FishTank

Both are great. I think it's up to you, whichever you have the most confidence in.

A stand up jig.

Terminators get the job done but they are not my favorite.

I believe that rod was designed for flipping and pitching medium sized jigs. I would think for an all around soft plastic rod I would go with a Med Fast or MH Fast but if you intend on going with this rod, a Shimano Curado DC would make a great flipping and pitching reel.

Just a shot in the dark but if it's getting worse when you tighten the tension knob, the spool shaft could be bent.

I have the G and the new K (haven't fished it yet). I have owned the the Curado B, BSF, and the D. I have never fished the E but it seems to be the reel that everyone sets bring up. The weird thing, I haven't seen anyone with one in a long time but I do see a lot of the Curado B's still out there. To me they are all good in their own way but when Shimano switched from manufacturing in Japan to Malaysia, it seemed, at the time, that something was lost when the G came out. Even though I own the G and love it, there is just something special about the B and especially the BSF.

You could contact Boca Bearings directly to be sure but I believe they take the 3 x 10 x 4. I like the ABEC 7's (non orange seal).

No, it's just old. I bought a bunch of the 600 yard spools at BPS about 10+ years ago. I think they were about $2 a spool. I missed placed a couple of spools that fell behind my work bench. I moved the bench a few years ago and found them.

Horrible call but this may be the wrong platform for analysis. I think they should keep it in the sports world.

I still have some of the smoke and green in 6lb. It is not in the best condition but it works great for backing.

I cleaned everything out about 15 years ago and started fresh. I have added one setup about every three years.

I like Hybrid as well but I have heard a story about this line that I can not corroborate.... If it is old (not sure how old) even if it is well stored, it will become brittle faster than most lines. The way you can tell supposedly is the line turns milky white on the spool. Also, this line above 8lb on spinning gear can be a pain. I only use 6lb on spinning gear, 12lb and 15lb on baitcasters.

I grew up on spincast reels (zebec 33) with the handle on the right hand side and spinning reels (Ryobi, Mitchel, and Daiwa) on the left. By the time I was a teenager I stopped using the spincast reels and just started using spinning reels. When I reached my 20's I tried out a few baitcasters (BPS, Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum) with little success, all right handed reels. It seemed no matter what I did, my casting was terrible and I just seemed to fumble around like I had never fished before. Someone handed me a left handed Curado (201 CU I thinK) and all my problems were solved even though I am right handed. I have been buying left-handed reels ever since.

I have the from 1/8oz up to 1oz but I tend to through 1/2oz the most. I usually base which weight to use on how deep the water is and if there is any wind. It's easy to turn some of the smaller spinner baits into a kite and I guess some of the bigger ones too depending on the conditions for that matter.

The bait monkey got me today once again......... Went in for this........ And came out with this as well.....

I have a few that I rotate around. When it is cold, rainy/snowy and nasty..... Muck Muckmaster or a pair of Asolo Hiking Boots if not in a boat Spring and Fall...... A trail running shoe. My favorite is the La Sportiva brand. Some come with soles that are sticky in wet conditions. Warm weather....... Croc Sandals or a pair of cork bed Tevas (supper comfy and they are supposed to be made for fishing) For me, they always get softer with age. I'm on my 3rd pair.

If this is the TDZ100SHLA, I have that reel and have been thinking of changing these parts as well. I have been having trouble with the casting thumb bar popping up during a cast. This as caused both the drive gear and the pinion gear to get worn. I think Mikes Reel Repair has both of them or you can also call Daiwa direct. The reel schematic is attached. Daiwa_TD_Zillion_100HLA2C_100SHLA.pdf

It sounds like you are trying to hit a lot of techniques with the next set up so I am going to suggest a kind of bullet proof casting set up that will do just about anything. There are several other options out there but if I had to start over and pick one that would end that starter frustration, I would go with..... A St. Croix Avid 7' MH Fast (or a M if you don't plan on using a bait over 5/8oz) and a Shimano Curado with a 6.X retrieve. I found this setup to be a good go to if I just want to carry one rod and reel to do some bank fishing or hike and fish. I have thrown topwater, jerkbaits, jigs, T-Rigged soft plastic, some medium size crankbaits, and 3/8-1/2oz spinnerbaits. I have caught fish with all of these techniques but I think a Moderate rod, in my case, would be best for crankbaits and a M or ML spinning set up for spinnerbaits. One thing with this rod, it is sort of stiff but this does translate into some good hook sets.

I went through this with camera equipment years ago. I had a personal articles policy with a major company and at that the time all they asked for was proof that you had the item in question which meant either a picture of it, a receipt or a box and you that you brought the items to the insurance agent to confirm the serial numbers. After about 5 years from when I signed the policy, I made a claim when I fell down a small cliff and my equipment went into a lake. It was a loss of about $8000-$10000. The insurance company investigated it like it was a scam. They tried everything to deny it. I had to file a police report (which the police laughed at> no crime) and I had to go with the insurance investigator to the place where it was lost twice. After a couple of months, they agreed to settle. At first I was excited, then they tried to scam me by sending a "similar camera and lens". The equipment had a new value of about $1000. It was a joke to me. I eventually had to send them item numbers and serial numbers from new equipment at my local photo store that was either exact or similar in price. They were not going to just issue me a check despite it stating as such in my policy. After this claim, they either wanted to immediately drop my policy or double the cost with a $1000 deductible. Also, according to them, and this is the main part related to your fishing equipment, all personal articles policies going forward must have a receipt of purchase from a reputable licensed dealer. This meant no used equipment, eBay, or dealer specials, even if new. This was in 2004. Here was their reasoning... Maybe a year or two before I made my claim, it had become a major issue for them to have people buy used equipment, insure it, then claim it was damaged, lost or stolen and the insurance company would just replace it with new or write a check for the full retail price> especially if it was a partial loss. They just didn't question it because it cost them too much to investigate it. Eventually the claims became so frequent and high in dollars that every claim was scrutinized. What they had found out was a lot of claims involved stolen goods and people would either sell it again or pocket the money and the product with there not ever being any loss at all to begin with. People could turn an item over two or three times > This is the reason they need receipts.

I have a couple spools of it and so far it has been great but I think still like Power Pro better. Smackdown does hold its color better. I also have some the Kanzen. It has also done well but it is a step below the Smackdown, not by much though. I have a feeling it will start to fray faster than either Smackdown or the Power Pro.

I have the Abu Garcia Fantasista Rigista 7' M and I picked it for under $200. So far its the best rod I have ever found at that price. The ML can still be had. It would be great for a light T Rig or weightless worms. https://www.sierra.com/abu-garcia-fantasista-regista-casting-rod-1-piece-610-medium-light~p~310ag/?filterString=s~abu-garcia%2F

I am not a Patriots fan but this kid took it to another level and Aced his Science Fair Project.....

DSG has the Okuma Stratus clearanced out for under $30. Nice cheap reel.

I like to use a Carolina Rig with a 1/4-1/2oz weight and a Zoom lizard.