newapti5

Looks promising. I wonder what the difference is between this new leader and the STS Steelhead. The characteristics charts are pretty much the same; even the diameters are the same, except the new leader is a little more expensive.

For 1/8oz lures, like others suggested, I'd get a BFS spool instead of the shallow edition, and this is a good choice: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805942876554.html I have the shallow edition spool and this KKR spool. In comparison, the latter is more suited for light lures, but for 1/4oz and above, the shallow spool is more controllable .

That sounds about right. I used all my digits. I changed 4 of my SV spools' inductors to Ray's several years ago. So far so good. After normal use, all hold up pretty well.

A seller on Ali, HEIGHTEN, is selling this tool kit for removing Daiwa's spool inductor. https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtqYyS7 I didn't try it, but it seems like the right tool to make the process less painful. They also include a SV Boost inductor with springs and parts, but I don't recommend it - the plastic material on that inductor is inferior to Ray's Studio one, which makes the inductor stuck in the extended position sometimes.

I like the red/black combo.

Not necessarily a weakness IMO. I used to believe dual supported pinion reels were always better, but I changed my mind as my Abu Garcia ALX reel stays smooth after several years, even smoother than my Shimano Scorpion DC. I still believe that dual supported pinion is important for the smoothness and longevity, but so are many other things, like the manufacturing tolerance and materials.

This series has always been jigging reels with basic mechanical brake, aka the tension knob. And it's not small either. A traditional Millionaire round reel would be smaller, like CV-Z, CV-X, and the upgraded version Bay Casting Special. They all have lower ratios models and Magforce brakes. With an extra small pinion pin part from old Alphas series, they (except 19 Millionaire CT) can utilize all those popular modern 34mm spools, like the one with the new Zillion.

Do what the marketing team told me not to.

Not much, except that it's very likely to be re-designed next year. Given Shimano's habit of using Antares as a showcase platform for their newest technologies and designs, it piques my interest greatly. All should be revealed by Jan 10.

To be honest, as a Daiwa fanboy, currently I am oddly more curious about the new Antares that is supposed to be debuted in January.

Sometimes it is quite hard to pinpoint where the noise is coming from, so I'd first make sure the sound is not from the spool bearings by changing them out. Once that's done, I'd loose the drag and hold down the spool with my thumb, then check if the buzz sound still exists when reeling. If yes, it's not from the gears, but probably from the two bearings on the crank shaft. If no, then check the pinion bearing, change it if possible. Also make sure there aren't any dirt or debris between the frame and the spool rim. After all that, if the sound still exists and the pitch gets higher when you reel faster, it is possibly from the gears. To me, that sound is fine; it just means the gear teeth are meshing together. Thicker grease on the gears may quiet it down a bit.

Largemouth and smallies fight quite differently; boat fishing deep lakes and wade fishing shallow rivers/creeks will also affect where the jig hooks penetrate, upper jaws or sideways. So, for jig fishing smallies in shallow rivers/creeks, I definitely find moderate fast action more suitable. I have a few extra fast rods that are very sensitive, but they lost me some feisty big smallies.

Other than moving the drag star unintentionally, what is your initial drag setting? If you set the drag low and you're giving a firm jerk action every time, that means the drag is giving out a little line every time you jerk. Overtime it could cause the decrease of drag force, and the drag may seem "slipping" during a hookset. Next time fishing a jerkbait, you could put your thumb on the spool to feel it. I do that so I could make sure not much line is given out during jerking, and with my thumb lifted, I could still have the appropriate amount of drag force during hookset.

Usually I serve cheese and crackers, but a plate of Calcutta Conquest will do just fine.

Despite what they put in the warranty policy, my experience (actually my buddy's) with their warranty claim was quite positive. After purchasing an old version World Class rod in 2018/19, my buddy broke it during a hookset last year, and they sent him a new version of World Class for free, no questions asked, not even charging any shipping fees. On another topic, I am not sure this new version is worthy of $400+ MSRP. That's GLX/Legend Elite territory. Half off prices seem more on the level.

Thanks again. Building muscle is definitely one of my goals, as well as losing some weight. They could both help lower my blood sugar. Ok, I feel like this is getting way off of topic here. I'll be quiet now.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the words and advice. I am just average built, not too much muscle not too little, except some abnormally large calf since childhood🤦‍♂️ . Friends always say I should show people that instead of my arms and fists before a fight.

200 lb, 6 feet even. Was about 250 lb five months ago.

Interesting, never thought I'd learn some health advice here today. I am in the middle of losing some before hitting the big five-oh. Do you guys think losing 10 lb per month is a little too much? I have already gotten rid of about 50 lb, through diets and 3 times a week gym visit, and my goal is reaching 160, with a six feet height. I tried to increase my daily protein intake, but don't want to overdo it to burden my kidneys.

I use a similar size tweezers for the removal, and a needle-nose plier for the installation. Still, I find them to be a pain in the butt, especially in tight spots. Case in point, the little screw pin on the CV-Z with a tiny e-clip attached, I think its sole purpose is to keep the screw pin attached to the sideplate so you don't lose it. But come on, if a user could dissemble the reel by oneself, it's unlikely to lose a screw pin that big.

CV-Zs have some interesting designs inside, but I don't like the copious use of c-clips. A couple of them seem pointless. I had some trouble with my cv-z's AR bearing. It has a rough spot inside, and after rinsing it with Simple Green and re-oiling, I can still feel that spot in every turn. I couldn't change the bearing either: a. Plat doesn't carry that part anymore, b. I just couldn't dissemble it from the sideplate.

That'll be a tall order. Even if you could find one, I am not certain it'll make it less prone to backlash. With lighter spool weight, casting normally requires a little larger brake force, otherwise it'll actually be easier to backlash, especially for heavy lures. To battle backlash without choking the casting distance much, you could get her either a Shimano DC reel or any Daiwa reel with a SV spool. These are almost backlash proof, almost. DC reels are "high" tech yet expensive, but SV reels have some quite affordable options, like the Daiwa Fuego SV under $100.

Just finished watching the videos. Late congrats on those monsters! I think 15lb Tatsu does have a fair chance of winning the battle with them, even if it's hooked inside the mouth.

How? I used 12lb fluoro for smallies mostly, and almost all my encounters with unexpected muskie ended with broken lines, even with 12lb tatsu.

For future reference, may I introduce you to jp.mercari.com, the largest Japan eBay equivalent? The things there are mostly used items, but the prices are pretty good, like $80 for barely used Tatulas. Plus, the shipping service, Buyee, is constantly giving out coupons, like the current best one is about 15% off, which basically translates to free shipping for order over $150.