Tywithay

The Metanium actually fit my hand better. I felt myself kind of grasping for the alde because it was maybe just too small for my hand size. It would give me a bit of a cramp over time. Both are ridiculously small compared to most baitcasters, like say a 200 shimano.

I use a Tatula Elite 74MHRB. It casts a mile, so I can't really imagine using anything longer would benefit me.

I think the Envy uses the same blank. You could probably take those reviews and get some idea how it'd fish. It should be quite a bit lighter due to the minimalist build. That alone should add some perceived sensitivity. The carbon handle design could offer some benefits as well. I don't know if it's worth the cost at retail, when you can get used NRX, Conquest, Zbone, etc., for the same or less, but I have no doubts that it performs well.

I think you're confused.

A $550-$700 rod should be special.

I felt the same way about Dobyns, and St Croix for that matter. Tried Champions, Extremes, Fury, Legend Tournament, Legend Elite, Avid, and Premier. They all felt dead compared to comparably priced rods from other manufacturers. The Kistler nfc rods or an Expride are light years ahead in performance compared to the Champions and LTs, in my hand. Luckily, that's why we have options and people can fish what they like.

I don't know for sure about the XT, but I have the Tatula 701MRB, 74HRB-G, and the Elite 74MHRB and the tapers are excellent. I use them for a little bit of everything that moves. Can't imagine the XT would be much different.

https://jdmfishing.com/daiwa/tatula-tactical/

For the most part, all rods of the same length will offer similar distance, as long as your lure is in the recommended weight range for the rod (though that's not always the weights stamped on the blank). Line diameter and rod length are about the only way to drastically improve distance. A 10ft rod will outcast a 7ft rod, all other things being equal.

I've owned several DC reels and every one worked better with the spool tension set for a slow fall, set for each lure individually. Daiwa reels work best with eliminating, or even just a slight amount, of side to side play. I've never found it to work best with any Shimano system, especially DC. The newer systems are set up for specific lines, so #2 would be for mono/braid. After that, I'd say make sure you're putting a forceful cast into motion, and not trying to lob it. DC systems need spool speed to work properly, so you have to get it moving. Probably why they've been notoriously bad at pitching in the past.

I've got both of mine 2 on 2 off, with the dial on 2.5ish. I don't remember touching them after I set it and they've casted everything without skipping a beat. Even buzzbaits and spinnerbaits haven't been an issue in the wind.

I would say that any reel that has a carbon body is going to give the perception that it's less smooth. The rigid graphite material will transmit vibrations more than an aluminum body. The reel could be Stella smooth, but certain folks will be able to feel the gears meshing, because of the material, and their perception will be that it feels geary. It may be more difficult for some to discern, others may just not care, or come from a cheaper reel that felt worse, but Carbon vs. Aluminum vs. Magnesium will always feel different, even if everything internally is identical.

I have three of the Metaniums and two Bantams. I agree it's worth the extra $50 or so for the JDM Metanium. Though, I don't think anyone would be disappointed with either.

Forgot to mention, it's definitely worth saving money and ordering them from Japan, in my opinion. I have two and paid $241 each. The handles are a little shorter, but they're fine. Even if you decide to buy an aftermarket handle down the road, you'd still likely save money versus buying one here.

Goes without saying at this point, it's smooth and solid. I think the most surprising thing is the size. It palms better than the Curado and previous Metaniums. It feels closer to a 70 size reel in hand, but has the power of a 300 size.

Unfortunately, finding an original red handle will be next to impossible, as that reel is at least two or three generations old. The beauty of Daiwa's real four system is that basically any of their threaded handles are compatible. You could get a gunmetal handle from the Fuego LT for about $30 on ebay and it will work. Could maybe add a red SLP knob if you wanted to dress it up to match better.

For the most part, all braid is mostly similar in overall strength and diameter. The stiffness, or lack thereof, and different coatings seem to be the main difference. I like Smackdown because it's very limp and seems to be quieter through the guides than a lot of other lines. It knots very well for me.

I personally prefer Smackdown for spinning reels, though I rarely use braid anymore. I think anywhere from 8lb to 15lb would be fine for what you're doing, so long as the drag is set accordingly. It's more about the diameter, rather than the breaking strength.

It will be revamped, but it's not going to be some earthshattering new technology, and you're also not going to buy it for $425. The NRX is still the standard for sensitivity and for that price you're not going to get more performance from any other product that's currently on the market.

Expride has several in the lineup that are slower tapers, well-suited for moving baits. Though, I think it's mostly overkill to spend that much on a rod when sensitivity isn't as necessary. They're nice sticks regardless. I actually dropped to mostly Tatula rods, and one Tatula Elite, for moving baits because the R actions are excellent and they're still quite light considering the price. Allowed me to spend a little extra for bottom contact presentations.

If I look around the house, I can probably find 4 or 5 of my wife's without much effort ?

It's not really that close in my opinion. I'd put the Zodias over the Champion as well, in regards to sensitivity and overall weight.

Seems a lot of people have different interpretation of what "finesse" means. Some folks think a weightless senko is finesse fishing, and I suppose it is to a point, but BFS reels are an entirely different animal. The MGL reels are above average with lighter baits, but they're far from finesse. I think they really shine when flipping and pitching, more than casting. Those light spools do start up very easily.

I have 3 of the JDM 2020 Metaniums. Solely because they were available and cost less than $300 a piece. Of the recent releases, I've owned the Curado DC, Curado K, Scorpion DC, SLX MGL, and Bantam MGL. I can say with 100% confidence that the new Metanium is a far superior reel. Ergonomically, it's far superior to the Curado. It feels quite a bit smoother and that smoothness should last since they went to brass gears in that model (finally). The MGL III spool is a noticeable improvement over the initial MGL spools and an even further upgrade over the non-MGL Curado spools, especially on the lower range. I've spent most of the summer trimming off my old Shimano and Daiwa reels to buy more Metaniums. Only reason I kept my two Bantams is because they do feel a bit more robust for my deeper cranking sticks.