GAMEOVER

Best domestic braid on the market imo, if your worried about abrasion resistance (as with any braid) just remember to use the same diameter braid as you would mono and youll find it abrasion resistant enough.

Ive got mine on a Megabass F4-610XDti Elseil. Purchased it for topwater and jerkbaits primarly.. I went all out on my Zillion and upgraded the spool bearings to ABEC 7s and a Carbontex drag. Debating on the IZE kit for it still. If I do get the IZE kit this will be one expensive Zillion.

Tread new waters.. go with a Daiwa Zillion and be happy. I agree as well with it being the best burner on the market. I have it mounted on my Megabass Elseil. You can even use CRANKBAITs with this burner and not have to worry about fighting your equipment more then the fish. Buy it and just try it if your not happy you can always return it just make sure you know the return policy.

Are you serious Raul?? I put off buying one but if you are dead serious and stand by that comment I just might get one now. Just wow.. Redline, this reel would look excellent on one of your Steez rods as well as fill your performance needs. Alot of people sort of get it an OKAY review.. nothing to brag about but no push off. They do this because of the the older TD Ito I think. The Alpha is a proven reel and Ito only makes improvements. I agree with I think Avid who said it about the clear side plate. Id like it better solid or with the color scheme on the TD Ito. I deffinatly am a Daiwa guy, Shimano makes some excellent products but it seems to me there focusing more on distance without regard to weight while Daiwa is focusing on line control. Shimanos best reel to date I still think is there Chron 50/51MG. They should have built upon that design providing more bearings, etc..

I also recommed along with Rauls suggestion to use that yellow oil only on the reel (bearings to be exact) and not another brand. That oil is Daiwas TD-Z oil and is one of if not the best oil you can get. It has a high viscosity while having excellent corrosion resistant properties. If you run low on it you can order another bottle of the same size from one of the sites Raul mentioned. Dont be alarmed if it comes red in color when you buy because its the exact same oil just some are red while others are yellow in color. This same oil also comes with both the Zillion and Steez reels when baught. Unfortuneatly, Daiwa doesnt sell the oil at their parts center. The only thing I wish they would have added to that reel was a clicking dragstar. Id still take that reel over any other Alpha though. Good luck with it bud, and what rod you putting it on?

Youd love it for sure.. its there second most expensive rod overall and the most expensive on my list of four rods to own from them. I decided to knock the highest priced one out the way. Stay away from their stinger tips. They're most expensive is actually a spinning rod.. The Orochi Evolution.. stinger tip shys me away from it though.

If Ito came out with a Steez itd be sold and marketed by Megabass, unfortunatly the chances of us seeing one is not good. They are working on a new round baitcaster that should be available soon. I think its called the monoblock?? Megabass made their version of the TD-Z.. wish so bad they would have kept this reel in production. The Steez is already a beast on its own ;D Like Raul said dont forget the knob bearings. Thats a good all purpose reel.

In order.. Daiwa Zillion (6.?:1 speed since your wanting all purpose), Abu Revo SX or STX, Chonarch 50/51MG, Curado, Chonarch B

I completely understand about the 7' thing. Matter of fact, when I first entered the market for one I was stunned they only offered 1 or 2 rods over 7' and none at 7' I went with the 6'10" and to me its even better then 7' probably because im shorter myself at 5'10" ish. I like GLoomis's GLX blanks they deffinatly are one of it not thee best in terms of senitivity but I hate their guide system. I love the Fuji Ti framed SIC guides that came on this rod and the balance is superb. If I went the custom route (which I actually looked into) this same rod would of ran 550 dollars minimum from quotes I got so I just went and got the real deal for now. I got three more must have rods from Megabass before I either go custom or decide to stay with them. So much potential in GLoomis, if only they could get the guides and looks right. But hey do you see 4 second dragsters lookin pretty? I dont know the exact blank structure on this rod but id put my rod on it that its as sensitive as a GLX. I also want atleast one Steez rod and im hoping the airbeam reel seat really works well.

Yeah Itos version of the Alpha is pretty nice.. the one I really want and will buy for sure if I find at the right place/time is the TD Ito. Daiwa and Megabass.. It just doesnt get any better....

Thanks guys, nice peacock bass.. ive seen some pics with the Elseil taking some of them bad boys. Found them here they are. Redline, look at the pictures in this link and youll see the Elseil being used to catch some decent size peacocks http://redhotanglers.blog78.fc2.com/blog-date-200612.html The Elseil won a head to head shootout against three of the best sticks in the world. The one that almost outperformed it was a Palms Edge Pride. I really dont believe there is a better moving baitstick on the market at this time and while their rods are pretty technique specific, this is one very versatile rod for what it is. Im using mine for topwater and jerkbaits primarly. Im a topwater junky.. the high speed Zillion is a perfect match for this rod in terms of performance. Ive seen Lunas/Calcuttas though mounted on these rods. Dont forget its a "light feeling" medium-heavy power with a true medium action taper imo. I really dont care for the guides on the GLX. The GLX is probably the closest youll get in terms of performance for a domestic stick. The Steez, imo is just as good as the GLX if not better. Some are anal about hook hangers, if it bothers people that much get a Fuji hook hanger. They work just as good and look good to. These are true enthusiast rods (MB/Steez). Natural, those Steez rods are excellent! Which model did you go with and what reel did you put on it?

Since the pics were in wrong format.. I ziped and uploaded all pics that were here into a small zip file available for download by clicking this link. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RJ1EZA6R Posting all these pics over would take a lot of time waiting on uploads that I dont have (time) and converting them to another format before doing so. If anyone wants to repost them here feel free to, thanks.

Now that is scary, I just recieved an F4-610XDti (600 dollar) rod from UPS it traveled from MA to MI and it was only in what looked cardboard like tube with a 3rd of another tube connected to it and the caps stapled by think brass staples. I open the tube up yesterday (day I recieved it) and was shocked to see only about an 8 or 9 inch foam tube that was held by tape only covering the top 4 guides. The SIC guides seem to look okay, some minimal bending nothing more then youd get from a good day on the lake so I gently bent them back as directed and considered myself lucky. Whenever you guys get a rod through UPS always run part of a panty hose through your guides to make sure their okay and look for any hairline cracks near the guides. Hairline cracks may sound like their small but they are very obvious on a dark graphite blank when bending the rod gently in all directions.

Ah sorry about leaving the topic. The source of the chart was developed by two guys who did viscosity and corrosion tests amongst various oils on the market. Its pretty reputable, lots of anglers have gone by it. Im seriously skeptical still about the Friction Zero oil. I am because it just dont add up it is the closest thing to water in terms of oil density which would add up for its vicosity rating but shouldnt for its corrosion resistant properties. Both Ardent Reel Butter grease & oil are yellow in color. For information about these tests read here- another site Im always skeptical about things no matter how things are done and I know some of you are as well. The TDZ oil you see ranked second is the Daiwa Oil that comes with the Daiwa Zillion and Steez. This is not their other stuff and its red (sometimes yellow) in color. The oil unfortuneatly can only be baught imported from Japan in the same tiny bottles that come with each reel mentioned for about 7 dollars. Luckly I have a source if I so need one. My Daiwa Zillion 100SHLA has abec 7 spool bearings and a Carbontex drag system installed. It will be going on a Megabass F4-610XDTi Elseil. While the spool bearings and drag were replaced the entire reel was cleaned out of its stock grease & oil. It was then replaced with both the Ardent Reel Butter grease & oil. It feels butter smooth right now and better then it did stock, however I have yet to cast it and am waiting for this Michigan ice to melt. The Abec 7s and Carbontex drag system were installed as soon as I baught the reel (within a week) as I wanted to get it out the way and have it ready immediatly for Spring. Before anyone asks, no.. the Ardent Reel Butter was not tested in this chart because it wasnt out at the time in which the tests were conducted. Its very new to the market and the jury is still out.

Kent.. those are tried, tested, and proven oils! Dont always disagree with me so quick just because its me. I dont know everything but I do know what I know. Allow me to elaborate The only oil that isnt yet is Ardent Reel Butter and thats because its too new which is also why im trying to get to the bottem of whats behind it. Well Ardent has been tested just the results have not yet been shown. A lot of reel mechs use Rocket Fuel which is an excellent oil as well. These results are accurate and are backed by not only certifed lube testing facilitys but quite a few reel repair guys I know. I know your an old school angler but evolution happens, things get better. I looked at reelmechs online shop and im 100% sure he knows what hes doing and talking about. All im saying is I talked to more then a few people who are just as qualified as him, who have extensive expierence with almost all of these oils and back the statistics in which were listed. I know Hot Sauce isnt liked by a few tackle repair guys and id bet in most cases (not all) its because its so hard to get compeletely off compared to other oils (im not a fan of it either). The Daiwa oil see ranked #2 in that chart is a stock oil that comes with the Zillion and Steez reels in a tiny almost eye dropper like bottle. I dont think Daiwa would pack their best reels with junk oil. Now opinions do vary but when it comes to Corrosion protection and Viscosity your looking at the top chart in this post. From proven tests all which were performed by certified labratorys that have nothing to do with the oil manufacturers company itself other then for test purposes. So, in terms of viscosity/corrosion protection only you are look at the best results. The reel repair shops and guys ive talked to who have extensive years under their belt with these products agree, probably because they know of the same tests and who performed them. Back to the topic though.. the jury is still out on Ardent, im awaiting the email with the test results from a reputable testing company. Now when I get these ABEC 7s installed while using this lube on it along with my carbontex drag ill see how it works with this oil until right before mid summer in which ill break down my reel, switch to another lube, and compare my opinions. But no opinions of anyones or mine will override the lubes performance factual data for certain properties, and these facts are the results we'll see when tested at Texas Oil Tech, a certified testing plant or any other certified testing establishment. If they showed me those certified test results id move a little closer to believeing. I remain skeptical, they've had so many oils that are years old in technology to compare to while making the butter and their XS reel is certainly highend quality componets which could give us a hint of what it might be like in terms of quality and why it isnt 20 dollars a bottle as well.

In order to gain more knowledge about the new lube known as Ardent Reel Butter oil & grease I decided to drop Ardent an email to find out more about this new stuff. Before seeing what I recieved directly from Ardent, know that im awaiting on another email to determine which oils were tested against it. Im also having the Ardent Reel Butter oil & grease used in my Daiwa Zillion (high-speed) while I get the VBX ABEC 7 Bearings (spool) and Carbontex drag installed. The chart he is refering to is this one, Someone questioned the visibility of the oil and one said they like Hot Sauce better because they can see it. This is not a problem because Ardent Reel Butter has a UV Tracer. I also am in no way trying to promote any product but I am trying to see just how good this product is and (if its really that good) make people aware of it. Ill try to remember and post how I like it in my Zillion when the ABEC7s etc are installed. Thanks for reading

Well I made a handful of close friends here, learned a lot, and went out of my to try and help others as much as I could. It seems as though im unwelcomed here by what I thought was some but is seeming like just about everyone. Id like to thank Glenn and all the people involved with the site for peaking my interest even more in this sport, for providing me a place to call my home away from home while at home (if that makes sense), and to quite a few members who have helped me with purchases and ever more the list goes on. I will not post anymore and will probably just troll the boards if thats okay with managment to see how some are that is if im allowed to do just that. Everyone knows where this has started, some know the truth, and a few seen the truth. So thanks guys, hope to hear from some of you and still be able to read your posts.. fishing related or not. Some probably want to say good ridance I just want to say good luck. Thanks for having me, -Eric

The owner knows me because my late father use to work for them and dicks sporting goods. The owner does not care as long as I take them off the discount rack. Their all marked and packaged anyway upon return. They do a lot of other similar things for loyal customers from what ive heard and no way am I in the wrong.

Having say 10 rods isnt bad.. you gotta figure all the different types of fishing you do.. and the years it took to accumulate them all. Fishing can be (and is for most of us here) a very expensive sport.

Thought this was going to be a useless thread til I read it, some very good info here. Someones a fellow crankbait addict! Hey Chris, fill us all in.. 1)Whens a good time to use standard liped crankbaits with no rattles in them aka silent crankbaits. 2)When the weathers cold what type of crankbait is better to use and whats better for warm weather? 3)Under what conditions should you put down the standard crankbaits and go with a lipless crankbait? 4)If fish are interested in your crankbait but just arent slamming it what do you do change size, or change color? Now a question from me, whats your favorite liped and lipless crankbaits and more importantly why?

If your using them for just 1 ocassion or every so often and not more then half the time you spend angling I recommend you just go and buy the cheapest pair you can find and then return them after your done. It might sound like the wrong thing to do but the Gander Mountain near me told me I could as im pretty close with the fishing staff up there. Just a suggestion.. Thats what I did on my Salmon trip here ->

X-Rap for mid stream and this was a Lucky Craft year imo..

If I remember correctly they have thiner diameter walls for the body which just lets the rattles clack louder. An obvious concern would be does this take away from the baits reliablity as far as cracking the body. If these are the baits your talking about then I dont own any yet but might plan to see some in the future sometime.. or maybe not who knows I think im set for lipless cranks for now. Not too interested in them atm I have my LVRs, Rattle N'Vibes, DRUMs, etc.. My main baits are Lucky Craft and Megabass if Jackall makes something unique that the other company dont offer a similar bait of or if they stand apart in terms of performance then thats when I go looking for baits like those. I love them because LOTS of people dont even know about them (MegaBass, Jackall, Evergreen, and sometimes even Lucky Craft, theres more). Throwing baits on bodies of water fish dont usually see can and often do result in you being the one catching the fish.

I dont have any 110s but I have quite a few 95s, all colors I own have produced for me. Also one of my fav MegaBass lures.

I got to cast a Alphas Ito Ai reel and I loved it but not for the price. The only thing that keeps my interest in Daiwa Products now is their extremely close business relationship with ITO Engineering. Did I mention it weighs in at 5.9 ounces?