Toeshots

Yea, yea. Hoping she doesn't see the packages on the porch because she gets home before me everyday! I better be extra nice just in case.

Couldn't resist. Bought the Chronarch 50E...... ......then went on eBay and bought a Lew's Tournament Pro. I'm gonna be in trouble.

Debating between a used Curado 50E and the TW Chronarch 50E currently on sale. Seems like a no brainer because they are only about $15-$20 difference price-wise, but some reviews say the Chronarch E isn't built quite as well as the Curado E? I thought these were essentially the same reel?

Good to know!

Hoping the BPS Crankin' Sticks are on sale. Also looking for deals on Senkos, premium fluoro, and maybe Red Eye Shads.

Power and action being equal, does it take more force/mass to load a glass rod as opposed to graphite? Is there much if a difference at all when getting the rod to load? I know the naturally slower action of the glass can really store some power, but just curious what it takes to get there. Thanks.

This^^^^ I'm happy just to SEE a patch of open water right now. If I get to fish it, it's not productive, although my first and only bass of the year is the 19" in my picture. Don't have a single bite this year besides that fish.

Tom, thanks for the detailed response. The Sol and some other reels will definitely be going in for a cleaning/tuning before the season gets here. On to the rod - I've looked at the Loomis', but they are not within my budget. Going to keep it near the $100 range for this as it will be mostly for reaction baits. The M/MF Shimano Compre (rated for 1/4 to 5/8) looks intriguing as does the M/M Mojo Bass Glass (1/4 to 3/4) which I had previously dismissed when initially looking for a crankbait rod. I've never owned a fiberglass rod but certainly would not be opposed to them. Is there a benefit with glass vs. graphite when casting with lighter baits? Will glass load better? I know all about the parabolic bend and such, but don't know much about how well they cast. The other oddity I've run across before is when rod action is described as Med-Fast as compared to the usual Mod-Fast. My ignorant mind has always considered these the same, but I've never really looked it up. It was brought to my attention as the Compre is listed as Med-Fast action. Can't find the weight on the Compre, but I assume it's lighter than the 4.4 oz Mojo.

Sorry to bump this, but how about the 7' M/M Carbonlite? Anybody have experience with it? It is more reasonably priced than the G Loomis and Dobyns and could be on sale for the Spring Classic. I've spent the bigger bucks on my bottom contact rods and would like to save some $ on the reaction type rod. I apologize, I should have mentioned this beforehand. Edit: Nevermind. Really lots of good looking rods in that $100 range. I think I'll just wait and see what the Spring Classic brings before deciding.

Thanks for the head-up by the way!

Same here. Went with the 12lb test.

Mono and FC are both going to stretch. The difference is that mono will bouce back and return to its original shape while many CHEAPER FC's will not. This is one of the reasons you will see many people say to buy a premium FC if you are going that route. Google Tackle Tour's Flourocarbon Shootout. It's very interesting, at least I thought so. They tried several FC's at various price points and the only one that returned to its original shape after being stretched was Sunline Shooter. Sunline Shooter is $35-$40 for about 100-160 yards depending on LB test. Back to your original question, I will use 50LB braid larger jigs, t-rigs and frogs; 30LB braid for smaller jigs and t-rigs; 8-10LB Yo-Zuri Hybrid for cranks. I'll also have some 12-15LB Yo-Zuri Hybrid to use as leaders with the braid as necessary. For the time being, I am steering away from FC because I cannot afford the stuff that really works and the thought of one bad bird's nest costing up to $40 is a little scary.

Not going to make it this year. Actually, haven't been there in a few years now that I think about it. How was it?

I agree that the NIBs will eventually dwindle and the condition of the used ones will eventually worsen, but most likely wont be for at least a few years. When a thread pops up here or anywhere with someone looking for a reel for light lures, the Sol is THE STANDARD answer hands down. Until another reel comes on the market at a reasonable price point that can take over this standard, people are going to be looking for the Sol. The problem is that they are not widely available, and will only get more difficult to find, as was indicated by the creator of this thread. A smart seller will capitalize on this and bump up the price and, unfortunately for guys like me who like the reel, somebody out there will pay it, which can drive up the comparables. I hope I'm wrong because I'd love to have another one. I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. It doesn't feel right to continue posting in a thread that was started by somebody else and could potentially be locked due to two grown men bickering over a fishing reel.

What something's "worth" and what people are willing to pay are two different things. At this point prices are only going to go up as these reels become more rare and people do their homework and come across threads such as this and recent others that praise this reel.

There's a used one on eBay that has a bid on it for $150 so it will only go up from there. Last week a guy had a few NIBs listed on ebay for $300. I can only go by what I see.

Depends what you are doing with it. I just stocked up this winter and for bottom contact techniques, I bought $200 rods which will be paired with reels of the same value. Crankbait rod was around $100 but reel will be more.

They do not. You have to find them on eBay or Craigslist. A used one in good condition will run $150-$200. NIB probably $250-$300.

Will be using a Sol once the water softens up a bit.

What are you guys using to transport your rods and reels? I've made a decent investment in some quality gear this winter and I want to make sure I take care of it. I know a hard case will certainly offer better protection, but a soft case would be much more manageable on the boat, especially when we have 3 people on it. Ideally I'd like the case to hold 4-5 rod/reel combos up to 7' in length and have some kind of strap system to hold each setup separately and snug. Am I asking too much? Is there a soft case that can do this and still offer reasonable protection? If not, is there hard case out there to fit my needs?

Nice! Which model did you go with?

I had been researching the same thing and the standard seemed to be the Daiwa Sol with the runner-up being the Shimano Curado/Chronarch 50E. The Sol is not the easiest reel to find, but they are out there. I lucked out and found one for $150 locally. There was one on eBay earlier today with a $200 BIN that appears to be gone now. Not sure what the Pixy goes for so I don't know what your budget is but I at least wanted to share my findings. Good luck.

Used St. Croix Avid series or better. They have a lifetime warranty even if you aren't the original owner. The Avid MH/F is pretty stout so maybe the 7' M/F would be a little more versatile.

How were the handle grips? I was very interested in these but the grips look really boxy and considering I probably wouldn't be able to see or hold one in person before buying, I am feeling a little apprehensive. Also, I believe the new models are on the same frame as the Komodo making the two reels very similar. I contacted Okuma and was told that the only difference in the two is the Komodo has 2 extra bearings and is just a tad heavier than the Helios. Looks department goes to Helios all day, IMO.