mheichelbech

Thanks and great idea on a Heavy. The Dark Sleeper is closer to a MH- instead of MH +. Appreciate the input.

Curious if my current portfolio of rods/reels setups could be improved upon given the kind of fishing I do which consists mostly of Ohio River and tributaries, marinas and lakes that aren’t super deep and typically deepest water is 10-15 feet. Pitching jigs - 2020 Metanium with 7’ Conquest MH rod Lighter jigs, T Rig worms, tubes - 2019 Chronarch with a 7’ Megabass Dark Sleeper rod Skipping jigs, tubes, etc. - 6’8” ALS Zolo Skipper with Daiwa Zillion SVTW - may also use for heavier spinnerbaits. G Loomis SBR MH 6’6” - older Chronarch MGL - for spinnerbaits and buzz baits up to 1/2 oz. G Loomis CBR - 7’ M action - with a really old but still awesome Chronarch- use for shall square bills mostly and med depth crankbaits and rattletraps. St. Croix 6’ Avid - Shimano Scorpion 1000 (also pretty old but excellent shape) - finesse worms and craws and floating worms. G Loomis IMX Spinning Rod with Stradic 1000 - slipping lighter baits, tubes other finesse. Also have a Shimano SLX DC I’m gonna try for skipping to see how it compares to the Zillion, it may end up as a reel for my kids to use depending. If the DC wins out I’ll probably sell the Zillion. Could also use the DC on a dedicated chatterbait rod. Planning to fish a lot of local tournaments as boater and bigger tourneys as a non-boater. Any input appreciated! Merry Christmas to all!

I have a couple of the Timber Tigers stashed away somewhere and had forgotten about those! They had a Brush Baby crankbait I really like and still use for 6-8 foot water...caught quite a few bass on them and they seem to work all over. Appreciate the reminder. Btw, I’ve tried a Lucky Craft shallow runner which smaller than the Bandit or Minus Ones but hadn’t had any success. It’s hard to get away from the Minus Ones...especially for paralleling shallow docks or the bank. Btw I do like the Bandit! There are situations where I need something that runs a few inches shallower than the minus one and it works great for that. One thing I prefer about the minus one is I can get a size 4 triple grip on the back. Both baits really come alive with a feathered treble on the back. I’ve gotten a lot of hits when I stop it and the feathers spread out...somehow that provided that last bit of enticement needed for a finicky bass.

Anyone know of a lure that is just like a Baby 1 Minus but is made better? I have found that usually 1 out of 5 of them actually run right. Even the images of them you see on websites show imperfections in the mold. I’d like to find something with same size, action and depth but better made. I have sued the Bandit Footloose and they are good but still are different...they seem to run a bit shallower than the minus one.

I like the zoom Lil critter craw in pumpkin w the chartreuse claws. I dye the claws orange. At certain times of the year, usually spring, bass, especially big bass go crazy over those things. I rig it Texas style with a light sinker pegged about 6 inches above. Sort of a cross between Carolina right and split shot rig. Very effective on shallow rocky banks.

Well....given that your Rusty Shackleford and not Dale Gribble...your opinion is reliable....?

What does the 20 Met do so much better?

Thanks! Very helpful.

Thanks. I’m having the itch to buy a néw reel. I already have several Chronarch and am happy with them. I just didn’t know if I’d be happier with a Met. I really had 2 issues, is the Met that much better than a Chronarch (from the posts I’ve seen it is not but would invite anyone to dispute that) and if an older used Met was better than a new Chronarch and as good as a new Met. My definition of “as good as” would mainly be does it cast further and backlash less. They are all smooth enough for me.

Thanks. I should have been more specific as I was really only concerned with years 13/14 and newer.

Or is there anyone on here who is a Shimano expert I could chat with about them.

Your last sentence nailed it. I think the guy had a well matched set to begin with but performance really increased with the reel change.

How have the Metaniums evolved over the years? I see various model years for sale and curious as to the value (features and overall quality versus price) of the 2015/16s or 2018s versus 2020 models. Is a 2013 for $160 vs a 2016 for $250) vs a new one...??? Also wondering about the different Matanium models. Some new are $330, some are $420..what’s the big difference in these?

I agree. One thing I haven’t been able to settle on is, is an Alderbaran or a Metanium that much better than my Chronarchs. I’ve always thought the Chronarchs were the best overall value in the Shimano line but...I’ve not used and Alderbaran or Metanium so I can’t say for sure if the differences are worth it or not.

In the instance I was referring to, the guy said he changed from a Curado to an Alderbaran. He seemed to be knowledgeable enough to have the appropriate set ups for what he was doing. He stated the change to the Alderbaran made the rod come alive and improve greatly. Is the Alderbaran that much easier to cast?

Haha! I can understand the feelings on Martens. I always thought he must be super shy. I’ve known people like him(at least I think so...never met Martens either but just a perception I get watching him) and people thought they were stuck up or something when they were nice guys but just shy and introverted.

Gotcha, I like Martens but not sure I’ve ever seen that guy look super happy.

I totally agree that changing from a $100 baitcaster to a $300 baitcaster would make a big difference but I’m curious if it would matter much if you changed from one reel to another one at the same quality/features/price point.

Curious about the Aaron Martens personality comment. Is he an unfriendly guy? Ike I get with all the overbearing excitement.

I was reading a prior post about someone who changed up the reel they used on a rod and said it really improved the overall fu croon of the rod....especially for skipping which is as far as I know, the hardest thing to do with a baitcaster. Has anyone else had this happen where you put a different reel on a rod and it effectively became a better rod? How would you ever judge what the best reel for a rod could be?

I am glad your experiences were better. I really don’t like complaining and would much rather post about how great something is. I actually rarely post bad reviews. It was as much about the indifferent attitude by the representative. If the guy had even one ounce of care about the deal I would have been more understanding. One of the most important lessons from COVID is how much the USA needs to diversify its supply chain away from China and other countries . We have become too dependent on other countries’ cheap labor pool.

According to the dictionary that I looked at, bashing involves a level of prejudice. It is not prejudicial to state the facts of what happened and the results of those actions.

I would be more understanding if the customer service part hadn’t been so bad. No email replies, 22 minutes on hold and an extremely indifferent representative who very obviously only cared to get on to the next call is a deal killer for me. Especially when other companies in the same industry are performing much better. I am not at all indifferent to the impact of COVID. I work for a small company with slim margins. When Florida shut down down the hotel industry for the month of April we worked 18 hour days 5 days straight to refund peoples’ deposits as soon as possible, re-booking. etc. I cannot see any kind of commitment to the customer by Loomis. Hopefully others have a different experience.

Will be the last time for me. I wouldn’t buy another Loomis rod if it automatically set the hook.

Out of curiosity I called Dobyns and St. Croix with the following results: - Dobyns - my call was answered immediately - the rep stated that returns are processed typically same day or next day and entire process takes 2 weeks max. - St. Croix - my call was answered after a 5 minute wait (they do provide a call back option), and stated to be less than a month. It is not my intention to bash G Loomis here as I have used their rods for the past 25 years or so and always been pleased although I have not had to utilize their warranty program or customer service. COVID has been going on for roughly 6 months now....I understand that companies relying on foreign made materials and construction are not in control of their processes, but not even processing a claim for 3-5 weeks and more than 3 months to replace a popular model is problematic. Interesting how that works....if your willing to pay for something your supposed to get as part of the promise when you buy the product, all of sudden everything operates like it should.