21farms

hi and welcome to the boards. i would HIGHLY recommend you buy just one to start. the zillions are great rods but the reel seat design isn't for everyone. plus, their power and action ratings are little on the light side and may take getting used to. i'd say get the TXZL701MXB (perfect senko rod and excellent for wormin') and go from there. throw blades and cranks with it and experiment other apps on it to get a better sense of it's capabilities. i personally prefer mod to mod/fast action for spinnerbaits and cranks.

rick, i have the MH F 7-footer and it weighs 4.3 ounces. i'm sure the M XF 7-footer will be the same or lighter but i will confirm later this week when mine arrives the zillions are sweet and definitely among my favorites. if daiwa only made it in 7'3" lengths, i would think they're perfect. but, yes, i too think the power is underrated, especially if you are used to g.loomis' ratings.

i have both and they're both nice reels. however, many reels can do what the fuego does (general duty) but few can handle light lures with the aplomb that the sol exhibits without costing significantly more. and, except for the somewhat limited line capacity, the sol can cover many duties. the difference in line retrieve between the two is 4" (28 IPT for the fuego and 24 IPT for the sol).

i've had 'em all. as others have said, the first-gen dobyns and powells were similar. however, the G2 dobyns are in a different ballpark. of course, there's a $80 difference between the two so they better be. the powells may be a better value but the G2 dobyns are a better rod.

i attribute it to two things: 1. years ago, when daiwa first decided to sling the gearbox down the side of the reel foot, it opened up a new world of possibilities for bigger main gears while maintaining a low profile for easy palmability. the bigger gears allowed for more efficient cranking, even at the higher ratios without wearing you out. 2. the increased popularity of tournament fishing in turn created more "power" fisherman who fish fast and need to cover a lot of water. if you've even seen gary dobyns fish, that's what i'm talking about.

i was chatting with one of the guys at the local BPS store...at the end of our conversation, i found he was none other than dave glliebe he was really a nice guy too.

i just went over to their website at www.fishlazer.com. click on 'tech info' and it'll tell you all you need to know. not one mention of quality, design nor innovation; just that they're 'turned out by the millions by americans.' the trokar thing is perplexing to me...for example, the trokar dropshot hooks are 5 for $9.99. gammy dropshot hooks are $8.70 and you get 25 of them!

totally agree with you. the eagle claw print ads i see are ridiculous and along the lines of "this is ed. ed has worked for us for over 40 years. ed has cranked out millions of hooks. ed is an american." [slightly exaggerated for emphasis but you get the idea] NO mention of quality, innovation, or fish-catching ability...only 'buy us cuz we're american'...it's like they just don't get "it". hey, eagle claw, instead of playing the patriotism card, churn out some truly great products. the trokars seem interesting BUT at $2 to $3 PER HOOK????

i don't know if there's a LOT of bass fisherman in japan but, from what i can tell, the ones that are there are extremely passionate about the sport. i once read an interview with one of the head honchos for (i think) daiwa and they asked him why we in the U.S. don't get the cool reels the japanese domestic market does. basically, what he he said was that we're too rough on our equipment. sorry, i wish i remembered where it was exactly that i saw that.

hollow bodies and spinnerbaits are somewhat similar. ideally, you want a 7-foot MH rod with a mod/fast to fast tip (mod/fast tip if you're using exposed hooks, fast tip if skin-hooking). a medium rod won't cut it. i also think you'd better off with 12 to 15 pound line and a slower reel. i use a g.loomis SBR813C and curado E5.

ideally, you'd have two different rods for that: a 7' medium-heavy extra-fast action for worms and a medium to medium-light fast action for finesse work. the BPS rick clunn RCL702WD 7' M worm/dropshot rod is one rod that was designed with that application in mind. it has a fast action but a soft tip and decent backbone for a medium-rated rod.

just to make sure there's no confusion, only the 500- and 1000-size saharas have graphite frames. the other sizes are all aluminum. actually, the "mg" stands for magnesium, which is lighter and stronger than aluminum but not suitable for saltwater use now, personally, although the 2500-size is the most versatile and best all-around choice for most bass fishing, i much prefer my 1000-size and 1500-size reels when i can get away with it. you might get a little more line twisting with the smaller spools but the compactness and lighter weight throughout a day of fishing is worth it IMHO.

the cabelas in reno has a very small selection of rods, even their house-brand rods. you can always order it online and have it shipped to the store for free though to ensure the one you're looking for is there.

i'm only aware of two ML rods that come in 6'9": st. croix and the BPS pro finesse so i assume you're considering one of those. i'd say that if you plan to throw any 1/8th oz. darterheads or shakeyhead, go for the ML as you'll get better action and better casting with the lighter weights. i played with both the 6'9" ML and the 7' M BPS before deciding on the ML...the 7' M just didn't feel as crisp. i've been more than happy with mine and i love it as much as any of my $200+ sticks. i generally like rods in the 7'0" to 7'3" range but i have never missed the inches on the 6'9" rod...in fact, i think it is perfect for light and finesse applications. it kills me that they're currently on clearance for $60 when i paid $100.

wait, are you talking about the BBZ-1 shad or the BBZ-1 (which looks like a 6-inch or 8-inch trout)? regardless, all BBZs do this trick where you give it a quick jerk with your rod tip and quickly feed it slack line and it will turn 180 degrees to face any fish following it...really great for triggering a reaction strike. personally, i think the slow-sinking BBZ-1 shad sinks way too s-l-o-w-l-y and rises too quickly so i have storm suspendots plastered all over mine. i have the fast sink version too and i think that one should have been labeled slow sink.

FYI, the BPS prolite finesse rods are currently on sale online for $79.77 right now: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_73559_100002000_100000000_100002000_100-2-0?ordProd=Y&CMID=BOTTOM_selectitems#itemDetail as an aside, the last time i was in a BPS store a few months back, i saw that they had some split grip prolite finesse rods in lengths they do not show in the catalog or online. another word of warning: BPS online and brick-and-mortar prices are different.

shimano added their "propulsion line management system" starting with the FJ-series. i think it's a huge upgrade and worth the extra dollars. unfortunately, shimano also stopped including spare spools with their 2009 and newer reels :'(

i'm just wondering what the instructions that came with the reel say about spooling line onto the reel. they are not all the same: i've seen some say to pull line from the bottom of the filler spool, some from the top, and others with the spool on its side. it is important to do it exactly the way the manufacturer tells you to do it since each has their own implementation of the anti-twist feature.

just use this link: www.basspro.com/save100, add one more item to your cart (in addition to the rod), and save $20 (good through august 19th). a word of warning: once you place your order, print your order summary showing the $20 discount and the dollar amount of your order total! when your credit card statement arrives, make sure the amount BPS actually charged you matches what is shown in your order summary. the emails that BPS sends you will not show your order total nor will you be able to see it by viewing your order history on the BPS website...if you don't print your order summary right after placing the order, you will never see your order total again. i've caught BPS overcharging me by $20 twice and had to provide them a copy of my order summary to prove it. >

believe it or not, the BPS pro finesse XPS rods are really, really good. i have two of the 6'9" ML casting rods and love them for 1/8 oz. darterhead, shakeyhead, weightless plastics, etc.

d**n! Are these on sale??? I gotta go look ASAP. If you got that for $70, thats a very good deal on a great reel! Mine have been working great for the last 2 years and I do like how they fit my hand. It performs very close to my Revo SX, not quite as good at throwing lighter stuff but it's pretty close and it's doing better than my TD-A HST153 which I paid a lot more for. yes, they're on sale for $60. also, if you can make your order total over $150, you can get $20 off. excellent reels. for the OP, i bought a a black max and a pro max for my son and daughter to use on our little lake. surprisingly, they both cast better than the revos i had...i kid you not. they cast farther and their maxtrax magnetic brakes are far less fussier. their downsides are that they're flexy and make a lot of squeaks and squawks after awhile of fishing. ours get very light usage so i'm not sure how they'll hold up over time.

bryce, from your list, i think the cabela's prodigy is the best choice. it is essentially a rebadged and only slightly modified daiwa tierra. it is the only one with a one-piece aluminum frame which is arguably the single biggest difference between cheap and better reels. the other reels with multi-piece or composite frames will flex under load, causing them to squeak and feel rough. one-piece aluminum framed reels stay rigid, keeping the gears in alignment for smoother performance and will last longer too.

if you're going to have three reels, don't get three all-around reels...start to specialize. so, if the STX that you already have on the way is a 6.4:1, then i'd say get the STX-HS with the 7.1:1. otherwise, get the premier...at almost 1.5 ounces lighter than the STX, you'll enjoy fishing it longer and more often.

i checked out the ultra steel sinkers...for the weight, they're humongous :'(

it comes from the factory set at 3 in/3 out so you shouldn't have to do anything...just adjust the spool tension knob (the knob by the handle) for the weight of your lure and start fishing.