WetBlanket

Wouldn't bother with those cheap DC modules that don't have enough adjustements. IDC5 is good, anything under is a waste. Between the two reels mentioned, i wouldn't get either. Save money and get an SLX, or get the real quality for cheap, which is the new Tatula 100, it's far better than shimano's low end.

Since last year it has become Studio Composite. No idea why they're this niche.

Buy an Ugly Stick from your local walmart.

For smaller stuff, Tat100. For larger stuff Tat200. For cheap, nothing from Shimano approaches. This is the current king of them all.

Dunno, i am currently heavily using the z2020 and the 23 antares dc md side by side, and the only thing i can safely say that the anteres is far better at is the thumb bar, which is mid at best on the Z. Would give a slight edge to the Anteres when it comes to smoothness, but the reel has barely seen any use, while i have the Z for like five plus years, and the gear set in it is around a season and a half old. As for the 250 steez, i don't think that's needed. A 200-250 size zillion, though, i have no idea why it doesn't exist.

Don't worry, you will be the first to know when they're, and its only a matter of time.

Mine does this as well when loosening the drag. Feels like the handle side plate bends when you tighten the star drag, and gets back to its original shape when loosening the drag.

If you want your one piece rod to become a multi piece rod as quickly as possible, you should absolutely get a KastKing. Another option would be a Googan rod.

I bought the 23 Antares DC MD a few weeks ago. First MD reel that i own. Opened it up to clean it a bit since it was in used condition, and nothing inside this thing tells me that this isn't a 100 size reel like the metanium for example. Open my z2020 and it looks like a T-90 tank. Open the original ryoga1016, which is much smaller, and its like a mini tank. MD, just like their MGL spools that they pretend makes a big difference, is nothing but marketing.

We we're not turning this into i buy from japan, but everyone buys from japan, so it really is i buy from japan thread.

Very often a moderate taper rod will be able to load lures lower than its rating, and i do love them for walleye. For bass i like them for topwater stuff and shallow diving cranks.

Got rid of all my spinning gear back in 2013. Never looked back nor missed them.

Good. Everyone knows my love toward their gear sets. The second my 24 met dc or the 23 antares dc md goes buzzy mode, a storm will rise, and i don't think anybody is ready for it.

The zillion of course. Have a bunch of 34mm spools with different lines on it, and can cover everything between 2g and 1.5oz.

Why not just sell on ebay?

No grease will remove geariness if its there. At first, it might feel like it did, but as soon as it breaks in within an hour of use, welcome back to the buzzy geariness. This is the best gear grease on the market. I don't use it anymore because i used it all, and it's too d**n expensive to grab some more. ZPI used to make gear grease that was also amazing, but ZPI is a semi dead brand, so i don't know what they're doing discontinuing such a quality grease. But for the price, nothing beats Shimano ACE-2 for gears, and it's what i use primarily.

What other reels do you have that lost their smoothness quickly, or is it only the Curado?

I used to do this as well, but a fish that is capable of spooling you, will most likely explode your knot if it gets to it. The only time this has happened to me is when i snagged a sturgeon that was most likely 50lb+ and in heavy current. In normal situations this doesn't happen.

Ceramic coated balls inside a ball bearing? This is the first i hear of this. Just bought a few of these ceramic hybrids, i hope these aren't just coated with ceramic. It says the ball is made out of silicon nitrid ceramic so it shouldn't.

I don't see how you would damage a normal spool from just tightening a knot. And there's no need to tighten it that hard, just put a small piece of masking tape on the knot, and the line won't have any way of slipping on the spool.

You absolutely do feel bites a tad better with certain knobs. But just like a bite, you will feel the vibration of your gear set noticeably more with certain knob materials. It doesn't make much difference when your gears are new and perfectly smooth, but if it's a pair that has seen some use over the years, there's no dampening of vibration with those skinny knobs, metal ones or carbon ones.

Since the beginning of this season, i've been using multiple titanium knobs from Livre that i got off season. Always assumed you'd feel the internals of your reel more by using carbon and metal knobs, but i was actually surprised by the difference. Using thicker line, you even feel the line lay on the spool under tension. Big difference between metal and rubber, and now i understand why Shimano has been using nothing but thick rubber knobs since at least the late 90s. It really does dampens the vibration that you feel at the tip of your fingers.

Been using the fuji keepers since 2015. Never had any issues with it, and the rubbing ring didn't even fall apart after a decade.

4 strand slices veggies waaay better than 8. 8 is more silent, smoother and to a much lesser extent, casts a bit better.

4 if you'll have to slice through veggies. 8 if you're mostly fishing in open water.