FishTank

I have the Curado DC and the Daiwa Steez SV TWS and between the 2 of them the DC is better at getting under docks but any Daiwa with the SV spool is no slouch at pitching/skipping though. Due to the versatility of the Curado DC and how well it works at this specific function, I think it would be the obvious choice.

I like both Daiwa and Shimano reel but both in different ways.... The reel I am looking at is the JDM version and not the DC (I wish it was). I have the Daiwa Steez SV TWS and I think it probably the best reel I have ever used but it's not my favorite. That will probably always be the Shimano Core. It's just fun to fish and has been my lucky charm since I bought it.

I tried the HyperMag out for a while and did a review on it, here, not to long ago. Short version, I would go with the Chronarch.

So someone I know is selling a Shimano Antares left from 2012 that is pretty much mint in the box for $275, which is half of what he paid for it. It has hardly ever been used and has been sitting in the box for about 2 years. I have been wanting one of these ever since I have sold my old Shimano Calais 201A. My question is..... should I jump on it, look at something else around this price or save my cash and get the new one?

I have been using Ardent reel grease and oil for years on all of the reels I have and the ones I service for friends with no issues. I have worked on pretty much all the major manufactures. Like DVT has said though, without seeing it, it's hard to say what it is exactly. If you have two reels that are exactly the same I would start swapping parts to see if it follows any of them. I would start with the spools and work you way to the main gear and the pinion. It also could be something simple, like one of the washers under the drag star being backwards. I would also check the spools and side frames of the reels for nicks.

Just curious.....Did you receive what you ordered? Were you satisfied with what you got or was there an issue with your order?

I have a few of the Lucky Craft Live Pointers that run shallow and suspend. They are not the most durable baits but they do get the job done. I would say that one usually lasts about 15-20 fish before the they start to break apart.

7in Berkley Power Worm or a Rage Tail Anaconda are my favorites and both will work Texas Rigged on a straight, slow retrieve.

I use two of the small two sided plano terminal tackle boxes. They fit perfectly on the ends of most of the 3700 size plano tackle bags.

I was able to find a Quantum KVD Tour Crankbait rod on eBay for $65 + shipping. Great rod for the money.

You asked about a balancing point. Here you go..... Just in case, this reel is heavy compared to some but not by much and it does balance well. It feels like a tank and also has the impression of a round reel. I would not say that this set up is great at casting anything under a total weight of 1/4 oz but I have not tried. Anything bigger than that, its awesome.

I have this rod and it makes for a great all purpose rod. I have paired it with a Shimano Bantam MGL. It has been great for jigs, jerkbaits, and T-Rigged soft plastic. I debated between the Bantam and the Metanium. I am glad I got the Bantam. It balances well with this rod and casts a mile.

I have fished with three guys like that over the years..... One would only throw a green pumpkin zoom lizard, another a 7in berkley power worm in june bug, and the other, most annoying, was a guy that only fished a 1/4oz Strike King black and blue jig. The jig guy would fish a few feet away from the bank, drop or flip his jig in and keep the trolling motor going full blast. If he didn't catch anything on that jig, it didn't matter, he wouldn't switch up, even though he had 4 other set ups sitting on the deck of the boat. If I didn't cast a country mile off the end of the boat, we usually wouldn't catch more than 2 or 3 fish between the two of us. It was not uncommon for him to get skunked every other outing.

I am waiting on ...... Huddleston 68 Weedless Black Gizzard Shad ROF 12 (February 21st supposedly) Spro BBZ-1 Blue Herring Slow Sink (In stock now) Huddleston 6" Trout Silver/Green ROF 5 (In stock now) The rest I have received

I have a Revo Toro Beast for swimbaits and so far this thing has been amazing but is kind of overkill for bass fishing. If you are going to throw some heavy baits this thing can take it and more. It's oddly buttery smooth too. It was originally around $400 but can be found for about $200-$250. It is definitely a lot of reel for the money.

I'm kind of excited but not. I really like St. Croix rods and would love to own one of these but since no store with in 100 miles of me will ever have one in stock to look at, I am kind of like>what's the point. I do like like the the two Legend Elites, the one Legend Glass, the one Mojo Musky and the 4 Avids I have though. The Avids I have though, two spinning and two casting, have been work horses. I bought the casting rods 2 years ago when Gander Mountain went out and to me they are different than the ones from say 10 years ago. They are not as tip heavy and the hump by the reel seat is not as pronounced, the two things that caused me to sell the ones I bought years ago.

If you want to try a Quantum, I am not a fan of the Accurist but the Vapor has a been a good reel for me so far. Check out Simmons Sporting Goods on eBay. You can call them and they will pretty much give a good deal. I picked mine up for around $75. It's surprisingly buttery smooth and casts really well.

Still waiting. TW said it will be the end of February>maybe. I'm about to (or I should have by now) cancel my order.

Once again..... I am still waiting on 2 Huddlestons and 1 Spro from Tackle Warehouse. My best find from the Bait Monkey was another Calcutta 251 I got at an antique store to go with the 13 Fishing Muse Black Swimbait Rod.

It was emailed. Some of their codes are sent to you with a limited amount of uses and they will include some of the things that are normally excluded from sales (Gore-Tex, Under Armour, St. Croix, Simms, etc). Unfortunately there is no way to know from the email until you go to their website. Personally I think they sort of mess up on purpose. Their normal coupons like stated above are also sent via email. Sometimes you get lucky but, like also stated above, I don't think they include the Tatula.

I was told it was so they could milk a crappie specific sale.

I picked up a 13 Fishing Muse Swimbait rod at Sierra Trading Post for $60. They also had a Daiwa Tatula SV TWS with two Evergreen crankbaits for $150 then 25% off of that if you have the correct coupon. Great deals....

I think for the cost, based on looking up what I could, if such a spool existed you are probably looking at least half, if not all, the cost of the reels. Also, based again on what I would, I think the spool capacity of these are the same as the current Curados (155 yards of 10lb on the Curado and 200m of PE1 20lb for the reels you have). I currently use a two reels for crankbaits, the Curado DC and the Abu Garcia Revo Winch Gen4. The Winch as the largest line capacity but I never really had to use it unless I was trolling. There is also https://japantackle.com/tuning-parts/spools-casting-reels/shimano.html for after market spools. Another option might be to contact Shimano directly by phone about the spools.

I have been interested in this line as well. I have been using Sunline Natural for mono but the cost of Armilo and Defier have stopped me so far. I do spend about the same on FC though. I will probably pick up some for throwing big swimbaits in the future. I know one member here (Tom?) loves this line. I would imagine he would be a good source for a review.

I have the Steez SV TWS and it wouldn't be my first choice for frogs. To me it's more of a finesse reel. I have tried it for several techniques and found it shines best with weightless soft plastic, 3/8oz cranks, and light jigs. It does cast a mile in my opinion but when compared to other reels I own it doesn't cast heavier lures as far. I have paired mine with a St. Croix Legend Elite 7' M Fast. I am not nocking it in anyway though. I am comfortable saying it's the best reel I have ever used. I just don't think it's the best choice for a heavy frog rod and also, braid. I tried braid on it and did not care for it. 12lb FC is what I have found works for me on this reel. As far as the casting distance goes... My reel out of the box was almost bone dry and did not cast as well as I like it. I broke it down and added a few drops of oil and a little grease and it definitely made a noticeable difference. I don't think you can get much better than the stock bearings. I would also not worry about the spool speed you see in those videos. This reel's spool was designed and set at the factory with no adjust spool tension knob. I believe there is a little caution note from Daiwa in the manual about changing this. For frogs I have tried several reels and so far like the Shimano Bantam the best. It's built like a tank and can handle pulling a ton of cabbage out of those dense lily pads.