newapti5

Whatever poundage we put on the drag, it's the same amount on the main gear/pinion gear while dragging a fish to the boat, even more on the hookset considering the shock force. So to me, I wouldn't lock down the drag totally just because it says 24lb maximum drag on the box. I want to keep the smooth gearing in my reels for as long as I can. If I need extra drag for the hookset, I'd just press down the spool with my thumb during. I think a lot of pros do that as well.

I live in PA, and my order of a rod from Tackle Warehouse arrived on the next day. Apparently, they also have a warehouse location in PA.

MidwayUSA has some colors of Cutters and Skinny Cutters on sales now. $4 a pop.

Smallies seemed to like it, especially the big ones.

Finatic website has everything, including Finatic Pro Braid, on 40% off. The sales ends on today, so there's still time.

You don't buy a Telsa with Autopilot to learn how to drive a car. It sure will make it easier at the beginning for people don't know how to drive, but eventually, just like everyone else, they still need a regular car to learn, or at least turn off the Autopilot function. You can't turn off a DC brake, not with the 4 setting of a SLX DC; it'll always be there.

A little too rich for my blood. I mean, everything about it seems nice, but I probably wouldn't spend >300 bucks on a Zillion, unless it's the TD-Z platform. I would rather put it on another Metanium, or 2 Tatulas. The most intriguing part is the new SV boost brake. Other than that, meh. I'd wait for Daiwa to trickle down that technology to other cheaper models. That usually doesn't take too long.

I have a 735 Champion, and a 3/4oz jig will definitely be more suited for this model. Just as others said, Dobyns rods aren't the lightest; there're plenty more rods lighter than them. But they're the most balanced rods I've used.

I agree with what others said here; it depends on what you'll use it mostly for. I just want to add one more reason to the 7:1 ratio choice: When you are experiencing a smallie charging at you with full speed after hookset, you'll really appreciate the advantage of a fast gear ratio.

I have that exact model rod, 6104 CB, rated 1/4-3/4 oz. Man, what a sweet and tough composite rod for treble hook lures. I got it about 3 years ago, also on the TW year-end sale. I am especially fond of its parabolic moderate fast action. I have other much more expensive rods, the Endurance series, also some glass rods from other brands, but there's nothing quite like it. It's got a lot of power as well. In the past 3 years, I used it to pull up a lot of feisty smallies, and a heavy wooden yard chair. I just can't break it. The only shortcoming is that it doesn't launch 1/4 oz lures very well, I feel that 1/2 oz jerkbait/crankbite/topwater is its sweet spot.

I don't know about this one, but I stumbled upon several scam sites from Southeast Asia countries before. They all include the following features (but not limited to): 1. They have almost every major fishing brands, hottest items in stock 2. Their prices are very competitive worldwide. 3. They don't accept PayPal. 4. They don't sell cheap bait with little money, but rods and reels with big money. 5. They are located in Southeast Asia countries(no intention of prejudice, just my personal experience)

Finatic 7 strands braid. They've been out-of-stock for a while on their website; I thought the company was going south. I appear to be wrong, as they're back in stock now. Heard a lot of good things about them, but the high price tag kept me away.

Where I fish for smallmouths is mostly big chunks of rocks and boulders with sharp edges, and I mostly use 10~15lb braid with Seaguar fluoro as leaders. Blue label, AbrazX, or even STS, which has a little thicker diameter than others. If I used anything less than #10 Seaguar, it will get frayed quite quickly, and I am tired of constant re-ties or breakoffs.

Some of their reels are made in elsewhere, I believe, such as China. I am not saying which country makes better products, because even if all of their reels are from the same factory, usually there're still certain quality differences. It's all in the quality control and clients' standards. The same OEM factory has the ability to manufacture high-quality products if the client company has a higher quality standard and can afford the higher cost. If not, they just don't want to make those costly high-quality products; it's a business risk for them. That's what I learned in those years working with a China factory in a different business area.

Out of that list of disasters, I am most interested in knowing how that happened

No one picked Aaron Martens yet? That guy's attention to details freaks me out sometimes. I'm sure I could learn a lot from him. Besides him, it's gonna be KVD or Scott Martin - one for education, one for entertainment.

It depends. For Shimano products, I'd consider >40% off a great deal. I have to draw a line somewhere to curb my enthusiasm. So to me, this is a good deal, not great yet. Do they charge tax? How about shipping? If no for both, then it's almost a great deal.

I have a JDM scorpion DC, which uses the same DC brake as the Metanium DC. It has a lot more settings and combos than Curado DC. But to be honest, I won't be buying another DC reel, at least not now. It surly is fun to hear the DC whirling sound and go thumb-free casting, but I found out that with a trained thumb, you can cast a regular reel to the same, or even further distance. Maybe in the future as technology advances, DC brakes could achieve the most optimal and precise brake force that no human can achieve, but IMO not the current models. I also don't think it'll be good for beginners. It could make the learning curve longer, as the caster may depend on DC brakes, not a thumb in training. A Daiwa SV reel might be a better choice for beginners. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents.

Yeah, I saw that one, too, but was a little hesitant because of its bad seller rating and reviews. Plus, Amazon charges tax, which would add up the final price to around $40 anyway. And most importantly, I want a 7:1 ratio one. The Sheltons website has LEFT and RIGHT handed, 6.2 and 7.0 ratio, to choose from. You can use Paypal on their website if not sure.

I went to their website and ordered there, different ratio to choose from, no tax, free shipping. I mean, $40 for an Aluminum frame reel with 10 ball bearings, which includes 2 bearings to support the pinion, and 2 NMB Japanese spool bearings(the ones in high-end Shimano and Daiwa reels), this is just too good a deal to pass. I only ordered one because I already have one. Thanks!

True words from a heartfelt warning, I could feel the pain... I still remember me laughing at people for spending more than $100 for a fishing reel NOT LONG AGO. Now I am regretting why I didn't buy 2 of Metanium when it's on sale.

Thanks guys! In that case, I am also eyeballing other Pointers from that seller...

I recently purchased some Lucky Craft Pointer 78SP from Facebook. Everything, from package, barcodes to actual lure details, oval split rings, is the same as my authentic Pointer 100, except they're silent, no bearing balls inside. I couldn't find any silent Pointer 78 on Lucky Craft official website, and this is the first time I purchased some 78s. Are these fake? Did anyone use/encounter silent version of Pointer 78? Thanks！

Oh I am sorry. I thought we're comparing the Premier with the old Tournament Pro. Then yes, I agree with every word you said. Dual support pinion is vital to longevity and performance, especially for fishing resistant lures. That's why I don't want to buy a SLX, no matter what they throw on it, XT, MGL or DC. However, like I said, it depends on what you want to use the reel for. For light duty jerkbait fishing, I don't think dual support pinion gear matters much. My old Tatula CT dedicated for jerkbait fishing is still quite smooth after 3 years usage. Besides dual support pinion, I also believe tolerance plays an important role in smoothness or longevity, and usually that's not something you can easily observe, but comes with a higher price tag. Anyway, these are the reasons why I bought it, even though it doesn't have dual support pinion gear. On a side note, I don't think it's fair to compare the Premier with the new Tournament Pro. The latter is relatively new, and the former is already being retired. That's why it's on sale. You can't find it on Abu's website already. They will probably push out a new Premier pretty soon, maybe even with a dual support pinion gear. It's about time for Abu if you ask me.