AmmoGuy

They probably use 26650's or 21700s, and I'm pretty sure no one in the US is manufacturing those cells.

Same here. I'm 6'6" 275lbs. I need a bigger boat, lol.

I have a 2000 Xpress 16', and I can't imagine that it would handle the weight of two raptors very well. With someone on the back deck the boat already sits a little too low. Heck, I still run a 12V trolling because I don't even want to add the weight of a third battery.

I picked up an ALX Ikos Hustler a few weeks ago, and boy does it cast well and loads up like butter. It's a shallow/medium diver rod, but I believe there is a deep diving rod in the Ikos lineup.

Waterlogged foam.

I called. The woman said "it has to be bought in the US, because it has to be a product available in the US". I said, it's just a Tatula 100. I'll just be ordering it from an international site. After a pause, she said "That doesn't qualify". When I asked why, she said "it's in the rules on the form"..... I looked it over, and I sure can't find it. So idk. Didn't get a real concrete answer. I kind of feel like they may not notice, and just process it if you send it in.

A lot of the Daiwa reels aren't Japan manufacture even if purchased from some of the "JDM" sites. The Zillion SV TW is, but the Alphas SV TW and Tatulas are Thailand reels, even through sites like Digitaka. As a side note, I wonder if reels purchased from Japan sites will qualify for the "Tatula Promo" for the Simms Hoodie?

DVT, Thanks for the tip. Is drilling "injection" site holes necessary if I'm going to use a syringe? What glue would you recommend? I doubted that I could get the adhesive to flow between the cork and blank? I assumed I'd have to "inject" it in several spots?

Thanks. I was thinking I might go the syringe route, and use it to inject the glue between the blank and cork. There's not so much a couple of voids that can be pinpointed, it's more like 3-4 inches of cork that is a little loose all the way around the blank.

I like my Tatula rods, but I'm having a recurring issue with the cork grips coming somewhat loose and squeaking and moving slightly while fishing. The latest being my 60th anniversary 7'3". I'm honestly over dealing with the warranty process, and would like to give repairing it a shot. I've heard that glue can be successfully injected through the cork in several places to cure the issue. I'm not interested in trying to disassemble/reassemble the grip at this time. If anyone has attempted this before, what glue worked best? I've heard thin/heated epoxy, and I've heard polyurethane glue (Gorilla). If anyone has any guidance it would be appreciated.

I’ve read other people say similar things, but in my experience this weekend, the DC reel required about the same input as my other reels? The only way I could get the DC to require very little input is to choke it off to the point that it didn’t make any sense. But heck, I can do that with about any reel. So far, It seems like I’d be better of handing a “newbie” one of my SV reels with the dial on 14 than the DC reel.

I've been throwing baitcast reels for a long time. I don't think I remember the last time I had to pick out an overrun. I recently purchased a Curado DC because I figured I should at least try it. I fished it quite a bit this weekend throwing medium cranks on a ALX Ikos Hustler rod. I wouldn't say I'm impressed. It works fine I guess? But I picked two backlashes this weekend because I tried "trusting" the DC a little too much. As far human input, I couldn't tell much difference between it and my SV reels. I could tell that it was a lot heavier though. I think I'd rather have a 150 MGL.

But is there any difference in the two reels?

Nope. Bearing didn’t change a thing. it’s definitely just the gears. I call it the Tatula lottery. You may get a good one, you may not.

Is there any difference in the standard black Tatula 100’s and the JDM version? (Digitaka). I think they are both Malaysia reels? I don’t see any differences spec wise, but the “JDM” is definitely cheaper.

They are a gamble. Some are geary/noisey and some are decently smooth. Swap it if you can.

There wasn’t a code, just had to add the rod to your cart. looks like it may have ended though.

I know you didn’t mention them, but I just got an ALX Ikos Hustler in the mail today, and it seems VERY well put together for a $150 price point rod. I like that they are assembled in the USA.

Academy has Dob Furys for $95, and some model Tatula rods for $119.

Yep. Two years ago they had the rods with Revo SX’s on them for $159.99. I bought a couple, wish I’d have bought a couple more.

Not real sure where to put this, but I called Omnia fishing today to ask about a couple of rods, and the service was some of the best I've gotten in a while. The person helping me went and got both rods in hand, talked to me about how they balanced, the differences in the actions and power, and knowledgably answered every question I had. He even said when I get ready to order call back and he'll hand pick me one with good cork/straight guides, etc. Refreshing to deal with a company that will go out of their way for you. They'll certainly be getting business from me.

You're not wrong. I've competed with a manual safety for over a decade (USPSA Limited) and with regular training and practice, it is not a consideration. Disengaging is built into your grip and happens faster than you can present the pistol. That said, in this type of discussion, I tailor my response for those that are most likely not going to put in that type of effort. In those cases, the risk of someone spending life saving seconds fumbling with a thumb/manual safety during a defensive situation is very real. On top of that, a thumb safety on most modern striker fired pistols offers NO actual safety benefits (when the pistol is carried/handled correctly). These are the reasons for my recommendation. But yes, you're correct in principal. As an example, this is a silly one-shot stage from USPSA Nationals a few years ago. My gun in the video has a manual thumb safety.

Any more thoughts on the rod yet? The tiny Mojo Bass handles are just too odd for me. I have big hands, and when I'm holding a short gripped St. Croix, most of my casting hand is behind the grip on the blank.

I've actually got a pinion bearing and some other parts on the bench for a Coastal SV I have that is geary. Going to play around with it this weekend. It's a good example of the Tatula coin flip. It was purchased at the same time, used the same, maintained the same as a second Coastal SV I have, and one is noisy and geary and one isn't.

If someone can shoot a 10-12lb DA trigger on a small revo effectively, they can also be taught to operate a slide on most modern, compact 9mm handguns. I’ve worked with a lot of females that thought they could not operate a slide, but after 5-10 minutes of instruction it was no problem. It is rarely a strength issue, it just requires technique. All that said, carrying any handgun for self defense without a round in the chamber is a terrible practice.