FishTank

The 844C will do fine. I have thrown it on a 904C, 853C and an 894C. All good. Just fish it like a jig.

Hello Darkness, my old friend. Steez Real Control 6'11'' MH Fast and a 24 Steez SV TW HL. The Bait Monkey is done for the year.

The Dardevle was one of my favorites. I caught a ton of fish on them when I was younger. Now all I fish are the ones from Nichols. No issues yet.

I use the Owner Cover Shot and Cover Shot HD depending on the diameter. Great hook.

Sounds good. Let me know what you find.

Vinyl only.... It's this kind of night.

@Munkin The Live-X Leviathan use to be a pretty versatile bait for me. I could troll with it, use it like a jerkbait, fish it like a shad rap, or just burn it back in. Different from the Trick Darter, it has this sort of wide pitch and roll action in deeper water and it suspends, which is probably why it getting such a high price attached to it. Also, it supposedly makes a good FFS bait. All I know is that it still catches fish and I'm going to hate opening a new in package bait that is 26 years old.

I have the Super Destroyer and it's a really versatile rod. I would say it's good at a lot of things but not exceptional at any one bait. For instance, I have thrown jigs and crakbaits on it and both worked fine. I have used baits from 3/8oz (senko) to 1.25oz (Magdraft) and both were OK to cast. I will say the handle gets slick but it's not a deal breaker. You just need to get use to it.

Myself and a lot of other IU fans trying figure out what two teams we lost to......

I have the current 101, 31 and BFS Conquest and they are all the same frame size with different spools and braking. They are smaller than you would think but are awesome little reels. I use the 31HG I have for jerkbaits. It took me a minute to warm up to this idea but it does a great job of casting a 110 jr and small cranks. It can also handle a regular 110 just fine. I have 10lb Seaguar Invizx on it and it will almost run out of line on a long cast with a 1/2oz 110.

I have narrowed my leader material down to 10-15lb. I also stopped for the most part using whatever left over line I have from a spool. I have more issues with it. I have more confidence in regular leader material. It just holds up better and the knot strength is better, even when using my favorite Tatsu. I have been using Seaguar Gold Label, Grand Max, Grand Max FX and Daiwa Satliga X-Link. I have also been experimenting with some Rio Trout leader, mono and FC. Not sure what to think yet but it worked great for trout and other small fish in the creeks I fished last year. It was gifted to me so the price is right.

I didn't use to think it mattered then I fished a few Tatulas. I think I am going to stick with Daiwa reels from Japan going forward. That is not to say that the Tatulas aren't nice reels. I just can feel a difference and it might be all in my head.

I generally fish a jig every time I am out, depending on how the fish are biting. One of the lakes I go to are a combination of forest and busted up rocks. There is very little bottom that has grass, mud or sand. I lost 24 jigs there last year. I would limit myself to loosing 3 jigs and that's it, no matter how the bite was going. I also limit myself to spending only $6 or less to replace them. I might spend a little more for tungsten (especially the ones from Beast Coast) but I will only buy them on sale. So with that said 24 jigs is my spending limit. @Fried Lemons I think if I fished a jig all the time this would definitely be true. The most expensive thing I loose is time. Whether or not, I am retying or trying to get it unstuck, it can take up valuable minutes and disturb any fish that jig might be near.

If you are comparing JDM reels then the 100 has a deeper spool but otherwise they look pretty much the same.

@10,000 lakes Bassin I would second this. I have both the 100 and regular Metanium and there is something different about the 100. It's seems just a fuzz better than the regular version in pretty much every way. Again, not huge but noticeable. I use mine for spinnerbaits and bladed jigs. On the other hand, the Zillion is also not too shabby.

Loosely using an old analogy...... The Antares is heavy like a 175lb 6' Blonde fitness model. With that said, the Yen dropped. 24 Steez SV TW on the way. 🐒

It does and that was a cool reel. I always wanted one. If my math is correct, the new JDM Antares will be around $425-$450. Not bad but still expensive. Now begs the question..... 2024 Steez SV TW or 2025 Antares? One of these reels is in my future.

Just use Google translate. Enjoy https://fish.shimano.com/ja-JP/product/reel/baitlurecasting/a075f000049n3noqaq.html

@Msl819 I haven't tried the 844C in the NRX+ but I have the 904C and the 844C in the old IMX and a previous GLX version. I would say they would do ok with the bladed jigs but the 883C excels at it. The 844C and 904C are more topwater and jig rods to me. They are stiffer and more powerful. To me, there is nothing like the 883C in the NRX+ line. It is one those rods that stands alone from the rest. Its taper is unique.

@10,000 lakes Bassin If the tip is as soft as the NRX+, I think you will be fine. Just a personal preference and kind of speaking from experience, I would use regular FC leader material. They are designed to be shock leader to withstand heavy hits. There are several good ones. I like Seaguar Gold Label, Grand Max, Grand Max FX and Daiwa Saltiga Xlink.

I have the NRX+ 883c and really like it. I've tried multiple rods over the years and this rod is just fantastic at being a bladed jig rod. It's also my favorite spinnerbait rod. I have also used it for swimjigs and a topwater popper. Worked fine. The tip on it is soft and it loads up quickly on a hookset. It will also cast a mile. Great rod but I hate the hook keeper.

I have the 20lb on a Calcutta for swimbaits and big cranks. No issues. Not doing anything special.

I have 20lb on one, 16lb on three reels, 14/15lb on three, 12lb on four, 10lb four, 6lb on three and 5lb on one . No issues but I also have braid to leader on two Daiwas. Each reel and line has a purpose for me. The 2020 Metanium has had 15lb Tatsu on it since I got it. I haven't respooled yet. Granted I did have to return a Metanium that had issues but the one I exchanged it for has been flawless.

I have each rendition of the new Zillion and really like them but for what you described, I like the Metanium 100. I have the 20 Metanium as well. There is just something different about the 100. It will cast a chatterbait or a spinnerbait a long way, even on 16lb fluorocarbon.

The regular Antares is smaller than the Met. The Antares DC is just slightly bigger. They are both 7.8 ounces so a little heavy. I have both the regular Antares A and the 2020 Met. For everyday use, I would go with the Met and for a pleasure reel (one you are adding to a collection) I would go with the Antares. Both reels have been great for me but I get the feeling the Antares, like the older models I have, will last forever. Also, if you are looking for a new DC reel, I would get the Metanium DC. The braking system seems a lot easier to use.