GAMEOVER

Trilene XL is one of the oldest lines on the market and still one of the best. Before recommending a line to you id first like to introduce to you the main categorys of line available as well as point out the advantages (and disadvantage of each). The same best line a spinning reel might have usually is different from the best line on a baitcaster so ill try to stick with spinning line recommendations. You will find a lot of opinions and recommendations provided to you but you will soon learn how ones persons "best" wont neccessarly be yours as you go through trying different lines. With all that said and knowing this line is going on spinning gear lets get started- Mono: Mono is what id like to consider your basic fishing line. It has a little bit of everything when it comes to visability, some stretch, pretty limp, floats, abrasion resistant, larger diameter then other lines ill mention, and good knot strength with memory varying from line to line. Its a good general purpose line for the casual angler. Recomendation(s): Maxima Ultragreen and Trilene XL, like them equally but I do go with Maxima between them.. if price isnt a concern I highly recommend you try some Sunline Shooter Defier. Stay away from: Unknown brands. Braid: Braids always been a personal favorite of mine however due to their visability issues I cant always use it (because of clearer water) as I refuse to tie leaders. Its a very tough line. Braid is the toughest available on the pull and strike, has the smallest diameter of all lines mentioned, has no stretch (which makes it sensitive), very little to no memory, very limp, and sinks however its not very abasion resistant compared to other lines but does okay in this area (when compareing diameter to diameter). Recommendation(s): Suffix Performance Braid and Power Pro with the edge going to Suffix. Stay away from: Spider Wire Stealth, this stuff doesnt last long compared to other braids offered, loses color fast, and I just dont care for it at all. Copolymer: These types of line are relatively newer compared to the previous listed. Memory varys from line to line, not much stretch (sensitive) in most copoly lines, small diameter, abrasion resistant, less visable than mono, knot strength is decent. Of all the lines to find a favorite between this and the two mentioned above this has been the toughest. It deffinatly performs better on casting gear in my opinion but can be used on spinning if you can find a brand that you can handle pretty well. Recommendation(s): Sunline MachineGun cast, Gamma, and P-Line Evolution. Stay away from: Yo-Zuri Hybrid, I just do not care for this stuff. I gave it more then one chance. Its stiffness ruins it for me and it deffinatly works better on casting gear then spinning. This one shocked me as its highly regarded by most but I really just do not like it. I havent tried the Ultra Soft but I dont want the extra stretch. I do however like the Yo-Zuri Cobra a lot but am unsure what type of line it is and if its even made anymore. Fluorocarbon: This is the newest line to me of all mentioned has got to be the hottest type of line on the market right now and quickly becoming a favorite of mine when I just cant use braid (which is my favorite). If you see the positives im about to list it shouldnt be a suprise as to why I like it so much since its known im a braid lover these two lines share a few similar properties. Its very expensive but.. You get the least visable line of all the types mentioned, is known for its very little to no stretch (sensitive), sinks, small diameter, is known to be stiff but ive handled some limp ones, memory can be a problem but again it varys from line to line more so then other lines, and its not known to have a good knot strength compared to the rest of the lines mentioned. Just moisten your knot before tightning it. Recommended: Sunline FC Sniper (Deffinatly this for spinning), Toray, BPS XPS (actually made by Toray), and im testing out Gammas Egde right now which seems very limp and nice so far. Stay away from: Berkley Vanish & Vanish Transition, I simply just cant get over how much they marketed this line and its absolutely awful. Its knot strength is the weakest of all fluoros so far and its rated # strength is over rated. Hope this helps, let me know which you end up likeing.

Well then that explains it. As you should. Forgot about the Alphas, thats a pretty nice reel as well. Ill also add the Sol and Fuego. The Sol can handle lighter baits very well while the Fuego is as close to the past Daiwa flagship TDZ reel you can get out of their current offerings. I think youd really love their Fuego. So many choices you have..

I havent heard of that line either. Is this their only line made in China? The best lines seem to come from Japan followed by Germany (imho ofcourse). Even though american companys sell lines and say american made etc they are still basically made in Japan, Germany, or another very few places. Only ones I know for sure are Japan and Germany. China, well we all know about China made products. Gamma for example will say Made in Japan if you look closely but then will say processed in the USA. Look at the fine print on it maybe itll show another orgin. Im really interested in knowing if their other lines are from China..

Combo A would be my choice.

Its the same as the old stuff just a new color. I personally like the Moss Green but Suffix Performance Braid I feel is a little bit better. Still wanting to try the Sunline braid to see if I like it better but Suffix has set the bar pretty high. The original Spider Wire I believe use to be that red color.

Thats the first time I heard someone liking the new one better then the old one. The new ones heavyer, not as light, and doesnt palm as well.

I love my Zillion and plan to keep it. When I keep something its because it meets my high performance standards if it dont then I sell it. For $250.00 you have quite a few options. Im sensing this is going to be an all purpose reel judgeing by such a general post so under this assumption I do not recommend the Zillion for you. I use mine as a burner workhorse. The 200 dollar TDZ craze is pretty much done with dont feel bad, I missed my chance as well for one. So scratch the TDZ off. The best reel Shimano has ever came out with is the Chronarch 50/51MG. Dollar for dollar its better then even their DC flagship reels in my opinion, yeah I said it lol. Abu Garcias Revo STX sounds like it would be perfect for you. Your getting a 200 dollar reel that you couldnt even upgrade for performance aspects if you wanted. Upgrade the drag to Carbontex? No need to have a 10lb drag when your stock drag is rated for 20+lbs! Upgrade your spool bearings for smoother and/or longer casts? No need because you have stock Abec 7s (this is from a reputable source whos runs a small reel service)! Im a hardcore Daiwa guy to the bone but if your intentions are for an all purpose reel I just cant recommend anything other then the Abu Revo STX knowing what I know, for the price ofcourse. Now if you like light reels I first recommend finding a used Daiwa Pixy if you cant find one of these then buy a Chron 50/51MG. Id take the Pixy over the Chron MG anyday..

Raul is trying to find a wide angle lens for his stuff. Redline and the natural are waiting for their insurance companies to give them permission to post. ;D I just crashed the server trying to upload pics of my gear. :-/ Screen went white for a couple of seconds, then message appeared: catastrophical failure, unable to fulfill request which I think it 's a load of hooey because there was an image at the bottom of the page, it was a hand ...... giving me the finger. ;D

;D I hear ya Jimzee.. I gave the YoZuri Hybrid two chances and hated them both times. It wasnt so stiff id like it a lot better. Plus its a copoly and not 100% Fluoro I loved its toughness and low-strech but its stiffness ruined it for me. To be honest so far my favorites been the Gamma Edge fluoro. Im a diehard braid lover on the inside but braid wont get used on certain rods I own for certain situations. So being a braid lover I naturally love low-stretch, sinking, easy handling lines. This Gamma is super expensive at 27 dollars a filler spool but its the only Fluoro aside from FC Sniper I feel worthy right now. Id have the P-line Halo to try still and the Invizx. I went today to buy the Halo and Invizx but they had neither, I did pick up another spool of Gamma though.. for 19.00 I could refuse it.

Ill just post a taste.. and not post them in img format so this thread can actually load How about the best moving bait stick in the world.. ;D http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6770/69337992pk1.jpg Paired up with the best mainstream reel on the market(I didnt take this pic).. http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/376/steez2qo2.jpg Does it get any better? Not in my eyes.. Up next ill give you guys a hint and the sticks two worded name begins with G.C.

;D I just thought id mention the reels it would be spooled on as maybe someone used the same line theyd recommend on the reels I said im spooling it on. Some one still hasnt learned how to read, I said Sunline aside . BPS Fluoro is indeed made by Toray and thats excellent but im just putting my feelers out there to see if maybe there's another fluoro that gets high marks aside from the ones already known. I have some Sunline as well but in order to get the ultra-high-end JDM tackle I crave I have to cut costs somewhere and figured maybe I could get away with line price without sacrificing quality. Ill pick up some Halo right now but I have this bad feeling in the pit of me wallet that ill be sticking with Sunline FC Sniper. >

I always have a jointed black jitterbug in my tacklebox. They are one of the oldest and most productive topwater lures. Sometimes ill add a suspendot on the back of the aluminum lip. This will let you get the same blubin action but with a slower then your use to retrieve, give it a try.

Sunline being excluded for this post I am looking for the two best pure flurocarbon lines that have these qualitys in order. -Least stretch -Least memory -Most limp Name two fluorocarbon lines that fit this bill and please exclude Sunline in your two recommendations. I will be buying a spool of each that is the most recommened for my above listed needs. The line will be spooled on both my tuned up Daiwa Zillion and my Daiwa Steez. Thanks for your replys.

I cant stand Yo-Zuro Hybrid at all.. its way too stiff. Hybrid works better on casters then spinning gear. However, I really REALLY like Yo-Zuris Cobra if you can even find it anymore. I think they stopped making it which really gets me kinda mad.

Im not too fond of them to be honest. I think youd be better off with their regular LVRs. My most productive still to date is Yo-Zuri Rattle N' Vibes. Ive tried numerous domestic and JDM offerings trying to find a more productive one for me but have yet to find one. Try their Hardcore DRUM for pressure situations I like that one a lot as well. Spros Aruku Shads are an honerable mention also, some actually prefer these over the ones mentioned above.

Lard Bass, your welcome. The tests were conducted by two reputable anglers who go by the name of Mark and Sandman. One of them I think has something to do with engineering.. I voted for the TG Rocket Fuel already out of the ones posted. I really like the Hot Sauce in my Steez though, im going to clean my spool bearings thoroughly and put a drop or two of the TDZ on each bearing then spin em to make sure the oils worked in. Ill let you know if I like it better. As far as the Shimano oil being ranked relatively low in comparison it is still a good oil and there is nothing wrong with using it for preventitive maintence. Keep in mind also alot of people dont go as far to open up, clean, and relube their reels yet they still last them for many years and probably still do. Doing this with even your basic oil will vastly improve the longevity of your reels. I also agree with almost everything Reel Mech said in this thread.

A peak.. for now.

Quantum Hot Sauce will not fade quickly and is here to stay. Its kinda silly to say that if you know nothing about the product. This lube is the real deal. A guy who services my reels when I dont want to uses Hot Sauce in all his reels or Yellow RF. Some reel serviceing shop owners dont like to use Hot Sauce because its harder to clean out but its viscosity and corrosion test ratings do not lie. They are proven results performed by certified professionals unaffiliated with Quantum and provide the same test information for just about all oils. Now I didnt vote because some of the best isnt an option on the poll. Right now I have Hot Sauce in my Steez and am happy with it but my next cleaning ill either be switching to the TG Yellow Rocket Fuel or TDZ oil. The Shimano oil cant compete in comparison not by todays standards for the enthusiast but that doesnt make it a bad oil, not at all. The TDZ oil im speaking of comes with the Daiwa Steez and Zillion baitcasters that I know of and is either red or yellow in color. This oil has one of the highest corrosion resistant properties attainable by an oil while have the highest viscosity rating. I have Ardent Reel Butter in my Zillion, at first I really liked the stuff but now that ive used it for sometime im not too excited over it. Its good lube dont get me wrong but theres better for my money. The TDZ oil is unattainable in America unless you know somebody at Daiwa (not even Daiwas parts center sells it). Otherwise you have to special order it for around 7 dollars for a tiny bottle (size that comes with reels). The only lube you really will have trouble getting that might surpass all of the oils I mentioned even the TDZ is super hard to come by but is questioned, the oil im speaking of is called Friction Zero but it has a thickness too close to that of water for me to feel good about putting in my reels. If your someone like Reel Mech or do your own cleaning almost any lube will do if your only doing it for longivity of your reel because your always keeping it clean and lubed. The performance orientated demand more in a oil. For your convenience as well as referance here is the latest list, Ardent Reel Butter is being tested by the same who tested these lubes. I dont think it will rate higher then the Quantum but thats just a guess. Dont have to take my word for it though.. think what you will.

Yeah the finish is touch on the Alpha Itos.. should look sweet done. But with the process your getting done the color results arent always guarenteed, expecially if you get multiple parts done the same color. They can look a little off. If your just doing the housing though should be fine, gl.

Deffinatly worth the money, I baught mine for 320.00 with it being used under 10 times. I highly recommend looking for "like-new" ones. It saves you money and you get it pretty much new. Im wanting to throw one on all of my next planned rod purchases but plan to buy them how I baught this one. Used but mint.

Picked up my JDM Steez 103HL day before yesterday from the post office. This reel is a perfect match with my Megabass F4-610XDti Elseil. I thought I liked the Zillion on this rod but oh was I wrong. Now I wont take the Steez off it. I have the JDM version.. only differences between the USD and JDM is the Steez markings on the knobs and the thumb-plate on the JDM says Steez, I dont think the USD does. Super light.. would get my vote for the best reel on the market (mainstream market). Was going to upgrades the spool bearings to abec 7s and a carbontex drag but im not so sure it could get any better. Well the carbontex would be an obvious upgrade but im not sure if id feel a difference in the spool bearings. I think they have stock abec 5s.

Too heavy and not Daiwa for me.

Revo STX, dont even think about it.

How do you figure they are a rip off, they have all metal componets instead of the previous generation which had some plastic. They are deffinatly better imo, the previous one though was legendary and an industry staple id still take the new one. The only new reel shimano has that I baught and sold and would prefer the old one if I was more of a Shimano guy is the chronarch.. they failed miserably with the B compared to the MG.