Jrob78

No

I may be in the minority here but when I use UL or L BFS rods I have to be really careful not to go too heavy. Some of the normal "spinning" techniques are too heavy for light bfs gear. A 1/8 oz weight with a standard dropshot bait is actually pretty heavy. For me BFS is limited to tiny plugs, small weightless plastics and 1/32-1/64 oz heads with a small plastic. A lot of that other stuff can be comfortably fished on med powered casting rods with a regular Alphas type reel and lighter line. I don't really consider that BFS.

More often than I care to admit

These days I stick with Shimano and Daiwa reels, leaning more toward Daiwa. I understand how Daiwa braking systems work and they fit my casting style really well. They also palm better for me than any other reels. I've used reels from all the major brands and some of them make really good products so it isn't a knock on them, just that I know what works best for me. As someone else mentioned I know what I'm getting with the big 2 and I respect their innovation. I also like the fact that all their stuff isn't made in the same building as 10 other brands that all share parts. I realize that probably doesn't really mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things but it works for me. I have rods and baits from all over the place so not much loyalty there for me.

Some of their lure bundle deals are legit too.

I don't have experience with them yet but the Rebellion line of rods looks promising too. It looks like some of the models are offered in both lines and the Rebellions are better looking rods, imo. I've got the 7'4" Glass on order and the 7'3" MH looks like a nice all purpose rod, like the 7'3" Ehler.

Glad you got the knobs installed, I randomly thought about it yesterday and wondered if you got that last screw out. lol

It's ok to just say you don't know anything about profesional tournament fishing.

That's awesome, I knew as soon as I saw the pics it was Lake Whitney. I've fished it before years ago but we were after striper.

This is what I would recommend too. Keep it simple until you figure out what you want and need and you will get there through experience. No reason to complicate things in the beginning.

If coach would have put him in the 4th quarter they would've been state champions! No doubt in my mind.

How much you wanna make a bet I can cast over them mountains? I've never had a Daiwa or Shimano reel that I couldn't set to cast as far as I could ever possibly need to cast. Casting distance is never even a consideration when buying a reel because they will both cast as far as I feel comfortable setting the hook. It shouldn't be an issue when using appropriate weights and rods.

I don't have experience with any of the newer low profile big bait reels but I would look at the Lexa and Tatula from Daiwa or the Curado K and Tranx from Shimano, all in the 300 size. You could also go with a Conquest from Shimano or a Luna or Ryoga (if you can find them) from Daiwa, if you like round reels. I'm sure Abu or Lews or maybe someone else make larger big bait reels but....I'll pass on those. I would go with a minimum of 20 lb mono or copoly for your big baits. I've had good luck with 25 lb pline CX but the mono or copoly of your choice should work.

Learn at least one knot that you can tie flawlessly every time, even in the dark. Check the last 3' of line regularly for nicks and rough spots. Cut off any line with nicks and/or rough spots and retie your bait often. Set the drag loose enough so that it actually slips when a fish is on, and/or back reel when using spinning gear.

The Zillion isn't a tiny reel but it has a spool with a capacity meant for 10-16 lb line, not 20-30 like a proper swimbait reel. OP, don't use braid with large swimbaits. Get a real swimbait reel for your 806 and use an appropriate line.

I don't use mono either but 14-17 is what I do use, fluoro or copoly for me.

Awesome, thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to order a 7'4" H.

I'm glad you posted this, I've been eyeing those rods for awhile and just never pulled the trigger. I assume the 7'4" H glass is the better chatterbait/spinnerbait rod over the 7'3" MH?

The reel and spool are important but when going light, the rod is just as important. A rod that will load properly with whatever weight you're trying to cast is critical for accuracy and distance.

I loosen the spool tension on all my Daiwa zero adjust reels, and any other reels for that matter. I like some side to side to play in my spools and they normally come tighter than I prefer. Using the brakes to control spool speed works best for me, even if that means cranking them up pretty high. Use the brakes, that's what they were designed for.

Congratulations Mike!

So the 150 and 200 both have 100mm handles, same as the HD. If it's those knobs you're after pm me your address and I'll send you my HD knobs, I don't use them.

That is good to hear. I've been contemplating a Steez HLC but was scared away by some of the reviews I've read. In typical fashion I should probably just buy one and find out for myself. ? That's probably what I would do but I also try to keep in mind what rods I end up using the most and put the best reels on those rods. The Tat 200 would honestly probably make a good c-rig reel because it will hold a lot of heavy line. You could always try out a Silverwolf with braid on the frogging punching rod.

The HD seems like a good choice to me. ? The regular Zillion SV, the Zillion 10 (if you like really high lpt reels) and the Steez A would also be good choices from the list above. The Morethan PE and Silverwolf are also sweet reels but they have spools designed for braid use. I've never used one but the HLC spools are supposedly super fast and wild and hard to manage for anything but bomb casts with heavy baits.

I use casting gear exclusively, I don't hate spinning gear but I don't really enjoy using it. As long as you have casting gear that can handle lighter stuff you won't have any issue. The rod is at least as important as the reel when going light, if the rod doesn't load properly you're going to have a bad time. Plenty of companies are making ML and L casting rods now so it's easier than ever.