Tatulatard

Yes. It's also a much smoother and nicer reel that a Tatula.

I would get the Elite. I love mine but got it for a little under $190. At full retail I would be getting a JDM Zillion instead for slightly more.

That Shimano looks like a toothpick next to the modern rod. I actually want that phenix to replace my lost majorcraft and have been reading about it for a while. The problem has been that the rating looks VERY optimistic. I refuse to belive it is going to throw a 1/16 oz UL bait and then something like a 5/8 oz trap. I'm guessing "1/16 oz" is actually closer to 1/8-5/16 oz with a 1/16 jighead and plastic? That was the sweet spot of my majorcraft day's rod but I thought about stepping up to the light powered rod. What's the sweet spot on the phenix?

Well, yes I don't have that rod. It's quite extraordinary Shimano invented the bfs rod back in the 80s and has managed a feat no modern bfs can match. Truly a remarkable rod.

I've never met a rod that can throw both 1/16 oz and 3/8 oz. Sounds more like a ml rod to me. My old majorcraft bfs was rated for 1/16 oz with 1/4 oz max. You weren't casting 1/16 oz with that rod unless it was a 1/16 oz hunk of lead stuck to a hook with a 2 inch plastic on it.

I don't know when they started with that nomenclature but rods with "bfs" on them are different animals from ones with the same same ultra light and light ratings but are trout rods or non bfs. I had an ace hawk ul rod but bought the light bfs majorcraft rod for more backbone but still able to cast light baits and it was ideal. The rod shut off after the 1st guide and can move fish. The ul ace hawk was like a willow branch and the whole rod down to the reel seat would bend. It was like the difference between a M bass rod and MH musky rod. Worlds apart. The majorcraft low bait weight rating was off though. It was best with 1/16 and a very small plastic or 1/32 and a 3 inch plastic, weightless 3 inch plastics or a wacky floating worm. I could go right down the shore follow boats and pull fish they missed with that rod and baits. I lost it when I pulled a rod out of a holder, got caught and came out with it the other rod and into the depths.

Then put them both on rods you have and get to skipping and learning about what you do and don't want from a rod for the baits you skip.

I would just get a tatula sv, put it on whatever your current senko rod is and go from there. It's not special technique. The right reel helps a ton but it's not like you need special rods.

I always heard of it as a system. Bait finesse system. A rod reel and line with the rod being the special part and what makes it new and bass specific. UL casting rods and light weight spool abus and Japanese round reels have been around for ages for Japanese stream trout fishing and are way older than bfs. They didnt coin that term until they made light and ul powered bass rods. I had a majorcraft day's light bfs rod and a light trout rod and they were worlds apart. The trout rod was a willow branch compared to the bfs rod. I could throw a 1/16 bitsy bug at a lay down and haul a 6 lbs out with that thing. Not even in the realm of possibility with that trout rod.

I've never seen bfs in reference to trout. Its always been a bass thing. Japanese rod brands that have both kinds of rods don't even call the trout ones bfs. This article explains it pretty good. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewbaitfinesse.html

Don't buy baits for your rod. Buy your rod for your baits. What do you want to skip? If its plastics like senkos then try the bass mojo M plastics rod.

For high 30s low 40 water temp I use lipless cranks to probe the depths, flat side shallow cranks for the shallows and suspending jerkbaits. If I find a pocket of fish I'll throw a bubble gum floating worm on a lightly weighted wacky head to get a super slow sink. I mostly fish those water temps in small bodies of water that make finding fish easier and they are the 1st to warm early season.

Up to you. I would go buy one for $180 from some foreign sight out of spite if US retailers want over $200 and long wait times.

Those cheap centrifugal reels like the phantom, spartacus and formula can be pretty decent performers for the money. I like them more than the cheap magnetic reels because I can cast them harder and further when bank fishing. The magnetic reels want to choke off the distance on a hard cast when set to not backlash. I don't have any confidence in some of these cheap chinease reels lasting like the phantom but it is a good performing reel. I think it depends on what you want. High performance disposable reel = chinease centrifugal reel with lightweight spool like the phantom. Maybe you can get parts for it after a few years or maybe not. I don't even know how you could replace the cenfrifugal brakes once they wear and the brakes seem like a faster wearing plastic than SVS Shimano but I didn't have mine long. Bought it to try out and gave to a friends son that was frustrated with his black max not casting far enough or balcklashing. He has been very happy with it but I did have to explain that it was probably going to be a disposable reel and that he should save up $100 for a future reel. Average to below average performance long lasting cheap reel = black max. Nothing extraordinary about an 18 gram magnetic spool but the reels are pretty solid for the price and should be pretty easy to get serviced or find parts yourself. I see a lot of guys frustrated with these trying to bomb baits from the bank and getting bad distance and then getting backlashes when backing off the brakes to get more distance. I'm convinced that centrifugal brakes are just better at this. I think it comes from fishing spinning gear and whippin baits out there. With the mag only you gotta just lob them out there on lower magnetic settings and they do alright.

Lighter weight. Imagine a reel a stronger than a 7 oz aluminum reel but weighs 4 oz.

Found this cool video testing different cast or forged carbon fiber materials. Some of them actually stand up well to aluminum or out performed aluminum. From what I understand carbon fishing reels to be made from it is probably the same type of material as Onyx tested in the video. A short strand ground carbon in a polymer which actually performed terribly in comparison to other materials because the carbon only adds a bit of strength to the base polymer. A long strand carbon in a compression activated resin smooshed into a reel frame would be awesome. A reel frame is probably too complex a shape and that's why we see polymers and allows being used since they can be shaped as a liquid and solidified. Maybe we'll see it in reel seats or something some day.

If smoothness is a deal breaker for you then try the zillion 1000. If the price to too hard to swallow then look at the jdm reel.

Op has a steez hlc. I highly doubt any of the reels listed could even match an hlc.

When you use the left hand reel do you still have to change grips or do you still hold onto the rod when cranking?

Jdm metaniums have thinner knobs than usdm reels. Ok never mind I see now maybe he bought a usdm handle without knobs?

I did this and the hard part is learning how to pitch while holding the reel. Easier than learning to pitch left handed I suppose.

There is no lack of parts. I actually find it easier to order parts because platt.jp as a parts page on their site with many reel going back a ways with parts manuals to pull part numbers.

The jdm reels are often considerably cheaper than the usdm reels. Any increase in shipping cost of beyond offset by the lower pricing. On high end reels there is often a cost savings in the hundreds. Check out the going rate on the zillion 1000, metanium b, steez ct, steez hlc ect. HUGE savings over buying the usdm reel. It is true that jdm specific parts have to be purchased from Japan but these are Japanese companies anyways. Fire up the internet and head over to platt and there is all the jdm parts you could want. Even then the differences between a usdm and jdm reel are typically very few and parts are compatible anyways. Then we have reels that can be bought overseas but aren't jdm. Tatula elites are going for under $180 in usd on that chinease site which is below the going rate for one in the US markets. Us reel pricing is out of control.

Jdm 80 has brass gears but gets a shorter handle. See how much a handle will cost you and then see if the price savings is worth it. ($199 vs $150 shipped)

Get the Zillion. USDM prices on Steez are up there. JDM prices aren't that bad though. You could also wait for the new Tatula sv 70. It will be the size of the Steez ct but won't have the boost spool the zillion has. For dark sleepers I would go with the zillion but that silver is ugly. I couldn't stick one one on a destroyer. Maybe the 2022 zillion hd with magZ boost.