kschultz76

I literally just got this rod last week, and haven't been able to fish it yet bc of the extreme cold and icy weather we have in NJ still. However I have been practicing pitching with it indoors and some casting and pitching in the yard. Paired with 3 different reels, and both 12lb mono and 15lb fluoro I find it very comfortably pitches and casts both 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz rubber practice plugs. I got a new 13 Metanium to go with and paired with that reel it is beauty. I got this rod wanting a versatile stick who's primary purpose would be jigs w/trailer 1/4-3/8, plus trig creatures with 3/8 tungsten. I also wanted something that could as secondary uses handle swim jigs, bladed jigs, light crigs, spinnerbaits. At lot of folks like the EMTF for jigs and trigs but the extra length of that stick over the Diablo poses some issues for me that would likely result in a damaged rod. I spoke with Gary at The Tackle Trap about the Diablo and he assured me the Diablo would fit the bill, and he's steered me well on all my other Orochi XX purchases. If you go check out the rods forum on TackleTour there's a number of good posts on this stick. I'd encourage you to talk to Gary, he's extremely knowledgable, knows these rods very well, and focused on sharing info to help you get the right rod for your needs. I can't compare to the Envys as I've never held one. I can tell you my Orochis in my hands are plenty sensitive and pretty comparable to my St Croix Legend Extremes. They certainly are more sensitive then my LTBs, and the one Dobyns Champ I have. The Diablo "sings" with vibration as the line comes through the guides, I think it will be more sensitive then my other Orochis but can't say for sure without some on water experience. What I can tell you about the Diablo is it seems to have a great backbone when I've tested loading it up, and it does have a taper I would put in the Fast category. But it's not on the faster end of the fast spectrum, and definitely not xfast. But the tip is great so far loading nicely for a pitch or cast, crisp, responsive, and transitions nicely into the power. The Orochi tapers are all pretty unique and very versatile. I think overall if I had to compare it I'd say it's just hair slower then my LTB Mh/F but crisper and more responsive, but that rod is 6'6" and very stout for its rating so it's a tough comparison. I'm no expert but have been told in general MB rods have tapers on the slower end of the fast spectrum. I also have the Spinnerbait Special and the Diablo is def faster and noticeably more powerful even though they have similar power ratings. I also have the Tour Versatile and that's a great powerful heavy cover stick. The Diablo slots nicely between the two. I think if I was throwing jigs or trigs much over the 3/8 or 7/16 range I'd rather throw them on the TV but I'm told the Diablo can handle a 1/2 oz jig in a pinch. I can also tell you the finish and build quality on all my Orochis is just amazing, they are just as good as my top end St Croixs. Sorry I can't give you any real on the water feedback.

Thanks WRB!

Thanks for the input. They sold out of the crank rod before I pulled the trigger, so bummed.

Hey folks I'm looking for some feedback on the Lamiglas Excel II casting rods. Given the great TW sale on them I'm considering picking up a couple for guest rods when I take friends out on the boat. I've never held one a wondering what the effective lure range really is on the 704 vs the 705. How do their actions compare to say a Dobyns Champ or St Croix Avid? I'm leaning to the 705 if it has enough tip to really get close to the 1/4 range, for most guests I'm going to give them a spinning rod for lighter baits. I want chose one good multipurpose rod for trigs, jigs, swim jigs, spinnerbaits, crigs, maybe some top water or jerk baits in a pinch. 704 = 7' Med Fast 1/4-3/4 705 = 7' Med Fast 1/4-1 In addition to one of these I was going to pick up the Med Hvy Glass crank rod 1/4-1oz if anyone has any feedback on it? Thanks for any input you can offer.

I've read a lot about these rods, they are very interesting, especially at their price point. They are a global Shimano product but I've read that the actions were developed in the US. Their design though looks more JDM then USDM. While I prefer cork for the price I could see one of these in my stable. Some folks who have handled say the new reel seats are very comfortable. For anyone interested The Tackle Trap has them on their website now and available for preorder.

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm considering a similar NRX purchase in the future for the same uses and have started researching. Someone brought up the 873 which had popped up on my radar as well as the two rods you're considering. Great thread and thanks to everyone for their input.

The Met DC will be JDM only and from what I've read elsewhere the DC system has been advanced on that reel. Lighter weight and newer tech on the DC system then the Exsence. I read elsewhere that some patent/trademark issue prevents it coming the the U.S. as a global product.

Are bribes being accepted?

That Chronarch CI4+ is a very capable reel that would serve you well as a beginner or experienced angler. It has great braking system and is an easy caster. All that said you don't need to spend that kind of coin on your first baitcaster unless you're the kind of person who knows you won't be satisfied with a budget reel. I'd suggest you start with something more modest but still good quality. No sense spending that much until you first know you can effectively use a bc reel and find you enjoy it. Then try a few brands and different braking systems to find what fits you. Definitely try hold and them in person before you buy. If you check out TW you can actually demo some reels through their demo program. That helped me narrow down what I liked before dropping more then $200 on a reel. All depends on your preference for balancing budget and performance. Seems like you're willing to spend a bit more to get the quality and performance having reread your post but you are looking for more then on reel to cover a number of techniques. My humble opinion is that a couple Curado Is will balance performance and quality against budget, they are a great bang for your buck. Consider a 6.x for cranks and a 7.x for all the other techniques you mentioned. I started as a teenager with some Quantum bcs with simple mag brakes, those things gave me fits casting for years, I dreaded using them. Then a few years ago I found the BPS PQs and realized using a bc could be fun and not aggravating. Then decided I wanted something lighter, that was a bit more palmable, and I wasn't sold on the DBS. So I found my way to Shimano Chronarch CI4+ and Curado Is, and find them to be the right fit for me. So I can understand wanting to skip investing in gear you'll quickly want to upgrade to know what else is out there. I do have one Daiwa T3 1016 and that 3d mag force braking is very nice, but the current Daiwa offerings like the Tatula just don't fit my hand well. Cabelas also has the Chronarch Es on sale and they are nice reels for the money and great casters. But for the minimal price difference I think the Curado I is the better way to go.

The reel is certainly sexy and has my attention. I'm getting a Metanium first for sure though. Right now my arsenal is full of very versatile rods that do more then one thing well. This reel seems very pitching/flipping oriented so if I have a dedicated rig for that someday this may be the reel for it. The rod that does a lot of the duty today is my Orochi XX Tour Versatile, but I also throw crigs, frogs/toads, anything in general that requires a heavy powered rod. This reel just wouldn't pair well with that particular rod.

Best of luck, let us know how it turns out!

I'm always told by those who prefer their handles on the right hand side that my handles are on the wrong side. Of course the Brits would say our steering wheels are on the wrong side!

Was just on Cabelas website and fwiw they have the Pflueger Supreme on clearance for $80 which is pretty good deal.

And I like my reel handles on the "wrong" side too!

Well if you're a Shimano guy I'd consider the Chronarch CI4+. It will be really nice on that rod, at least on my older version without the skeletonized reel seat the rod is light and well balanced so the CI4+ pairs well. And that reel handles the lighter weight baits with ease.

No need to apologize just wanted to be sure I was understanding your needs for this correctly. Ok in that case I think you'll be happy with that rod. I've not used any Pflueger bc reels so I can't provide much insight there. However if lighter weights are really where you'll be at, like 1/4-3/8 oz total weight I would just make sure you research how well that reel handles those weights. In my experience some reels handle that weight range better then others while still handling 1/2 oz no problem. Best of luck and enjoy the new rig!!

Can you provide a bit more insight into the weight ranges you intend to use? And what weightless baits specifically? Not all bait cast reels throw very light weight rigs equally well and there may be better options if your total lure weight is say under 3/8 normally. The inclusion of the buzz bait in the mix kinda throw me off. Also I have that LTB 6'8" M/XF rod, and really like for its intended functions. But it really is an extremely fast taper and not ideal for buzz baits, spinnerbaits, etc. it is good for all the plastics, jigs, and lighter popping/walking baits. For more versatility you might want to consider the M/F. Just my .02 based on personal experience with that rod.

I've personally not enjoyed any Quantum reels or Abu spinning reels I've tried. My preference for spinning reels is Shimano, Pflueger, or Daiwa depending on price point. I'd agree with Mike again given your budget look for a Pflueger President and invest the larger portion of your budget on the rod. Also I recently saw Pflueger Supremes on sale at Cabelas for 70 or 80 which is a good deal. But everyone has their preferences and you should get what you will enjoy. If you can get somewhere to feel them first that's best.

Mike has a good point on the power. Not sure if you've fished a St Croix rod before, so sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. But their rods usually handle 1/2-1 full power heavier then others. So their M spinning is almost a MH, and their ML is very close to some others M. Just make sure you look at the lure and line ratings and match you're intended techniques to their powers. I do love my St Croix spinning rods! For example I use a St Croix M/XF and M/F for weightless 5" and 6" senkos with a 4/0 EWG hook. These rods handle that great, but an older M/F Loomis GL2 (the blue one) is a bit underpowered for them, especially the 6" and especially in any cover. Good luck!

I know I posted way earlier in this thread when I had first gotten mine. After over a year of use, and a lot of it, I love this reel. Bar none my favorite spinning reel even over the FJ. The weight and feel are outstanding and the reel just performs. I've muscled several 3-4 lb fish on 7lb Sniper with several of them out of woody cover and the reel just performed helping me control the fish. I'm pretty stocked on spinning gear but I see one more in my future. For comparison I've fished FJs, Presidents, Excelers, Airds, original CI4s, Sustains, a few Abus, and some older Penn 430ss. The CI4+ is my top pick among them all.

"Need?" Gonna have to look that one up in the dictionary because I've never seen it applied to tackle!

Thanks the comparison to the 51e and how those line capacities have worked out is helpful. I imagine if folks are happy with that diameter line on a 51e I shouldn't have any issues with it on the Met or CI4+.

Thanks just what I needed to here, you confirmed I'm doing what I often do which is over analyze it.

Thanks for the response, let me try and ask a different way to make sure I'm not being really dumb. I thought that if I was using heavier line on a longer cast, leaving less line on the spool then lighter line would, would effectively reduce my initial IPT? Is that not the case, or so negligible not to matter? I appreciate the education. I'm hoping to see how well my Chronarchs perform when I get them back from you may help convince me to stick with another CI4+.

I'm going to be getting the new Orochi XX Diablo Spec R and debating a Metanium or another Chronarch CI4+ to pair with it. I've not had the pleasure of handling the Met but really psyched to possibly get one. I intend to use the pairing for finesse jigs/jigs 1/4 oz plus trailer and under 1/2oz, trigs including worms and creatures, swim jigs, and occasionally anything else it might be handy for like a spinnerbaits or buzzbait. Would you be comfortable using something like 14 lb Super FC Sniper or 40 lb braid on the Met? I'm unsure how it will handle the heavier line and how only having 85 or 90 yds of will affect IPT. I'm not generally fishing super gnarly cover so may just need to trust in some 12lb Tatsu.Appreciate any input you could share. Edit: sorry folks just realized I posted my questions about the Met in a thread about the Core 50. It came up when I did a search and I responded thinking it was a different thread. Happy to delete and repost as a new thread if necessary.