Jrob78

The 100d is my favorite Curado. They go for $80-$100 used in good shape. I would scoop them up and resale them if you don't want them. Bummer, never mind.

I see Yamamoto is releasing a line of hardbaits and new plastic shapes. I love ICAST!

It is quite possible that the Citica and Curado G's along with the Chronarch E were only meant to be around for 2 years. I mean, none of them are new. All 3 are rehashed reels built on existing frames, just given new paint jobs, names and frame material in the case of the G reels. I could see them doing that to buy some time until they actually had something new to bring out. Especially after they saw the reception that the repainted reels received.

I would try strolling/long lining to get your bait deeper. Short of the 10xd or waiting for a countdown to sink, there aren't any other option at that depth, crankbait wise.

Good answer!

They look great!

The rod and the gear ratio of the reel are both meant for cranking. They should work fine. Whether that's the best combo for the money is debatable but that's neither here nor there really.

It sounds like you lost the side plate off the reel. The EXO has a poorly placed switch to open the side plate, it's easy to trip by accident. I have no idea what Quantum will do for you.

I agree that a longer rod will be better for those techniques. I would also get a heavy powered rod vs. a medium heavy. You will be throwing heavy weight on a c-rig and a MH probably wont be enough rod.

That reel is a beast. I have one and wouldn't use it for "regular" bass fishing applications. I use mine for throwing big heavy swimbaits. It's a large, heavy duty reel. I would go with a regular Revo of your choice. They are robust enough to handle heavy cover applications and are much lighter than the Toro's.

I couldn't watch the video but i've seen him use pliers to cinch that knot down. He said it didn't hurt to do that with braid.

The number of bearings in a reel is one of the most overrated things in fishing. A cheap reel with 12 bearings is just that, a cheap reel with a bunch of cheap bearings. Companies advertise the high bearing count as a selling point. The quality of the materials used in the reel and the fit and finish of those parts are what makes a quality reel, not the number of bearings. I'm speaking in generalities, not about your specific reel. As the price of the reel goes up, the bearings are normally better quality and then the count starts to mean a little more. A cheap reel with 10 bearings wont be as smooth or last as long as a quality reel with 5 bearings.

Agree

That just means the rod isn't suited for big spinnerbaits. It doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the rod.

If all you've used on a baitcaster is 20# braid, you might try mono before jumping to fluoro. Fluoro handles way differently than light braid. Also, cheap fluoro is usually harder to work with. I would advise you to buy a spool of 12# Sufix Elite and see how you like it. If it works and you like it, then think about a good spool of fluorocarbon.

I use the Palomar as well. I saw Dean Rojas talking about the knot he uses with braid, he called it a double Palomar. Basically, when you do the overhand knot, you run the line through twice. The bad thing about it is it's really hard to cinch the knot down at the end. Rojas used pliers to pull everything tight.

20 lb braid is lighter than most people use on baitcasters. If you're already using it and like it, stick with it, it wont hurt anything. If you want to use something else, fluoro or mono in 12 lb is usually a good starting place.

Braid is mainly bad for rods that don't have ceramic inserts in their line guides. I believe the Veritas does have ceramic guides. If your guides are a silver metal, braid can groove them. Actually, the braid doesn't do it, the dirt that braid picks up is the problem.

I agree. I've never understood the popularity of the Spot Remover style shaky head. It seems like once it's on its side, your doomed. I like a shaky head jig with some roundness to it so it has a "rocker" action. I like round or football head style jigheads.

Brother in law? Ouch! Divorce might be the only answer!

They make a good bait with great pricing. I don't use their stick baits but the Squirrel Tail Worm is awesome and their flipping baits and craws are great too. The Fighting Frog is one of my favorites.

The reason they are rare or exotic is the fact that they are hard to get. Try the auction site or some of the Japanese sites that actively sell to the US. You really need to know what you're looking for. There isn't any one place that carries a wide range of rare baits.

The Squirrel Tail worms and straight tail Zoom worms, (Finesse and Trick) are typical shaky head worms. I also like Yamamoto Pro Senkos on a shaky head. That said, you can fish any worm on a jighead and expect good results.

Are you looking for JDM baits or hand made baits or maybe vintage collectible baits....? Be more specific.

I would recommend a med hvy/moderate fast action casting rod for those techniques. I would also want a reel with a gear ratio in the low 6's. I wouldn't use spinning gear for any of those techniques but the rod power and action shouldn't change.