GetFishorDieTryin

Using the auto trip instead of manually closing the bail is definitely detrimental to a spinning reel. I understand why budget and entry level reels have it, but I don't see why it exists in reels that more advanced anglers would be using, it's like having training wheels on a Harley.

My LTs have a little bit of play, but I don't think its that much. Since they're mass produced it varies from reel to reel and handle to handle.

I highly recommend you check out 13s Fate Black, it fishes like a 120$ rod as far weight, sensitivity, balance and action. The Fate spinning rods are all labeled as Fast actions, but 13s F is closer to a SC Mod F. You dont need much power with treble hooks, so instead of a M I would suggest going down in power and up in length to the 7'6 ML. The 7'6 would help you get a little more distance with Shad Raps and the longer tip section would give the rod a more parabolic bend which should help you land more fish with trebles hooks.

When I was a kid Spider Wire was the only braid available around here until Fireline came out. They had the Braid which had red on the package and the Fusion which had yellow. I had very limited experience with it, just a few casts on a friends rod. Now the Fusion on the other hand I actually did get few spools of 12lb when it was 50% at Kmart. I don't remember the Fusion being loud at all, but it was strong. I horsed in 5 stripers from 18-26lbs on 12lb line with the drag locked down on the Del River. I broke my rod that day on a fish at the boat, but the line didn't break.

I think DCs and the Daiwa SV reels are great for people just getting into BC reels. Theres a dial with 4 settings, 1 for mono 2 for braid 3 for FC and 4 for casting in wind and skipping. You can somewhat fine tune each setting with the spool tension knob. Another advantage of a DC is that you dont have to dial the reel if you change to a bait with more wind resistance and or less weight. Once you get proficient at casting you can start to back off the spool tension and rely more on your thumb then the DC brake. As for a rod recommendation, it all depends what you want to throw. Most people will recommend a 7' MH F, but if most of the baits your using were thrown on a spin cast I think a Med power Fast action would be the way to go. There are quite a few good rods in the 90$-150$ range. SC's BassX, Mojo Bass Phenix Maxim, Feather Daiwa Tatula 13 Fate Black, Fate V3, Omen Black If you the look of white rods check out 13s Fate V3, they have a unique look and use a blank good blank especially for what they cost.

To say the Alde 30 is a better reel is a cop out, its not designed to do what the SLX and Curado do. Going from from a Curado or SLX to an Aldebaran 30 would be like buying a corvette when you need a pick up truck. The Alde 30 limits you to either braid or 8-10lb FC. Im not going to get into the whole aluminum vs brass main argument, but there's a reason why Shimano went back to brass for the 20Met. Even if he wanted an Alde it would be better to wait a few months instead and get the updated model instead of buying a reel that was designed 6 or 7 years ago.

The Curado is going to feel a little more refined then SLX, but the SLX is no slouch by any means and probably the better value in terms of what you get for your money. Personally Im not too keen on the SLX MH and Hs over 7' to the point where I wouldnt buy one if I could get them for 50$. That closes the gap to 30$ and at that point and if you want a refined reel then I think it would be worth it. On the other hand if you like the SLXs or have a use for the rod that comes with the reel then the combo would almost certainly be the way to go. I dont understand recommendations of passing up 2 great versatile reels with NEW designs and spending more money to get a niche JDM Aldebaran BFS or MGL 30, that while good was designed years and years ago. The obvious move would be the JDM 20Met, LOL Im JK. Either way you go, SLX or Curado your going to be happy with what you get, good luck.

What do you think of think of the Recon? I was thinking about buying one, but I haven't heard to many people's thought on them.

Penns were notorious for clicking when the pinion would reach the top and bottom of the stroke. The severity can vary from reel to reel. Most of the time the wind is blowing or your if fishing around moving water there is enough background noise that you wont hear it. Worse cases you can actually feel it and that's when it drives you nuts. Like I said, its common with older Penns but its not limited to them. Out of all the reels I own, my gen 1 Stradic Ci4 does it the worst.

I bought one when they first came out (7" M F 2pc) quite a few years back. I guess SC wanted to get a split grip Premier on the market ASAP so they just put a split grip on the Premier without taking into account balance or ergonomics. The result with the 7 M F was an extremely tip heavy rod that needs 12oz reel to balance anywhere close to the shorter fore grip. They also kept that same thin wire square hook keeper and put it about 3/4" above the fore grip on the underside of the rod right where your index finger should be, which is extremely uncomfortable. Im pretty sure they redesigned them since then, because most people seem to like them but I think there are much better rods for 150$. The 6'10 ML XF Mojo Bass is a good rod, its a little faster action then 6'6 ML F Avids. The Victory is great rod for another 30$ but the 6'10 ML XF Victory is even faster then the Mojo and IMO its a little to stiff for a do it all ML. The 13 Omen Black is a really good rod for the money @120$-130$ for a 36T blank. IMO they feel and fish really similar to an Avid except the Omens XF is closer an Avid F in action. The #1 rod I would recommend if you're willing to try another brand would be the 7'1 ML F Tatula. The sensitivity is as good as an Avid and is the same weight or maybe even lighter. Compared to a 7' ML F Avid, which I think makes it perform a little better with light wire hooks. The handle is really comfortable and practical. I have an Exceler on 2500 (same eight as the Fuego 2500) and the the rod balance is just about perfect. If your going to be throwing lighter baits down to 1/16 on braid, 10lb will perform much better then 15lb or higher distance wise. Its 10$ over your budget, but it could be one of the best 10$ investments you may ever make.

You can get good Tungsten 3/16 for a little more then a 1$ per weight, 1/4 is about 5$ for 4 and I think its more then worth it. Especially if you pay a few hundred for a sensitive rod, you may as well get the most out of it.

Just about all year spinnerbaits + rain = fish. Other baits work really well too, but spinnerbaits cover lots of water and wont snag up where a crankbait or bladed jig will. I've found that a more compact SBs get more bites without sacrificing quality of fish.

If one side of the bait has a lot more water resistance or weight then the other the bait can spin on the retrieve

There may be a new Chronarch out soon, normally you see some kind of discount offered to get rid of the older design reels in stock. With the popularity of the ChronMGL and the lower supply issues you may not see any sales or discounts from major retailers. I concur with Scotts opinion, consider a JDM 20Met. You lose the warranty, but the odds of getting a defective reel are low and if that is the case you can send it back to the retailer for an exchange but shipping is on you.

It comes down to what you want to do with the reel. Anytime your cranking the drag down and swinging for the fences to set the hook with a carbon framed reel there's a good chance your going to feel give. Now if your throwing an underspin or a popper where your not cranking your drag down you probably wont have issues with a synthetic framed reel. Keep in mind all carbon frames aren't of equal strength or quality so results can vary.

Its nice to have a good keeper, but dont discount a rod because it doesn't have a good keeper. A quick fix for that is using rubber bands or hair ties to fasten the weight down. I like to use the Fuji keepers over hair or rubber bands.

7'1 ML F Tatula with a 2500 or 3000 Tatula LT. That rod can do just about anything, but it performs much better with 10lb braid then 15lb casting distance wise. If you want to save some money you could go with an Exceler or Fuego LT and it will still be a great combo.

That much an increase in distance makes me wonder if something else was going on. Could it possible the line was wrapped around the blank or something similar?

The Alberto is the way to go IMO. Its a small knot thats incredibly strong when tied and seated correctly. Before you cut the FC or Mono tag make sure the knot is seated, then cut the leader tag so its just about flush with the knot.

I agree. The CB and SJ can be fished to match just about any condition. When the water is still in the low 40s I use creature baits on them and fish them on or near the bottom really slow.

I had gotten a 3 pack of them for my bday as a kid. They ran deeper then all the other inlines I had used and they would pick up a lot of grass. I didnt catch many fish with them either, so I went back to the minnow spins and PMs. Im sure theyre great baits, I just didnt have confidence in them.

Even more expensive inlines can have problems spinning. The wire is thin and soft so if it bends the blade wont run as well. If you cant get the blade to spin after popping it, try to straighten out the wire as best you can. Ive found rooster tails to be prone to blade issues, whether its caused by a bent wire or clevis. I think Panther Martins are higher quality and the way blade is affixed to the wire helps the blade run more consistently then the Rooster tails that use a clevis. Rooster Tails, Mepps and PMs are great, but I think the Blue Fox minnow spins produce better fish and cast a little better then the other inlines.

9 of 10 times im throwing a SB its a single Colorado.

Ive got 2 broken 7' ML F Premiers that broke in a car window. One lost about 3-4" and the other lost about 7." Taking 3" from the tip made the rod much stiffer and less sensitive, but its still useable. The rod that lost 7" from the tip is shot. The rod doesn't really load up at all and you cant feel a thing on it.

lol