GetFishorDieTryin

Right on, a smaller reel may have a high ratio but because the spool is so small the IPT is relatively low compared to a larger reel with the same ratio.

The longer handle changes the input, but I don't see how it changes the output. It doesn't matter how much torque you put on a lever its still the same gear.

While the Zaion is stronger then the lower grade Composite IMO the biggest benefit is reduced weight, which for the 2.5 and 3k reels can be up to an oz lighter. Ive really put it to one of my Fuegos, tossing 1oz tins in the surf for blues and stripers. Ive caught fish to 17lb and I've never felt anything that I can say for sure was "flex." I have a friend who says he felt some movement in his Fuego 4k while catching grouper, but the reel wasn't designed for that. In the store there isn't a night and day difference between the Fuego and Ball. as far as being smooth. Once the reels are under load the difference between the zinc and AL main is much more noticeable. The AL should last longer then the zinc, but so far that 2.5k Fuego still feels great after 2 and a half years of heavy use.

The longer handle gives you a little more leverage so its easier to turn but I don't see how it can change the amount of torque the gear set generates. Its like comparing 2 UL power rods, if one is 6' and the other is 7', the 7 has more leverage then the 6 but ultimately its still an UL. If you want a reel with torque I think your better off going with a low ratio and if you aren't satisfied then putting a longer handle on it.

I had the same reservations before I bought my first Met B. I like a slower reel as well for any moving baits. Yes, you can change the handle length and pitch to make it feel like its slower, but unless you change the gear set you wont get the cranking power from a higher ratio reel that you would from a lower ratio. I hear people say "you can always slow down, but you cant speed up" which I agree with to a point. Its not hard to slow down for a few casts, but on the days when the bite is tough or you go into autopilot its inevitable your going to speed up. If your planning to buy a JDM Met be aware that the handle is considerably shorter then the USDM handles like the SLX or Curado, so it takes a little time to get used to it. You can always get an aftermarket handle if you don't like the JDM handle. I wouldn't worry about what other people like. If you like a slower ratio, get the 6.2. The Met Bs are so nice you may wind up with more then 1 in the near future. Good Luck

I lean towards gold 80% of the time I'm fishing a spinner bait but when the water is really muddy Ive found that a hammered copper blade is as good or better then a gold blade.

Yeah, it was kind of a shady deal, I guess what goes around comes around. Herters used to be juggernaut and once Cabelas acquired them they put Herters name on the lower grade products. Its a cut throat bussiness

I think the biggest drawback is the non standardized size. The size of the baits determine capacity with the hardbait box. I cany fit 14 vision 110s with saftey caps on the trebles, I didn't buy it for capacity, I got so not to damage the paintjob on my more expensive JBs .

I know what your talking about I have a few shelves full of them...Its really a shame that things went the way they did for Cabelas. I don't know if its true, but the original stores in the Midwest employed large portions of entire rural towns and after the merger most of the original Cabelas employees were replaced with BPS employees. Whether its true or not in tandem with inflated prices and low quality standards I hesitate to even use my BPS/Cabelas gift cards.

I agree, I think they could have possibly done a little better at marketing them.

I like a 3" bubbling shaker on a cocho or waspi head

Start off with mono, its easier to manage. If you blow up a spool of mono its not a big deal but if you blow up a braid its a bad day. I like 12lb Trilene Big Game mono, its dirt cheap and performs really well.

The only trick to the Alberto is keeping the braid by pulling all 4 lines until you are ready to seat it, then pull the mainlines and trim all the tag. The Albright is a good alternative to the uni uni for long leaders, its just as fast and its smaller. The uni uni has issues with fly line and lighter braid to 40 or 50lb mono landing leaders, at that point the dissimilar dia makes the knot much weaker. Honestly the best knot is the knot you know how to tie.

Got a Gruv Hardbait box recently for my go-to winter JBs and so far I couldn't be happier with it. Once the baits are in the silicone they don't move at all. The design significantly reduces the hooks from contacting the baits which keeps the baits in good shape, but more importantly the hooks stay sticky sharp. The sections are deep and wide enough to accommodate treble caps on all but the bigger EWG hooks. I dont know how these didnt blow up, especially with more and more people buying high quality hardbaits. I think one of the reasons is they only offer 1 size thats in between the 3500 and 3600, so its not a perfect fit in some tackle bags. If you're like me and you're careful with your MB, Duo, LCs and alike baits its a no brainer.

It depends on the size of the gap between the spool and frame. If the line is thin enough to slip into the gap then its going to become a headache real fast. Ive used braid to leader on a mod action rod for bladed jigs in the past. It worked, but I found using FC or Mono with a ModF - slower F to be the most effective and versatile. Just because I wasnt crazy about it doesn't mean you wont like it though, so go for it. If you do use a lighter braid dont put to much pressure on the reel when trying to get a snag out. wear a glove or wrap rag around your hand and break off, that way the braid wont dig into the spool. Make sure when you spool up the braid to put it on tight as possible.

I like to use 10 or 15lb braid to 6-10lb FC. IMO the best part about the braid is you can actually see the hit if you don't have contact with your bait. The drawback to that is the wind can bow braid enough to move real light baits. FC sinks so the wind doesn't effect wont effect a FC mainline nearly as much.

Uni Uni is a good knot when the 2 line are of equal dia., but as far as breaking strength and line flow there are much better knots that aren't difficult at all.

Buying a used reel is just like buying a used car or boat. You can get a vague idea of how it was used or maintained from a picture, but your not going to know exactly what your getting until you get it in your hands.

I grabbed a couple of these earlier this year and Im surprised that they arent more popular. They can do just about anything.

Penn went with function over feel, so they didnt feel great but they worked. When the small reels went to being made in China they weren't nearly as dependable and they weren't nice to fish with so they lost a ton of business. Recently they really stepped up the durability and precision of the mid level reels like the Spinfisher VI and Clash which are worlds better in durability. They managed to fix some of the infamous problems like the awful line lay that made the reel sneeze wind knots way to often. They also remedied the coffee grinder like feel of the older spinners, they aren't Shimano smooth now, but they feel great. The 2k size Clash 2 would be the reel to use on the ML SC. Its Penns lightest Spinner, it feels great to use and actually takes a good amount of punishment. I think weight is about the same as a similar sized BG. I have one of the first Mojos ever made that I preordered after the window accident. It should have never left the factory and honestly TW shouldnt have sent to me because there was a blatant blemish, the tip had a mean bend in it and the finish was sloppy. I kept it because I needed it and I grew to love it. Some of the threads are now unraveling, but that rod has caught thousands of fish and been abused for over 10 years so I cant complain. The new Gen Mojos are much better in fit and finish. They actually use SC3 blank which is a higher grade then the Premeirs SC2 being lighter and little more sensitive. The Mojos are cheaper because they outsourced production to Mexico and initially they used cheaper components. I'm not sure now if the components are the same or not. I think the Mojos are better then quite a few other rods that sell for more money, but that's my opinion. There are a bunch of people who favor the Premiers over the Mojos for various reasons. The Mojo Surf rods in particular had breakage issues, but the majority of people who had issues that I know bought the rods from Dicks Sporting Goods. Dicks keeps them on the racks above the shelves with the tips against the ceiling so that the rod is under considerable load. Add a bunch of customers handling them, then shoving them back into the rack and they are bound to be damaged. That's the same reason I wont ever buy a rod from Cabelas or BPS and if you buy a reel make sure to get one that hasn't been opened.

They can be a pain to rig because of the ribs, but the GB Rattlesnakes are probably the best wacky worms I've ever used.

It doesnt matter what power the rod is if you high stick it, its going to break. The graphite SLX rods arent very light rods I can only imagine how heavy the glass rods are. The real question is ML or M Zodias. If your going to be fishing the bank I would assume your not going to be throwing many DD cranks, so you could probably get away with the ML. The ML probably throws 3/16 and 1/4 better then the M. If you throw more cranks in the 3/16-5/16 go with the ML, if not then get the M.

I DS all winter and have tried just about every hook I can get my hands on. Mosquito, Mosquito lites, Decoy Big Bite/Masurabi, Trokar DS/Helix, VMC Spinshot and Neko, Gami SS/DS and many more. The absolute best overall IMO is the standard Gamakatsu DS. The wire is perfect not to thick and not to thin and the point is stupid sharp. The best part about them is they always seem to find the roof of the mouth and once they go in they arent easy to get out. The Trokar is outstanding as well with hooksets and a really sharp point. Once you roll the point its harder to draw it back out then other designs. If your looking for a spinshot style hook the Helix is the best I have found. The Mosquito hooks are great, but they are offset. If you dont make sure the bait is perfectly straight it will start to twist and cause a real headache. The Mosq. Lites have a better design for nose hooking IMO but I've broken quite a few lifting fish out of the water.

I don't know how Ike does it. If your talking about the lake he lives on its an average of 3.2 ft deep with very little hard bottom. I fish them around water or spillways which are usually the deepest parts of the lakes around here and they likely have a hard bottom. Once you start fishing in a spot with a soft bottom your picking the grass off the bait after every cast. I use the lighter blade baits 3/16 and 1/4 but they sink like a rocket even when you pendulum them back. The best advice I can give is you is to use a duo hook on the belly so that the shank of the hook facing the front. Remove the rear hook or use a Colorado blade with a good bearing swivel in its place. Mono or 15lb FC will cause it to fall slower then it would be with braid.

I head Daiwa made the Kage line to kind of throw the dealers a bone. Daiwa sells them at a discounted price to the pro shop, so even if the pro shops sells them at a discount they are still making money. I don't think Daiwa designed new rods and reels to make the Kage line, they kind of are just rebranded Tatulas. Thats why I said essentially the same. I think they used the old Tat design for the Kage with some superficial differences and they just put out a new Tatula so they wouldn't have 2 rods that are exactly the same. Daiwa does the same thing with reels.