redmeansdistortion

FTB to me is a little more fiddly when it comes to windy conditions, but on the flip side I feel I can achieve greater distance with it when necessary. That said, SV spools can be tuned with different inductor springs to open them up a bit and be able to attain respectable distance. Personally, I'm usually fishing close quarters so I'm not too concerned about distance. The inductor spring from a TD-Z Type R+ really opens up the SV spools.

Some of the places I fish, the water is so clear it can be deceptively deep. This too is another tough wade, fallen cedar everywhere. The banks have that black mud that just sucks your feet in and doesn't give them back without a fight. Not long after I took that photo I found myself knee deep in that mud and it took a lot to get myself free, nearly twisted my knee in the process. I live for that kind of stuff though, the adventure aspect is addicting.

That creek is a challenging wade. I use a wading staff to make it easier but it's still tough going. Lots of fallen trees, and as a result, lots of deeper holes that crop up on you. You can be up to your knee on one side of a fallen tree and waist deep on the other. It's a pretty slow moving creek in general, it's usually between 20 and 30 CFS.

I primarily fish trout on BFS, not stockers either but wild trout. It definitely has its place in the overgrown creeks of the eastern woodlands typical of where I live. Many of those creeks are very similar to the mountain streams the Japanese fish. A 5' or shorter rod paired with a BFS reel is laser accurate and easy to maneuver in those types of creeks. I fish in areas where fly rods and longer spinning rods can prove to be a challenge due to the abundance of overhanging trees and dense root wads and brush lined banks. I'm not the kind of guy that's out there throwing Trout Magnets, I can't think of anybody that regularly throws those on BFS gear. Every one of them I see are people on YouTube showing the capabilities of their rigs. I primarily fish minnow style baits in the 3g to 7g range. Here's one of my favorites to fish, it consistently produces master angler brown trout (24"+). This particular stretch is only about 15' across. Further upstream it's so overgrown that fly fishermen can only strip line and let their offering drift in the current. It's very hard to get a back cast on that creek. This is the type of environment where BFS shines.

I feel FTB requires more thumb input than the Daiwa brakes. Not that it's a bad thing, but that's what makes it different to me. I own and fish both but still prefer the Daiwa style brake.

Daiwa Japan says March.

SLP Works makes a 75mm bait finesse handle, but it only comes in red. I wish it came in other colors because I really prefer a shorty for some of my reels as well, but don't have anything that would jive with the red.

Minnows/jigs: Major Craft Finetail 5' L, Daiwa Millionaire CT SV w/ SLP SV700S spool and Roro stainless bearings, Berkley X5 #1.0 main line, Maxima 2X leader General purpose trout/panfish: Major Craft Finetail Stream Glass 4'10" UL, Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFS, Berkley X9 #0.8, Maxima 3X leader For the really tiny stuff: Major Craft Troutino 4'10" UL, Daiwa Alphas CT SV 6.3 w/ AMO spool and Roro ceramics, Berkley X5 #0.8, Maxima 5X leader Finesse bass: Major Craft Day's 6'8" L, Daiwa Alphas CT SV 7.2 w/ SV700S spool, Berkley X5 #1.5, Maxima 1X leader Live bait trout/panfish: Lamiglas Honey 4wt 7'6", Zebco Cardinal 3 w/ Avail spool, Maxima Ultragreen 3lb Spoon/spinner: Lamiglas G1000 5'6" L, Daiwa SS Tournament 700, Maxima Ultragreen 5lb

Something I've learned buying JDM gear, US market lines tend to be grossly underrated. In Japan there are standards agreed upon by the manufacturers that lines of a given diameter must break at a certain point. To measure this, they use the denier rating, a unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers, the mass in grams of 9000 meters of fiber, or in this case, fishing line. Denier ratings provide a true measure of strength for any line that allows for variables in construction materials. This is why the variation in diameters between JDM and USDM lines for a given strength, be it braid or nylon. This is also why most of the JDM lines tend to appear to have a smaller diameter compared to USDM lines for a given strength. There is no standardization for lines sold here, so the manufacturers can pretty much slap any number they want on it. This is why for instance 8lb Big Game is much thicker than other 8lb mono. Based on its diameter of 0.28mm, it would have a rating of 12lb (#3.0 in Japan) if it were sold under the denier rating.

I too thought it looked very similar to the Alphas. That said, I wonder if it'll have the short shaft spool like the Alphas or the long shaft like the larger Tatula models.

https://www.daiwa.com/jp/fishing/item/reel/bait_rl/tatula_tw_80/index.html Looks really interesting, they say the weight range is 5g to 20g. I hear a 70 SV TW is also coming down the pipe, should be a good power finesse reel.

We have one Sportsman's Warehouse here in SE Michigan, it used to be Field and Stream.

I miss the old Cabela's. I remember when they first built the one in Dundee, MI, it was an outdoor shop unlike anything else I had been in previously. I remember lusting over the then new Abu Morrum in that store on my first visit, the price tag on that guy was $299 which was quite a bit of coin for 19 year old red.

Well said. There's an unwritten rule when it comes to wading. Just because you can wade doesn't mean you should wade. I'm in waders most of the time I'm fishing. A lot of that time, I'm casting from the bank and will only enter the water to retrieve a snagged lure, bypass a blocked trail, cross the river, or cast to a target I can't hit from the bank. One thing I always have is a wading staff, it helps me negotiate difficult terrain and lets me feel the river bottom so I know where I'm stepping. It's very helpful having that third leg, you have much better balance as well as leverage to navigate obstacles. A wading staff can be just about anything; a large tree branch, a modified ski pole or trekking pole, or a proper wading staff sold by any of the fly fishing outfitters.

Mostly Major Craft and Daiwa rods in my arsenal.

St Croix trout rods are definitely wet noodles, even though they are labeled as F or XF. My Major Craft trout rods are truly fast action. I did a side by side comparison, my 4'10" Troutino and my friend's 4'10" St Croix Trout series, the St Croix was every bit of a moderate action with a slow recovery by comparison. Definitely not the rod I'd want to use working lures through swift current or any of that. The action of the St Croix rods better lends themselves to floating bait, that they would be good for where a slower action is best.

I have the same experience. Slower gears with a shorter handle means your hand travels a shorter distance to bring in line. With a longer handle, your hand is making bigger circles to bring that line in. Personally, I feel that retrieve rate should play a major role in handle selection when one wants to upgrade.

Yep, it's Spectra too I believe, like Power Pro. I've used the KK Kast Pro and thought it was pretty decent, but it bleeds like a stuck pig.

Welcome! Macomb County checking in.

That's my favorite technique, just picked up on it a couple of years ago and now I have 5 finesse reels and 7 rods. Help...? Granted, I've been primarily a light/ultralight tackle fisherman the better part of 40 years, so it was a natural fit for me.

Full teardown, clean, and lube yearly for me, but it depends on how much use the reel sees. Reels used infrequently get that treatment every two years.

Sometimes having too many choices can be overwhelming. Sitting there mulling over what to throw wastes precious time. I usually take a few of my favorite hard baits, plastic worms, and terminal tackle. Making a choice is so much easier that way.

This is my Alphas CT 6.3 outfitted with an AMO spool and Roro bearings. Paired with my Major Craft Troutino 4'10", it makes for my favorite creek combo. Most of what I fish are 1/16 Pins Minnows, Rapala CD1s, Eurotackle Z-Vibers, and Rapala Ultralight Minnows. It pitches very well with the fixed inductor. Most of my casts are within 10 yards and this thing is a laser.

I have an AMO in my other Alphas CT right now, great spool for the small creeks I like to fish.