MNAngler

Thanx for all of your advice, guys. I bought a Premier. I had a $100 Dick's gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so the flea market wasn't an option--this time. Thanx for telling me about the flea market, though. I didn't know about it. I'll be looking for deals there next time I'm in the market for a new rod and/or reel. My next rod will likely be an Avid--or a GLoomis.

After investigating all the reels at Dick's in my price range (<$100), I had settled on the Takara. The only reason I didn't get it is that I opted to upgrade a rod on a different baitcaster instead. Of all the reels I tried out, it felt the smoothest.

I've been reading the thread on the Mojo Bass rods. I'm more interested in whether it's worth paying extra for the Premier. Or if I should even just save my money and buy a Triumph.

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the difference between the Triumph, Mojo Bass, and Premier rods by St.Croix are. They are all made from the same blank, but cost $70, $100, and $120 respectively. I'm told the material is what determines sensitivity, so will they all feel the same? I like the split grip of the Mojo, but really like the tapered cork of the Premier. But I'm not sure I'm willing to spend and extra $20 for the grip if there isn't improved sensitivity as well. The Mojo appears to have better reinforced guides, but I don't know if that would contribute to sensitivity better or worse, or not at all. Which would you buy? Thanx.

I did some research on the Citica. It only has 3 ball bearings and 1 roller bearing. I've heard from talking to friends that more bearings is better. I find it odd that the Citica has 2-3 less bearings than comparably priced reels. Is that a concern?

Thanx, all, for your advice. To answer your question, BeaverIslander, yes, I have a gift card. $100 worth. I will look closely at the Citica. I did see that model at my local Dick's. My only problem is that I didn't want to spend more than an extra $50 over my gift card and I've got my eye on a St. Croix Mojo Bass rod for $100. I'll take all this advice under consideration. Thanx again for taking the time to reply.

Hi, I have some credit at Dick's Sporting Goods and would like to pick up a starter baitcast reel. I was considering the Abu Garcia Blackmax, Daiwa Takara, or Daiwa Grigsby. All are currently under $60. The Takara appears to be a Dick's exclusive. Anyone know its "regular" market counterpart if there is one? I was high on the Quantum Code combo for a while, but under closer examination, it appears the reel's magnetic brake dial only goes between 3 settings, which is 7 less than most reels, so I'm skiddish about it now. Can anyone recommend a good starter baitcast reel available at Dick's? Thanx in advance.