GetFishorDieTryin

The Zillion SV is gonna give the Bantam a run for its money I think Daiwa actually made Shimanos first reel

Actually that reel seat isn't that cheap as far as Fuji goes. I would have to imagine they went with the EVA fore grip is because its the locking nut, and what happens when you put too much pressure on a cork locking nut? Im not crazy about the way it looks, but function is more of a priority to me then appearance.

Just because a reel wont free spin doesnt mean somethings wrong, but the Procyon shouldn't feel tight. I had the chance to fondle the AL at TD and it felt good to me. If I were you I would go with the FL, not that the Procyon is a bad reel or anything, the FL is just an excelent reel. I thought they made a 2000FL for USDM, but I may be wrong. I know you can get a JDM 2000

No not at all, just put a thin a layer of mono on the spool so the braid wont slip and your good to go.

I havent been able to find a small JB thats superior to the Rozy 63. What really sets them apart is the weight transfer system. The hooks are light wire and extremely sharp so you hook a lot of fish on slack line as they try to blow it out of their mouth. They can be a little difficult to get at times, colors are great, but limited when compared to LC. You can put bigger hooks on it, but the only 1s that Ive that wont make it sink are the stock hooks from the 77sp which is another outstanding JB. The 77s are a little easier to get. The 85sp is just a smaller version of the 100sp JB, unlike the rozantes its got flat sides and no weight transfer system. It floats a little faster then the Rozys and has a different action because of its shape.

If your not worried about insulation its awful hard to beat Frogg Toggs. Ive got the lower grade top and bottoms I think they are called Frog Toggs Pro or something like that, I think there like 40$ or 50$ for the pants and 50 or 60$ for the top.

For sure, buy once cry once. If you settle for something you don't want, odds are your going to buy what you want in the end anyway. If your happy with the way the rod performs I dont see why you would want to replace it. Unless you dont like the way it balances or you dislike the reel seat or grip.

According to all the infro ive been able to get so far about the Kage line is that its just Daiwa throwing dealers a bone because online sales have taken lots of business away. Your not supposed to be able to buy a Kage online, and only certified Daiwa dealers get them. Daiwa gives the proshops a good deal on them so they can make a $. Ive read and seen a few videos that say the Kage rods are Tatulas, which I can believe Daiwa is infamous for rebranding. For the reels I saw a video where the guy claimed that the reels were Tatulas as well. He's pretty accurate with his info, but the video came out before the Kage MQ debuted. I would think it was just a Luvias minus some parts here and there because financially it wouldn't make sense to design a new reel that would only be available to small fraction of the market. Do you know why the Kage feels smoother? Where did you get a Ballistic for 170$

The curado is more of a war horse as opposed the aldebaran being a race horse. I like the DCs for fishing baits that dont do well in windy conditions like flat cranks. I dont have one but so far everyone has been happy with the Curado MGLs. It seems like there a MetB - some of the features, the smaller spools are good for pitchin flippin and lighter baits. The Chronarchs and Aldebarans are great reels, but the designs are getting old, Aldebarans have been on clearance lately so there may be new one in the works. If you want to fish for reds, stripers inshore the Chron G supposedly can deal with salt well. The Chron MGL again is a great reel, but the design is 5 years old, I would suggest the Curado 70 over it unless you need the capacity, then look at the Bantam or the MetB. IMO the Metanium is out of this world, feels solid, casts great, fairly light and smooth. The Bantam is like the Metanium but its got an aluminum frame so it may be better for frogging or heavy duty fishing.

Yea I have 6'10 and 7'6 mojo 2 7' premiers 7 Avid' and out of all them the 6'10 surprisingly casts the farthest. Im just looking for a different brand, I dont want to say Im bored with the SC, I just want to try something new. I would like to get it ASAP the bite is picking up here and its going to blow up real soon. I think the Victory debuts in 3 weeks and I imagine there going to be hard to get.

Isnt that essentially a Tatula? The 3k and up have carbontex and 25 and under are felt

There shakey head, meat head and swamp crawler are my favs. The shakey head worm has a flat head you dont have to bite or cut anything to thread it on a keeper. The trick and finesse worms are good and I have hundreds of packs that I probably wont use. I prefer GB Airtail, plasma tails and roboworms over the trick and finesse worms. I do like the mag finesse and trick worms, they kinds of fish like a senko.

Not necessarily, length just increases the amount of tip, so if you dont have the power in a 6'6 to throw the specific bait your not going to get in the 7' or 7'6. Length also adds weight not just in the blank but in the guides as well. Handles are often longer a I like the Dobyns blanks, but I have to spend like 350$ for the Champ Ex because I cant stand rods without a fore grip. If they made a Sierra with a locking nut that covers the threads I would buy one for sure. I know I could stick with SC for about half the price and get good performance.

Dont worry about it, light heads with bigger hooks are much easier to find then they were before ned rigs and A rigs became popular. Picasso offer 1/16 heads from 1/0-5/0, Outkast Tackle Money Darter, GYCB G rig and Keitech Super Rounds also offer bigger hooks in 1/16. I put mine below the locking nut so I can sock the rod. Its a versatile rod for sure, like I said it feels more like a M or MagL with the power it has but it has the tip of a ML. I like the keitechs because they are heavier then most other baits there size. They dont really kink up and they move great in frigid water because the plastic is so soft. It does tear easy, but as long as the tail hasnt been bitten off you can patch them up with Mend It 2 or 3 times before they wont stay on a keeper anymore, its saved me a lot of money.

10lb smackdown to 10lb red label FK3000

Theres a big difference in weight comparing the 3.8 fat to a 3" easy shiner. Just curious, what kind of 1/16 oz jighead you use with a hook big enough for the 3.8? Yeah cant argue with you, that handle is my absolute favorite thing about the rod. The long fore grip allows it to balance with a wider range of weight reels, if the reel is heavy you choke down, if its light you choke up. I have an FK 3000 on it and the balance is just about perfect. That little hook keeper is awesome, I use it for my DS usually, I have a Fuji keeper below the locking nut so I don't scuff up the blank with hooks. Havent had it very long, got it late last fall, Ive put some fish on it mostly with a DS and JB. Sensitivity has been so far. If you like it that much make me and offer lol. Its in excellent condition, not a scratch on it. I think theres a little spot of epoxy or clear coat on it, but it came like that.

The rod is rated for 1/16 but it shouldn't be, it struggles with 3/32, it bombs a 1/4 so your right on about it fishing heavy. Its got a lot of power in the backbone for a ML, it feels like a M or even a MagLight. Theres another issue that I noticed about that rod, after i had gotten it. When you load it up theres a hot spot where the line touches the blank. I dont have a video of me casting the rod, but I dont think it bends that much casting baits on the low end of the rating. Your right, ideally you want to throw a bait that falls in the sweet spot to get max distance, but the action is a factor. Years ago I ordered a 7' L ModF because the rating was 1/32-1/4, I figured it would throw 1/16 and small bait well. It wound up being a mistake because the rod was like a noodle, literally all tip. Months later I saw the same rod at Cabelas, but it was 6' instead of 7. It wasnt like noodle because the tip section was shorter, so longer rods dont always =more distance. A buddy tried to turn me on to Dobyns, he let me use a several of his a few times when we fished together last year. It took a little while for me to get used to the casting rods, some of my reels were too light so they felt tip heavy. I actually liked the Sierra more then the Champion. As for the spinning rods they felt ok sensitivity wise, but I cant stand rods with exposed threads and no fore grip.

With just a 1/16 of an ounce?

Im not worried about working the bait, its distance that I'm looking for. On softer rods like the 7'1 Tatula the combine weight of the ktech and 1/16 JH doesnt load the rod enough to get any kind of significant energy on the forward cast. When I put more arm into the cast, there is little if any improvement distance wise. Unlike the Tatula (1/16-3/8) the SCs both ML 1 F 1 XF are rated 1/8-1/2 and they both cast substantially farther then my slower actioned MLs with the XF almost nearly doubling the distance I get with the 7'2 ML F Tatula. I dont know if the stiffer rods transfer energy better or what, but with heavier baits rods that have the right balance of tip and power (usually a ModF or F depending on who makes it) give me max distance. Honestly Im trying to fix something that isnt broken, the SC ML XF give me good distance. Essentially Ive been throwing finesse swimbaits with same rod for 14 or 15 years, Im just kind of bored with it and curious if there is a rod that will outperform the SC. The only rod Im aware of that is purpose built for small swim baits is the 7'4 M XF Britts Finesse Swimbait rod Genesis 3 by iRod. The problem is I cant get my hands on one locally unless I order it, and if I dont like it I would have to send it back.

I need to find a rod that can throw a 3" keitechs with a 1/16 head a reasonable distance, about 50 or 60 feet. Ive found SC ML XF rods give me more distance then anything else I've ever used. I want to try another company that would perform as well or better. I ordered a 7'1 ML F Tatula 1/16-3/8 and it has way to much tip, I get about 35 or 40ft max. I need an XF 6'8-7'2 ML or maybe even a lighter medium, if anyone has a good rod for small swimbaits that they would recommend I would be grateful, TY.

It depends on the components of the bait. Blade shape, size, weight, thickness, material its made from and how its attached to the jig itself all play a role. The trailer you use play a part as well. Big boot tails with a lot of action can cause the bait to rise in the water column. You can flip the boot tails upside down to minimize lift if you want to to stay deeper. You can also bend the blade to to change the running depth.

The e6x Ms feel light to me, but I havent fished with one so I cant comment on that. I have fished fished with SC ML and Ms though. You could get away with a ML XF if the jig has a lighter wire hook as long as your not fishing really deep or trying to set the hook at the end of long casts. I think a SC M would be a better then the ML especially if you have to punch through a weed guard. The 7'1 ML F Tatula would be good if a like a rod with some tip. It got a soft tip with the backbone of a M, kind of like a MagL. Avids arent heavy, the people saying that must be using really light reels.

Yeah, me too. If i had my way we would round them up and put them into camps.

Black seems to work all the time.

If you want a head with the rounded head and small light wire hook the berkley half heads work pretty well. They arent overpriced like most ned heads and you get 7 or 8 1/16 in a pack, so losing them isnt a big deal. If you want a bigger hook with thicker wire check out the Owner Blockheads. The Hayabusa Brush guard is a ball head, but theyre great ned heads as well.