ChrisD46

Be sure to try a new Sahara on a rod first - wind and make sure the bail does not hit your fingers ... On the previous version Sahara 2500 I had to give it to my son for that very reason as I found the reel sits too close to the rod for my tastes as compared to Daiwa or Abu Garcia .

After updated research in the under $200 price range - The Abu Garcia REVO STX , Daiwa Tatula R and the Lew's Tournament Pro Speed would appear to offer more value in that price segment .

Yes , I believe the D series may get the tag of not being as good as other Shimano baitcast offerings in fit / quality / feel ... While I would certainly consider other reels (Lew's , Abu Garcia , Daiwa) - I wanted to try and learn about the favorites / best buys of the Shimano baitcast reels first .

Many have stated that current Shimano baitcast reel quality in the under $299 category are NOT what they used to be - thus Shimano has lost a good ammount of market share to : Lew's Daiwa , Abu Garcia , etc. Being somewhat new to baitcast reels , I wanted to hear your opinion as to what you feel are the "best buy" Shimano baitcast reels still available new or used ?

I believe a rod that is not designed to be split - grip rod up front all too often ends up being tip heavy . Most full length grip rods under $150 ~ $200 seem to balance better in the hand.

I only own one split - grip rod , a short 6' M action casting rod I use for twitch baits where I am constantly working the rod tip down towards the water . My casting rods for spinner baits , jigs , flipping / pitching and worms all have full length cork handles . What's your opinion on split - grip rods ? If you own any - what technique do you favor them for ?

7' ~ 7'6" MH fast rod should work fine for dragging 3/8th oz to 3/4th oz egg weights on 15 ~ 20lb. fluro / co-polymer line ... Unless you are C-Rigging on Clear Lake in Cali or the Big O in Fla ... When I think a 7' ~ 7'6" H action rod - I'm thinking flipping into the DMZ for bass who are wearing black pajamas !

7' med rod - if your using braid ... Most worm dragging is going to be done with 12 - 15lb fluoro / co-polymer line and a 6'6" + length MH fast rod .

Buzzbait in the morning.

In addition to this site posting , use Google to search for : " pouring your own soft plastic baits" and find a site where you can post this same question . Since this is a specialized question - it may result in better quality replies . Surely there are others like you who have had success with this recycled process ...Good luck !

Cabala's Tournament ZX Worm Rod - regular $100 now on sale for $69 .

+1 ...Braid has NO slack line sensitivity ! Straight fluoro is the only way to go ...

Just a quick note ona couple of jig trailers I see in these pictures : I find you get a bit better performance if the "flapping part" - whether it be craw claws , swim bait paddle or grub tail is at least 1" ~ 1.5" + clear of the end of the skirt ...If the end of the trailer is too close to the end of the skirt then the skirt tends to take away from the trailer and the action you seek with the combo can become comprimised .

Google search for : "steel egg sinkers" made by Eagle Claw , Danielson and others ... If shallow water (under several feet) then start with 3/8th oz. weight . If deeper than several feet OR windy and having a hard time keeping the c-rig on the bottom - then move up to 1/2oz . If water deeper than 15 feet then 3/4th oz. to 1oz. could be required . If I were only buying one weight to start it would be 1/2 oz. then based on the situation (water depth , water current , wind , etc. ) I would move up to 3/4th oz. or down to 3/8th oz. accordingly .

+1 .33 inch diameter (or greater) line size to prevent braid from digging into the spool puts you at 40lb + regardless of the braid manufacturer .

Thanks - I agree ... A clicking spool tension knob is not much use (for me) compared to say a star drag . If I needed something larger or with a slower gear ratio I would leap over the Tournament MG to a BB1 or SuperDuty .

Congrats on the new addition !

Mike - you should do a jig calendar for 2015 using suitable jigs , trailers and colors good for that particular month ... Heck , in Dec. you could even include a glossy jig fold out

OK , I will rephrase another way : The Tournament MG has magnetic only braking, a larger reel size and all of the gear ratios available ... The Tournament Speed has both magnetic and centrifugal force braking , smaller line capacity and only 6:4:1 and 7:1 gear ratios available for $30 more than the Tournament MG ... Am I missing any details why the Tournament Speed Spool is more expensive than the MG ?

The above Lew's reels are very close in price - for those of you who have fished both , what are your deciding factors in selecting one over the other ?

10 inch Berkley Power Worm / Zoom 10 inch 'Ol Monster Worm Gamakatsu Offset Round Bend Worm Hook 5/0 Rig very straight and embed the hook point into the worm I believe better hook up % than with EWG - a 10 inch worm is not that thick ...Save your EWG hooks for thicker craw / beaver / creature type baits (such as the Pit Boss).

If I understand correctly , in stained water you would want more flash so a smooth gold blade would appear to be in order . Conversely , in very clear water a hammered silver finish (clear water color) would subdue the flash a bit more and so would be a better choice ?

At that size you are most likely looking at #4 .

With your spinnerbait Colorado (or Indiana) blades - what water conditions would dictate when to use a hammered finish (in gold or silver ) and when would you elect to use a plain finish with those same blades & colors ?

Gamakatsu - either #4 or #6 (depending on lure size).