Fishwhittler

The Mettle is officially being discontinued. This from an Academy employee: "Talking to my supervisors today, and they are saying that they are being discontinued as of now. However, they do not know if there is a replacement or not. My guess is that there will be. Silstar makes our reels and I am sure they will replace it. We got the new Mystic in during the Spring reset, so that tells me that they will, at least, have a new "entry level" model in the works. If there is a street date, it may be around Christmas time, IMO." If you want a current-generation Mettle, better get 'em while they last.

Braid is my preferred line for cranking. My current cranking rod is a 6'10" glass M/M stick, but I plan on replacing it with faster graphite rod sometime. I'll probably keep using braid when I switch to graphite; I don't bang my rods around and I usually have my drag set at only two or three pounds, so barring a bad rod blank there's little chance the rod will break.

I can see the reasoning—externally adjustable braking is "simpler" to use—but I think centrifugal braking would have been a better choice because it's more forgiving when it comes to backlashing. Apart from Daiwa's magnetic brakes, I'm pretty much centrifugal all the way. I'm not crazy about Abu's centrifugal braking when you get right down to it, but it's more effective than their mags.

Thin braid + high pressure on the line = line digging into itself on the spool and causing problems during casting.

There's the trouble. 20# braid is definitely on the small side for baitcasters; if you have your drag set high it only exacerbates the problem. Run a lighter drag or switch to heavier line. I use 30# braid with no problems, though I also run my drags around 2 to 3 pounds. Otherwise, braid is the easiest line out there to cast. Single-filament lines are smoother and can be cast further with practice, but braid is pretty much the best there is when it comes to ease of handling.

No clue, perhaps they're updating it. Or they may be phasing it out altogether, though I find that hard to swallow since it's got to be their best-selling model. An update wouldn't surprise me; perhaps they're switching the Mettle to the same frame as the Menace and Mystic.

I hope you don't treat your cars the same way. Cleaning a reel is roughly equivalent to changing oil in your car—it's not rocket science, and it will extend the life of your reel/car. Just because a reel costs "only" $100 or $200 doesn't mean it never needs to be cleaned. Even the Abu Garcia C3 will benefit from timely cleaning, and the C3 is as tough a reel as there is. Reels do wear out over time. Not cleaning them will accelerate that process, but it's unfair to blame the reel when it wears out due to lack of care. I don't usually buy new reels, and when I've done so I'll usually fish the reel as-is for a while. Then I'll strip it all the way down, deep-clean it, and polish all metal-on-metal surfaces before lubricating and putting it back together. With used reels it depends on how the reel feels when I get it.

What went wrong with your Lew's?

There's part of your problem. The optimum spool capacity is so the line is within 1/8" of the spool rim. Less than that, and you can have problems with the line rubbing against the lip of the spool and affecting casting performance. Your rod is rated for lures in the 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce range. That would put its wheelhouse right around 1/2 ounce, or slightly heavier given it's an Abu rod. I'd guess the lure & weight you're using weigh only 3/8 ounce or so—which isn't a lot considering the rod and line you're using. I prefer to use spinning tackle only for lightweight presentations such as weightless flukes and ultralight cranks, and fish everything else on baitcasters. My only spinning rod is a medium-light Daiwa Ballistic, rated for lures from 1/16 ounce to 3/8 ounce. It has a soft tip and can handle just about any light to middleweight plastics application. Otherwise, I'd try thinner line and/or braid, and using KVD Line & Lure conditioner.

That River Monsters rod is designed for live-bait presentations, most likely drifting bait under a bobber. I'm sure it's plenty tough and can handle big fish just fine; it's just that the action isn't the best for frogging. For reference, power is how stiff the rod is, action is how the rod bends, i.e., in the tip or evenly throughout the rod blank. Read this: http://www.***.com/guides/rodselection.html What you want is probably a 7' or longer heavy-power, fast-action or extra-fast-action rod. In spinning rods that's not very common, though you might be able to find one. The closest I can find are the Daiwa Aird or Procyon. The 6'6" MH/X-Fast Aird sells for $50, the 7' MH/X-Fast Procyon for $70. Both are rated for lures up to 1oz. The Procyon will make a better frog rod thanks to the greater length.

If you want to stay in the $100 price range, the BPS Pro Qualifier is a solid reel. Or, the Lew's Speed Spool can be had for $90 from Tackle Trap. There's also the new Daiwa Exceler EXE, though it's only been out a couple months and doesn't have much feedback yet. From the specs it looks basically like a Lexa 100 with a graphite handle-side plate, one less bearing and only one "corrosion-resistant ball bearing" instead of four, and a plastic drag star instead of metal. There's also the $90 H2O Xpress Menace. I like everything about mine except for the stock drag, which is really lousy. It starts out smooth but rapidly becomes very sticky. It costs approximately $10 to upgrade the drag washers to carbontex, and it's well worth the cost should you choose to go that route. The Mettle is even cheaper, but the Menace is silky smooth where the Mettle is geary. I can tell you that the Exceler EXE and Lexa 100 are built on the same platform as the H2O Xpress reels (Daiwa builds the reels for Academy), and it's a very simple, very rugged clutch design. The biggest differences between the reels are the braking and the fact that the Daiwa reels come in more retrieve options. The Orra SX is similarly spec'd to the Pro Qualifier, and between the two I'd be inclined to give the BPS reel the nod for the dual braking. Especially in your case; spinnerbaits are wind-resistant and can be tricky to handle in breezy conditions. The dual braking allows you to set the centrifugal brakes on two or three for normal fishing and then add magnetic braking when you need more power, without having to open up the reel to get at the brake tabs. Otherwise the two reels are fairly evenly matched. The new Orra series hasn't been released yet, so that's not an option.

When all is said and done, the Mettle is still an entry-level reel. I'd rate it the best one out there thanks to the metal frame, but the gears aren't the smoothest or the quietest. Casting is excellent, stock drag is sticky, smoothness is adequate. The drag can be smoothed out with a carbontex upgrade; the gears can't be made smoother. Now, if you want a smooth reel, spring for the $90 Menace. Mine is one of the smoothest reels I've used.

LH Super Duty is coming this fall. Along with a bunch of other lefty Lew's baitcasters.

Cost can be a prohibitive factor with aftermarket handles. Since Shimano handles don't fit any other brands and vice-versa, you're stuck with Shimano factory handles or expensive aftermarket options. That Semper-Fi Tackle handle is a stunner. Nice price, too.

Hawgtech makes a carbon-fiber handle for Shimano reels, for $80. Not cheap, but it's lighter than the stock handle. Another option would be to get a handle from another Shimano low-profile reel. The G-series reel handles can be upgraded to four bearings total. The nut retainer you have may not fit all Shimano handles, so that's something you'll want to check. You can find Shimano handles here. Otherwise, this is what you're looking at: Japan Tackle. They ain't cheap, but there's not much more to be desired in the looks department. Though for some of those prices you could buy a new Chronarch E…

Curado G advantages over Citica G: Crankshaft bearing Larger handle knobs Slightly different spool brake hub Different cosmetics Does that warrant $30 over the Citica G? It depends on the angler. Personally, I don't think so. If you need a reel now, I'd go with a Citica D, E, or G. The E will be most similar to your Curado E and can be upgraded to Curado E specs if you really want. After the E I'd take the D, and then the G. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the D series was built better than the G. The G's are fine reels, but in my opinion a D or E series reel is still better. Any of them.

No experience with the rod you mention, but I do have the 7'11" MM and love it. Haven't tried deep cranks on it much and think it might be slightly overpowered for really big ones, but it should still be doable. I'd say the rod has a slightly lower max rating than what it can actually handle. It's rated up to 3/4 ounce; I'd not hesitate to throw 1 ounce lures on it. Otherwise the rating is spot-on. There doesn't seem to be a 7'1" MH Ballistic—there's a 7'2" MH cranker and a 7'1" H graphite rod, but no 7'1" MH. Also a 7' MH spinnerbait rod with a "regular" action—should be good for cranking. For your application, I'd go with either of the two MH/Regular rods or possibly the MH/F graphite rod. The cranker is longer and will give you a little more casting distance, the all-graphite rods will likely be more sensitive and slightly more accurate to cast do to their shorter length. The fast-action graphite rod will be stiffer and thus should flex less from heavier baits, but the regular-taper rod will probably load a little better for long casting. Pick your poison.

Very few reels come with ABEC-5 or better bearings from the factory. The Okuma Komodo and Helios are the only ones I know of. The Ardent Edge reels have "ABEC stainless steel bearings", but that could mean anything from ABEC-1 to ABEC-11. Doubt if they're higher than ABEC-5. I think Shimano uses the equivalent of an ABEC-3 in their freshwater baitcast reels. Whatever they use, they're very good after flushing, almost as fast as ABEC-5 ceramic hybrids. Haven't used ABEC-7 ceramics, though I've used the Big Green Fish ABEC-7 stainless-steel bearings. They're good, about as fast as the ABEC-5 Ceramic Lightning bearings. They're also quieter in my experience. I'm not really a big fan of spool-bearing upgrades. They help, but for normal bass fishing they're not going to do much that flushing the stock bearings and polishing the spool shaft won't do. Tuning the reel is better, in my opinion, because it decreases friction inside the reel and thus reduces wear. To me, the best reasons to upgrade spool bearings are to improve light bait performance (particularly on finesse reels), or to replace damaged or worn bearings.

Used is your best option for under $50, and you won't find too many deals like that. Might be able to find a Quantum Accurist for less than $50, or a BPS Pro Qualifier or Extreme. The Abu Garcia C3 is another reel you might find for less than $50 in used condition. A couple years ago I picked up a Shimano Citica D from a forum member for $37 shipped, which is an absolute steal. That kind of bargain is much harder to find after the introduction of the G-series reels from Shimano, but the Citica D is still a reel to watch for when buying used. Also the old-model Pflueger President LP/WLP baitcaster. If you want to buy new, the Academy H2O Xpress Mettle is $50. It's the only baitcaster in that price range that has a metal frame, and it's the only one I'd consider buying. It's not the smoothest reel and the drag tends to stick, but it's a solid performer and casts very well. Actually, I've got a pair of Mettles I'm looking to sell. Both are used but in good condition. Link here.

The conditioner really helps tame mono, copolymer, and fluorocarbon. Braid not so much, but I still treat braid just for the heck of it. I was skeptical about the KVD spray until I tried it—I'm a skeptic no more. The 7'11" rod is tip-heavy and it's not going to be the best for plastics, though it'll still do the job. For cranks it's Da Bomb, and it handles spinnerbaits well also. The taper is listed as "Regular", which I'd label a moderate-fast/fast. One of the graphite Ballistic rods would probably be better for handling a wider variety of lures, but for sheer distance you're not going to beat the 7'11". I got mine for long-range cranking—I'm bank-bound like you, and I wanted a rod that could chunk lipless baits into the next county so as to allow me to cover as much water as possible from one spot. The rod works perfectly for that application.

Changing the gears will cost $25 or so and is fairly simple to do. You'll have to take your reel apart, but if you keep a schematic in front of you there shouldn't be any problems. Bearing count isn't everything, not by a long shot. Much more important is a metal frame to hold the parts in alignment, and close building tolerances to prevent the parts from knocking around and wearing prematurely. You really only need two bearings on the spool shaft to help casting; everything else is gravy, albeit gravy that can make a noticeable improvement if done right. You want a long-casting rod, check out the Daiwa Ballistic casting rods on sale from Tackle Warehouse. The 7'11" crank bait rod will launch baits a country mile. The Citica E is already a great casting reel, and if you tune it up it gets even better. I'd spool that combo with 10# Yo-Zuri Hybrid and spray it down with KVD Line & Lure conditioner. That rig will just about send lures into orbit.

I think you're being too hard on Harper. He's a good player and will get better, and he's still a kid (says the guy who's only a couple months older ). I think he plays hard, sometimes too hard. He's also made some mistakes, such as banging his bat against the dugout wall. He's not as low-profile as Mike Trout, but he's not a complete jerk either. Give him a break, and give him some time to mature. According to Fangraphs, Harper's fielding was considerably better last year than it's been this year. He's actually hitting at a better clip than he was in 2012. Problem is he's missed games due to injuries—Trout has played in 110 games, Harper only 74. Harper's strikeouts are down 1.9%, walks are up 3.3%, ISO is 42 points higher, batting average is .003 less, OBP is up 21 points, and his slugging is 38 points higher than last year. That's a fairly substantial improvement. Give him credit where it's due. BTW, according to Fangraphs, Mike Trout's fielding is also worse than it was last year. Defensive metrics show Trout as having dropped off more than Harper.

A graphite-framed baitcaster may last, but the odds of premature breakdown are far greater than with a decent aluminum-frame baitcaster. Graphite flexes under load and allows the internal parts to become slightly misaligned. They spring back when the load is taken off of the reel, but do that enough times and the insides can get damaged. Aluminum baitcasters are stronger, period. They're worth the extra $$. For the record, I've had one graphite-frame baitcaster, a Daiwa Megaforce (the old $60 model). I could feel the frame flexing when there was a fish on, and in the end it kicked the bucket after less than a season of use. The clutch wore out so it wouldn't reengage after a cast. Looked inside, and the problem was from a clutch spring having worn out its socket in the graphite frame. The spring didn't seat properly and prevented the kick lever from slipping into position against the AR ratchet. That issue along with the flexing frame has kept me from trying any more graphite baitcasters. The Lew's Speed Spool is $90 TYD from The Tackle Trap. To the best of my knowledge no BR sponsors carry the Speed Spool.

I'd like to add that spinnerbaits aren't particularly great at casting. To me, they're just about the worst bait there is casting-wise if there's any wind at all. Using short, hard casts is a must to prevent the line acting like a sail and backlashing my reels. Haven't tried Daiwa's magnetic braking on them, but the Abu/BPS/Lew's/Pflueger dual-braking system is good at taming spinnerbaits. Braided line also helps.

Did not know the Toro Winch has a two-part spool shaft. Thanks for pointing that out. Polishing the inside of the pinion bearing on such a reel will have no effect on casting. Still, the ends of the spool shaft can be polished for slightly improved casting, and if the shaft that runs through the pinion gear is metal, the ends on it can be polished as well.