F14A-B

Do what you do, and don’t flinch!

Shamono? 🤣🤣🤣

Kinda looks like a staph infection.. certainly looks painful.

Care to elaborate on this for clarity?

Pretty sure fishing pressure over the years has had a profound impact on the sport. Compound that with environmental issues.. My personal belief is you should develop a plan based on science then decide a proper presentation then throw the kitchen sink at them. 😁

There shouldn’t be any reason to need anymore than 2 brakes on a Met with the dial that can increase or decrease friction. Never needed a third and if you know your equipment you shouldn’t need to take the side plate off on the boat. As far as the Zillion HD it’s a great reel. I’d highly recommend giving one a try. I’ve bought 2 and they’re perfect for my pitch and midrange casting but do long distance good as well. This reel wasn’t designed for light weight work, hence the HD designation. Although I’ve been doing 3/8 on it. If I’m choosing between a Met or the Daiwa I’m choosing the Zil HD.. Right, I’ve got Daiwa reels on Loomis rods and Shimano reels on Daiwa rods.. go figure 🤣

I’ve done very well on a 1/8 roadrunner. I’ve still got a whole bunch when they were made with Gamakatsu hooks. Plus Freaky Franks.. 3.75”

Wow golden shiners? That’s definitely a number 1 bait in Florida which is my all time favorite fishing place. Didn’t know y’all had those in Maine..learning everyday on here.

Hi. I’m more than a little curious on what you’ve determined that the BASS in your location eat? Perhaps you’ve said before and I’ve missed it.. I learned a couple things in Florida fishing that water hard for several years and the only bait that continually works anywhere is……😉 That Rapala bait in Gold n black is killer in the back waters of Florida, particularly the Osceola forest where you have hundreds of pits. Many with lots of varying types vegetation. An old trick I learned from Doug Hannon was to rubber band those hooks up against the body helping with foul hooking grasses etc. I’ve had great success with that orange fluorescent in the 2” version in my state of Indiana. Are you getting thawed out way up yonder? 😂

Well I have exactly 1 freshwater rod that’s a 7’ light/fast by NFC- Edge rod, (2 piece) at least in this case Gary determined where this rod had the most stress and as you can hopefully see in the pictures, the reinforcing that’s wrapped into the blank. When I first saw this I thought I had an improper blank, after a deep search I found out it’s by design. It’s been a solid rod, in fact I really enjoy it. I do have several saltwater rods that are 2 piece that I use in the Gulf.. the convenience outweighs any other aspect imo..

You’re welcome. Being apart of BR for over a decade, I’ve seen the pictures and I’ve seen the weight’s thru out the years. You’re a hammer, plain & simple. 😁 a humble hammer 😆

That’s a good point. Can’t help it though, when someone mentions smallmouth, I’m referring you 😂

I agree in principle. However it seems bass enjoy smaller sized crayfish if given a choice. Crayfish w eggs aren’t able to escape as easily as crayfish without eggs. But they feed up also.. Let's ask @A-Jay

Dude I love that bait! It’s fire for me..(Bandito Bug)

I have several spinning and baitcast rigs.. in fact I have one spinning rod from NFC- Edge that is 7.3” and is rated MH / MBR which is to say Magnum Bass Rod. I actually use it in Florida or GOM. The point is, this rod can be used in lieu of a baitcast rig in heavier cover. If that’s your preference. It’s no joke. A great caster that’s rated at 1/4-3/4. The equipment is available to fish either baitcast or spinning. Remember, fishing is a hobby therefore fun. Chose your equipment and have fun.

Right. He might not need to worry about getting crank baits stuck in the rocks because he may end up getting his braid destroyed prior to that. Sorry, I don’t have a recommendation on line because I fish rocks with baitcasting equipment. I would add that he should try what interests him and go from there..

I’ve never seen this. I bought my two after @bulldog1935 talked highly of it. However, after my own field testing the pitching and midrange casting of this reel with the accuracy is truly phenomenal at least imo.. gonna watch this video now. Thanks for the link, much appreciated. What gear ratio? I opted for the 7 speed on both reels. I still gotta try these on my LC squarebill cranks, I prefer to fish crank baits faster than most when possible. Have you pulled any crank baits in with it?

Totally agree with you. They certainly have surprised me. Being a long time Shimano guy, I’m wondering why. 😂

Hey, order from AliExpress for really cheap shipping, I mean it might take 3 weeks to arrive and it might be a copy of something Japanese or American but the price is right! 🤣😂🤣

Guy’s and Gals, gotta tell you.. these reels are incredible. My preferred casting style is pitching out to 70 feet give or take. These reels have surprised me. My accuracy has vastly improved & along with that, is the speed of the pitch.. I’m not sure that statement will translate well as I state it but I’m wondering if anyone else thinks this. It’s a very good long distance reel but my impression is that for me, the accuracy is phenomenal in the short to mid-range casting/pitching. I’m thinking about a third one and converting it with a BFS type spool. If anyone is debating this reel vs a Metanium or Bantam, my recommendation is the Daiwa HD 1000. I enjoy my Shimano reels but rarely have I made a reel purchase that has truly improved my game as the Daiwa has. Time will tell on durability. I intend to update this thread as time moves forward, God willing 🙂

I’ve caught fish that seemed to pour off “slime” and others that exhibited very little, it’s not really your talking point, but I always wondered why that was.

Thank you. Very interesting.

Appreciate the feedback on these Daiwa reels.. it’s certainly helpful information for anyone who might use the Daiwa reels in salt or brackish waters. The 1000 HD apparently has a reworked clutch bar to prevent moisture and debris from entering in the thumb bar area. I’m guessing it’s a labyrinth type of design. What do you say?

Is this a new reel or are you contemplating buying this? As far as the anti-corrosion bearing is concerned: IMO, they are overrated, my Shimano reels have a similar bearings as well. It’s likely the encased bearings are well greased but there is a chance they are not. I assume you will be fishing the saltwater or brackish waters. If you’re not comfortable with disassembly and reassemble then you can have that work performed. @bulldog1935 can speak the technical aspects of the bearings and is a expert on these matters (imo) and we have Delaware Valley Tackle whom is a site sponsor that can and does this for a living. I’d suggest sending him a PM and talking to him directly.. Best of luck.

Sweet bait. Megabass?