LCG

Fellow Canadian here, Sail (the outdoor store) has the Daiwa Tatula LT on sale for $180 CAD. I picked one up in the spring and it has treated me very well. I purchased the 2000 size, holds plenty of line and comes in at 6.1 oz. The Shimano Stradic FL is another solid choice. Had one for a few years, but sold it for a lighter reel for finesse focused techniques. Solid and smooth reel though.

My favorite pond turned this way as soon as the season opened :(. I have tried everything I could think of, only caught two bass, both on a weightless worm that still had to be cleaned off every other cast. Gave up on the pond until closer to end of summer. Been catching mainly pike elsewhere.

I was just out with a buddy who was using a curado DC and we were neck and neck for distance. I had my speed spool lfs set with a bit of side to side play in the spool and brakes at 4. Zero backlashes, pretty smooth retrieve.

No thank you

That's just the force of the magnets that makes it feel tighter, but only when casting. The brakes won't effect the retrieve feel, the spool tension will though. Picked up a LFS speed spool myself a few months ago, nice reel. I keep mine at 4-5 depending on conditions with a bit of spool side to side play.

I have been playing with line choices for the last two seasons. For me, I prefer braid to leader on spinning. This year I have been trying a 15ft leader and so far I really like it. No issues as of now.

Can you have your wife call my wife That's a very nice gift, enjoy.

Just got back from the pond. Spooled some 10lb big game just for testing. Threw a weightless trick worm, chatterbait with trailer, and a 3/4 oz spinnerbait. Distance was good with all lures, but the control was excellent. Kept the brakes between 4 and 5 and spool tension set to remove side to side play. Pitching, roll casting, and overhead casting, Very impressed at the control and distance balance combined with ease of dialing it in. The reel is smooth, but I can feel the slightest amount of gear mesh, but not bad. A tad less refined than my Curado 70 MGL, but on part with the SLX 70 MGL. No fish caught, so no drag test yet. The 8.3:1 gear ratio made retrieving the lures above the weeds easy, but I was still able to slow down enough to drop in open holes. Overall I am very pleased with this reel, especially for the price. She's a keeper

The reel was delivered last night. Spooled it up and pitched a plug down the hallway to get a feel for her. Initial impression are very positive so far. She's smooth on the cast and retrieve. Comfortable to palm, tried with two fingers and three fingers in front of the trigger and both positions were comfortable. Like the flat black finish. Brakes are strong, pitching seemed good with the brakes set at 4. Drag increases in very small intervals, took quite a few turns to get to max drag: almost feels like there may be some grease or oil on the drag, but the drag is smooth which is what I want. Going to try taking her out after work today and give her a proper test.

Curado 70 MGL is a nice, reliable, smooth, and small reel. Daiwa Alphas SV TW is also nice. The SLX 70 MGL is a bit less money and also very similar to the curado 70 MGL, just a smidge wider, but still small and comfortable.

Perfect, that's about what I throw on the the lighter end. Hoping it's the budget workhorse reel, that's as reliable and smooth as the reviews seem to say. Curious to see if it can hang with my mid level Shimano and Daiwa reels. This will be my first Lew's product, kind of like trying different things.

Today I found a deal too good to pass up on a Lew's Speed Spool LFS in 8.3:1 gear ratio. Ended up ordering it for $60 cad, all in. For anyone with this reel, how light of lures can you reasonably throw? How are the brakes ie distance/control? I plan on using it on a medium heavy rod rated 1/4 - 1oz and plan on throwing lures in that exact range. Not sure if I will be spooling it up with braid or copolymer line yet. Thanks in advance.

I purchased a Daiwa Rebellion 6'10 MH-R casting rod last year that I very much like. I find it plenty sensitive and comfortable. Rated 1/4-1oz, I am also a bank / sit inside kayak angler. It's very versatile, but not a specific model for jigs. Never owned a Loomis rod, but have owned many brands, most expensive being an st croix avid x. I liked the Rebellion so much I ended up buying a 6'8 ML-F spinning rod as well, Might be worth your time to check them out if you can find them locally.

That specific rod is on my bucket list, congrats.

Threw yo zuri hybrid 10lb last year and really liked it. Bought four more spools on sale.

Vote with your wallets my friends.

I wanted to post an update in case this happens to anyone else. I put the reel away for awhile. I decided to order new parts for the reel from plat Japan. Specifically a new main and pinion gear, yoke, springs, and a new spool pin. The parts came in a few days ago and I swapped them out today. Problem solved. Which exact part was the culprit, I am not entirely sure. But I didn't want to have to reorder any parts due to shipping and duty fees. I also wanted to thank all members who chimed in and especially @Delaware Valley Tacklefor his advice and offer to help. This problem became personal, I probably damaged the reel and I was hell bent on learning from my mistake. Thanks everyone and hopefully this helps someone in the future.

I have been fishing for about 10 years now. I dove deep into the sport, it's almost all I read and watch. Bought so many rods and reels over the years it's ridiculous. Now I have come full circle. Except with far more knowledge. I was looking hard at JDM rods as they have high quality standards and most are two or more piece. Happen to come across some Daiwa Rebellion rods locally that are JDM ish (made in China though), but by far the best quality two piece rods I have seen yet. You would never know it's not a one piece. Also found an old fenwick elite tech smallmouth rod on Facebook that's a two piece, love that rod. Plus I can leave them in the car, protected in a case, and safe from the wife and kids, and unseen to the public when I park somewhere. I go fishing after work a lot, so it's super convenient.

I recently purchased 3 high quality two piece rods, they do exist. Harder to find granted but they are out there. The reason for me was travel in a sedan with kids and wife. One piece rods not an option or they quickly become unusable two piece rods

I think the universe is telling you to keep it

I try to carry a net most times, but I found it cumbersome when carrying more than one combo. Last year I purchased a fly fishing sling bag that works well. I keep the net clipped to the bag, and when I need it, simply sling the bag from my back to my front and unclip. It extends, but it can be a little awkward while fighting the fish. May look for a better net or MacGyver something. Had a back injury last year and bending/twisting is very painful. This has helped a lot. I think nets are safer for the fish (assuming catch and release) and much safer for the rods

I enjoy and have learned a lot from various youtube channels. But, and this is a big but, I take what I see and hear with a grain of salt. I am certainly not against people making money or sponsorships, otherwise we wouldn't have these channels. But with the money factor, I question a lot of the products recommend. I put more faith in my peers here on this site and their experience. That, combined with my own experience, knowledge, and a bit of common sense make the learning journey enjoyable and entertaining.

I usually bring two combos. Which two depends of time of year, location, cover, etc. Last year I bought a fly fishing sling bag that works well for bank or kayak fishing.

Tatula SV or Curado DC if you want controlled breaking that's easy to learn. Tatula 100 / 150 or Curado 150 MGL if you want to really learn baitcasters and increased distance. Alphas SV or Curado 70 MGL if you want small profile, less line capacity. Big fan of the Daiwa Rebellion line of rods. Carbonlite 2.0 from BPS is another great rod. Shimano Zodias gets a lot of love. St Croix also makes some great rods, the victory in the $200 range.

I get you brother