it does palm a little differently with the reel seat on the Tatula.

Definitely my favorite fluoro on the market, by a wide margin. If you wait until it's 25% off, it doesn't hurt as much.

They were bought out by new owners and I believe they're using a different builder now. I would definitely wait until other people have used them before I spent my money on them. I personally think they're ugly as sin. The orange looks a lot better than the wild green though.

You can find a Calais DC for far cheaper by looking around. My local Cabela's has a left handed one for $399 in the bargain cave. I would also advise waiting for the next 15% off sale at TW or somewere like that. 15% off $650 is a really nice chunk of money. That reel is truly a work of art and I think it's worth someone using at least one time in their life just to experience the ziiiiiiiing when you cast it. Makes my heart sing.

It might just need a little break in time too. The display has probably been used a thousand times. Good looking reel though, congrats.

I really like the Tatula better in almost every aspect, to be honest. It has a thinner blank, better color scheme, better quality guides, more comfortable reel seat and it's more sensitive. Both rods are similar as far as weight, though the Tatula is slightly lighter. I do wish the Tatula had the option of micro guides, though the Duckett micros are a little bit too small, to the point they look dorky. I didn't keep my Ducketts after using them because they just felt cheap to me, I don't get that with the Tatula at all. The Tatula feels like a premium rod when I am using it.

A 6.3 spinning reel is technically faster than a 6.3 baitcaster if you're considering IPT. The number of ball bearings really have little to do with it though. The Shimano Calcutta B have 3 bearings and it's an absolute beast for cranking. Length of the handle will make it easier to crank a resistance bait than more bearings, because of added leverage.

Compared to which Duckett? Ghost? Magic? Ice?

Same material, blanks are different. That said, they're nice rods for the money. They're not overly light, sensitive, or balance....but they'll catch fish and last a long time. I have a few for my river wading rods when I don't want to risk some of my more expensive stuff. I've bought most of mine on clearance from Dicks, so they're a great deal at that price. At the $80ish retail, I wouldn't get as excited; would much rather wait for a 20% sale and buy an *** for the same price.

Jury is still out on the Curado. One thing I would consider is that the there will likely be some aftermarket spool options once the Scorpion is released in Japan. You may ultimately be able to buy a shallow spool for the Curado. I don't know if the Tourney Pro "excels" at light lure applications, though it is capable. I would definitely agree that finding a 50 sized Shimano would be a good bet. Better yet, look for a used Daiwa Pixy reel, it will blow them all out of the water with the proper rod.

Quality of craftsmanship has more to do with how good a reel is than the number of bearings. You can buy a $50 reel with 12 bearings and it will not fish better than a $200 reel with 4 bearings.

My problem is the opposite. I have a reel addiction and I'll end up with 15 reels and 9 rods, then I have to play catch up.

The Cabelas in Wichita, KS. I know that's when you want that bearing, but most will never catch a big enough fish to fight hard enough to take full advantage of it. The Tatula's air rotation is a similar concept for making a reel smoother under load as well though. They both have their place.

Casting light lures is more about the rod than the reel. Lighter line will also help. When you step up to the $150 reels, I'd give a good look at the Tatula; or wait until a 15% off sale and get a new Curado. I think you'd find both are much more manageable to cast and they'll last you a long time.

I think you'll be able to find them around the $420 mark and maybe $400 all day on Rakuten and some of the better priced JDM vendors. Japantackle and Plat are generally among the most expensive, but they're also very reputable.

My local Cabelas has the HSTA in stock, I was looking at them just yesterday. As far as the Curado, I agree that it will ultimately win the battle. I think it will have to do more with ergonomics, than an extra bearing, Both will excel in performance, form factor is the biggest difference. I don't think x-ship will make much of a difference for most people. Unless the reel is under a significant load, you'd never even realize x-ship is working.

7'1 ***, I prefer the M, but the ML would handle it just as well.

I have the same scale and that's how I've interpreted it for the past two years.

I'd opt for a previous model Daiwa Exceler. Far better reel than the Laguna and it's cheaper right now.

The guides on the Rage are one of its worst attributes. They're the cheap pac bay minima guides. I would definitely go for the Avid, as it's a far superior rod, in my opinion. Otherwise, I'd consider the Premier or even an Eyecon before I looked at anything else in the St. Croix line. If you want to save money and get a rod with similar, or even better, sensitivity than the Avid then take a look at the *** *** Black (or *** Green). The grips on the spinning rods are the most comfortable I've fished with and the blanks are fantastic.

6-10 is 6lbs 10oz, then it rolls over another pound when you get past 15oz. Just over 6 would be 6-01

If I am near rocks or timber, it's 100% fluoro, 100% of the time. I've tried braid around rocks and it just frays and eventually gets sliced after a while. A good fluoro with some abrasion resistance, like shooter, and I rarely even retie unless a fish runs my line around a rock.

Sounds like the braid has dug in. Make a cast to that point, then try to pull the line free to to loosen it back up.

No problem. Easy answer for me as I had a very similar combo, except I had the Stradic over the Symetre; but either would do. That rod is just made for the baits you mentioned. Plus, it's super comfortable to fish with.