Capt.Bob

It would be hard to imagine how much better, lighter, balance, sensitivity, power, you have to try it to believe it, the Extreme's and Elite's are the very best rods on the Planet. Just don't ruin it with a Diawa, go with the 50E or Lew's. It is a no worry buy, at these prices you can probably sell it on flea bay and make a profit if I'm wrong, problem is I am sure you will have a bigger problem as the more you buy-----well the more you will buy!

X2 I couldn't agree more, hope everyone does!

start with the bearing flush, air won't blow the grease out and as long as you have grease in the bearings oil won't help. When you flush them use a good LIGHTWEIGHT oil, one small drop, spin em and blow them out lightly. I think you will be very happy without changing your bearings!! I use premium abec 5 bearings on most supertunes when a customer wants bearings upgraded.

St. Croix, finest rods on the Planet!!

woulda said Premier 7' MF but a little late, good luck.

The question involved the word "comparable characteristics", and cheaper, the only thing those rods have to do with the question is CHEAPER, Not even close as comparable!

Go to the Bargain room and choose a Legend Extreme for the discipline you prefer. At the prices they are selling them for you can sell em on ebay and make money if your not thrilled, or recoupe you money here. But I will warn you, if you do this be prepared to replace every rod you own, they are that good, and addicting!

MM or MHM, with Big Game, best setup I have found. Unless I am going for Pike and Muskie, then its a different ball game altogether!

That was my problem with it, since I use braid as mainline on every reel I own, the red label performed poorly for abrasion and all knots were not useful with it, plus it is very stiff and once I went with abrazx those problems all but went away. When I can I use Trilene Big Game, as I think it is one of the most abrasion resistant lines on the market!! Tough stuff, but a lot of stretch.

I have owned only the GLX and IMX series from Loomis, I have fished the GL2 and GL3, I would prefer the Bionic Blade or Extreme from Bass Pro over a GL2 or 3. I sold the GLX after the second one delaminated several years ago, I would love to find someones who needs a 6' Light Fast IMX spinning rod and it would be gone, too heavy. I would replace it with a XX. XXXXX. I own around 20 St. Croix rods, Legend Ultra's, Elite's, and Tournament's, several Avids, Fly, spin and casting. I own a couple Premier's also, they are left over from what I furnished client's from my Great Lakes Charter Servicel. I won't part with any of them. If you want the best rods on the planet, get a Legend Elite or Extreme, hands down the finest rods available, the Avids are great rods, lightweight with good sensitivity, but most of all they are some of the most durable rods made. I think I prefer the St. Croix rods, as long as there built in Park Falls!!

I have to agree X3, I was very dissapointed in the Red Label from Seguar. I use there line only for leaders, and when I do, I use the Abrazx, and Tatsu. I really think your problem is in the Knots or the Guides, but if you continue to use Seguar's Red Label, expect problems.

Sorry to hear that Zachb34, at 15 thats a bad start to your fishing career. But will assure you no rod company will take care of a problem like that better than St. Croix, there are plenty here that have dealt with them for years and will testify to that.

As I said, the only thing I would want different would be looks. St. Croix already builds a rod for anything I would want in the Legend Elite and Legend Extreme models, in the configurations that I would ever want. For those wanting a custom rod the St. Croix blanks I mentioned would be my only choice! If they prefer the best. I have had a few customs made, and that was something I thought was special 30 or so years ago, believe me, I have most of what I would ever want, and with close to 20 St. Croixs, I have made my choice, regardless of price! I could choose a rod from there catalog to replace any Custom rod I have had built, and be perfectly happy with it.

It is is a big plus as one proper treatment should last all season unless contaminated by dirt, sand, and what have you. It is excellent on the level wind systems as it does not attract dirt like grease and oil, and great on bearings as after treating I blow them out and have no resistance like you get with oils. When you use the lighter oils on high speed spool bearings the lighter the better for less drag on the bearings, when you use these lighter oils one drawback is you need to lube more often to keep them lubed and protected from corrosion, with heavier longer lasting oils, they slow the bearings. The use of 321 can be used on all plastics, and gives you the best of both worlds. 301 is the same thing with solvents in it that can harm some plastics, but help penetrate the surface and bond to the parts being treated. When servicing reels for customers, they have been very happy with these lubes. Be sure you understand these lube and the precautions using them if you decide to try them. They give excellent long term lubricity and corrosion protection. Any one using this product for the first time should check the sight and read the information on both products before using it, as it is not oil!! Others have posted this but I will repeat it here http://www.tsi301.com/tsi321main.htm

I only have one choice, and that is St. Croix Legend Elite, I have a couple Customs and they are built on the same Blanks, I really don't think the Customs are any better than the Factory Built Legend Elite. The only advantage with custom is your personal preference for appearance, as the factory uses the best components available on the Elite, and if you like half of a handle the Extreme, after owning nearly every premium manufacturers rods over the last 50 years, I think the top end St. Croix Legend Elite and Extreme rods are the best rods made at any cost by far. I can't say that for any other rod manufacturer, and Ive owned about all the name brands!

sorry didn't really look but the point was the calcutta is much heavier than the 50E, it is a great setup and the Lews TP is even lighter yet. I have my Calcutta like I mentioned on a MH I just prefer the lightest setup possible for light finesse work.By the way an excellent way to break in a new rod!! Congrats!

I have used baitcasting gear since before Braid. I have found that I gain sensitivity, strength, casting performance, and it last much longer since it is unaffected by the environment. But, many say they use less than 6lbs test mono diameter. This is less than 20lbs test braid. I use 20lbs. test Braid on two of my outfits. 20 lbs Braid works good for me on my open water finesse and light tackle rigs. I use 6 or 8 lbs test Fluorocarbon leaders on them and that is what I set the drags for. If I get hung on the bottom I wrap the mainline around my hand and break off, I never stop the spool to over ride the drag, so it never digs into the spool, this works great, but I have tried it on my other rods used around weed and wood with 12 and 20lbs test leaders and it will dig in and cause casting problems till it is run off the spool past the diggin and then works good again till max tension is put on the heavier set drag again. The 20 lbs Fierline Tracer braid and Power pro fishes better than 6lbs mono because it gets down with less weight quicker, has much more feel and sensitivity and is as limp as sewing thread. But I will only use it on a light drag set for no more than 8 lbs. test. If you are going to use it for 12 lbs test leaders or to do what you use to use 12lbs mono, I would suggest going no lighter than 30 lbs braid which is 8lbs test mono diameter, and personally prefer 40lbs test, as on rigs setup for anything more than open water, when weeds wood and obstacles are around, or I am simply fishing for larger species, I use 12 to 20 lbs test leaders, and with the 40 I can usually runn against the heavier drag settings and still keep from digging in. Plus reap the benefits of the smaller line diameter, the 40 lbs test braid fishes better than 10lbs test mono and fluoro, and is the same diameter of those lines. most bass size reels are rated with as low as 8lbs test mono, that is 30lbs test for most Braid when going by the same diameter, but as I said even 30 lbs braid will digin if you put 30 lbs of pressure on the spool.

I have owned both from same makers and it really isn't much of measure of sensitivity. Less expensive BPS IM-6 and IM-8 Bionic Blade rods, I use them for the grandkids have less than 60 bucks in them and don't worry about them, great on the river bank. But see no difference in feel. both 6'^' MH. You would be much better off relying on a manufacturer with long term proven reliability of customer satisfaction to take guess work out of your purchase. St. Croix is one such company, as long as you go with one of there rods built in the USA, a rod such as the Premier is not that expensive and come in about any weight action and length you could want, most likely as sensitive as any IM-6,7,8 and probably lighter and as strong or stronger, plus a proven 5 year warranty. Sorry but we have seen a lot of problems with the models from this company being made out of the country, plus they use lower quality hardware, just an option.

For an entry level Shimano, the Symetre can be had brand new and considerably below 100 bucks less than 80 to be more exact, and is as good as any $100.00 reel mentioned. http://www.ebay.com/...=item53edf607cc The Symetre is a real sleaper, and I have tested them for years. it is what I use to furnish my charter customers. It will really test the equipment when they are tested by customers who don't have a dime in them and could care less what shape there left in after a days use. you don't make money fixxing reels that are abused, and believe me the Symetre will take a POUNDING and keep REBOUNDING!! in over 20 years of owning a Lake Erie Charter Service, they proved indestructible, and extremely reliable. As snookalot said, the Stradic is way more rel than needed but they are what I use, and would recomend to anyone looking for the best!! yes a Stella is better but no way can be justified at over $500.00 more, the question was Under 100 bucks anyway, no way you can beat a Symetre for less than $80.00 over any reel close to that,

Make mine MHF, I think it would be your best choice.

I would be happier with the Saros for $100.00 if I could buy the Pflueger for $80.00. I have two and they will take a lot of abuse and still be as smooth as new.

Sorry Dwight but I have to disagree, I've always found Blue and Gold quite nauseating, always been kinda fond of Scarlet and Gray myself! The rod and reel look great tough! I would keep it light and choose the 50E over the 200GTB, My GTB is my MHM crankin reel with a little polishing, abec 7's, and carbontex drag it is sssmmmmmooooootttttthhhhhhhh pullin drag or crankin and casting!

Use whichever one feels more ergonomic in your hand, the TP is only 2/10 of an ounce lighter, not enough to really mater, either one will make one BAD **** setup! Drop shot, weightless plastic, tubes, grubs, lightweight Carolina rigs, you name it in open water!! I think going with the lighter weight Braid and 6 or 8lbs test fluorocarbon leader will be more important!! 20lbs test Tracer Braid work great with light setup's, If you use the 6 lbs and have your drag set just heavy enough to set the hook and light enough to play out your fish I have not had trouble with line digging into the spool, 8lbs test with borderline heavy drag settings can start to dig in a little, just remember to make a couple easy cast to get the spool running smooth again before you try and cast across the lake with the light lures!

I think the reasons already stated are why, Lew's always stood for innovation and top quality, usually better quality for less money, and with there marketing and Pro Staff have a big advantage. As stated there are similar reels being made but Lew's has upped the quality of the components, and it shows. The one thing Lew's has always had going for them is excellent customer service, that is one thing that can ruin even the company selling the best products, if people know the won't back their product, most won't buy it! Lew's had excellent customer service in the 70's and continue to do so today. Lynn Reeves, formerly a buyer for Bass Pro Shops, is probably why you don't see them at BPS, and probably won't. Reeves is now the owner of the Lew's name and running it after leaving BPS. Why would J.M. want his former employee's product competing with his own in his stores??

I use Fireline Tracer Braid, but Power Pro Suffix Samurai are all good braids, I use 30 or 40lbs test, plenty heavy and will saw thru the weeds better than heavier lines.