ksfishinguy

Where are the sv103's in the $200 range right now? I'd like to pick one up.

In freshwater they have fished identically for me. I'm not 100% on this but if you fish in saltwater I think the anti corrosion bearings of the Curado are the way to go.

The pic you have there of the avid is a spinning rod, I think, but regardless they're both very good rods. The avid is a little heavier than its rating, the falcon a little lighter. Personally, the falcons I use are only for cranking, where I feel they excel. I use st Croix, jackal, megabass, and loomis for everything else. At the $200 price range, I think an avid x is hard to beat. That rod you're looking at is one of my favorites. They have great backbones and a nice taper. I find them to be a bit more durable than falcons. To me, if you're looking for a jig or worm rod, I'd choose the avid x, hands down, though I like the 7' a bit more if fishing from a boat.

Having owned both, and the new mgl's, I can say that almost without exception 08 met (DC or not)<13 met<16 met mgl. The difference in performance is greatest between the 08 and the 13. The newer models are moderately smoother and significantly better casters, especially with lighter baits. The DC is more fun than function in the 08 met, and is probably only useful on windy days, if that. I love DC because it's cool, but that's really the only reason. I sold all but my Exsence DC. If you can find a 13 met for a great price, I might go that way, but knowing what I know, I'd recommend an MGL. They're the cream of the crop.

Haha really? I've never waited more than a minute or two. Usually you're straight through. They'll be free to you as well, in case you feared that too ?

PayPal protects the buyer and so does eBay. If something's not right you can almost always send it back for a full refund. You might be out shipping costs, but that's pretty minimal compared to paying retail. That being said, support your locals whenever you can. Ask for a deal. They may not give you eBay's pricing, but for 10-15% more you may help local business stay afloat and add tax dollars to your local economy. You don't see immediate savings but if everyone shopped local when possible we'd have healthier commerce. There's a reason brick and mortar are going under and having much more limited stocks now, and as consumers we're the driving reason.

I'm always puzzled by this. There's more line than you can cast off by far. I'm not chastising, just wondering what scenario you'd need more line for. Maybe trolling?

Regardless, they'll send you brakes for free. I've called a couple times to pay for replacement brakes and have received them free of charge both times.

Ummmm.... Hmmmm....

I respect your feedback and opinion, so I'm curious why you say to ignore TT. Do you think their reviews are inaccurate or influenced by sponsors? Everyone has different preferences and reviews can't cater to that, but I find theirs informative and mostly accurate with respect to performance, quality, and features. I think it's a nice starting place if they've reviewed what I'm looking at. Granted, there are a ton of variables. You get wider perspective in a forum like this one.

Any. They all perform the same.

I have a JDM Aldebaran 50. You specified US; I was curious if there's a difference in the spool or something. I really like that reel as well, but the tiny bit of play in the handle bothers me a little. Maybe that's just my reel because I've never seen anyone else mention it. Fantastic reel, though. I have mine paired with a poison adrena. Light as a feather.

I feel like I might have reached the top of the mountain, owning a couple different retrieves in the MGL. Purely from a performance standpoint as a general purpose low profile rig, I've never fished something better. There are the DC reels that are pretty cool and fun, and I've only owned a Steez ex 100xs. It's close, but it's not quite up to snuff and to me more on the BFS spectrum. My question is, to those that own an MGL and other high end low profile reels, is there anything else that compares favorably? I'm always interested in trying the next rig. I have an Aldebaran BFS limited and a Pixy for BFS. Got stuff specific for cranking as well. I'm talking more general purpose. Maybe it's just time to customize.

I'm pretty handy with a Shimano reel, but for the life of me I can't remove the palm side side plate of my JDM Aldebaran 50 that I purchased last fall. The reel is in absolutely perfect shape and hasn't been damaged. I've tried opening the release and pushing the spool out, wedging a Shimano "tool" in the key hole at the bottom of the reel, and everything else just with my hands to get the darn thing off. No luck. It's like the release isn't working at all. Any suggestions? I'd send it in, but I don't think Shimano USA will cover it since it's JDM. Otherwise I'd say it's definitely a warranty issue.

So I have a Bass Raider 10e that I fish mostly on smaller lakes, usually state lakes with a no wake policy (we're talking 500 acres or less). That being said, having a chart plotter or gps maps isn't a huge deal to me at this point. My budget is $500-$600, and I think I'd really like to have side imaging, although I may be caught up in the hype. I've never used it before personally. For those who are knowledgeable, is there another unit I should be looking at rather than the Striker 7SV? Thanks in advance.

Who do you know that has the new Met already? I'd love a review.

The only time I notice fluoro helping me catch fish is when you're fishing suspending or weightless baits (which is quite a bit for me). You really need a good sinking line for the correct presentation for finesse plastics and some swimbaits. I go straight fluoro when using casting gear but I'm definitely in the braid-fc leader club for spinning. I'd say otherwise there's alternative tool for the job that can do it just as well. It takes awhile to get the hang of FC, but stick with it. You'll be glad you have another tool on the belt.

You'll find more reviews than you could shake a stick at if you do a google search for "scorpion 200 vs" or "Scorpion 1500xt vs" ect ect. Looots of opinions on these reels, but I'll give you mine. The E series Shimano reels were fantastic and still hold up extremely well. There's not much difference between the JDM and US versions, like stkbassn pointed out. However, I prefer the I's by a small margin, and my reasoning is they seem to be slightly better casters and in my hands, they feel much more solid and connected when reeling. I think the svs infinity system is a little nicer once dialed in, and I think the extra bearing on the pinion gear (x-ship) gives the reel the more connected feel. I own both Scorpions and Curado's and I can tell you there's not a noticeable difference. That being said... I'd give the I's a quick bearing flush when you get them. They're packed with grease and that makes a pretty significant dent in the performance. You really can't go wrong either way, but since they're so easily available, you can probably find a better deal on the new reels, especially if you buy used. A curado/scorpion 200 in great shape around or under $100 is just a click away.

Posted this last night but it got taken down because I had 1.3. in the title. I'm interested in pulling the trigger on a 2013 Met, but I was looking for some impressions first. I own several nice reels, Chronarch Ci4's, Chronarch D's, Zillions, ect, but I have read quite a few opinions of the 2013 Met and it seems to be a cut above. My question is to those of you who own it and also fish other premier reels. Where does the latest, non DC Metanium rank from a performance standpoint compared to your other reels? I'm looking for an all around elite performer for no specific application. Should I snap one up before the 16's come out or should I be looking at something else as well. Thanks!

Been reading quite a bit on opinions of the 13 Met from people who fish them. I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on one before they are phased out for the 16's. I'm just looking for a nice all purpose, high end baitcaster to compliment my arsenal. My question is to those who own this reel and other high end reels. Is the 13 Met the best I can buy from a performance standpoint? I realize that's awfully objective, but what are your opinions compared to the other options in premier baitcasters? Not looking for something application specific, just a nice all around performer. Thanks!

I recently purchased a new Revo MGX baitcaster online and on my very first cast all the brake pins sheared off. I found that the screw on the right side that gives you access to the brake system was loose, which I'm guessing is what caused this. I called Abu Garcia and they want me to send it in. I don't want to spend all the time of going about a warranty claim if I can just replace them myself. Has anyone had this problem and fixed it on their own? I couldn't find anything online that described how to do it. Admittedly I haven't really looked at the reel to see if it's something I could do on my own. Thanks for the input.

I've been noticing lately that most of the pros seem to use Fluoro almost exclusively. I assume that it gives the best possible presentation in most cases, so I really want have it as part of my arsenal. I've been using a baitcaster for 25 years and just can't seem to get the hang of FC. I've tried it twice (Sniper FC 10 and 12lb) and it just isn't manageable. I know it has a learning curve, and some use a line conditioner. Admittedly, I haven't tried a conditioner, but I almost never get backlashes using any other line. I can't remember the last time I had something more than one pull on the spool couldn't fix. With FC, it's pretty much anytime I throw something light unless I have the brakes turned way up. I can avoid backlashing, but only with heavy lures or if I'm always suuuper conscious about a fluid casting motion (which doesn't get the bait very far). I've tried it on a Chronarch Ci4 and a Revo MGX with MH and M rods. My question is, to those of you who fish it successfully: 1-Do you consider it the best line for most (obviously you'd want to use braid in extremely heavy apps, and maybe mono for some topwater) applications? 2-If you had trouble with it at first, what do you recommend to best get the hang of it?

Get a Mew's! Kidding aside, I'd stick with the Mojo, especially if it's from the new lineup. I've owned quite a few St. Croix rods and two Lew's. The Lew's aren't bad but if you are looking at both brands, at equal price points, in my opinion the St. Croix is going to be a better value. As far as other brands go at the ~$100 mark, I'd also consider a Veritas 2.0 M. I own many higher end rods but the Veritas M just feels... right. It's light, sensitive, and I've never had a durability issue. You're needing something versatile as well, and I don't believe you'll find a more adaptable rod.

The Ci4 will likely be a little smoother and with a good bearing flush is as good of a caster as you'll find. The 70 size reels, if history is any indication, should perform similarly to the 200's. That being said, The Curado/Scorpion I's are not far behind the Chronarch. If you want a smaller, lighter profile (but not by much), go with the 70. If you want refinement, pick up a Chronarch. I think if you shop online they're going to cost you about the same.

Thanks, I'm going to try one out. Might use it for small swimbaits like you suggested.