EllisJuan

I'm not entirely sure, but I think it is a DIY carbon handle. I bought it from a forum member a few months ago. It fits the Conquest great as far as clearing the drag star.

Reel porn...

The GLX JWR is a very nice rod and well worth the sale price. That being said, I would pay the extra ~$75 for a NRX if I was doing it again. Not because the GLX isn't awesome, the NRX is just so very good.

I am pretty fanatical about both rods and reels...lol

If you want something unique go with the Excense, if you want the better all around reel go with the Met. That is not to say the Excense is not a fine reel, it is simply saying the Met is possibly the best all around reel ever made.

I am new to the area, is the Chick Fil-A pond the one behind the the CFA next to the Germantown Rehab Hospital? If so, I stopped by there earlier this week and the water was so light and silty there was about 8 inches of visibility. Is that normal?

Thanks for the heads up man. I stopped by Collierville Town Park earlier this week for about 30 minutes. I only had one setup in the truck but caught a dink and this guy...

Also another awesome option. I have this as next on my list.

Conquest. Although not strictly JDM, they are more affordable if bought from the JDM.

I can't give you the exact amount, but I can not imagine it not being enough. I find that more than ~65 yards is a waste. I never get to the rest of the spool before I want to change the line.

Nice. I did not know the Rod Glove covers would work or that Shimano made LH covers.

My problem is the only real cover I can find for my left hand baitcasters is the TW covers, which are ok. I would just like some more options.

Haha...I know that game, but I am usdm, or actually ADM. My built 2004 gto is ironically a Australian built Holden rebadged. The LS1 engine parts aren't bad but all the Australian suspension/rear end parts are outrageous. Thanks for the compliment on the reel. The upside is it performs as good as it looks.

The most noticeable as far as performance was the lightweight shallow spool. It casts even better all around and really handles the light stuff 1/4oz and bellow even better than it did stock. I also like the feel of the offset handle and big EVA knobs. The rest is pretty much eye candy. The upgrades were costly, but I don't regret it. It made it uniquily mine, and the performance with that spool is off the chart.

....and I'm spent. Literally.

Buying a JDM reel is just the first step down a slippery slope. Wait until you start looking around http://www.hedgehog-studio.co.jp/ . I have almost as much in upgrades and bling on my Metanium as I paid for the reel...lol. But seriously, how hot is this???

I read quite a bit on super tuning in the past. I know that often times polishing is involved in addition to upgrading the bearings, drag, and spool? With the micro-gear setup used in the Conquest, I am just not sure what parts would need to be polished. Have either of you supertuned a Conquest or a shimano reel using this type of gear set? Many of the parts I would normally polish simply don't seem like they need it. Sorry, I guess I should just call it heavily upgraded. Either way, I am in love.

Please enlighten me.

There are a couple guys on TT that already have them. They have all good things to say about them so far. I am going to wait for the reviews after the "new hotness" effect wears off. Plus I am a lefty so, I could not get one anyways. If it is better than the '13 I will get one without a doubt. The '13 met is the best low profile caster I have ever used.

Disassembled, cleaned, re-greased, carbon drag discs, every bearing upgraded (Ceramics on the spool, Japanese stainless "ABEC 7s" everywhere else), Microcast Spool, longer carbon handle, etc. Basically made my best effort make a great reel even better.

Third cast on the new combo. Supertuned Calcutta 101 on a Loomis GLX 785 CBR Med-Heavy/Mod... I have never felt a cranking setup like this before.

I feel your pain man. I am a fellow Lefty that would love to be snagging up a 16 to compare to my 13 with a Microcast shallow spool. I have mine on a NRX also...a 803C JWR. It is a phenomenal combo...as good as you can get. What is yours going on?

IMX 843 or 844 MBR Loomis from Monster Fishing for under $200 paired with a Metanium. You can find a Met for under $300 if you shop hard. It will be right at the top end of your budget, but it would be a killer setup.

It is the best all around baitcaster I have ever fished.