MediumMouthBass

If the seller has a high rating buy with complete confidence, and even if they dont. Ebay always sides with the buyer, even if they purposely ruin the item they purchased. - Ebay seller..... Check the profile and see how many items sold, and if they do have bad reviews read them. Sometimes its a good review but the person didnt put the right rating. Ive gotten some unreal deals on lures and reels there, but remember the new reels and rods there are not sold by an authorized dealer. Most companies (Daiwa for one) will consider it a used product and give you 0 warranty or support. Another thing to think about is this when buying used reels, i bought a few new and used ones that were listed "great reel no issues" only to find the drag didnt work, and the other came with the wrong spool tension knob that wouldnt work. Most guys are resellers and as long as the thing brings in line they call it good. But again Ebay/Paypal always side with the buyer, and most sellers are more than helpful if an issue arises. The guy who sold me my second reel refunded half the price when i only asked for enough to cover the tension knob.

15-20lb Yo Zuri Hybrid or Berkley Big Game mono. Thanks for the info, ill have to try this with the rod ive currently got. If it works ill keep the rod for the 6" and fish it in grass. And then buy a bigger bait rod a month from now and have a 2nd rod for those 7" ones.

Im actually planning on pickup one of these up for treble hooked swimbaits and glides, i love the rod and would buy a 2nd for these if they offered it in a non moderate action. It would definitely work, but i think i would like a fast or extra fast much more for these big single hooks buried into plastic. Im a big Dobyns fan, and have wanted the 795 and 806 for awhile but the ones ive looked at where just a bit too parabolic for me. Will definitely add this to the list of rods to checkout, did it seem like the 6" with the 3/8 Beast in any way was too light for the rod since its rated to 5oz?

I use the Daingerous the most, but picked up some Whales to try. I really love fishing these type of swimbaits but really struggle fishing them with the rods i own. The rod im using for them now is a KVD CC5 (7'4" Heavy - Moderate, rated 1/2-2oz) it does fine for the 6" although it struggles with distance, but feels like it may or may not become a two piece rod after a few casts using the 7". For context the 6" weighs 1.2oz, and the 7" 1.6oz (using what i could find on the internet since i dont have a scale currently). Depending on which swimbait and Owner Beast hook size used the total weight can range from just under 1.5oz low end - just under 2oz high end. The other issue i have with this rod is the moderate action, but it was all i had at the time to use. I know its been talked about on here before, but everything i could find for rod recommendations were $250-300 rods, and only went to 1 1/2-2oz at the highest. Thats way out of my price range, and IMO too low in ratings for me. Ive found 4 rods that might work for me. #1. Lews KVD GC9 7'6" X-Heavy, X-Fast. 1/2-3oz rating #2. BPS Crankin Stick 7'10" MH, Fast. 1-4oz rating #3. Lews Super Duty 7'6" Heavy, Fast. 1-4oz rating #4. Falcon Expert (Amistad) 7'4" Extra Heavy, Fast. 3/4-3oz rating Anyone use any of these rods for stuff like Magdraft freestyles or similar? If not any other rods i should check out that wont be pushing the rod to its maximum?

Today used reels are closer to MSRP than new ones. On marketplace they actually cost more most times. I buy all my reels new from Midway and DSG and get between 20-80% off regularly when they have a sale or open box items. However im not against buying used reels, if given the chance to get one in good condition for the right price id buy it.

I see it now, you're correct, TW for nicer reels/rods. BPS for mid range rods (although they carry much less options) and those mid range reels. For anything under $200 it doesnt seem worth it, but back to what you said about using them for higher end reels. Over $200 you would be getting back atleast $50, most places can ship a reel for $10. Its not much of a loss at that level. And you never know, TW might surprise us and send a prepaid shipping label with the orders that are done online. But thats my wishful thinking and unlikely.

Im hoping its a bigger skirt, and bigger profile too?😀 Ive been needing something with a vibration and a big profile for awhile now, so this is great. Any updates on the Mini Fogy?

BPS 40-79.99 = $10. TW 50-100 = $10. BPS 80-119.99 = $20 TW 100-150 = $20. BPS 120-174.99 = $30 TW 150-199.99 = $30 BPS 175-219.99 = $40 TW no option BPS 220-499.99 = $50 TW 200-299.99 = $50 (until this point TW has been behind in each tier, making you spend more) After this TW takes the win. But if TW isnt covering shipping your items to them (which is realistic they wont) that would eat into most if not all of the trade value.... But still a good option for those who want a rod or reel BPS doesnt carry. Lets be honest, i have more rods and reels in a corner collecting dust than whats on the floor at most BPS/Cabelas these days....

When i say power knobs, im talking about power knobs. The ones that are bigger than your reels spool and popular upgrades for guys slinging 6-8oz+ baits or salt water anglers. I could never use them, im big on how my gear looks. Its just as important as performance and comfort to me. But i think my point was taken out of context, i asked what place they have on 100 sized reels for regular bass fishing? Because there is none. If you are flipping in vegetation like you said, or casting swimbaits like i said #1. theres better looking knobs of that size on the market (IMO Gomexus is an atrocity), and #2. Not many guys are using 100 sized reels for either of what we talked about, as most would prefer a 150-200 atleast 8 times out of 10.

Is only the hook bigger in size? Or the blade too? How much larger is this compared to a regular Fogy?

TW going after BPS, from today till the 26th (what a coincidence) they are having a rod and reel trade in program (although BPS has better values its close, and TW has much more inventory for rods and reels). You can ship it to them or drop it off, although im guessing we pay for shipping. So factor that in to the trade values.

What did you think of them?

Shimano makes better knobs than Daiwa, better grip and much more to hold onto. The US Daiwas i own (minus the Fuego) are way too small.... (I have normal sized hands btw). Thank you OP, you may have just saved my Zillion by making this. IMO Gomexus knobs are the best way to take a high end, good looking reel, and turn it into something that looks as if it was bought from Temu for $20. No ones throwing 6oz swimbaits on 100 sized reels, what are power sized knobs even for?

No one would ever recommend a Black Max for $50, but for $20 off marketplace this plastic piece of garbage will last forever. However when they did sell for $50-60 it included a rod, that too is pretty durable and great for squarebills. I and several dozen others got a LFS with an aluminum frame, P2 super pinion, an actually usable handle grips, etc for $22.50 from America, with a warranty, a receipt, no odd names, no scams.... There are really good deals in both markets, but i (and more than likely many of us here) have spent too much time buying cheap junk trying to save a dollar, testing out budget reels no one heard of, or uses. For a few bucks less or a few bucks more id rather just buy a Lews, Daiwa, Shimano from the US, because the deals ive gotten them for beat Ali/Temu and JDM stores. But i have to admit i really would love that Fuego SV and Salamandura, but im at a loss on where i would even start to try to find a legit one being sold by a legit dealer....

It comes in to boost Daiwas profits by making guys who only shop in the US think they are buying the best Tatula there is. Theres 0 reason to buy an Elite (which is rarely ever sold below the $250 MSRP at authorized dealers) over a JDM Zillion $210-230, JDM Tatula 100 $116-130, etc, etc... The Elite's and Fuego CT are in the same boat to me, nice looking and performing reels but way overpriced and sold above what they are worth. The Elite is for sure a great reel, but you can buy an Elite Long Cast spool off many places for $45 and stick it in any Tatula CT, Fuego CT. If you have one great, if not they go around $80 used. To me the over $100 price increase for another Zero adjust i have to mess with out of the box anyways isnt worth it. Tatula 80, jerkbaits, finesse baits that are lighter but not BFS light (however many guys on Reddit love the 80 because of aftermarket BFS spool support for it, the deeper spool over the 70 grants much more distance, well so ive heard. Tatula 100, what the Tatula CT or Fuego CT shouldve been, a reel thats capable of many things, but excels more for lighter heavy duty things like jigs, spinnerbaits, frogging, etc... Also another popular reel for BFS spool swaps. Zillion, lots of aftermarket support, and compatibility. Out of the box its good for most 3/8-1/2oz lures, super smooth, very light, casts a lipless farther than anything else i own. And i own a few long cast reels. Its a premium reel, and it gives you that experience. However if i couldve done it again, i wouldve went with the Zillion HD. Nicer looking reel, and more of a workhorse (which would fit me better)

Neither. I have a Tatula 150, its great for casting frogs but i use it for swimbaits. It feels overwhelmed past 2oz. Im going to replace it with a Curado K or M which from what ive read on other forums is a more capable reel past 2oz. I do plan on picking up a 150 SV though for skipping 6" Magdrafts, but in my experience a over braked Daiwa + an oem SV spool not made for lighter baits specifically is a disaster for anything light weight like a hollowbody frog, especially if you want distance. The 150 sized Curado will get smoked, i might be wrong but arent these more geared towards lighter lures? I would get a suggest a Tatula 200 or Curado 200, both are in that mid size range where you can throw those 1-3oz swimbaits, but the Tatula/Curado depending on what model/spool youd still be able to cast those frogs. (PS the 200 Tat is on the same frame as the Tat 150, and Shimano sizes their reels up, EX the 150 is a 100 for any other brand)

I would try and find a leftover SLX MGL 70, same applies for the SLX XT's too. The new 70 A and XT A have very mixed reviews, they seem to be lacking what made them special. And also quality control. I wouldnt suggest ordering either of the new A series ones from any place that isnt an authorized dealer in the US, because you may need that warranty once or a few times. (maybe the JDM 24 SLX which is what they call the 70 is made better though?) The last gens sell around $60-100 used or new on auction sites and from Japanese sellers, these are a steal. IMO they are better than the Zillion, the new ones not so much. Get a Curado if same price.

"Am i crazy". No, you're just insane😂 I cant say much about this though, at one point i thought about taking a drop shot, using a bobber stop to stop the hook (while letting it move up and down the line when working the bait), and putting a small trout bobber a few feet above it would be a good idea. Im my mind it sounded good, the weight on bottom would ensure it was near the right depth, but the small bobber would have just enough float in it to lift the hook to where it would always be in the strike zone, and not fall to the bottom and get stuck in grass. But the bobber stop would mess up hook sets, and maybe have less sensitivity since the line goes through the eye but not directly tied to it?

Then i guess this happens alot

Either you are the same guy who posted the exact thing on reddit within the past 2 weeks, or you arent and this happens alot with them. Needless to say, i wont be ordering from them based on what ive read numerous times. However its worth mentioning, 80% of their sales are great experiences. The 20% that happen are bad enough to outweigh that for me

Adding on to this, get a wooden dowel and wrap the line around that. It will take all pressure off the reel and its internals.

Dicks has buy 3 get 3 free on Yamamoto baits.

You might be a little late to the party for shopping at Dicks, corporate wide the buy 3 get 3 Evo deal ended on the 1st. However some stores trying to move old product might still have it going on.... But while you are there check out the Gary Yamamoto section, if theres no sign check their website. Youll be very glad you did. I have 2 Academys nearby, the issue is they are being built. Im happy we are getting them, but so sad its too late. Ive seen numerous guys getting Dobyns rods for $50-65, and deals of a lifetime on lures, just to go on their website and see a dismal selection of stuff out of stock or unavailable for shipping😭

I dislike my Zillion for this reason alot. The message says its a nice, high end, premium reel. But they failed to execute it, it looks cheapish, makes my OCD uphappy no matter what rod i put it on, and scratches show more than any other reel i own. I didnt know about the HD when i bought it, if i did i wouldve bought 2. Its hard finding a rod to match, if anyone has recommendations let me know! The BB1 Pro IMO is the best Lews reel to exist, on par in every way and then some with any Daiwa/Shimano in the $100-200 range (US Market), and again with the JDM ones in that $100-150 range. I love the look, especially the color. Palms amazing, the handles/grips are my favorite for any reel i have, o glad Lews go the message and started putting them on their cheap LFS Gen 3's too. I remember my first T winged Tatula reel, i was blown away by the extra distance i could cast. Then i got the BB1, David Fritts wasnt joking in that one video he did on this being the best casting reel for deep crankbaits on the market (although i use my 2 for everything other than that). Even though its nothing beefed up like a Curado K/M, Tatula 150/200, Superduty, etc... It can handle bigger baits, i use my one for 6"-7" swimbaits weighing 2oz+ and it does great.

I havent once boat flipped a bass. Why on this earth would anyone want to risk breaking their rod to shave 10 seconds off of getting a 2lb bass in their boat? What little tournament fishing ive seen shows this alot, and im guessing the guys watching it follow from their example. But they dont realize the pros could replace that rod 10x over if that one were to break at the end of the day off camera. I try doing everything i can to get a fish in quick, especially in the hot months (which is why i refuse to target bass with L/ML gear), get it to the bank, kayak, boat and release it as fast and safe as possible. I try debarbing my hooks whenever i can also. And i dont throw them in mud, rocks, etc.... Ill hold them at all times if its possible, but sometimes i will have to lay them gently on the grass. It might not be the best thing for them, but its either that or leave a giant lure in their throat. You cant win them all. Want to know what else is very similar to this? 70% of the bass fisherman on FB/Reddit will start threats in the comments if someone posts they took a bass home to eat, but those same guys will set the hook like $1 million is on the line, drag the fish to them at 50MPH, slam it on the bank, hold it out of water for a few minutes as they struggle to get their scale, get their camera app open on their phone, find a good backdrop for a photo, and on minute #5 take 20 pictures with their 1-2-3lb bass.... But yeah they dont like people eating bass because they care about their health and safety so much. On here ive seen the opposite, im thinking most men and women might take an extra 15-30 seconds to get their pictures of their catch, and thats perfectly fine IMO. But these younger guys (my age) are terrible with bass handling. Most of them think they are social media/Tiktok/ Youtube stars, and you can tell by their video titles, and thumbnails. They often have the bass out of water for atleast 3-5 minutes. Sometimes even longer.