Capt.Bob

This should work, I would think any reel with centrifugal breaking and twice the price would make a big difference. Or try a Tournament about 20 bucks more than the MG and a much better reel with dual braking??

Sounds Super Sweet,,,,,,it's hard to setup any 7' MH rod to balance good with a 1000 size reel without adding a lot of weight to the but, or building the handle ridiculously long. and for a MH you still have a sweet light outfit!! Enjoy!!

I like gear that looks good as well as the next guy, but looks would not interfere with my decision to use other components on my gear, performance would be the key factor determining which to go with. I also think when I built this and added this useless wrap that does nothing but add eye appeal, the Blue with Gold border was kind of a neutral eye catching color, it rely isn't out of place with White reels, Silver Reels, Gold Reels, Black, but like I said, just to much less weight than this rod was built for.

Anything 3/8 and above I prefer the MHF anything 3/8 and under i would use the MF Elite. If I only could have the one it would be the MHF, I agree with the others and think in those weights it is you best choice for everything but the 5/16, and that is borderline, with the MF you would be under powered working most of your mentioned jig's. The 7'MHF is a sweet and very universal rod!!

Any Centrifugal brake has much more affect at high rpm than the magnetic, yes the mag is there but has much less efficiency and very anemic on (top end), if you will, and the centrifugal brake has very little affect at low rpm, that is when the magnetic over powers the centrifugal brake. I have a Super Duty that is mag only that is a casting dream, and all my lew's have been extremely easy to adjust, I really think the op is trying to kill it or whipping it instead of making a smooth cast with follow through??? Read some of post on how to cast a batctast reel, or pit in a little practice, but make sure you are using good form or practicing bad habits can be detrimental!

Exactly why I stay away from the green, don't know if it would show up on the equipment or my hand like most other brands, but I could care less the color in the water like you said, don't seem to matter. But I do use mono or fluoro leaders for everything like I said. Plus with the 832 in Camo and Ghost, (all I've used) I have never noticed this and why I use them. Is the green as bad as Power pro and others showing up on equipment and your hands, or just notice it loosing color on the spool??

Very easily changed, not a huge investment either, the handle knob can be changed or the entire handle to the FJ style, and for your use snook I would upgrade the line roller bearing to a Ceramic hybrid, something I always do and the only bearing I upgrade on any spinning reel. but I think you have done that already with your other Stradic's if memory serves correctly,,,,,which is rarely my case!! The Rapidfire drag is much improved in every way from smoothness to adjust ability and would be a noticeable upgrade also, but I haven't yet will be changing mine to a carbon washer drag, all my other Stradics have been. For some of the Salwater species you are targeting I would think this would be a wise addition on all your reel's? I have a fairly light custom built Avid in MHXF for a w/4000FG at the time, I had it built for trips to Florida and some pike and wiper fishing at home. I would love to put the 4000FA Ci4+ on it but it is perfectly balanced with the 4000FJ, I don't care for the balance with the 3000FI Sustain' about an oz and a half lighter, which is still heavier than a 4000 Ci4+ and no more than that rod get's used I won't have it altered or build a new one in this weight. But to many this wouldn't bother them and the benefits from the drag corrosion resistance, smoothness, and lightweight just might enhance your fishing style, and that's always a good thing.

I believe you are on the right track, 832 is the best braid I have found, I have it on over 20 reels, spinning and baitcasting, although I always use a leader, it is up to the user, all mine are Ghost or Camo, and I don't use them for invisibility. I have found 832 to bleed color less than any other braid I tried, just another advantage among many I have found using this line. Ghost is of course no bleed and the Camo is unnoticed, I am sure it does but the only way I can detect it with the reels using Camo is after a month or two of steady use I can tell the line is lighter.

The original Saros didn't suffer from this as it was aluminum, the new frame is not. But even the old Saros in the 1000 I have is very hard to tell the difference in it and the Stradic, extremely smooth and reliable reels.

Maybe if the OP had more to give than have you tried it, when knowing it was just being released, and they were the first to get some, would have a little more info and reason to try it if it was a real shocker? As far as being the only few to have access to it and offer no more opinion than it is smooth and cast well would lean most to think their isn't a lot to rave about, I mean we know it is new,,,,,,,,, we need a whole lot more from some of our best reviewers here, that are privileged enough to have had it knowing that no one else has had a shot at using it before them than smooth and cast well,,,,,,Stren Trilene many lines could have that said about them????? What are the down fall's or are their any? please get us out of the dark, isn't that why you folk's been using it before it's released to the rest of us?

The 6'6" is very a moderate action indeed, and I didn't care at all for the 7' UL avid. I had a 6'6" and opted for the 6' Avid ULF instead and don't consider it at all whippy a great rod for the lures it is rated for. But if you go with the 5' Avid ULF, and it is my favorite, it is definitely not a whippy UL, the 6' and 5' both I have paired with the 1000 Fi and MgFB and woudn't get rid of either, the Ci4+ would only make it even sweeter!! I have used both in reservoirs and Lake fishing and ocasionally get a fooler, like a chanelcat or Drum that may go as big as 4 to 5 pounds, this is a real chalenge but with 6# test being the heaviest line I will use for leaders on an UL usually 4# either will take anything that line will. Like Bill said I thought the UL Avids over 6' were not as fast an action as I would like, for bober fishing only, they would be great, but when you use an UL with a jig or whatever I would never use over an 1/8 oz maybe for a dressed weight maxing out around 3/16th oz, what the max lure rating is for the rod, and works quiet well with those weight jigs and smaller baits, be it spinners like meps, roadrunner, beetle spins, and very tiny crank baits in these smaller weights, everything I could expect a quality UL to do with these weights. I like the accuracy of the 5' and the distance I get with the 6'! I like the Avid blank for light and Ultra light fishing over the more expensive and faster Legend series, so much that the new Ci4+ 1000FA i recently acquired is having a Custom Avid in a LF blank built for it, either 6' or 6'6", for very light and UL purposes I like the shorter rods and am still undecided but leaning towards the 6' for this reel and rod weight. I would go check them out and see how each feels to be sure your personal preference, but either one is a great rod.

X2,,, That would be my take also,,,,,, I think someone found it. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/Pinnacle-Producer-LTE-review.html

My rod was built to balance with the 1000FG Sustain, and is out of balance with the 2500 on it. I also Have a 7' MHXF Avid I had built for a 4000FG at the time Stradic, with a 2500 on it I actually think the rod feels not just out of balance but less sensitive, and heavier. I have noticed the same thing with a factory 6'3" MXF Legend Elite which I really would like the 1000FJ on it, but it ballances better and feels lighter with the 3000FJ, which is the same weight as a 2500FJ. There seems to be little difference with 3 or 4 tenths of an oz but jumping size usually adds over an oz. difference and has even though the whole thing is lighter with the smaller size reels installed, actually feel heavier fishing them tip high, and more fatiguing holding the rod up which to me detracts from the sensitivity,,,,,that is a sweet rod and very light for a 7' MH I would think the 2500 would make it a more sensitive, better feeling, and actually feel lighter even though it's not. Let us know, and hope you get it bent often and soon!! Enjoy!

For palstics and finesse 6:1 or 7:1, if deep water or long cast are frequent 7:1, but very little difference in IPT with either one.

Like everyone has said that has been there, there are many great reels at 200 buck's that are everything you are asking, the lew's Tournament Pro, Curado, and Chronarch, Revos, on and on are all reels that sell for less than that much less, Most are solid reels, and most durable, but at the $200.00 mark and especially the $300.00 mark it would be very tough to find a DOG! They are all going to take pretty much everything you can give it and perform to "enth" degree!! I personally would go Lew's Team Gold, if I was wanting lighter weight, Team Pro, I had the Core and think it is as good a reel but sold it when I got the Team Pro, less money and to me everything the Core is, but with about $100.00 savings or more Street price. You need to feel find one that will balance best with the rod you plan on using and whichever you choose, will be very smooth, plenty fast, and last as long as you take care of necessary maintenance!

The Shimano drags are pretty good from the factory but there are better drags available. All my reels I replace with Carbonex drags from Smooth drag, I have never had what you are explaining. There are some on auction sights selling what is supposed to be the same thing, so maybe this is a cheap imitation but without pics hard to tell. It is possible this is some cheaper alternative that somebody saved money on, like some of the 10 dollar abec9 bearings we hear about. I would post some pics and maybe we could make an educated guess as to what is going on???

It don't get no sweeter than that,,,,,nice fish too!

I like XL the best if using on spinning gear it is a little more limp and has a little less memory, for all round I consider the XT not as limp but better abrasion resistance, for all out abrasion resistance fishing rock's dock's and timber hands down Big Game, but it has the most memory and is a stiffer line, can be used on Baitcasting reels but I won't use or suggest it on spinning gear,,,,especially in cold temps. Berkley's Trilene line (no pun intended) makes some good product for most applications, but none of their lines are the best at everything. Try it and see what attributes you prefer the most, or do as I do, 832 Sufix on every reel for mainline, and use various mono's and Fluoro's to fine tune my presentations. But until you use it yourself you'll never really know for sure.

Like many have said, nothing is 100% and that goes for mono braid fluoro you name it. I personally start with braid but use leaders as long as 12' for whatever I need to do on the business end, Fluoro or Mono. When I had a 36' 5th wheel and a 26 to 28' hardtop to drag around my 1 ton w/diesel was hard to beat, but didn't make much sense as a grocery getter, 10 minuet trips a few times a day. You need to check out your other choices, unless you only fish one lure one way, then Mono very well could be your best option,,,,,,

It is NOT, I found they were nowhere near as abrasion resistant as I had became used to with Fireline. I have always hated the drag in the eyes on rods, it also lacked the ability to work with super light setups and slip bobbers, and how casting distance suffered, all because of it's friction, but I could find no other zero memory line as tough. Power Pro was nowhere near as tough as I have found for abrasion and knot strength, and wind knots, same went for Fireline Braid when I tried it and most others were worse than these and I don't know what they were made of as it doesn't matter when it wont hold up to your environment. Seldom did Fierline ever break at the knot and its abrasion resistance was unheard of for a Superline, although not braided but fused fibers, in the 15 or so years I used it, I tried almost every new line that came out and was never worth the advantages over the disadvantages I found with them over Fireline. But then I finally found a line 2 years ago, Sufix 832 Advanced Superline, that I was pleased with, that did perform better in many ways than any of the superlines I have wasted money on over the years. It is made and woven differently with Dyneema fibers and Gore, which one does what I don't know, but it is softer smoother rounder more abrasion resistant and has better knot strength cast farther than any line I have tried, and than the lines mentioned that I have tried with Spectra being advertised as there main fibers. The line is as sensitive as any braid I have tried, and like I said is rounder and smoother, so it cast farther, and has better abrasion resistance than any line I have tried since Fireline. I fish rocky reefs and rivers 70% of the time, or more, this is well worth its price as it is the best I have found in this environment. Anyone who has never tried it really should give it a go, the only thing I have ever heard said negative about it is the sound running thru the guides, I personally have only noticed it under a load, and when that is happening I could care less about the whine, when the line is performing better than all the others I have tried. Their are a lot of meterials today we benafit from that we never had years ago, all are superior to what once was, and as our sport continues to evolve we always benefit from those who continue to think good enough is still in our future, for me Sufix 832 is as good as it currently gets. http://coastalanglermag.com/brevard/2014/07/30/spectra-vs-dyneema/

Many St Croix rods I am happy enough with the way their built, but if you like a blank and components are the problem, that LE could have been built for the same money a factory rod will run you or very close! I have tried many, got tiered of disappointment, some soon enough to return, others to late and a few took 4 or 5 years to show like the Techna AV and HCG and HMG, the flex coat get's milky or the guides become loose, a couple broken for no reason, even the higher priced GLX that after twice returning it for delamination in about a 3 year period, sold it, the IMX just as you said, fish it once and if you know what to expect from a Avid it's pure disappointment. The GL 2 and 3 line absolutely no sensitivity. I found the same with most Loomis rod's to sour me from more attempts, I have never used an Avid I was disappointed in, but any other rod Shimano, Diawa, Garcia, Loomis, Pfluger, Fenwick, Browning, or blanks like Rain Shadow I have never been happy with everything as well as I have with Avids at their price. with many it's disappointment may come down the road with, long term durability, casting accuracy, customer service, always something lacking I didn't experience with the St. Croix. Personally their are Avid blanks I prefer over Legend Elite Blanks and vice versa. But through my experience and in lakes, reservoirs, small rivers to big, Great Lakes to a little Ocean Flats and backwaters once in a great while, I see's how they hold up from a non commercial point and a commercial environment, in a real world Salmon, Stealhead, Northern Pike, Muskie, Walleye, Flathead Catfish, Buffalo carp, you name it. Lake Erie perch fishing will surprise you what may hit, tight lining straight down in 3'ers on the bottom you need a fairly sensitive stick, but it better be able to take abuse, it may be a 7+# Drum or a 30# Catfish, and anything in between. With the Avid it is still being used, along with 5 or 6 that are over 15 years old had that abuse often and weekly, and has landed anything from Gobie the Sheaphed and big Cats, the Avid took what I can't count on other Ultra light light and Mediums to take, fishing Lake Erie for 30 years where you are never surprised what hit's, Salmon on Lake Michigan and it's tributaries where obstacles are many with fish on that have an attitude, in over 30 years, these were my testing grounds. When I found Avid as well as Legend Elite, I was only ever once disappointed in a purchase. That was a 7' MHXF cranking blank I had built for Saltwater Flats and Backwaters as well as Pike to Salmon. I had it built by a "discount professional rod builder", but a couple years later when I had my rod builder and repairman look at it (a world champion carver as well) who is a true craftsman and know pretty don't mean function, he explained everything the guy did wrong, new eyes and relocated, handle, seat, and 70 buck's later, it is like the LE I just had him build, SPECIAL! But in nearly 60 years, I have never been happier with any of my rod purchases than those from St. Croix. You may have different values and needs you place on your rods, for me after 60 years I am done being disappointed, and have found I never have been with an Avid, they always seem to do what I expect a rod costing over 200 bucks to do and exceed my expectations, and have never payed 200 bucks for one! I have never had another rod do that from the beginning and keep doing it. I am getting ready to build a rod for the 1000 Ci4+ and I am pretty sure it will be built on a 6'6" LF Avid blank, at 1.1 oz the weight and sensitivity are excellent and the speed of the blank better suited for what I want than the LE which is a little faster, you have to know exactly what you as an individual wants out of a rod. For this rod the Avid blank would be hard to beat, and since I have a world class rod builder that will put it together for the same money an Avid sells for retail, maybe a little cheaper, I'll make sure I am not only satisfied, but will be delighted,,,,,,,,and since I am using a St Croix, it will be for LIFE!!! Like I said maybe not for others but it will take years to know with most that are made today and come close, Avid has been doing it for decades!! I'm getting to old for disappointment's and to old to roll dice!

For 20 years my go to line to line knot has been the improved blood knot, makes a tapered end on each end of the knot and goes thru the guides both ways without resistance, Every reel I own has braid for mainline and the only thing that gets tied to it is a leader, either mono or fluoro, I have no doubts they work with all lines regardless of material or diameter. There are many good knots that are proven for joining lines, learn one and you will gain confidence and it will become second nature to you.

Try it, after 60 years I've found until you try it all you never know. But maybe you have memorized who's 20# is what dia. since most very from line to line and material to material, and most are never advertised right let alone what some manufacturers call full another doesn't, so on and so forth, but some close enough is good enough, I like being exact, and have found this to be 100% perfect with every diameter and every material, every manufacturers spools, and where I want my spools to be. Also I said with this knot diameter does not matter, they all work together. Then some like to use less than perfect, and knots that only work with certain combinations,,,,,, I'm just not one of them and could care less what the manufacturer recommended, especially with over 25 different outfits and reels, plus those of my customers. No tape no math no research, just tie and go. But if you like making formulas and calculations part of your fishing, and restricting yourself to lines that will only work with certain lines and not with others, your method should keep it challenging, but I doubt real exact or quick,,,,,, but I recamend trying other knots that work with all diameters and materials, that could make it easier!!

Poor man's line spooler,,, nothing but the best!!

As I said you are right it is the rapid fire drag and the same as the Sustain, including the drag washers both use the same material and are interchangable, they are not only the same dimensions they are exactly the same material. The spool bearing is used on the Sustain and a bushing is used to support the spool on the Ci4+, this is an item I will upgrade with aftermarket abec 5 bearings from Boca on the Ci4+, and can't on the FJ and other Stradics,