FishTank

Check out Amazon for any of the Abu Garcia Revo reels. They have a bunch on sale that are close to $100. Like the STX Spinning for $116. https://www.amazon.com/Abu-Garcia-Revo-STX-Spinning/dp/B011LUZL88/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545096441&sr=8-3&keywords=revo%2Bstx&th=1&psc=1 And the Revo X for under $100. https://www.amazon.com/Abu-Garcia-1430435-Profile-Baitcasting/dp/B074TYG2CL/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1545096441&sr=8-10&keywords=revo+stx And the Okuma TCS rods are under $100 https://www.amazon.com/Okuma-Martin-Tournament-Concept-TCS-C-731H/dp/B00F5E532G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545096722&sr=8-3&keywords=okuma+tcs

I had the old 7' MH XF regular Avid and also thought it was tip heavy. I also returned mine. I wanted to use it for senkos and t-rigged soft plastic but it just didn't do it for me. Granted I have 3 other St. Croix Avid spinning rods that I love and have no issues with. Back in the day, I put my rod return credit towards a G. Loomis 844C IMX and it has turned into the most versatile rod I have. If I had to choose a St. Croix Avid over again, I would go with the 7' M Fast for weightless senkos. I have not been a fan of the Avid X. I tend to like a full cork grip on a soft plastic rod but it's not a deal breaker. I think if I wanted the split grip from St. Croix, I would save up a little more and go with the 6'8'' Legend Tournament MH Fast Jig N Worm Rod. It seems to not to be as stiff as the XF Avid I had, it definitely has some back bone, and it is slight step up in sensitivity.

I have tried a lot of them over the years (Daiwa, Ardent reel butter, Quantum Hot Sauce, Shimano, Abu Garcia, Penn, Berkley, Lucas and maybe a few more I can't remember). Out of all of them I like the original Shimano oil the best, followed by Ardent. In the end though, all do a good job, some like Abu Garcia seem to work best in their own reels. The only one that was odd or did not work for me, was the Quantum Hot Sauce. It was tough to clean out and it seemed to get gummed up over time but it did do a good job of protecting the reels I used it on. It just didn't seem to make the reels feel as smooth as they should be.

I have the old 251 and it has been a great reel. I believe I have a had it for about 15 years now. It has a few dings and scratches but it works as good as the day I purchased it. It's smooth and casts a mile. The only down side is if you want to change your break settings, you have to unscrew the pins on the side plate and take off the whole plate, leaving spool loose in the real.

I would go with the Antares. If it is anything like the Calais I use to have, it would be amazing.

G Loomis GLX803C JWR and 12lb Invizx.

I have been buying it about each year from them at this time. I think I paid $27 for a spool of 12lb.

I can't speak for the Expride but I have the 783C GLX and it has been a great all around rod. I also have the 844C GLX. Also a great general purpose rod but just slightly heavier. I would think the 843 would be right between these two.

St. Croix Avid 6' ML

Welcome to the forum...... I think you may be talking about too many techniques for just one rod but if I had to pick just one..... I like the St.Croix Avid 6'8'' M x-fast. It has enough power in the butt of the rod for shaky head hook sets and the fast tip is great for weightless senkos. It is a great all around rod. I have used it for spinner baits as well.

I would use for soft plastic that often is an issue in the wind..... Zoom lizards, creature baits, big ribbon tail worms, and maybe finesse jigs.

Fenwick Elite Tech Bass Spinning Rod 6'9" Medium Mod-fast....

I still use them but like everyone else has said, I like the old ones. I change out the hooks for Owners. I also like the Lucky Craft Moonsault CB50. Both have produced a lot of fish over the years and both are hard to find in store these days.

I picked up the a Revo Winch Gen 4 for $140 about 2 months ago and a Revo ALX for $120 last month. It said it was filled and sold by Amazon. I too was worried that I was getting a lemon, a 2nd, or something else. So far they have been great. I was tempted to get the SX but they have the STX for $140 as well. The only thing holding me back is..... I really don't need it. The bait monkey is hard to keep at bay.

12lb Seagur Invizix and 10lb Sunline Natural

Depending on how heavy the lure..... G. Loomis 6'6'' MH Fast MBR783 GLX with a Shimano Core > Softer tip than most fast rods. Does well with lighter baits. G. Loomis 7' H MBR843 GLX/IMX with a Daiwa Zillion HS > The IMX is stiffer and does better with deep jerkbaits and the GLX is better for heavier baits in shallow water Both setups get 12lb Seagur Invisix. I am not a huge fan of mono or braid for jerkbaits. Mono seems to stretch and fray more with this application and I tend to pull hard and quick on hook sets so with braid I have been known to miss a few hooksets.

5.4:1 for cranks (or a 6.4:1) 7.3:1 for frogs

If you can go with Amazon...... The Revo SX Gen 4 is $120. And the STX is $148 Sorry I missed this....

It depends on your budget but I have liked my Shimano Caenan so far. It has been a no-frills reel but it works and gets the job done. I picked mine up for $60 on Amazon but I do see they are now priced higher.

I have purchased them when I had one go out on my Shimano Core 101 and one on a Chronarch 51e. I tried flushing the original but no luck. I went with ABEC 5 Ceramics for the Core and ABEC 7 Ceramics with the orange seal for the Chronarch. They are supposed to run dry but I found both do well with a tiny amount of oil. Also, they seemed to get better after a few hours of use. Overall though, they were only, IMHO, a slight improvement over the stock bearings when they were new but definitely better than the 11 year old bearings that were in the reels. The ABEC 5's did improve flipping and pitching and overall casting distance in the Core. Would I recommend them, maybe. It depends on the reel, how you use it and probably a dozen other things but I would not take the bearings out a new quality reel and replace them with new ceramic bearings.

+1

What I have seen/heard of the Castisas, has been mixed. I think I would wait for the STX but if you got to have it now..... The Caenan, which is a cheaper reel, has been great for me and a few others I have talked to. It just feels a little cheap in hand but works just fine. It isn't buttery smooth nor does it cast a mile but it gets the job done. https://www.sierratradingpost.com/shimano-caenan-151a-casting-reel-left-hand~p~532mn/?filterString=s~shimano%2F

Does anybody know anything about this reel or own one? I found one at a great price new in the box and bought it simply because the deal was too good to pass up. I will have it in hand on Thursday. What little I was able to find about this reel was not much help. I plan on using it for weightless senkos and light jerkbaits. You guys have any thoughts?

It was on Raccoon Lake in Indiana about 12 years ago. I was fishing with a guy I didn't know that well and he gunned his 200hp(?) Evinrude in a no wake zone for no apparent reason. We went past a point close to shore and the DNR guys were there on the other side. We were well inside the markers. I guess if you're in the boat, you're guilty. This was my first time, other than getting my licensed checked and making sure I had a life vest, that I was ever stopped. Also, my first ticket on the water. The guy driving the boat had a few beers, I had none. We were lucky they did not tow us in. There were others that day without vests that got towed. Made for a weird but memorable day.

Is thing over? I tried the link but it was no good. I would have loved to have snagged one of these.