Show off your Stuff

[Tatulatard]

12 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

Added a Magforce Z Boost spool to one of my Zillion Type-R's to try out.

Gorgeous.  Let us know how that works out.  You going to use braid or flouro? 

[evo2s197]

14 lb flourocarbon is the plan.

[Tatulatard]

2 hours ago, evo2s197 said:

14 lb flourocarbon is the plan.

Let us know how that works out.  I hear those spools are wild and like easier flowing line.  

[evo2s197]

1 hour ago, Tatulatard said:

Let us know how that works out.  I hear those spools are wild and like easier flowing line.  

Casts like a dream.

[redmeansdistortion]

Almost there!  I'm still waiting on a Duralumin gear set to come in then I can call it done.  Now here is where it gets interesting.  With the Roro spool, this thing was either over braked or under braked with very little in between.  For the sake of experimentation, I swapped side plates with my Millionaire CT and it was money, got the full range of braking without the all-or-nothing I was experiencing previously.  When I put both magnet assemblies side by side, I noticed the magnets from the Ringa stick out about 1mm more than those in the CT, which means the inductor was further into the mag assembly giving a more aggressive braking profile. 

 

The Ringa is a Magforce Z reel, designed to throw from about 3/8 on up, and this more aggressive braking profile is better for those bigger baits, but not conducive to finesse fishing.  I removed the mag assembly from my CT and put it in its new home in the Ringa, and ordered a new CT mag assembly from PLAT to get that reel back on the water.  Oh yeah, this thing weighs a whole 6.7 oz now, and will shed another quarter ounce once the new aluminum main gear is in.  That's a feather for a round reel.  I'm going to take it out on the creek tomorrow morning.  Can't wait!

 

[fishwizzard]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:05 AM, evo2s197 said:

Just got a Sedition Cristobal and a new TD-Z 103HL

Amazing!  
 

How is the rod?

[evo2s197]

7 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

Amazing!  
 

How is the rod?

It's pretty sweet, good rod for 1/4 keitech football jigs with a 4 inch GYCB DT grub.

[waymont]

On 8/8/2022 at 7:04 AM, NYWayfarer said:

The towel is for when the terrain is rocky and I have to lay my rod down.

When I shop for used JDM reels (from Japan) on Ebay, most of them are really scratched up on the top of the reel. Probably because they are being used for shore fishing.

[Cbump]

I’m in love

 

 

 

[Cbump]

Man I can’t get over this reel. The mix of the shiny and matte black. 😍

 

The digitaka website pics didn’t do It justice. I thought my zillion tw sv was good looking but wow. 

[KP Duty]

22 hours ago, Cbump said:

Man I can’t get over this reel. The mix of the shiny and matte black. 😍

 

The digitaka website pics didn’t do It justice. I thought my zillion tw sv was good looking but wow. 

The Zillion 10's have the same paint job.  I dig it as well.  I'm thinking of gearing down my 10's so I can use them more.

 

[bulldog1935]

I'm going to follow @redmeansdistortion's lead.  Here's my birthday present to me. 

Building this entirely from parts, which I already had most of the drive parts, 6.3 gears, but ordered a RocketReelCo ball-bearing main shaft.  It's going to have a Conquest look with max champagne gold. 

This is a 4500CT (NLW) built on a Zzeta frame, and intending to long-cast light braid with finesse lures, and of course keep the option for throwing heavier.  The one part I'm waiting on is a 4500 spool spindle, but I'll throw you a bone, and show you the real stuff later, e.g., when I get the drive plate assembled. 

[newapti5]

8 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

I'm going to follow @redmeansdistortion's lead.  Here's my birthday present to me. 

Building this entirely from parts, which I already had most of the drive parts, but ordered a RocketReelCo ball-bearing main shaft.  It's going to have a Conquest look with max champagne gold. 

This is a 4500CT (NLW) built on a Zzeta frame, and intending to long-cast light braid with finesse lures, and of course keep the option for throwing heavier.  The one part I'm waiting on is a 4500 spool spindle, but I'll throw you a bone, and show you the real stuff later, e.g., when I get the drive plate assembled. 

 

Gee, you guys got expensive customized bday present(s). What I got last time was a steak dinner without cake. 

[Eric 26]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

I'm going to follow @redmeansdistortion's lead.  Here's my birthday present to me. 

Building this entirely from parts, which I already had most of the drive parts, 6.3 gears, but ordered a RocketReelCo ball-bearing main shaft.  It's going to have a Conquest look with max champagne gold. 

This is a 4500CT (NLW) built on a Zzeta frame, and intending to long-cast light braid with finesse lures, and of course keep the option for throwing heavier.  The one part I'm waiting on is a 4500 spool spindle, but I'll throw you a bone, and show you the real stuff later, e.g., when I get the drive plate assembled. 

🤤 Happy Birthday indeed. Looking forward to seeing the final result😉

[Cbump]

Had a Lew’s hyper mag on this rod. This pairing is much better. 
 

 

[redmeansdistortion]

15 hours ago, newapti5 said:

 

Gee, you guys got expensive customized bday present(s). What I got last time was a steak dinner without cake. 

To be fair, my wife asks me what I want for my birthday every year.  So my answer was always, "I dunno? Socks and underwear?"  The first few years, she took it literally and I got exactly that.  A couple of years ago, she's going through the closet bagging old clothes to give away and says to me, "how'd you accumulate so many socks?  You have enough underwear to survive nuclear war."  So I smile, give her the look and say "most of this was birthday gifts from you", then it dawned on her that I was pulling her chain the entire time.  So now she just says "I never know what to get you, but I know you're going to buy fishing stuff anyway."  That's my girl!

[bulldog1935]

On 8/24/2022 at 3:28 PM, newapti5 said:

... What I got last time was a steak dinner without cake. 

Went to B/D lunch at El Mirasol with my folks and sister - ate a birthday flan - it was good, and I was buzzing from the sugar rush. 

Ambassadeurs are a bit like tinkertoys, and a lot of fun to work on. 

 I've always liked the CNC-mill swirl pattern on Zzeta side plates, which needs reflection to photo. They also make the only surf/tournament frame for 4500 (they also make 3600, 5600, and 6600, which no others offer)

Inside, the left plate doesn't have a post for a LW idler gear, and has the built-in bronze "bullet" that accepts the spool spindle.  Mine has Avail mag brake added. 

The barstock frame foot is longer than a normal reel foot, needing a custom split reel seat (I have the rod), the spool is also 8 mm closer to the rod, and brings it that much closer to your thumb. 

About 6 years ago, UK maker Akios made a limited run of level-wind 5500 and 6500 barstock frames, which are hen's teeth, because no one is letting go, and would be a boon to find one. 

another tough photo to light - here's that completed custom 4500CT built from parts, NLW, 6.3 gears. 

 

 

 

[Crankin4Bass]

On 8/11/2022 at 8:26 PM, bulldog1935 said:

Went to next level on my Black Cherry - braid-raced 4600C. 

Added a graphite magnum frog blade to my Smith Super Strike handle, 3/8 to 1 oz,

to compliment my Top Water Light S-glass blade. 

The color match is pretty sharp. 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, didn't get to cast my frog today - it rained - but you won't hear me complain about that

Beautiful! Do you mind sharing where you bought this? I'm drooling on my keyboard!

[bulldog1935]

@Crankin4Bass

I have 2 rod blades that go with the Smith Super Strike handle.  It's copied after the old Fenwick Champion handle, but made in lighter magnesium. 

The reel seat is offset low for round reels, bringing the spool very close to your thumb. 

The honey blade is S-glass blend, 5-15 g (up to 1/2 oz, and optimized toward the high end)

Both the red graphite and honey S-glass are similar progressive tapers (stiff butt, more flex in the tip) with different weight range, and both skip-cast (reverse spiral) very well.   I use them for close kayak fishing.  I work the load curves over, and bypass the para taper rods, because I want wide lure weight range for this rod plus one more rod in a kayak.   

Smith sells the handle options, and rod blades separately.  They also sell the complete rods with a cork pistol-grip handle.  I found the short straight handle (they also make a long) for a very good price on Amazon.JP, (no stock there now) and I bought the two blades one at a time from Asian Portal (haven't checked their stock lately). 

Stock comes and goes on the Super Strike - Smith makes so many other rod types - the trick is watch for what you want and snag them when they show up.  Ebay scalpers sell them at double mark-up. 

 

The reel was a custom braid-race project, beginning with a near-mint Royal Express II - I hunted a reel in this unused estate condition for a 4500 or 4600 project around the AMO spool, and bought it for a song. 

Finished reel casts crazy reliable, backlash-free from 3 g to an ounce. 

When I discovered the graphite-filled plastic foot would spit out of the reel seat, I found a great buy on a red NOS 4600C frame with metal foot from UK - probably a tough color to sell, and was very happy with the result.

[Crankin4Bass]

3 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

@Crankin4Bass

I have 2 rod blades that go with the Smith Super Strike handle.  It's copied after the old Fenwick Champion handle, but made in lighter magnesium. 

The reel seat is offset low for round reels, bringing the spool very close to your thumb. 

The honey blade is S-glass blend, 5-15 g (up to 1/2 oz, and optimized toward the high end)

Both the red graphite and honey S-glass are similar progressive tapers (stiff butt, more flex in the tip) with different weight range, and both skip-cast (reverse spiral) very well.   I use them for close kayak fishing.  I work the load curves over, and bypass the para taper rods, because I want wide lure weight range for this rod plus one more rod in a kayak.   

Smith sells the handle options, and rod blades separately.  They also sell the complete rods with a cork pistol-grip handle.  I found the short straight handle (they also make a long) for a very good price on Amazon.JP, (no stock there now) and I bought the two blades one at a time from Asian Portal (haven't checked their stock lately). 

Stock comes and goes on the Super Strike - Smith makes so many other rod types - the trick is watch for what you want and snag them when they show up.  Ebay scalpers sell them at double mark-up. 

 

The reel was a custom braid-race project, beginning with a NOS Royal Express II - I hunted a reel in this condition for a 4500 or 4600 project around the AMO spool, and bought it for a song. 

Finished reel casts crazy reliable, backlash-free from 3 g to an ounce. 

When I discovered the graphite-filled plastic foot would spit out of the reel seat, I found a great buy on a red NOS 4600C frame with metal foot from UK - probably a tough color to sell, and was very happy with the result.

Thank you so much for sharing all this detail! Must be a joy to fish from a kayak.

[evo2s197]

Got a couple new spinning combos for this fall and winter.

 

From top to bottom:

 

Combo 1

Rod:

JDM Gamakatsu Luxxe Efreet S70MHF 1100g Toray blank weighs in at 85 grams (head to head competition with the NRX+ 822S SYR, my money is on the Luxxe just based off initial impressions)

 

Reel:

Shimano C3000MHG with 8lb J-Flouro

 

Intended use

3/16-1/4 shakyheads/Mojo rig

 

Combo 2

Rod:

G Loomis NRX+ 822S SYR

 

Reel: JDM Shimano 22 Stella C3000MHG with 8lb J-Flouro

 

Intended use

 

3/16-1/4 shakyheads/Mojo rig

 

Combo 3

Rod: 

G Loomis NRX+ 852S JWR

 

Reel: JDM Shimano 22 Stella C3000MHG with 8lb J-Flouro

 

Intended use:

1/4 Keitech and Bass Union football jigs with 4-5 inch GYCB trailers.

 

Combo 4

Rod:

G Loomis NRX+ 822S DSR

 

Reel: JDM Shimano 22 Stella

C2500S with 5lb J-Flouro 

 

Intended use:

Casting nose hooked 3 inch Keitech Easy Shiners/ Megabass Hazedong shads on 1/8-3/16 ounce dropshot weights. (This rod is a tad bit stiffer than the previous generation NRX 822DSR) it's like a +.25 compared to the first generation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cbump]

Why’d you go so cheap, evo2? 😜

[evo2s197]

6 minutes ago, Cbump said:

Why’d you go so cheap, evo2? 😜

Times are tough gotta cut costs somewhere.

[roadwarrior]

Nice, very nice...

 

                              

[NorthernBasser]

On 8/24/2022 at 9:49 PM, Cbump said:

Had a Lew’s hyper mag on this rod. This pairing is much better. 
 

 

What model (rod) is that?