bunz559

I do 15-20lb braid connected to 6-8lb leader on spinning or do 10-12lb flouro on baitcaster. But honestly, if you have 1 or 2 rods and need things to be as versatile as possible, I don't see why 12lb wouldn't work. Wacky rigs, I usually like lighter line because of the types of baits and presentation you most likely will be throwing. My suggestion is spool your reel up with some 15-20lb braid and learn to tie a few different connecting knots. I pretty much throw braid to leader on everything except crank and top water. Anytime you need to switch it up, you only have to waste a small amount of flouro. I really like the FG knot.

That may be a little under estimated. LOL! Sometimes I forget how old I am. Still think I'm in my twenties.

BTW, since we're on topic about the 51e, when reassembling the reel, how tight do I tighten the star drag nut? Is it hand tight? Or should I use the star drag to tighten it one or two turns?

I meant brake collars. Apologize.

I've been using baitcasters for awhile folks. I'm no pro, but I know the concept of thumbing the spool. But when I say excessive, it is excessive. LOL! I've had these reels for 5-7 years now with tons and tons of use. It just seems that more recently they haven't been performing as usual. But thank you all for the inputs, I will check the parts listed above. Shimano sells them pretty cheaply.

Yes sir I did. I received it yesterday. Have yet to fish it, but I did go out to the park to make some casts with a 3/8 weight. The 3/8 was probably a little too light. This is a relatively stiff crank rod. While the tip feels like a medium fast, there seems to be a lot of back bone for a rod that is so light and marketed for treble hook baits. I have Dobyn crank rods that are 5 power and you can definitely feel the parabolic bend in them when flexing them with your line. But when flexing the EMTF, it feels more like a soft plastic rod or stiffer crank rod. It bends more like my Irod Fred's Crank Launcher or Dobyn's 805cb. If you know those rods, they're pretty stout for throwing large cranks. Time will tell, will be hitting up the lake this weekend to throw a few different baits on it. Will test out a combination of moving trebles, moving single hooks, and some bottom contact baits. Will follow up.

For what ever reason, another forum or group had suggested it. I forgot to mention, I did change out the brake collars as well since I have extras from other reels. Not sure if that helped, but between those changes, the reel is quiet again.

Thanks for the input folks. Just to be clear, you can definitely set reels to be thumb free while still maintaining a relatively far and birds nest free cast. I will most definitely check those spacers. Really appreciate everyone's response.

Sound has been fixed! Thanks for all the input folks! I replace the yoke, yoke springs, and the pinion gear bearing.

I'm not sure what happened and need some insight on what may be causing this. Recently 2 of my Chronarch 51e started having excessive over run when adjusting to lure weights. If I get it to fall at a good rate, as soon as it hits the ground, it over runs. I have to literally have it falling at a rate where I need to shake the rod tip to get the bait moving. Other than that, then I have to tighten it to where it doesn't drop at all. I tried casting both reels, and while they seem to cast fine, there is definitely an adverse affect on casting distance with the cast control so tight. If I loosen it, it does overrun but I can manage to minimize it by thumbing the spool. For both reels, I have tried 2 and 3 internal brakes on with the expected results. Any advise as to parts need replacing, tuning, cleaning, or things to check would be greatly appreciated.

I've always browsed passed the Major Crafts on Tacklewarehouse. With little reviews, I've always just window shopped. But read another forum post about them and started researching. I think I'll give Major Craft a shot some time in the future.

At the $100 price point, I'd recommend the Dobyn's Fury 735. I have dedicated jig rods, but the 735 will definitely do well dragging and hopping jigs. I use my 735 for frogs and Whopper Ploppers along with 65lb Power Pro braid.

^^ Agreed, just ordered 2 Megabass rods from Gary @TheTackleTrap

I don't throw much squarebills and I've never thrown or owned any of the those rod options. But I have owned the 685cb and a 705cb. Unless you're looking for a dedicated small crank, no larger and heavier than the 1.5, I'd suggest getting stepping up to the 5 power. The 685 and 705 are pretty limber and can still throw small cranks. I've thrown cranks like the LC 1.5 and Ish Monroe Small Bumpin just fine. Anything heavier than the 1.5 and you'll probably notice that the 3 and 4 power are going to be under powered when casting.

So I decided to go a little cheaper than I expected as throwing jerkbaits isn't a primary go to on deck setup for me. Ended up picking up a Shimano SLX 6'10 medium heavy over the medium with concerns to the weight of the baits I normally throw. I actually really like the new SLX reels so I paired it with a 8 gear ratio. Had a chance to cast the setup a few times this passed tournament and caught a few. I'd have to say that while the rod doesn't feel as premium as some of the higher end rods, it's a nice little setup. I no longer have any issues with casting distance as I had with the Dobyn's 685cb. This short rod can still launch a 110! Thanks for all the input folks!

One of the most versatile spinning rods I've used was my Dobyn's Seierra 703. Drop shot, ned rig, neko rig, wacky rig, weightless flukes. It does it all.

I still order parts for my Chronarch and Curado 201 and 51e's. While not extremely ancient, they're definitely older. Parts seem to ship out on time anytime I order through Shimano.

I thought the same thing. But over another board, the rep mentioned that the EMTF would still be a versatile rod. Take it with a grain of salt, but the only real way to know is to fish one. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone I know with one so I'm going to try it out. I can send you my review after this weekend. I should take delivery today.

I had a Sierra 703 and currently still have and fish my Exteme 702HP. I have not noticed any line slap on either rod. But I'd have to say that I've only fishing them with 20lb braid.

Any word if a DC model will be coming out with the 19 Antares frame?

I have a few 51e that have lasted me quite some time and are still going strong. There is one that has been giving me trouble, purchased it used and original owner didn't disclose how messed up it was internally. 2 years later with off and on fixing and ordering parts, it's still not perfect. But I have ordered parts successfully through eReplacementparts and Shimano. Sometimes it takes a little longer from eReplacement as parts are back ordered. You'll be surprised when I suggest the SLX. It's a really nice reel for $100 bucks. Small, compact, fairly light, and performs very well. I'd compare performance to the 50e/51e series but more sturdy. If you want to stick with a smaller reel, I'd suggest you give the SLX a try. For 200 bucks, u can pickup 2 of them. Other than that, you have the Curado 70 and then the Chronarch MGL which is a little north of the price range.

Curious if anyone knows if the 2018 Antares DC MD the same frame and size as the stateside Antares?

No idea how they fish, but they've got a lot of marketing going into them. We're talking about a company that is slapping MLB team logos onto their rods. LOL! But who am I to judge, they may be really good products.

I'm happy with 40lb Power Pro Spectra and tie to either 14 or 16lb FC Sniper.

Basically what everyone's mentioned, moving baits. Once I started picking up 7 and 8 gear ratios, I wouldn't have anything else for plastics, finesse, and slow crawling lures.