Redsyn

I went friday afternoon and the guys showed me the E5 and E7. They didn't have the 201 yet. I was playing w/ the rightys and I am a lefty when I comes to freshwater gear and it was very unnatural reeling w/ my right.

I went to the bps in rancho here in CA and they have it in stock. No citica but they have the E7 and E5. First thing I noticed was the lightweight of the reel.spool is almost as light as the calais spool, I know because I asked to look and compare the 2. It is significantly smaller and lighter then the 200d. I would definantly wait for it if I were you. 8-)

If I were you I'd send the reel to shimano in Irvine Ca. Tell them exactly what happen and they will make your reel performing like new. I always have great experience w/ Shimano customer service. Make sure you send them a copy of your proof of purchase w/in 1 year so it is under warranty. Or you can sell the reel. I personally love shimano spinning reels and think you should give the sustain another try.

Ok I hear you. The drop shot rig does take a little longer to retie.

I seriously consider the crucial dropshot rod. I ended up w/ a loomis d/s rod instead just because the handle felt more comfortable. You can get a loomis d/s non glx for around 180 new online or if you know a tackle shop that gives discount. May I ask why do you need(want) another d/s rod for? If I were you I'd rather get another rod for another application.

They have 2 models on sale for about a bill each. I really want to get one but I dont need another rod. So go out and "save" some money guys ;D http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0013249114169a&navCount=0&podId=0013249&parentId=cat602222&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=cat21404_ntw4&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat602222&hasJS=true

If you ever consider buying a round reel, take a look at the shimano calcutta te series. I just got a 201 te used and let me tell you it is amazing. The retrieve is effortless. The only downside is the weight.

Loomis has a life time warranty. So you are probably be able to use it for the rest of your life unless you lose it. The reel would last you about 7 yrs. I'm sure it will work a lot longer then that but by then you'll probably want a new one anyways. So if it makes you feel any better $180 for the curado divided by 7. It only cost like $26 per year. :

If I were you I'd get a new citica and use the $60 difference to upgrade to a g loomis IMX rod. Maybe the 783c 6'6" or 843c 7' mbr. On ebay I think you can get them at around $180. This is a good all around setup.

I have seen quantum's spool break from putting line on it at a tackle shop. The calcutta will last you a lot of years and if and when it does have problems, send it to shimano. if they can't fix it then they give you a new one. maybe a newer model if yours is discontinued.

I'm pretty sure the zara puppy is small enough for your small mouth bass. I once hooked a bass that is smaller then the puppy IN the mouth, not foul hooked.

I will be ordering a pair of oakley monster dog/polarized lens very shortly as my bday present. I recently visited an eye doctor recently and asked if the $5-20 pair of glasses are good enough to protect my eyes. She said that you need to be very lucky to get a pair of good pair that blocks out the harmful uv rays and at the same time does not have a distorted set of lenses or else it can hurt your vision. As the tint in the lense block out the light, you pupils become larger and if the lenses does not block out the uv rays, they are hurting your eyes even more. What I'm trying to say is I plan to fish for a very long time so i'm going to invest in a pair of good sunglasses. I think my eyes are a better investment then a $150-200 reel.

I think he might have been talking about saltwater bass. They get bigger then fresh. It does states that he fishes saltwater. :

I'm not certain but it looks like its the regular megaforce + exceler swepthandle(+4 bearings).

I'm not familiar with the st croix avid or premier but dont waste your money on gloomis gl3. Go atleast with the imx.

Make sure you check it very carefully because I bought one on ebay once, it was a mbr844c glx and when I got it I checked it and the forth guide was bent and some of the epoxy broke. then upon further inspections the label had some air bubbles in it. ON A BRAND NEW ROD!!!! I asked for a return got it and went to the local shop bought a mbr843c imx for $180 new. I got this instead because according the the shop owner it was more versatile. Plus I dont do much jigging anyways. You will love this rod and will only want to get more of them afterwards. Have fun. By the way what reel are you going to mount on it?

You better get it before its gone.

If you can get over the shimano on a daiwa thing...go advantage. I just sold 3 Fuego's, a Sustain, and a Steez in favor of my advantage. If you go shimano I'd get the saros. What made you choose the advantage over the other higher priced reels? I have my sights on the sol for a while but even the daiwa reps working the at the fishing show I went to pointed me to the advantage instead of the higher priced reels they had.

If you can, wait for the new curado 200E7 then make your decision. You can then compare it to the zillion. I know its hard when that baitmonkey is on your back. I was going to wait for the new curado before purchasing a new reel but the other day I pull the trigger on a brand new Chronarch 51mg on ebay for $150 so I guess no curado for a while. but at that price I couldn't say no. Good luck

Look into GLoomis IMX series rods or GLX if you can afford it. Go to the store hold it and play w/ it. They are really good, sensitive rods. I'd suggest you stay away from their gl2/gl3 series, not worth the money. If you think they are too expensive, look around for used ones from the marketplaces of fishing forums. You can get atleast $100 off msrp. Good luck

What sizes are you planning on getting? Personally If you are going w/ the 200 size citica, I'd get the citica because they have the HEG.

If you have a sports chalet near you they are selling the citica for 70 and it comes w/ a free shimano clarus rod.

Me too. I had the chance to cast a chronarch mg today and it casted extremely well but it was in RH retieve and I couldn't work that bait and reel w/ my RH to save my life.

If you can, wait for the new models before deciding. It is just under $100.

In the daiwa line of reels I dont think I would choose the viento in that price range. The twitching bar sounds like a good idea but if you think about it your reeling hand has to be off the handle to use the twitching bar. If you feel a bite you have to fumble around trying to find the handle, reel in the slack then set the hook. I'd rather get the fuego or sol or even the advantage supertuned for cheaper. I too was looking into curado and stx but I think i'm going to wait and see the new model curado. I have other reels to use so I'll just wait 2 more months before making a decision.