jtesch

It's a great reel at the $100 price point, I have the P version for cranking and I like it more than my Revo Winch. I think it casts better and easier to control. A pleasant surprise

I think it's a great rod for the money, I own 6 now and they have become my go too rods

The Tatula 7'4" frog and slop rod is ideal, a very versatile heavy rod

Great reels, I have several, although they are super light I use them as an all purpose reel. If you clean and flush the bearings or put Boca lightnings in then they cast a mile. Great break system but if you run your spool real loose they get a little finicky on a windy day. Curable by adding spool tension though. At that price it's a steal

Looks like Daiwa is going to fill the $250-$400 price slot with really nice reels. Gotta hand it to them, they are quick learners

Daiwa Tatula 7'4" frog & slop rod. Heavy enough to drag fish out of thick stuff, casts well and can be used for a lot of other things. Also won't break the bank

If your interested in that reel, look at the Alphas SV. Same platform, cheaper and great reviews

It's an Aphas platform, built for salt water use with centrifugal breaks. Never used one but it does have following and I think it's a pretty good reel

How about a used Daiwa Luna??

Make sure you don't have any slack in your line when you make your hook set. Flouro didn't take the sudden shock of a big hook set with slack line well. I was using 49# braid and a 12# flouro leader and snapping the leader in the middle on hard hook sets. I had to really train myself to crank up any slack and it cured the problem.

X2

Is it a sudden stop or more like the lure is running out of momentum???

Bought dozens of reels on EBay with just one purchase being bad. I've gotten many used reels and I always expect to have to do some maintenance. I make sure the price I pay has that factor built in. That being said. Most of the used stuff is better than I planned on. I have 2 Z's and a Fuego that are part of my regular rotation that were great deals. I have bought several older Daiwas just to clean up and maybe trick out a little and resell and have consistently made money. You just have to get the reel at the right price

Compared to mono, yes. Compared to braid, no.

25 years ago their was a trend towards the high frame guide with smaller openings. It was all the rage with those of us that built their own rods. And in my opinion, they sucked. More line wrap, more wind knots and no distance gain. Every few years they make a change so we spend money.

the Rocket is pretty much an STX, good reel, very fast and versatile. MGX break system is much better and it can throw really light baits. The MGX can be used for a lot of things and comes in a 7.9 version which is pretty fast. I use mine for pitching up to 1/2 oz and they are great. Tackle Tour has great reviews on both reels and they love the MGX

If you use Mikes reel repair be ready to wait even if he has it in stock

Tatula handle and drag star, carbontex drag and if your gonna pitch a lot put Boca Lightning bearings in it. Grand total around $70. Very true about getting a Z. I just got one for $130 near mint with a Zillion type R drag and Avail handle. Love my Fuego but it can't touch the Z

A carbon fiber handle will lighten it a little. I put a zillion swept drag star and handle on mine. I believe the Tatula drag star fits and that would be lighter. I put the TD-Z 100m spool on mine and it's great but that spool is no longer made so EBay would be your best bet. You can get a Hyper long cast spool that will fit. I love mine after tricking it out, just keep in mind that you can buy a nice reel for what you spend on the Fuegoyou will be able to lighten it a little but not enough to make a big difference .

For the lighter weight t-rigs I love my Shimano Cumara. Super light and sensitive, I use the 6'8" M Xf. It's only rated to 1/4 oz but it can handle a decent fish and the action is perfect for tossing light weights

I just started using 16# sunline fx braid with no leader for light t-rigs. So far it's worked great, I am using a Revo MGX and am getting great distance. Palomar knot on everything for me. I went through a stretch where I broke a lot of fluoro on hook sets and realized it was a little slack in the fluoro that was the issue. Fluoro is not able to handle the shock of a hard hook set with any slack. Now I make sure I reel up tight and it's all good

the St. Croix Eyecon spinning rods are exactly what you are looking for and in your price range

Truth be told, the desicion was between the Alphas SV and the R+ all along. I tossed the other reels in to see a few more opinions. I still haven't made up my mind which it will be and know I'm thinking about getting a regular used TD-Z 103 and putting a 1016 spool in it. I have a T3 1016 and that spool is really quite something. Sometimes I really can drive myself crazy with these live and death decitions

There is an R+ on EBay right now for $189 that has me interested. It really what got this topic started. I was planing on getting the Alphas SV and saw the R+ and decided to throw the question out there.

[