Phil77

Any reel is touchy if you turn the brakes off. I'd wager my old zillion is the better of the two, might be a bit chunkier but looks like a true zillion should. As for the SV boost it just sounds like the old mag force V and Z and I'm glad they brought it back. Will that boost spool fit my 1016 steez?

No way it can come close to the old TDZ's and zillions with the t wing and zero adjuster. Those were some of the best reels they ever produced along with the original Sol's and Fuego's. Such a shame, the one pictured below is still in use but my TDZ'S are just too hard to find parts for anymore. Don't know the size of the new zillion but here is my steez SV tw next to the lite for size comparison. Much more comfortable for me and performs way better.

Second this, sorry to break up the zillion circle jerk but the lite is the most comfortable reel you will ever fish. The ACB brake system is easy to learn for beginners and not over braked like the SV so once you dial it in you can skip or bomb it with ease. I'm sure the zillion is a fine reel but if you can find an older TDZ those are what daiwa needs to bring back. I would suggest any mid range shimano, lews, abu even 13 fishing. Good luck with whatever reel you choose, set the brakes to max and just use your elbows with an overhand cast.

Only time I would use a leader is if I was fishing for ones with teeth. Straight mono, braid, or floro has done me well the last two decades.

Putting a daiwa reel on a Shimano rod is blasphemy. Get a curado and repent.

Set up an empty coffee can or 2.5 gallon bucket in the yard and make a couple hundred flips, pitches, or whatever we are calling it and you will be able to do it with any reel you want.

I wouldn't use either above #12. You can pull a skier with CXX.

I would suggest a cheap magnetic combo from walmart or any of the big box sporting goods stores. Not much a 7MH rod cant do and the gear ratio I would go with a 6 if your coming from spinning reels only. Most of the newer BC reels with mag brakes can be cast without thumbing with the brakes at max and the spool tension tight. You dont need to spend 300 plus for a first and maybe last venture, get comfortable with a cheapie then if you like it put the tackle monkey on your back and hand him your wallet.

I wouldn't pay that for one, I picked up a used one for half that. I'm not crazy about the brakes, never consistent and seems like they can engage and disengage on their own. It looks cool though, just wish it had a mag brake.

The Cardiff will cast better for sure if thats any help. The Abu takes some work to get it to cast anything under 3/4 well. Cardiff will do double duty without any upgrades, put some bearing supported cogs in the Abu and they open up real nice.

St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass. Might be a tad over a bill but best glass rod I ever fished.

They are all I use for plastics now. I love the color, reminds me of my dad's old hot rods and Harleys. I've caught a couple hundred on my 7ML shakey head rod with no problems. Have three 7MH for t rigs and might try one out for spinnerbait/chatterbait this spring. Wish I knew about the 45 dollar deal, I would've switched all my rods.

I have a few of the black custom speed sticks, don't know if they are the same blanks as the KVD but I have had good luck with them. I have the 6'10M and two of the crankbait rods in 7'2M. I never go by lure weight recommendations. I've fished the 6'10 up to an ounce and thrown huge whopper ploppers on both the crankbait rods with no problems. The 6'10 is a great plastics rod and does jigs as well, fishes more like a MH. The crankbait rods do square bills, chatter baits, and ploppers very well. The TP1X and Black rods are great rods that fish well above their price.

Big Game or p -line cxx 15-20#. Your reel will be fine just use a slow steady retrieve. It's a sickening feeling losing an expensive bait, probably why I just stick to 1oz jigs with big paddle tails. In my waters glide baits only really produce right before the spawn, that big jig and paddle tail produce year round for me.

If all I used was spinning reels then yes I would use the high end models. My sub $100 setups work great for Ned's and crappie. Ned rig is quickly becoming my new favorite but not going to break the bank on any combo's for it.

99% sure I'll never use it but nice to have itAll Lew's spinning reels still have them. This one's my medium Ned setup and is really nice.

The SV reels are way over-braked for me but make casting light lures easy for people with no experience with a casting reel. The Steez A casts better for me and would be an all around reel since it can handle 1/4 and up easily and doesn't feel over-braked to me. The shimano dc's are cool and I love the noise but I would take the non dc versions personally. The dc isn't perfect and you can still blow up a spool but they do help if you're fishing into a head wind like always seems to happen to me. The tranx is a beast that can do everything but bfs, much like the round reels you listed. The Calcutta and Cardiff handle 1/4 and up.The lews SD surprised me, I bought it for the deep spool to load up for 1/2oz football jigs only. I got in a rut one day and couldn't buy a bite and started throwing a 1/8oz finesse jig with it and it handles that great. I've not went below the finesse jig but I've chucked close to or over 2oz with it. If you're still new and not good controlling the spool by thumb go with a magnetic reel first, once you get confident with that then look to a centrifugal system or stay with what you're comfortable with. The bass don't care if you catch them on a thousand dollar setup or a zebco 33. I prefer centrifugal reels personally but can see the appeal if magnetic reels especially for people just getting into fishing. You cant go wrong with any of the reels listed, they are all nice reels.

Get a Hypermag. The met is a fine reel except for the braking system for me. I have both and and only use the Met for weightless senkos/flukes/trickworms. It will bomb with a wrist flick but then again all my other reels will too.

Use some alcohol on the metal then light coat of oil. I would get rid of that orange seal hybrid bearing, or at least flush an re lube it. If you have those orange seal bearings on the spool get rid of that one too. Shimano stock bearings are some of the best ones available, check your schematic and replace with original bearings.

I hated the knobs at first but got used to them fairly quick. I would suggest the lucas oil speed brake for the brake ring, keeps mine consistently slinging with ease.

Man, I guess I'll have to break out my periodic table before I call a reel not made out of metal plastic again. Just for the record I don't care if it's made from burnt turds and rabbit fur, it's an excellent reel that is seriously under appreciated.

I was definitely skeptical when I first found out it wasn't aluminum but after holding it I had to have it. People crap on Lew's quite a bit but I've caught hundreds of bass with mine without any problems so I could care less what other people say about them. Anybody got one of the new TI's yet? That's another one I've got to have.

If you know how to use your thumb the reel doesn't matter, a rod with a soft tip helps but can be done with a MH.

I don't really care if it's plastic or not, it's the best reel I own. I dedicated mine to shakey heads because it palms so well and that allows me to feel them breathe on it. I have almost every reel Lew's makes and its a tie between this one and the hypermag. I wish they offered both in a 6GR but am happy with them. I didn't mean to imply it was any less of a reel because it's made from whatever Tanso is, I would buy another Tanso reel with no hesitation. Forgot to mention in my first post is the knobs, they are probably just eva but they are much more comfortable that the Winn grips, my silver lite has cork knobs which would be great if they put them on a new model.

The black one or the silver one? They are both great reels. The black one is plastic or as they market it Tanso, I've caught hundreds of bass with mine with no problems. I have it dedicated to a 7ML rod for shakey heads. The silver one is aluminum framed and I use it for t-rigs only. They both palm very well for all day comfort and have a great braking system. I deep clean mine once a year and since I fish almost daily ten months of the year I have to oil the brake ring once a week.