Tywithay

This is true of most magnetic reels, that have stationary magnets in the side plate. The Daiwa system works a little differently, most notably the Magforce Z. The inductor slides on the spool shaft as the spool speeds up during a cast. When it's sitting further away from the magnets, there's very little to no magnetic pull on the spool. As the spool gets faster, the inductor moves closer to the magnetic field, slowing down the cast. So, it's only really effective at higher speeds.

I think that Daiwa's MagZ is the best magnetic on the market (aside from Mag3D, but they don't use that on any current reels).

Far from it. Casitas is a great all around reel. It's not super powerful, but it isn't finesse either. Just a good solid reel. I haven't usef the X, but the one I played with at cabelas felt cheaper than the comparable shimano. They both pale in comparison to the Tatula CT, in my opinion.

I would step up to a 7 something gear ratio for those techniques. A 6 would work, but a faster reel will work even better. I wouldn't even rule out an 8:1 gear ratio. I use my 8.1:1 Tat SV for flipping and frogging and it's freakin sweet.

I agree that you will probably want to step it up just a bit in quality. That doesn't necessarily mean super expensive, but those pre-made combos usually feature a decent reel on a subpar rod, or a crappy reel on a nicer rod. It's better to put something together, in my opinion. There are some good deals to be found right now. Academy has the *** rods on sale for $44 and you can get a Lady President reel on amazon for around $50. So, for $100 you'd have a great combo that would last a long time and rival just about any $150 combo out there. Plus, the black/pink looks pretty slick together. You could even use it on the days your fiance doesn't come with.

I like Super Natural and Mean Green quite a bit. One thing to keep in mind is that Sunline properly rates their line's breaking strength. So, 10lb is 10lb. McCoy, you could step down to 6lb and it breaks at around 9.5lb. Their 10lb line is actually closer to 14lb. A lot of folks think Super Natural isn't as strong as other lines, because they're so used to using underrated american lines.

The Conquest 842c would probably be the ideal rod, but they're a little pricey. So, I can only recommend the Kistler KLX Crank, Rip, and Twitch. It's 7'0" medium action, but has a nice light tip. It's rated for 1/8 - 1/2 oz, so it's right in your wheelhouse. It's also made in the USA, using blanks designed by the gentleman that created Loomis rods. They're fantastic blanks. I think they're easily on par (actually a little better) with the IMX, for less money. http://www.kistlerrods.com/store/fishing-rods/klx-fishing-rods/klx-fishing-rods/klx-casting/klx-crank-rip-and-twitch-medium-7-0-fishing-rod.html#.WrdOaIjwY2w

I've never done the rings specifically, but when I repair old handles, I always tape off right at the ring/reel seat. Makes cleanup a lot easier and gives a nice sharp line. I use Elmers golden oak wood filler to fill in any cracks. I lightly sand it a bit after it dries, then I just wipe it down, and cover it with U40. I've been happy with the results.

With that Prettyday code they have on ebay through the 26th, you can actually get some really nice deals on Lew's reels. They have the Tourney Pros, Hyper Mag, etc., for right around your budget.

Good fluorocarbon lasts a couple years, at minimum. If you threw out $40 line every time it gets twisted, it'd get really expensive to fish.

I prefer shooter if sensitivity is the objective. Tatsu is far better all around and much more manageable, but shooter is definitely more sensitive and abrasion resistant. I don't think you can go wrong with either, but they are kind of a different animal.

Ebay has a 20% off code right now. Lots of $200ish Lews priced right around your wheelhouse.

Tie on just a sinker and cast it out. A plain old lead will fly 50+ yards with little effort. Then just reel it back with a rag between your fingers, or something. I don't recommend bare fingers, because fluoro gets hot fast.

I've been mostly a Shimano guy and still like the Curado, but I have to agree with the Tatula SV in that price range. At this point, I'd rather fish that reel than just about anything else I own. I have the 8.1, and two 7.3's, and they're both great. I would recommend getting the 7.3 for an all around reel. The slightly faster ratio works a lot better for picking up line when you're working a jig or plastics. With the tech nowadays, the gears are so big and handles are long enough, you don't need a 5.x, or 6.x, reel to pull cranks anymore. I use my 7.3 SV and even a 7.4 Curado K to pull cranks all the time and it's not a strain at all.

I don't believe I have any modern reel that I thumb the spool throughout the cast. They're all pretty much thumb as it splashes. This is especially true for my DC reels. I do run spool tension a smidge tighter on my Shimano reels. Daiwa I like a little side to side in the spool, but Shimano's I usually take just a hair tighter to remove any side to side movement.

I haven't had a chance to really use my Curado rod, as we're still fighting cooler weather here, but the little bit I've used it, it has felt great. The balance could be a bit better, but I do have a really light reel on it. Using fluoro, sensitivity is on par with most $150-$200 rods I've used. I have a couple rods built on ZOLO blanks, though I haven't tried the production rods. They're outstanding, for the price. I have the Dragger and Deputy. They're both light and very, very sensitive. They fish a little slower action than I would have liked, but I can live with it because the performance is there otherwise. Alex is super knowledgeable about rod building and the hydra blanks, so if you email him any questions, he'll get you lined out.

Brakes aren't going to have anything to do with the handle spinning longer. It's probably due to two people putting them together. Some get more heavy handed with the grease/oil than others. Could have something to do with the climate they were stored in as well. A warmer warehouse may have changed the viscosity of the oil, compared to a cooler building.

I have a couple that have been set at the same tension for over 5 years. They're still as smooth as the day I bought them.

I have baitcasters everywhere from $50 to over $500, and if I were in your situation, I'd get on the auction site and get a Tatula SV. It's a $200 reel that you can buy for well under $150 any day of the week. I think you could pay $250 and it'd still be a good deal. They're really that good. It ticks all the boxes, it's simple to use, especially for beginners. It's comfortable. Should last many, many years. I'd probably get the HS 7.3 version for all around use. It's plenty powerful for most cranks and fast enough to move stuff in a hurry if you need to.

The OCEA reels are the same frame, but don't have brakes on the spool.

The 70 still holds plenty of line for casting pretty much anything, except the biggest of baits. You're not going to be casting more than 50 yards very often, and it holds a lot more. That said, the finer teeth on the K actually make it better for longevity, in my opinion. The gears mesh together more smoothly than a typical gear, so there's less room for slop. They'll stay connected, throughout the retrieve. Only thing I hate about the K is the ignorant placement of the external adjustment dial, but you won't really have to worry about messing with that if you're just pitching most of the time.

I think a lot of their following left when they were bought out by Pure Fishing. Their swedish reels are still bulletproof, but the low-pros are essentially just rebranded chinese reels from a big factory. They just pick out parts from a catalog. It's hard to compete with companies like Daiwa and Shimano, that are actually innovating, and creating their own new technology, when you're just putting your stamp on someone else's work.

I have the 2500H. I think it's an incredible reel, for that price, and I like it better than my Stradic. Though, I wouldn't pay full retail for one, especially if it didn't have the shallow air spool.

If you want quality and a sealed main shaft, you can get a Luvias for $199 on the bay...just saying...

A bearing and new drag washers costs about $10-$15. I really don't think it's worth the extra money, personally. The Stradics hold up pretty well as they are, as long as you're not dunking them in the salt.