newapti5

Just "pimped out" my Metanium a bit. This Gomexus drag star fits the reel perfectly, and the color matches the Jitai carbon knobs' color pretty well.

Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 or C4

Glad to see some posts regarding my favorite reel. TD-Z platform is built to last, regardless its heavy weight. Back then, they hadn't had Steez yet, so TD-Z was supposed to be Daiwa's best offering on low profile baitcasters, with some crazy smooth cranking.

Well, it depends on where you're looking I guess. JDM sites usually have Tatula SV for around $150, and if you don't want to buy from them, Amazon is selling a better Daiwa reel, Alphas SV, for $170: https://www.amazon.com/Daiwa-TW800S-XH-Alphas-Bass-Bait/dp/B0B2NRSPSH

I am mildly interested to see the MQ version of Tatula LT, after so many other MQs. But hey, MQ reels need love, too.

Although I agree with @Tatulatard and @PhishLI, I also agree with the others' opinion of sending it back - Send it back and get a Tatula SV; then everyone is happy.

Unfortunately, yes, which brings the total to $244

Actually, now you don't even need an Amazon Japan account to buy JDM; Amazon is selling some of the popular JDM reels on Amazon US site, under the seller name "Amazon Japan." For example, this Daiwa Zillion is only $230, free shipping from Japan. That's cheaper than Digitaka. https://www.amazon.com/Daiwa-Gillion-1000PL-Handle-Model/dp/B08NP23D9S Heck, they even have the new Daiwa digital reel - IM Z for pre-order, with the lowest price I've seen so far. And they said this is a JDM only reel: https://www.amazon.com/Daiwa-HD-C-Limit-Breaker-Bait/dp/B0BSTMHXD5

When I created my Amazon.jp account a couple years ago, I didn't have to have a Japan address. I just used my US address, and Amazon Japan would filter out listings that wouldn't ship to US. I believe it still works that way. But the thing is, a LOT of listings won't ship to a US address, especially all Amazon Warehouse deals and some really good deals from third party sellers. So, to see these good deals, I'll have to change my address to a random Japan zip code. In this way, once I see some great deals, I'd just use proxy companies like Buyee to purchase and ship it to me. Currently, Buyee charges less than $30 in total for service fees and international shipping fees.

Recovering from a really bad cold, and stumbled upon a new Steez A II on Amazon Japan for $300. I had no intension buying the reel, but the 34mm Mag-Z Boost spool caught my attention. Has anyone tried that spool? How is it different from the Mag-Z Boost spool on the Zillion HD? Thanks.

What line do you plan to use? For fluoro or mono, I will go as large spool diameter as possible within certain reel weight, like 8oz; for braided line, I'll go with the lighter one.

Hey it's made of magnesium, so it's better than the Zillion.

I think a rubber/plastic setup is great for him. Make sure they don't have sharp angles and are soft enough.

IMO it also depends on the line I am using. For fast or xf tip, fluoro or mono would compensate the stiffness a little; for braided line, I'll be using moderate fast medium rod, or just a medium light rod.

For light wire small hooks on finesse jigs, like the ones on Ned rig or the Strike King bitsy bug, I find that penetration isn't the problem. The main cause of losing smallies is that the small hook tears a rather large gap on their mouths. In my experience, that's either because I got too excited during hookset, or the drag was set too high. Either way, with that gap, whenever the line tension is loose, like when they jump, the hook would have a big chance of flying out. That's why my favorite smallie jig rod is a moderate fast one. It greatly helps keeping the pressure on them, even with the gap. And I never have trouble with penetration, as long as the light wire hook is sharp. For $250, I would go with a Dobyns Champion. Their fast action is rather moderate-fast. Or, you could get a Loomis MBR rod, like GCX 783C MBR. Their action is perfect for smallies, too.