Manifestgtr

To be honest, I haven’t noticed a huge difference between the two. The mgl probably casts a bit further and it probably does a bit better with light stuff but it’s not a night and day difference or anything like that

I have a 20 met with a 10-12lb mono leader. Does the trick ?

I would absolutely go with the 843c for that weight range It’s just a slightly more versatile rod. My all purpose jig rod is an 844c and it’s a monster. Throws everything down to 3/16oz with ease.

Couple different routes you can go if you like the slx... The xt and mgl are nice little reels. I really like the mgl but the xt is the better value, imo. The mgl just doesn’t fish that much lighter from what I’ve seen. So the xt is my advice there... If you’re willing to spend a little more money, the curado 70 is really, REALLY nice as well. X-ship is a nice feature and they’re cheaper than they used to be since the 70k is on the way. They’re also my favorite reels of all time from an ergonomic standpoint. I like my aldebarans more but the curado 70, scorpion 70 and engetsu 100 are almost supernaturally comfortable. XT or Curado 70 frame...that’s where I’d go but ymmv ? EDIT: weird...the 70 has actually gone UP in price from where I last saw it. Hmmm...

I’m a huge st croix fan (specifically the legend x and certain mojo models) But at that price point, the expride is where it’s at. It’s at the very upper range of your budget but they fish like they cost a lot more. They’re on the “expensive” side of midrange....but their value is undeniable.

I wouldn’t be too worried about it. I’ve had a reel or two come in like that in the past. So far as I’ve experienced, it’s not really something that does any “damage” to your drag disks or shortens their life in any noticeable way. With those reels, I’ve noticed that if you engage the thumb bar, you can usually get your handle to turn freely or almost freely. To me, that says that it might be a grease thing or something along those lines...not necessarily a “tolerance” thing.

I tend to throw “high end” reels but it matters not one bit to me what anyone else throws. I like the ergonomics, light weight and I like to maintain them myself. It’s kind of the same reason I have high end guitars. I appreciate things that are well built and thoughtfully engineered. It’s part of the experience for me. That being said, I do also believe there’s a limit...a point of diminishing returns. For instance, I’ve never bought an Antares. To me, they just seem like heavy, shiny showpiece reels for the most part. So while I love the Aldebaran and Metanium, if you think the fuego represents the pinnacle, that’s great. Who cares? What I truly don’t understand are the brand wars. The people who pick “teams” and will argue endlessly about “why the Metanium ‘beats’ the Steez” or “why the Air models ‘own’ the Aldebarans”. To me, that’s a goofball waste of time.

I actually like some of my st croix rods more than my nrx’s. The nrx line is awesome but they’re just not that ergonomic in my hands. Some people say the same for st croix so ymmv. The nrx’s are light and sensitive, absolutely...but it’s not a cut and dried case of “they’re objectively better”. Like any other rod line, it’s a matter of models and how they work in your hands.

803 is a little stiff, honestly. Based purely on the numbers, it’s roughly equivalent but it’s just a stiffer, “heavier” rod. the 802 might be a bit on the light side but it’s going to be much more equivalent, feel-wise.

My creek go-to’s are toads, small frogs, flukes and small jigs. Topwater is a bit of a different game in a small creek. The water column is so condensed, there are times of year (like right now, for example) when topwater is sunrise to sunset... Also, jigs might sound ridiculous but they aren’t. I’ve been throwing this 3/16th finesse jig with a paddle tail trailer (blue/pumpkin or black) and it’s been knock-out this year. You can swim it, bounce it along the bottom like a craw, keep it just under the surface...whatever you want. I took this nice little creek 2 pounder the other day who followed it into about 8 inches of water and started to hesitate...I killed it and let it fall to the rocks “BOOM”. They’re versatile baits and if you have a lot of rooster tail guys in your area, you’re throwing something they don’t see very often, if at all...

I have a 1000 for trout fishing and it’s been oddly flawless. Maybe because it’s so simple? I don’t know. But the thing is still chugging along at full speed several years later.

It’s higher than it looks...at LEAST 25-30 feet up. This is only one section. Half of the overhanging line has junk hanging from it.

Guntersville craw and milfoil craw have been really good for me this year. I can only assume it has something to do with bluegill and craws...but I also don’t think a TON of guys throw that pattern around me. There’s a lot of straight watermelon and black/blue around here. It’s tough to tell though...sometimes I wonder if the bass I just caught would’ve just as readily hit pumpkin.

No kidding huh? Walking baits do really well for me when there’s an energetic topwater bite. My main issue with them is that if there’s the tiniest bit of vegetation anywhere, they suddenly become grass magnets haha

Couple of nice little keepers posing with my favorite jig and fluke combos

Bobbers hanging from trees/power lines drive me absolutely bonkers.... I know it’s some fishing elitist nonsense, yeah yeah...but my brain can’t help it. I start having these internal “yeah, that’s right...come out to one of my favorite spots ONCE and there it is...hanging from a tree, confusing the birds, it’ll be there all summer...I can’t reach it and no one else cares...bwaaahhhh” If I have the presence of mind, I’ll shoot a photo of this power line above one of my favorite urban brooks next time I’m there. It’s 30 feet in the air and yet SOMEHOW, these maniacs manage to get entire balls of line caught up there. I swear, there’s one ball of line that’s been hanging up there for like five years. It’s such an eye sore and it feels like an insult to the one place of natural beauty in the area. also, shiner buckets...people just looove leaving their shiner buckets behind....

Lol no worries, man...welcome... Always takes a minute to get settled in. I know how that goes, trust me...

What’s your line setup? If you’re going all mono, fluoro or braid, t-wing Daiwas are fine. If you’re braid to leader or have plans on doing so, some guys have reported that the t-wing system doesn’t play well with connection knots. I haven’t thrown a t-wing reel on the regular since going braid to leader so I can’t report from my own experience...it’s just something I’ve heard around from a few different sources.

Agreed...I always carry if I’m in an area with bears or cougars. It’s just better to be safe that way, honestly...

In all honesty, no...I don’t... I’m a vbs fan and I like to fiddle with my brakes as little as humanly possible. IMO, at ~$80, the original SLX is one of the better deals out there. Not only that but mine is still smooth as silk and I ordered it on launch day.

What kind of frogs do you like to throw? That’s a deciding factor, imo EDIT: I ask this because I usually throw a pad crasher jr and Ive found the mojo bass 68mhf is perfect for it. Any heavier and you probably need something a little more dedicated

Fly fishing for bass is highly under appreciated, imo. I just went tonight as a matter of fact. One of the reservoir brooks I fish has been really low and it’s formed pools about an acre in size apiece. The water is deep enough and free flowing enough to keep them healthy and feeding but they just can’t get past the rocks downstream. I keep it simple for the most part...black or olive woolly buggers in different sizes and a few other streamers. They really smash em good. It sounds like you have the equipment and the motivation to work poppers as well. Me, not so much...all my “bass” fly fishing gear is repurposed trout stuff. I can imagine that getting hold of a 7-8 pounder on a fly rod would be unbelievable though...trying to keep them up and out of cover is difficult enough with casting gear.

I use this stuff at work...water thin all the way up to gel. Works like a charm. with super glue, all you have to do is make sure you store it as upright as possible and keep nozzle buildup to a minimum. I have bottles of glue that are three years old and still kickin. If you have a nozzle that’s clogged up, just soak it in acetone and pick out the remnants. Super easy and keeps you from having to buy new glue

FALCON...bring us back a vole...

“Hagane” is Shimano’s general term for a metal framed reel. I think I heard that it’s a Japanese term for metal. The curado and the aldebaran are both “Hagane”...one frame is aluminum, the other is magnesium. To the original question, I love magnesium reels. Some people don’t like the “hollowness” of some designs but that doesn’t bother me. They’re lightweight and feel like they can winch a steer.