Jrob78

I've used Cal's for years and haven't had any reason to change to something else.

I'm looking to replace a couple of 6:1 reels and have been looking into this too. I love the HD and would love a slower gear ratio so I'm considering the gear swap option.

The Zillion SV is the only Zillion iteration that comes in slower gear ratios. The HD and Silver Wolf are 7:1 and 8:1 only. I assume gear sets from the SV are a direct swap into the HD and SW but I'm not 100% sure. The Tackle Trap sells gear sets but that's another $65 added on to the price. From your Tatula list I've only used the JDM 20 SV, it's a great reel but it wouldn't be my first choice for a chatterbait reel. To me it doesn't feel super robust and is way better suited on more finesse/t-rig type applications. That's just my impression though. The Tatula 150 or 200 seem like the most heavy duty options and best for pulling heavier moving baits and holding a lot of line. The 150 would probably be my choice from the Tatula line up for chatterbaits/spinnerbaits etc.

JDM means Japanese Domestic Market, which means they are being sold in Japan. Usually the reels being sold in Japan aren't any different than the ones being sold in the US. In some cases the fishing styles of Americans vs the Japanese are different so reels will have small differences, like in the case of the Zillion, smaller knobs and aluminum gears for Japan. I assume this boils down to Japanese anglers liking lighter reels and American anglers liking bigger knobs. The reels are otherwise exactly the same and come from the same factory. Sometimes there will be reels that are sold in Japan that aren't available in the US, and vice versa but overall the reels will be essentially the same regardless of the country they are sold in. The Yen is weak against the dollar currently so JDM reels are cheaper than their USDM counterparts, which is why everyone is buying JDM reels right now.

Check some of the balsa and custom bait makers. I know PH Customs makes walking baits in the PH line and the Old School line. I'm sure many of the others do as well. They are probably going to mostly be in the 4"-4.5" range.

I would be looking at the Champion 794 swimbait rod or maybe the 795 if you're throwing heavier heads with bigger swimbaits. The 794 is supposed to be a great A rig rod and shouldn't feel overloaded like I imagine the 804 would.

Lol yeah, mold is definitely not the right word. The machines I've seen are more like carving machines, some of them are very old. There are videos on youtube showing how they're made and how some of the machines can sort of trace an existing bait while "carving" a new one.

Black Label does have a few baits based off of WEC baits, several makers do, but I have no idea if he used the molds as someone said or how close they actually are as I haven't used them. The Wreck is based off of the E-1, the Peanut is based off of the Mutt, the Wobbler is based off of the Wobbler and the Hickster is based off the Hickey.

If you consider performance vs price (when purchased from Japan) it might be the best reel on the market today. I have 2 of the sv's, a HD and a Silver Wolf. The HD is my favorite of the bunch but the others are right behind it and the sv's are a fair amount cheaper. There are a bunch of glowing threads and posts about this reel.

The Advantage HSTA was an awesome reel, I have one that's been retired and one in like new condition.

I do too. I don't really fish a drop shot but if I did it would be on casting gear.

Digitaka and Japan Lure Shop are my first 2 choices.

I should have checked this thread yesterday. ?‍♂️ ?

I'm a fiberglass and composite fan also. I don't have the Lamiglas SR705 but I do have a custom built on the blank used in the SR765, the 7'6" version. I can't quite picture how this new rod fits in between glass and graphite, so I guess I'm going to have to get my hands on one to find out. Thanks for the review.

I don't use spinning rods so I can't really help you but hopefully with that information you will get some good advice. Good luck! I will say that the JDM style rods, Expride and Adrena, tend to have actions that lend themselves to a wide range of techniques, in my experience.

The Madbull is supposed to be a great walking bait rod. The Conquest seems like it would be a waste to use for topwaters. I assume it's made for sensitivity and its fast action would excel at jigs and t-rigs. It's personal preference but I find those reel seats to be super uncomfortable for working moving baits. You keep posting rod and reel questions in the tackle section, you might get more responses if you post in the right place.

I am going to recommend casting 100 out of 100 times for a 7' MH rod. What is your budget for a reel?

You're going to have to be a lot more specific. Start with models you are considering or at least techniques you want to use the rod for. I have an Expride and an Adrena now and have owned Loomis rods in the past, all 3 make excellent models that are versatile.

I don't think the risk is so much breaking the rod, it's more not having any control of your cast. If a rod loads too much or too little, it's going to be hard to cast accurately or efficiently and hard to work the bait back with any control. That said, I'm sure if you go way over, like ounces over, the rods limit and try to power cast you could definitely break a rod. When fighting a fish you aren't whipping the rod tip section back and forth rapidly like you would on a powerful cast. You should always use a lob style cast when casting heavy baits, especially on rods that might be a little light.

That sounds right on the price. I agree that it wasn't a sleeper for me either but it seemed like at the time the Fuego and Sol didn't get the love from the general public that they deserved. I could be misremembering too.

Yeah Citica E is a great one I'd forgotten all about.

I don't know if this really counts as a sleeper but I bought 2 of the OG Fuegos for $120 or whatever they were when TW closed them out. They were and still are amazing reels.

I don't fish jerkbaits much but if I did I would get another one, it's a great rod for those techniques. I have an Alphas SV TW on mine.

Shimano Expride B 6'10" Med, great topwater and jerkbait rod.

A long time ago I got a cheap Pinnacle reel, I was 16 or 17 years old and had never used a reel with centrifugal brakes. Like you, I'd only had Daiwa reels at that point and only knew mag brakes. I'd taken the side plate off but I didn't know what the brakes were or how to use them. The reel came with all brakes off, I struggled with that thing for months before someone showed me how to set them. It turned out to be a decent reel but I felt like an idiot.