7 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Bait-monkey blew into my ear, “hey, let’s check out another Japanese tackle shop tomorrow, okay?”

 

right!  I’ll tell the wife!

Black Friday sale at Hedgehog started today. 

 

I bought a SLP SV PE 700 spool and a pair of RCS finesse knobs with gunmetal caps.  Going on my Millionaire CT SV.  This is the same spool that comes on the recently released SLP Millionaire.

 

 

 

My friend bought a Zillion HD and it’s soooooo nice!!

On 11/18/2025 at 11:56 PM, FellowAnglers1 said:

I decide to pick up a poison ultima 7ML from fish-field. They are the only one I see online that is still at 889.00 and also have 20 percent off.

How does the Ultima 7’ ML feel? I want to pull the trigger on one too. My other option was a NRX+ NRR. I plan to throw 1/15 or 1/10 NED EWGs. Either one would be paired with a Vanquish C3000XG. Thanks for any insight!

First thing when I got home was a test fit!  
 

now to deal with the jet lag. 
 

I blew what little fishing budget I had on these reels. $82 shipped. A BPS Tourney Special, a Diawa CR80, and a BPS Pro Qualifier.

 

I really needed another rod, but I thought, well, this deal won't be there later and you can't really find good deals on used rods nearly as easy.

 

Ebay picture.

Just bought a 7'3 medium fast spinning Legend x2 from Fish-Field. They have 25 percent off on all St Croix rods at the moment.

Got a NOS 2011 Calcutta DC in the 100 size. Have had the first gen one from the early 2000s, and the calcutta dc 50 in the past. Loved them both but the 50 didn't have enough adjustments on their brakes, so i sold it, and the first gen calcutta dc i had was in the 200 size, so i've sold it as well. Curious how the 100 will feel, and for once, a Shimano reel that i buy without the micro module😁

On 11/27/2025 at 5:25 PM, Aguilab1 said:

How does the Ultima 7’ ML feel? I want to pull the trigger on one too. My other option was a NRX+ NRR. I plan to throw 1/15 or 1/10 NED EWGs. Either one would be paired with a Vanquish C3000XG. Thanks for any insight!

The ultima feel great in hand but will not test it until spring. It winter up here in the midwest. Can't go wrong with either one but nrx+ cheaper and better warranty.

Target is 3" weightless senko from river kayak.  Reel is obscure Reply Badger BFS from Japan.  These went on reservation sale in January,  I watched the last half-dozen sell on Yahoo in a few weeks, and found the last brick-shop inventory slightly discounted at Blue Marlin in Hokkaido.  The reel is probably made by Doryu, and was sold last couple years with mono spool as Frog Products Toy Machine Competition.  

 

Also been moving around rod grips and blades to dial in my niches.  My perfect 3" weightless senko combo has the reel matched with Bright River Quatre 5'6" 1-power, and Aioushi offset grip with single cork.  

The tiny reel is smaller-frame than Ambassadeur 1500C, spool diameter and pitch are mostly identical, but the spool sits in the top of the frame, so it likes offset grip.  Aioushi grip is about a 3/4-offset, in between half-offset Rivermaster and full-offset Chucker. 

I originally had this rod blade matched with Isuzu BC420 for this niche, but this reel is crazy fast and perfectly-tuned mag-brake range, casting 3" weightless senko effortlessly beyond 80' on the short rod, and skip-casting like a bullet a foot above the water.  

Yes, it has a name - Blue Badger.  

I also picked up 5'9" Kuramochi Synapse ML/L semi-para finesse blade, which makes a better match with my BC420 on Rivermaster grip for finesse baits.  (great distance, just doesn't skip-cast)

Taking BC420 out of the weightless senko business, I was able to reduce internal mag brake force by 7/8 turn, and it lights up casting 2-g loaded jighead beyond 90'

Spool and knobs received.  I used to have AMO rosewood knobs on this reel but I didn't particularly care much for them.  These I-shaped finesse knobs are great, got gunmetal caps to go with them.

 

Here's a photo of the SV 700S I ran previously compared to the SV PE 700.  The inductor on the PE spool is a little shorter and the inductor cup is just a little thinner material.  The inside dimension of the spool is also more narrow, and probably closer to the 28mm Alphas Air TW and Silver Creek Air TW spools.

 

 

On 11/30/2025 at 3:45 PM, FellowAnglers1 said:

The ultima feel great in hand but will not test it until spring. It winter up here in the midwest. Can't go wrong with either one but nrx+ cheaper and better warranty.

I picked up NRX+ 852c JWR recently and own a 843s SJR, so I wanted to try something different! I’m sure I’ll enjoy the Ultima! 
 

On 11/29/2025 at 1:25 AM, FellowAnglers1 said:

Just bought a 7'3 medium fast spinning Legend x2 from Fish-Field. They have 25 percent off on all St Croix rods at the moment.

 I almost grabbed a Legend Xtreme 73ML too!

3 hours ago, Aguilab1 said:

I picked up NRX+ 852c JWR recently and own a 843s SJR, so I wanted to try something different! I’m sure I’ll enjoy the Ultima! 
 

 I almost grabbed a Legend Xtreme 73ML too!

Nice enjoy your poison ultima. Have you hold those Legend Xtreme in person? Even the legend x2 I bought is heavier than the NRX+ I got.

Brought these during a one day sale on Fish USA, get a Salmon/Steelhead rod and get a Okuma reel "free".

Got the  9’6” light rod and the 3000 reel, not doing any Steelhead fishing, this is for fishing the Shad run on the Delaware river from shore.

Never had a Okuma reel, seems smooth out of the box, I'll see how it performs this spring.

I'll put on Suffix 832 6lb and a 6lb Tatsu fluoro leader.

Maybe even try a float and fly, only been thinking about that for over 30 years 

 

Bought the frenzy 735 again haha, flexed the hell out of the tip and blank in store so I'm relatively sure this one won't explode under its first load, fingers crossed.

Much better the second time around, rod is still a single piece. For $79 I think these might be my goto rec for friends who don't like expensive rods. At least locally, I've never had DSG ship a rod.

1 hour ago, Peacedivision said:

Much better the second time around, rod is still a single piece. For $79 I think these might be my goto rec for friends who don't like expensive rods. At least locally, I've never had DSG ship a rod.

I purchased a Lews rod shipped from DSG and was told they come directly from their warehouse which accepts the rod from the manufacturer so essentially the rod is being handled twice but the packaging would be however Dobyns packs the rod. In my case I had it shipped to my local store and received the rod in the original tube Lews shipped it in. 

I spooled it with my 21lb braid from Aldebaran and purchased 18lb test for my Aldebaran. Let's see how it will perform.

Got this one for her for travel.

Finally got one…. 
 

congrats @MiceNReets

I have show and tell, too - received '26 Ryoga 100SV from Digitaka today.  

Separate FedEx package arrived from Hedgehog Studio at the same time, with ZPI drag star and Studio Composite RC/SC handle.  

 

Already had a niche picked out for this - it's replacing CV-Z in my mud-marsh Zara Spook.  

 

Already had the rod - also matched my '18 Ryoga with Bright River Rivermaster grip, and knew this match would be excellent.  

two-hand grip, rod is 6'4" OL for close fishing from salt kayak.  

editing in - I also had spared spared gunmetal Zero knob from my Steez (replaced with SLPW black/champagne-gold).  The extra gunmetal splash looks sharp on the drive side.  

Swapped-in SV G1 1012 spool with stacked braid to #1.5, as best as I can tell, mag scalar set to 9, cast 1/8-oz high arcs past 90' on 6' rod- just set here for a baseline scalar, one notch above incipient mid-cast backlash.
The real target, 1/4 oz, rocketed beyond 130', and no start-up backlash with 1/2 oz and intentional jerk. 

One last photo showing gunmetal trim.  

5 hours ago, MiceNReets said:

Finally got one…. 
 

That's all i use for a long time. In case you get the daiwa tick when using this spool, its the red bearing retainer that is on these spools. Took me ages to find the issue, but out of three of these i've had, two had the tick, but only with that retainer.

@Micro Module Police - I keep a stash of these parts, 

  29 -  Spool Bearing Collar p/n 110795

With any spool, I use 1030 bearing or make my own micro-bearing, here IXA 740 in Momo purple spacer for odd AMO 4-mm pinion end (best light-end Daiwa spool made, though).  

  

Without the shouldered collar, 11-mm dia spool bearing can get wedged in Daiwa tapered frame boss.    Not something you want on your magnesium Steez.   

 

Shouldered collar + 10-mm bearing prevents the wedge.  

6 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

@Micro Module Police - I keep a stash of these parts, 

  29 -  Spool Bearing Collar p/n 110795

With any spool, I use 1030 bearing or make my own micro-bearing, here IXA 740 in Momo purple spacer for odd AMO 4-mm pinion end (best Daiwa spool made, though).  

 

Without the shouldered collar, 11-mm dia spool bearing can get wedged in Daiwa tapered frame boss.    Not something you want on your magnesium Steez.   

 

Shouldered collar + 10-mm bearing prevents the wedge.  

Trust me, i have tried, and made my own spacers, telling myself this is the reason. I was so annoyed for two seasons in a row, using my pixy for smallies and walleye, and you kept feeling the d**n tick once every handle turn. I then bought the collar that is on your amo spool from Plat, and the tick is completely gone. That red collar from the PX68 Finesse Special spool is a mess. Even with the original bearing, two out of the three spools i had, had the tick. It genuinely made me go insnane, i even bought a new gear set thinking it was that. So for anyone using that collar, watch out.

On 11/18/2025 at 9:57 PM, FishTank said:

I picked up another P5 Kasumi Six Eleven. I got lucky and found a really good deal on it in the US. 

 

Here may be the downside of my Bait Monkey purchase.... I bought a KastKing Mg-Ti Elite. A guy at a local shop showed me one he bought earlier this spring and I was impressed. I couldn't get it out of my head.  So one good coupon code later, I ordered one. This is my first KastKing reel. The ones I have seen in the past didn't look to be something I would spend money on but this reel felt way different than anything else I had seen from them.  

 

Have you tried it out yet? 

1 hour ago, Brycecover said:

Have you tried it out yet? 

 

I took it out twice, once for some pond fishing and once out on my kayak. I fished it for about 2 hours at a local pond and caught a few dinks on it but my day out on the water I caught several on it (maybe 10-12). This is my second Kasumi Six Eleven and it's just as good as the other one. The Mg-Ti Elite did ok. No complaints so far. It's super smooth, casting is ok with light lures, and it can bring in the fish. I have some 8lb Invizx on it and I was throwing nothing heavier than 3/16oz. I do need to try some heavier lures on it.  If the weather holds out and the ice melts, I am hoping to hit the water the day after Christmas and fish it some more.