kickerfish1

Those particular specs are what many would consider an all around casting rod. Perhaps not the best choice for some apps but a good choice for a lot things. I used to have a Loomis MBR 844 which was a 7 foot, fast action rod. I used it for jigs, plastics, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and smaller soft body paddle tail swimbaits.

If the Tat CT and Zillion SV TW share the same thing I wonder if the SV spools will swap between these reels. Or if one could buy a Tat CT and then buy an SV spool for it? I have been debating between getting the Zillion SV TW, SV103, or waiting for the Tat CT SV.

Better equipment won't directly translate into better results or make you a better angler. It may however enhance your fishing experience. Higher end equipment is usually lighter, more sensitive, casts easier and smoother. If you give a pro angler a $100 rod and and $100 reel and $10 line he would catch plenty of fish and probably notice little drop in his production. Give a new angler or an angler with less knowledge and experience a $500 rod and $500 reel and he may not notice a change in production. Have the battle of fishing is what info you have between your ears. Choosing the right locations, structure, presentations, etc. are for more valuable than a better piece of equipment. I have been bass fishing for over 20 years. I find that nicer gear to me makes fishing more enjoyable especially when it is a tough day of fishing. Plus the lighter weight outfits lead to less fatigue meaning I can fish comfortably longer.

just under 22 inches and on Excalibur 1/4 oz Zell-Pop-R in a bluegill finish.

Bummed I didn't get in on this. Noticed this a bit later and had been dealing with some relationship issues. Looks like there was still a good turn out and plenty of good folks receiving the fishing "loot"!

Thanks Jeff, and yes IMO it is one of the better 50 sized flavors out there. The bearings are of higher quality than the Curado 50 and the backup anti-reverse mechanism has been removed. They feel smoother to me than the Curado 50 and the tolerances see to be a bit tighter plus the burgundy color is purdy. They are good for about any "normal" bass technique. It is not the reel you want for big spinnerbaits or chatterbaits, nor is it the reel you want for medium to deep diving cranks, and it wouldn't serve you well for swimbaits either. For everything else from plastics, to jigs, to topwaters and jerkbaits and smaller cranks it is absolutely perfect. These little things really get after it and have loads of upgrades from spools to gears so you can speed it up if you want. I have installed the 7:0.1 gear set from a Core 50mg7 and the 7;7.1 set from a JDM Brenious to speed them up. I have never had a gear set go bad or feel rough in the 6 50 series platform reels I own and I have been using them since their release date and they are still all in the rotation to this day. I purchased one for $200 and the other for $180. If you found them for that much or less and they are in good to mint condition then I would say kick back and enjoy the ride!

I have two of them. What exactly did you want to know about them and what types of techniques were you wanting to use them for?

Bill Dance seemed to be good at the bloopers part of fishing!

It is sort of a personal preference. I have mine spooled with 8# Yozuri Hybrid. It is a tiny bit larger in diamter then some other brands but the breaking strength is quite high. It allows me to fish topwaters, cranks, and jerkbaits alike on the same outfit.

The Alphas Air is a BFS reel or a true finesse reel. It holds a whopping 55 yards of 6 lb line according the JapanTackle. Unless you plan on using extremely light line this is NOT the reel for you. The Alphas SV is more of a mag finesse reel. Perfect for baits just under a 1/4 oz up to anything in that 1/2 oz range. Based upon the weight of baits you have noted between 1/4 and 3/8 it would be far more ideal than the Alphas Air. Plus the SV 105 is about $80 cheaper. Like I noted in a previous post the Alphas SV 105 stock is the best 1/4 oz hard bait casting reel I have ever used.

I do that with menace grubs! Thanks though

Other than the Shellcracker I like all of their baits and color options. I just don't have a need for the Shellcracker at this time.

I would skip the Alphas Air and the get the Alphas SV 105.

I would like to think I have patience. 90% of my fishing is with jigs and plastics. Doing so means less casts and longer amounts of time to get the bait in and less water covered vs the chuck and wind reaction bait stuff. Fishing in the heart of the city means small lakes, lots of anglers, and highly pressured fish. Sometimes they like the reaction stuff but 9/10 times a plastic or jig will get bit and also account for larger fish.

Probably a Carolina Rig. I used to throw them years ago but it has been a good while since I have fished one. I toss a crankbait maybe once or twice a year. Tried a scrounger head once and have never used it again. I have used most baits before just some are not used much or often at all.

I would look at Daiwa Alphas SV which is just under $200 shipped from Digitaka. It is what I would call a mag finesse casting reel. I used mine a bunch for 1/4 oz topwater poppers and 3/8 oz jerkbaits. It outcasted my Curado 50e by a noticeable amount for baits in that weight range. I believe there is a 5:8.1 ratio that would be perfect.

Same goes for KVD and Quantum. Companies know who the popular and likeable faces out there are. They know that to some folks and especially to younger or less experienced anglers, that they will often buy something because they noticed a certain pro or well know angler was using it. I recall many years ago buying some lures, line, and fishing rods because I noticed they were being used on a fishing show that I liked. As I have grown older I have came to the realization that unless I am being given something for free and being paid to promote it I am better off making decisions based upon my own research rather than what pro anglers use. For guys like Aaron Martens who switched from Megabass to Inigma it wasn't anything to do with believing that Inigma was a superior product but rather everything to do with money. If I was someone with a big time YouTube channel, a Fishing Show, or a Pro Angler I would use whatever my sponsors gave me and paid me to use. If I felt their products were costing me money than I would either look for new sponsors or just not have a sponsor for that particular part of fishing (IE. Rod, Reel, or Line) and just pay for whatever I needed out of pocket.

It may be tough to find someone that has used both those exact reels. I can offer up my experience though I only have an older Tatula 7:3.1 and the Silver T3 1016. The T3s as a whole feature brilliant casting distance but are not the type of reel you want to be using for resistance baits like heavy cranks and spinnerbaits. I use mine as a frogging reel with braid for the 3 months or so when the frog bite is on. Really works well for this type of thing for me anyway. Some may not like the 'clunk' sound of the hood mechanism and the short handle on them. I bought mine essentially new for $160. For that price it was a good deal. The Tatula is a more beefed up reel and great for everyday apps and resistance baits alike. Plus they can be found new much cheaper and the newer CT tat has a smaller frame and great performance from what I hear. Unless you are intrigued by Mag 3d breaking, the original T wing concept, and the lure of a hood that pops up when you cast I would probably say the CT Tat would serve you just fine.

One can never have enough!

Also the 50 sized reels will cast lighter baits down to say say 1/8 or so better. I also like the fact they are lighter and easier to palm.

Weightless zoom superfluke

Winter morning fishing for me would consist of watching fishing shows!

I would say there isn't a magical number. I would only carry up to 4 but, I think 2 is about ideal. If you have the funds and enjoy technique specific gear than get whatever number you can. Sometimes a jerkbait or dropshot rod for can be a seasonal niche rod or technique so you wouldn't need them all the time. You can also go for more general and all around gear too.

Blems, I added the hooks.

Lucky craft pointer 78, slender pointer, and 100 pointer in American shad, aurora black, and gumetal seem to be about all l would want if I had only 3.