Jaybert

Looking to replace my ultralight reel. Have been using an old shimano tx500f that is near 30 years old, it’s getting tired. I’d like newer with a better drag. Going on an old favourite compre 5’6” UL rod. im thinking 500 or 750 size ? What shimano or Daiwa models are everyone’s favourites in this size either JDM or domestic? Would entertain any price range, I mostly run larger stradic spinning reels on my main set ups but open to lower or higher priced options

I “accidentally” ordered a 20 Metanium 6.2:1 from Digitaka. My first Metanium after having mostly Curados and Calcuttas. Love the look and it is so solid and smooth. Cant wait to try it out for real in the spring. Good choice !

Thanks! 7’6” is a bit tough for me transport wise and in a small boat & kayak. But good to know the 1 power is amazing. I imagine 721 would be sweet too then

Old thread but I’m researching the SJR721 IMX pro and stumbled across this. Fellow Canadian here looking to order an SJR 721 IMX to twin with my IMX pro SJR782 I already have. In today’s a world of longer rods are you still loving the SJR700? I’m thinking for light plastic jigs and Ned rigs for smallmouth and walleye the SJR721 would be awesome. Love my SJR782 so assuming the 721 is awesome as well, but just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. For the fun factor 721 appeals to me. I have IMx pro mbr783, cr722 & Sjr782 now, so of course the 721 appeals to me wether I need it or not ! Cool to see it can handle trout, I live on Georgian Bay, so we have a few trout around.

So while the Metanium shallow spool edition was very tempting and likely better, I purchased a Curado BFS instead for this one. Found it on a great deal that was far less than Metanium in this instance by time I imported it and paid the US/CDN exchange. This is kind of an extra “fun” combo so I thought for the price ill give the bfs a try. Still, my next reel when I need it will likely be another Metanium, they are perfection.

Spinning Loomis IMX pro SJR782 / stradic ci4 3000 Daiwa Kage 6’10 “the Ned” light action, stradic FL1000 casting Loomis GCX MBR 782C / JDM metanium 20 6 gear Loomis IMX pro MBR 783C / Curado 150 mgl 7 gear Loomis GL3 MBR 784C / Calcutta 200GTB Loomis IMX pro CR722 / Curado BFS reel. (Good length rod for the kayak and just a plain fun extra combo) This is the main arsenal, try to have as few versatile setups as I can. Have some older compre rods and 90’s-2000’s stradic reels that still get some use too. Hi vis Braid to fluoro leader on spinning, casting I’m still playing with line choices have not found the perfect mix of braid/mono/fluoro yet. It would be nice to add more combos to have braid / mono available for different techniques, but that goes against my having as efficient and few combos as possible. Still fine tuning that. id like to add a high end Loomis spinning rod at some point in GLX or NRX for finesse, neds, dropshot, tiny jigs etc. but not sure what model yet, maybe I should start a thread to ask favorite finesse Loomis rod !

Old thread, but I have been researching this topic. Always appreciate the tips from @A-Jay Have you ever run braid to Fluoro/mono leader, then the AFW wire ? So braid to 2 different leaders ? I like braid to fluoro/mono for jerks and top water on a M fast rod. But I loose too many baits to toothy critters up here in Ontario. Looking for a solution for next season. I’ll likely give it a try but curious if you had any experience with this given your success with the AFW tieable

I use a Loomis MBR782C for similar uses in that weight range. 842C im sure is good too if you like a 7’. Mine is the GCX model which is in that price range. GCX gets some hate for not being a “real” Loomis, but I got mine on sale and for moving baits and light plastics it works just fine and is a nice rod for the price. I do have the more expensive Loomis rods and the Gcx isn’t as sensitive or crisp. But it’s still nice. If you push budget to an IMX Pro in the same models and you will really smile. Either way the MBR is very versatile in your range of techniques and weights. And GCX does the job well for me

I was going to buy an 845c imx pro crankbait. Would the 883C be similar at all to that ? I was thinking the moderate 845c CBR might double as a bladed jig, swim jig top water rod in addition to cranks. but that 883 BJR does look sweet. Curious how they compare

So is it a different color than the deep gray of my 20 Metanium ? I know I know color doesn’t matter

Makes sense thanks. So throwing say a 1/8 weight plus a plastic maybe a little less than 1/4 ounce total then likely, or a 1/4 ounce popper, my Metanium 20 would be borderline at its minimum. But the shallow spool that would be in its sweet spot by sounds of that ?

Interesting read there thanks! Looks like those pros are saying 1/8-1/4 minimum with the shallow spool version of if I translate it right ? How low can a Metanium 20 go I wonder ? I have only had limited use on mine tossing like 3/8 and above

I have a JDM metanium 20 and as seems to often be the case I now think I need another one. I have no complaints with my 20 but do I want the shallow version instead ? I have not had my 20 long and have not tried it out on lighter baits yet won’t have a chance to until spring now. this new purchase will be going on my 2 power Loomis Rod rated max 5/8 oz and used with a variety of baits low end probably 1/8 oz weight plus plastic, 1/4 oz poppers etc and up to near the max 5/8 for the rod occasionally too. the shallow edition has a cool factor, but if its not a huge advantage for what I need then I’m happy with another Met 20 since I’m familiar with it and love it. I see the shallow has an aluminum gear that not everyone sees as a positive ? Is the shallow is more of a “bfs” reel? I don’t fish bfs so I’m not sure, but I think I’m looking at heavier than what is considered bfs ? I used an older Curado 70 on this rod prior but ready to jump to the Metanium I think just curious who has fished both and any insight on what would be the better choice for this medium rod and 1/8 oz to 1/4 heads plus plastic, light t rigs, poppers, cranks, jerks etc. any insights appreciated!

Yep for sure, couldn’t believe when I saw it on a local buy/sell site. A very rare rod for this area in great shape at a low price. anyhow, agreed on the reel. For now I have my Calcutta 200GTB on it, older reel but one of my favourites. In today’s world of lightweight rods and reels my trusty Calcutta hasn’t hasn't seen as much use. But seems a good match here and nice with a lower gear ratio. It has an upgrade handle with cork knobs, I think it will work nice on this rod. I’m always watching for older curados etc to pop up for sale too.

Have an older MBR784C GL3. Cool old rod that I picked up used inexpensive locally. I already have mbr783 and mbr783 so this rod seemed a good fit for my arsenal. Wondering if it would be good for 3/8 and 1/2 chatterbaits & maybe swim jigs ? Thinking it would work best with heavy mono to add some stretch to the situation. Rated H but then seems soft for a H and rated 1/4-1. Hoping it would be ok for this application but can’t try it till next year and wondered if any opinions or experience out there. I’m also relatively new to chatterbaits as well so learning as I go.

All great suggestions here. My go-to with my kids in these situations has always been a 4” green pumpkin senko wacky rigged. Toss out, watch the line to go tight, set hook. Super easy and effective. Pulled more than a few surprise big ones out of campground ponds etc over the years. Live worm and hook is also a great suggestion. Personally I found the senkos way more user friendly, less mess, less gut-hooking and overall better surprise big catches with the senkos. When your kid nails a decent one on a senko surrounded by other kids catching dinks on worms they are hooked on fishing for life. My son who is now a teenager is an absolute hammer with a senko after learning it a young age.

I like a 6’6” which is short by today’s standards but it’s my comfort zone for a spinning rod. Specifically I use a Gloomis SJR782 6’6” fast action, rated medium but fishes more like a ML I’d say. Very versatile for the techniques you mention plus many other. I also like a 6’10” Daiwa Kage light extra fast. Good for Ned and light drop shot but less versatile overall

Yeah, I can see that. My Metanium has arrived and it is just so nice. My Curados are nice, but this thing is next level I see how it builds into more. Despite duties and customs my cost to my door was about 50% of buying this reel here and it’s a reel I wouldn’t have bought otherwise. I can see how 1 turns into more on these JDM sites I’m already looking and Aldebaran and Conquest BFS that I don’t really need now….

An update for my Canadian friends. I did get hit with about $53 duty/tax on my JDM Metanium, FedEx asked for that paid today to deliver tomorrow. Still crazy fast shipping from Japan. Anyway, my total cost then through Asian Fishing Portal was about $390 Cdn including the duty/taxes paid today. For comparison, if I purchased here, my main contenders where to buy another Curado 150 or 70 Curado MGL 150 $309 plus tax = $350 Curado MGL 70 $360 plus tax = $407 Metanium 20 $660 plus tax = $745 So $390 seems like a good value to jump to a Metanium all things considered. Even with the duty. Still more than I really wanted to spend. but basically 50% of Metanium price here and shipped all the way from Japan, which blows my mind…. Can’t wait to see it tomorrow! so if you are in Canada JDM seems a good option. I think the spread is maybe narrower on the less expensive reels by the time it arrives here but on this one it seems like a no brainer in the end.

I have a few pieces of gear that mean something to me. But hands down sentimental is a compre 5’6” ultralight rod, classic with the burgundy color blank. Has an old Shimano tx500f spinning reel on it. One of my first “good” combos I bought with part time job money as a teen in the 1990’s. My favourite and I loved that thing from day one. Always Hammered smallies with it on our annual cottage trip with live leaches as bait. The first year I took my then girlfriend and now wife of 20 years on my annual family cottage trip I took her out fishing. She was new to fishing and while I helped her untangle her rod I foolishly set the compre down and left my leach in the water. A fish took the bait and pulled my combo out of the boat and into the depths. Gone for good it seemed. I had to play it cool in front of her, the gorgeous out of my league girl I was dating really couldn’t see me be crushed over a fishing rod after all. But inside I was destroyed. My parents went out fishing early morning later that week. Dad hit up one of my hotspots. True story while fishing Dad randomly caught the stray line from my Compre combo on the bottom of the lake, a short piece away from where she had gone overboard a few days earlier. Thinking he had a snag, he was trying to to free it and caught a glimpse of a rod underwater and could feel the drag of the reel pulling back as he pulled. Gingerly he somehow worked it to the boat where they could grab it. Sure enough it was my rod. This is not a small lake, and the luck of this was so unbelievable they immediately raced back to the cottage and tossed the rod in bed with me where I was still sleeping. my Dad still maintains I was distracted by something more in the boat that day. He knows almost nothing in the world would ever have made me set down my fishing rod like that. I still swear I was just helping her fish and nothing more. I do agree however that only a special girl could have distracted me that much from fishing and she still does at times to this day. Either way that combo is absolutely my most sentimental. It doesn’t get used as much these days but makes me smile when I look at it in the man cave.

Well, I placed the order so no turning back! Seems like a good chance to have a higher end reel I wouldn’t buy at Canadian retail price. Rounds out my baitcast lineup of an older curado 70, a curado MGL 150 and my trusty classic Calcutta 200gtb. Hopefully I still love them all afterwards.

I hear yah, hard to see how a Metanium can be had in low $300 range from Japan vs near $1000 here. I’m all for local purchasing but hard to justify this time around. Did you pay any extra import charges when you brought your Metanium from Japan?

Thanks ! I’ve heard differing reports on the import charges so it remains a risk when ordering id say. My brother in law said he ordered over $800 in motorcycle gear from Japan with no extra charges. But then I too have read some have been hit with the fees. Maybe it’s random? either way, last reel I have bought here in Canada was curado 150 for about $350 with tax. I need one more multi-purpose smaller framed reel to finish my arsenal. Have looked at Tatula 70, about $326 with tax, SLX 70 $250 another Curado 150 at $350 and Curado 70 is about $400. A Metanium here is like $650 plus tax for a total of “gulp” $734 which I would never spend on a reel. JDM Alphas I do really like the look of is about $287 shipped from Asian portal and then in total this JDM metanium is like $330 cdn shipped to me apparently. So reallyby comparison to any of these options the Metanium looks pretty sweet unless im missing something. Even if I run the risk of imported charges it still looks good? I’d never buy a Metanium at retail here in Canada’s but suddenly it looks like an ok option.

Great to know thanks! I was hoping it would be around a 70 size so that lines up well!

I’m pretty close to pulling the trigger and ordering one if these from Asian Portal. It just seems like a great deal vs anything I can buy here in Canada. A Curado mgl 150 is basically same price if I buy it here. Am I missing something? Seems too good to be true. Can anyone shed some light on size vs Curado 150 or 70? I was real close to ordering a Daiwa Alphas but I’ve always wanted a Metanium and im a shimano guy