FishTank

I have had the Vapor since April and it's not bad. It's actually super smooth and cast well. It sort of feels cheap in hand but otherwise it's pretty solid. I wouldn't pay full retail for this reel since it goes for about the same price as a Curado. I picked mine up for about $75. I did have a few concerns right out of the box though. The break side frame did not fit properly. It took Quantum 3 different parts and a new reel before they figured it out. Eventually between all the parts and the two reels I was able to get one working reel. I will say this, Quantum's service is great and they do care a lot about making sure their customers are happy but I would question their parts and engineering departments.

I have also used Invizx for more than one season and I have had Tatsu for 4 years on one set up. Both have worked great. KVD line conditioner works but if it sits for a long time, I just let some of the line out over the side of the boat and it seems to get rid of most of the line memory.

The best I have used so far for that light of a bait is the Steez SV TWS. There is also the older Daiwa Pixy and the Shimano Core 50mg. One other that may come close is the Abu Garcia AL-F.

I think you're missing the point here..... And just for the record I do have a background in chemistry but I work in printing. I just haven't used it since I stopped auditing inks and chemicals from Flint and Sun Chemicals about 20 years ago. I think there are 3 words you need to look at in the above posts..... 1. Parts (not the frame).... Magnesium parts will corrode in saltwater no matter what the manufacture says about the reel. 2. Coating.... Some reels are coated better than others, shielding its frame. Once the coating wears out, it exposes the frame to corrosion. Magnesium corrodes the fastest. 3. Rinsing.... Everyone says to rinse the reel after use. This was common practice in saltwater fishing. Most people would rinse the reel, spray it with WD40, wipe it clean and some use products like Corrosion-X to prevent corrosion. Or if you're like me, I use to put it in a bucket of fresh water and let soak till I got back to the dock, hang to dry, and lube before using. Also, the only reasons Pflueger list the Supreme as saltwater approved is if the user rinses the reel after each use, also the drag housing is sealed, and they claim their stainless steal bearings are corrosion resistant. All this depends on the user properly maintain their reel and using commonsense. Pflueger's claim can be said about a number of reels.

When I use to fish saltwater, I would rinse them off with fresh water immediately after use and oil what was needed. As far as Magnesium goes..... Never in saltwater especially if it is a cheaply coated reel..... Science stuff below. Chlorides, bromides, iodides and sulfates normally accelerate the corrosion of magnesium in aqueous solutions. Practically all heavy metal salts are likely to cause corrosion since magnesium normally displaces heavy metals from solution due to its high chemical activity, except iron phosphate solution. 06494G_Chapter_Sample.pdf

Another thought, I did this for a friends old Curado when I cleaned it..... He needed a new spool bearing so I was going to replace both. He wanted the original part if available. I went to order them from Shimano and of course they did not have a parts list for that exact reel anymore. Most Shimano reels have the same spool bearings though, 3.00 x 10.00 x 4.00. I ordered the stock bearings for the Antares from them instead. It was a major upgrade for him. They are not cheap, $16 but he definitely likes them.

I have the older Citica G and upgraded mine last year. I had three reels at that time that I needed to either be upgraded or replace old worn out bearings, so I purchased a pair of for each and bought one of each I thought I would need. I bought the ABEC 5 Ceramics, ABEC 7 Ceramics and a pair of the Orange Seal ABEC 7's. In the end the ABEC 5's where fine but the 7's were just slightly better/faster. I did not care for the Orange Seals. All of them are loud at first and don't need to be oiled.

If you have had it less than a year, I would contact Okuma and see if they can repair it under warranty. I have sent them a reel in the past and they did everything they could to make it right. But after 2 attempts and 3 different reels, I decided to return it. Their service was great though but the reel itself just had some issues that couldn't be fixed.

Very cool. It reminds me of the Lucky Craft Flat Mini MR but just slightly bigger. It was one of my favorite baits. I will definitely need to try a few of these. I think the Fire Craw and King Shad will be on my spring hit list.

I have tried both in 6lb and Sniper has more memory. I really didn't care for it on spinning gear. I tried Tatsu several years ago on an older Stradic and it was great but I found I like Trilene XL 100% FC better (just based on the lower cost). I also like Invizx for spinning gear.

Man, I hate to say it but I am not a fan of Fireline. If they have improved it over the years, great but I have tried it on 3 occasions since it came out and it was not good experience for me. 4lb in this stuff would be extremely thin though. If you are wanting to use braid of some kind, there are several that may be better> PowerPro, Sufix 832, Seaguar Smackdown... just to name a few.

I use a crankbait rod from time to time for jerkbaits but prefer a fast rod with a soft tip. The rod you have should work though. I think the key is how erratic the bait is and how long the stop and go is.

I would look elsewhere. I have never been a fan of this reel at any point in time. If you are looking for one, just ask one of the old guys at BPS if this will be a reel you will be happy with or if you can depend on it. The old timers usually won't steer you wrong and they can give their first hand dealings on this reel. I would also check there websites reviews. If they are like they were in the past, you will find some people who love and some who hate it. As far as other offerings, there are several at the $100 price point that would be great> Shimano SLX, Daiwa Tatula 100, Abu Garcia X (SX when on sale), Lew's (they have a couple), etc. If you keep your eyes open, you can find a new Quantum Smoke HD for around $100. Also, a great reel.

Sounds like it needs to be changed. I have fished 6lb XL off and on for years and when it gets stretched, it's done. Once it gets stretched, it seems to get weak points which can cause break offs. I would imagine that 4lb would be worse. Depending on how long I fish and the conditions, I usually would get about 3 or 4 trips with it before it needed to be changed. If I got hung up, tightened the drag and tried to muscle it without breaking, I knew that I would probably have to watch the line carefully and expect to change it soon. I have since switched to 6lb Trilene 100% FC XL. It handles well and it last a whole season.

Curado 70 or K https://www.another site.com/Shimano/Shimano-Curado-70-Series-Baitcasting-Reels or Daiwa Tatula SV TWS https://www.another site.com/Daiwa/Tatula-SV-TWS-Casting-Reel Enjoy.....

Just curious, where did you find the Loomis IMX for $180ish?

It's almost over but another site has some great deals on their website. I haven't ordered from them in a few years but they hit me for $100 worth of stuff that I couldn't pass up on. They have the Daiwa Tatula SV TWS for $139. I wish I hadn't bought some more Tatsu, Senkos, jigs, Fat Ikas, and a few Megabass Dark Sleepers and picked up that Tatula instead.

My pick would be the St. Croix Legend Elite 7' MF. This should handle just about anything.

Ebay. I bought two rods actually, the 7'11'' MH Mod Launcher and a 7'4'' Heavy X-Fast Pitching Rod. Are they greatest rods ever? No, but they get the job done and are just fun to fish. They are seconds. I called STP and asked what kind of defects could I expect. They said that it varied from the guides not being on straight to paint/varnish overspray. They had no way of telling me what their warehouse would be pulling. If you get a good one, it would be an excellent value.

I picked up new a KVD Tour Crankbait rod for $60 but shipping was another $20. For the total price, it was well worth the money.

It depends on the line and the setup. I usually can go almost 2 years without changing 12lb Invizx FC and 3+ years with Tatsu. Mono's like Big Game, Sunline Super Natural, Trilene XL, etc., it's usually every 3 months. With braid, it's just as needed. I also use 6lb Trilene 100% FC XL on spinning gear and it will usually will last year.

I have a ton of jerkbaits but (knock on wood) I have never lost a 110. I have yet to find one either. The best I ever found, and it was floating in the middle of a lake, was a Imakatsu crankbait of some kind.

I haven't used it in awhile but for hi vis braid I liked PowerPro Depth Hunter. I know it's multiple colors but the contrast in the line made it easy to spot in low light/night conditions. It also held its color pretty well. When it started to fade, like others, I used a marker to color it but I would cut a slit in the marker tip to run the line through.

I wouldn't get too hung up on IPT. I wouldn't use a super fast reel with crankbaits but as long as you know the bait and reel, you should be able to judge how fast turn the handle. I use anything from a 5.x:1 to a 7.x:1.

I have tried several and the 110 has always been the best with the LC Pointer in second. If you asked me 10-15 years ago which jerkbait is the best, I would say the technique is more important than the bait. But after fishing the 110 for serval years, if you can reel it in and pause that's pretty much all it takes for it to work. The other thing I love about the 110, the strikes I get it on it are generally vicious.