15 hours ago, mrpao said:

What model expride are you using?

 

68 MXF

That's the same one I use for weightless worms.

I wish the expride came in a 6'10" med version.

I like the 7' med also, but find a slightly shorter rod better at not hitting the trolling motor.

Finally got my Curado BFS. Arrived just as I was finished servicing my Aldebaran and unshielding all the bearings. Not sure how, but most bearings were bone dry under the shields, even after getting oil right before my last outing, making me seriously question everything I thought. 
 

 

picture is deceiving the Curado is as small or smaller than the aldebaran, but stands taller. It is taller on the rod, too.

 

 

My review of this reel is this is the best reel I’ve ever touched fresh out of the box. Perfect tolerances. Smoothest I’ve ever seen right out of the box. Casts perfectly. Bearings feel like boca ceramic. This reel needs absolutely no upgrades. Main complaint is the chunkyness because it sits high on the reel. Packed with 15lb Seaguar smackdown, it casts as far as you’ll ever need. I don’t believe the drag stats, I’d put max drag at 10lbs and 12+ upgraded. 

 

I watched this review and seriously thought he was just acting overly excited and enthusiastic about this reel. After fishing it, nope, he was understating everything.

 

https://www.tacticalbassin.com/blog/gear-review-shimano-curado-bfs-megabass-p5-rods-creature-baits-swimbaits-and-finesse

Not showing off stuff in this post, but recommending this as the thinnest, strongest line that there is. I ordered this to compare to Spiderwire Code Red. It is rated 25lb test. It’s about as thick as 15lb test and the break strength is higher than any other braid I’ve ever fished. Including 65 and 75lb braid. This was purchased as a joke. But it is no joke strong.

 

Not exactly true.  

X-braid - Duel, YGK, Goshen - in 30-lb test is 0.15 mm
(35-lb test 0.17 mm below).  

In 0.23 mm, they're 46-lb test.  In Sufix 832, that's 20-lb test, though both are very well-behaved lines.  

 

@bulldog1935 I see what you’re saying about thickness. For reference it’s almost the same as PP thickness. But I judge the thickness by feel. The reason I go by feel is if you have a flat line, like the Seaguar Smackdown I just got, it claims it is about .15mm, but that .15mm has to be the wideness. It is so flat, like a piece of tape, that the thickness on the spool is a lot less than the .15mm. It’s 15mm wide and a much lower number tall. There’s just never an accurate number on thickness, because almost no line is equal in three dimensions. That is always my biggest complaint about different lines in general. 

there's no rounder - or smoother - line than the X-braids.  

They're 8-strand, all the strength is in the center strand; the 7 outer strands are abrasion-resistant and the finest fibers and tightest weave possible - the same makers offer less expensive coarser braids using coarser fibers, and slightly reduced test for the diameter.  They're final coated in silicone polymer, and the silicone formulation varies for different applications.  I've found some tailored for casting reels, and others for spinning reels, soft feel, etc.  

But they're round - there's not enough void inside for them to be anything else.  

PE#0.8 = 0.148 mm = 0.005" is 16-lb test

Picked up a new Daiwa SLP Works Ryoga 1016, pretty slick little reel.

Picked up a SUPER clean Zillion 50th anniversary.

Sweet!

On 6/11/2021 at 7:00 PM, evo2s197 said:

Picked up a new Daiwa SLP Works Ryoga 1016, pretty slick little reel.

Have you got to fish this yet? I was looking at one of these also. 

^

 

2 hours ago, FrankN209 said:

Have you got to fish this yet? I was looking at one of these also.

Not yet, I threw it around in the backyard, great caster reminds me of the Steez A's, palms great and balances out longer rods, I put it on a Legend Xtreme 7ft4 Heavy.

 

Changed the knobs out to SLP I knobs.

5 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

^

 

Not yet, I threw it around in the backyard, great caster reminds me of the Steez A's, palms great and balances out longer rods, I put it on a Legend Xtreme 7ft4 Heavy.

 

Changed the knobs out to SLP I knobs.

That's really nice! 

Picked up the new STEEZ AGS BOTTOM CONTACT II, and a BNIB Megabass IP79L.

 

I'm happy about the cork grips, the new bottom contact is about a full ounce lighter, seems like smaller guides, and the same power.

Nice. Matching colors.

Love it.

1 hour ago, evo2s197 said:

 

Stunning.  I am despairing over my p5 ever showing up and am thinking of jumping ship and picking up one of the new Steezes.   

10 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

Stunning.  I am despairing over my p5 ever showing up and am thinking of jumping ship and picking up one of the new Steezes

Where did you order the bait finesse from?

47 minutes ago, evo2s197 said:

Where did you order the bait finesse from?

TackleTrap.  I am second or third in line.  Looking to maybe jump to the Steez Universal Light, but that would "force" the purchase of a new reel where as I have one I can stick on the Hien/Bait Finesse.  

15 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

TackleTrap.  I am second or third in line.  Looking to maybe jump to the Steez Universal Light, but that would "force" the purchase of a new reel where as I have one I can stick on the Hien/Bait Finesse.  

The STAGS691MFB was the one I was gonna suggest but your on it already.

 

I will tell you the bait finesse is tip heavy with most finesse reels i tried with it, only the millionaire ct sv was balanced, mostly because of the weight distribution of the reel.

 

Another option is the 

RD 6101ML + FB

6 minutes ago, evo2s197 said:

The STAGS691MFB was the one I was gonna suggest but your on it already.

 

I will tell you the bait finesse is tip heavy with most finesse reels i tried with it, only the millionaire ct sv was balanced, mostly because of the weight distribution of the reel.

 

Another option is the 

RD 6101ML + FB

 

Hah, if I was baller enough for a Racing Design I would go all in and get the solid tip M+.  

 

I have heard that the Bait Finesse is tip heavy, but I would be sticking a ASC/F-Type franken-reel on it, it's about 6oz, so I hope it will balance well enough.  I jammed a wad of tungsten putty into the butt cap of my FMJ a few years ago to dial in the balance, I am not averse to doing it again.  I'm not married to the p5, but the Universal Light is out of stock by now as well, so it's all up in the air. 

 

The nice part is, by the time the rod arrives, the money will have been out of my hands for so long it's going to feel like a birthday present from my past self.  

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

I'm not married to the p5, but the Universal Light is out of stock by now as well, so it's all up in the air. 

I would go for the new Steez if I were you over the P5, it's pretty close to a racing design, a excellent value IMO.

 

STEEZ 2021 ON LEFT AND BOTTOM VS THE RACING DESIGN

 

The tackle monkey bit me hard when I saw the new Steez rods, especially "The Sensor." Here is a picture of the balance point paired with a Daiwa PX Type-R. Haven't had the chance to fish it yet, but I'm thinking shakeyheads, tubes, hula grubs, and finesse jigs/plastics are all in this rod's wheelhouse.