I am looking to get a reel for my 7ft 4in heavy fast st croix victory rod. (Will use the rod for frogging, pitching and flipping jigs around timber ect) Do you have any suggestions? I have  mainly been looking at the tatula 200 and the shimano bantam 150. I would get the bantam, but my worry is line capacity. Will the bantam have enough line capicity if I ever want to throw 65lb braid? Thank you so much for the help! Also I found the bantam for like 230 on digitaka. If some part breaks would it being a jdm reel make it hard to replace?

Unless you abuse your equipment I would be surprised if you would ever need parts for either reel. That being said the frame is more sturdy on the Bantam due to the core design. I don't see line capacity being an issue on either reel. The Curado 200M or JDM Scorpion 200 MD would be your Shimano competitor to the Tatula 200. The Bantam is a step up the ladder in the reel hierarchy. The Curado/Scorpion do not have the core frame design but do have Aluminum frames. I only buy Shimano/Daiwa through Digitaka. I don't see getting parts for the Bantam as an issue since that reel is also sold here. You can get parts through Shimano's parts store. You can get JDM parts via JDM vendors. Just be advised there is no warranty on JDM reels here in the states. When you buy a Shimano or Daiwa the expectation is if you treat them right you don't need a warranty or parts. Plus when you are getting the reels at close to half price in some cases you're not out hat much difference if you have to replace a reel vs buying the 1st one at USDM prices.

If youre willing to go JDM, Bantam is a no brainer. You can get at least 70 yards of wider dia #65, which is more than enough. If you want to stay in the US, then Curado 200M would be a good alternative. The 200M is a fairly small framed reel for a 200 spool, but its not as small as a Bantam. The JDM Bantam is a higher quality reel, and its the same price as the Curado 200M after paying the duty fee on Digitaka.

The Daiwa reels are bigger when you compare them to the same size Shimano's. A Tatula 150 has more capacity than most 200 size Shimanos. If you like Daiwas I would go for a 150 over a 200 for sure.

Personally, for a jig rod, I like small reels with an MGL spool, which are light and start easy, but cast very far. I would recommend either a Metanium or Bantam. Both are brass geared reels, which stay smooth. Biggest difference is weight. One is Magnesium, which is lighter and the other is AL. Both reels are super solid and would be perfect for pitching and frogging.

So, in conclusion, Bantam would be my recommendation for sure. At just over $200, theyre a steal.

There could possibly be a new Bantam in July at icast. Someone else will probably have more info on that.

I have that JDM bantam on my 7'4" jig rod so I think you can guess my answer. I'm throwing 18# shooter fluoro which is between 50# and 65# 832 braid. I have no capacity issues.

For frogging, pitching, and flipping, I would not jump to a 200 size just because the rod is heavy. A Bantam palms better for close work, and 65 on that reel is plenty unless you are making long bomb casts into matted grass all day. The bigger thing is whether you want compact and solid or just more spool than you will ever use, and parts are not the issue on a Bantam since that reel is sold here too, you are really just giving up the US warranty by going JDM. Is this rod going to live mostly as a frog rod or more as a pitch-and-flip combo?