The Maestro

I've had opportunities to buy used Cores at pretty decent prices but I passed. I personally don't really think it's worth it to buy older reels for a few reasons. 1. It's hard to tell just how hard the reel was fished. It's always a bit of a gamble imo. 2. Parts for them are difficult if not impossible to find. 3. The new high end reels from Shimano and Daiwa are just so good that I'd rather put the money towards getting one of those instead of a high end reel from 10+ years ago. Used rods are a different story though. I've bought and will continue to buy them.

I'm using a jig or Texas rig most of the time but those are spread over 4 different rods. I guess for a single rod/reel/bait I would be using my Senko setup the most. It's a Gen 1 Cumara 6'8" MH Fast + 2020 Metanium HG with 30lb yellow Power Pro. Usually throwing a 5" green pumpkin BPS Stik-O.

I have quite a few duplicates that I keep as back ups in case I snap a rod but I don't bring them with me.

A true frog and/or punching setup will be pretty technique specific and not very good for much else. A good all purpose rod would be a 7'2" MH Expride.

For a lot of guys, a price increase would be the main selling feature.

I pull the line off and add more backing.

Pretty sure Ci4 is just a made up name that Shimano came up with. Carbon tetraiodide uses the symbol CI4.

Ci4 sounds better than plastic.

Looking for thoughts/experiences. Been playing around with a few different swimbaits on underspins and my impressions so far... 1. Keitech Swinging Impact. These have the best action and just seem to get bit more/harder than the others. 2. Yamamoto Swiming Senko. A bit of a different profile but still great action. 3. Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper. Nice tail kick combined with good body movement. Just not as fluid as Keitechs. 4. X-Zone Swammer. Decent action but a bit stiffer plastic. Body movement doesn't seem as natural as the ones above. 5. YUM Money Minnow and Berkley Hollow Belly. Both have similar actions. Good tail kick but not much action going into the body. As for underspins. I've been using some Fish Heads that I've had for years and I'm less than impressed. The blades break off fairly easy, the hooks are pretty feeble and the baits get torn up really easily since they don't have a bait keeper.

They're really 2 completely different reels.

Not to hijack the thread but does anyone know if theres a difference between flourocarbon line and specific flourocarbon leader material? I vaguely remember someone telling me they're not exactly the same thing but I don't remember the details.

I tried running straight 30lb on a topwater rod and it was a nightmare with small treble hook baits. The hooks would find their way into the line (in between the strands). Once I attached a mono leader it was actually pretty good as it does seem to cast a little nicer than regular pp.

The heavier powered rod could be opening up a bigger hole in the fishes' mouth (both on the set and during the fight) allowing it to shake the hook even on a good set when it's past the barb. This would be more likely to happen if you're using braid due to the zero stretch.

Personally, I don't trust any braid to leader connection on any rod above a medium or anything that calls for a hard set.

I've also noticed there seem to be fewer extra fast rods compared to 10 or so years ago. It wouldn't surprise me if this trend towards slower actions has more to do with less breakage issues and hence fewer warranty claims than it does anything else.

Get a Bantam if you can swing it. Especially if it's close in price to the DC Curado K. Never owned a DC reel. Never seen a need for it.

When in doubt, go heavier. That's my philosophy anyway.

I've been using a 6'10" MH/F Shimano Clarus spinnerbait rod. Something about the action is perfectly dialed for spinnerbaits. I was able to get my hands on a 6'9" first gen Cumara reaction rod which is supposed to be a spinnerbait rod . It's MH/XF but I haven't had a chance to use it. I also have a 7'2" MH Expride (graphite) which might pull double duty for chatters and spinnerbaits.

I prefer baitcasters but I'm going to force myself to get better with spinning gear now that I'm starting to target smallmouth more. The main advantage as I see it would be the smoother drag. Not as important when you're just winching largemouth but it's hugely important when you have to play out a big smallie that might be just barely hooked by a small treble or finesse hook.

The Curado E's were the reel that was out when I first got serious about fishing. I ended up with 5 of them (which I still use) and didn't think much about how good they were since I didn't have much else to compare to besides a Citica E (also an excellent reel) and a couple of Caenans which felt way lower quality but were also half the price. I just assumed all reels were that well built and reliable. Then I decided to try something else (a Pfluger Patriarch) and while it looked good (irl and on paper), it turned out to be a cheaply made, plastic feeling, imprecise clunker by comparison. I had to sell it (at a huge loss) because it was just so disappointing next to my Curados. I've since moved up to the Bantam MGL but looking back I feel lucky that the E's were out at the time when I was building my first arsenal.

I snelled my straight shank hooks for a season or two and then switched back to a palomar. Personally I'm skeptical of the whole hook "kicking up" thing. I mean sure it looks neat when you do it in your hands but does it really work like that in a fishes mouth and even if it does would it make a difference? I don't have any problem hooking fish with a palomar. If anything, I feel better about tying directly to the eye as was intended. Learning proper hook setting technique and using the right gear for the job will do more for your hook up ratio than any hocus pocus knot tricks will ever do.

I might just do that. Thanks.

Great answer. Thanks. I already have some Bantams and really like them a lot. Still trying to decide if I really want to chance it with the Metanium or stick with what I know.

Does the magnesium body alter the feel when reeling compared to the Bantam?

Anyone own both that can comment on how they compare? Any major differences besides weight?