kickerfish1

Welcome! Members Bootytrain, John G, thehooligan, and jrob78 are all guys that come to mind that would be great resources for BFS.

Great looking baits you built

DC reels have been out for quite some time. The Antares DC was recently redone in 2016 but is a premier retail with a sticker price near $600. The Metanium DC was brought into the picture in 2015 I believe. The Exsence DC was a reel that has been out for a good 3 or 4 years. So you may not hear a lot about them due to price or the fact they are typically JDM only.

Something just ain't right with that second paragraph.

I have never ordered a reel from Ebay. Like anything else there are always scammers. Make sure the seller has a high rating like a 99.5% and you should be ok. Sometimes things get listed wrong by leaving out a word, misspelling one, or putting the wrong one in which appears to be the case here. This generally means that not all search results are going be shown. If the pictures show the box and the reel I don't think you are getting a fake. Just read the description so you know what you are getting. There are always good deals to be had on the auction sites and this may be the case here.

Crazes come and go. There are quite a few topics that get repeatedly brought up and right now this just happens to be one of them. No different than the people that think their is some magical or best reel under a certain a price point or a rod that is sensitive under $150 etc... Simply put things don't really change it is just people don't put in the time to research them. Just about every topic you can think of has been covered in great length on here or other sites. Some material has been made stickied at the top of the page but obviously not all topics can be. As far as where you can buy a DC reel. You can buy one from a reputable Ebay seller, Japan Lure Shop, Digitaka, or any other valid vendor that has them in stock. Prices are not really all that great right now so some of the pretty awesome prices we paid a 6 months to a year ago aren't there...

Nice fish and congrats on the 2016 PB Largie!

Regardless of what the line is, to me it is inexpensive, versatile, readily available, and proven. I can use it to cover a good chunk of techniques and not have to spend a lot on line. I like my fluorocarbon too, but I fish a good amount of mono. While some use it for moving baits and treble hook topwaters only I can appreciate the versatility of the line to use it for jigs and plastics though it may not be favorite.

Thanks for following up with pics and the description.

I would not pick a GL2 or GL3 if that is what is being asked or implied by 1990s Loomis blank. I would probably be looking at other options...

It really just depends as I have finished rods that have a little more weight when you weigh the finished product feel more sensitive in hand than rods that weigh less. Like DVT said it really boils down to the blank and components chose. For example lets say you are building a rod. You choose a blank that has an average weight rating for a blank. You choose to build with little bling keeping a minimalist approach in mind. Lets say you manage to put out a finished rod weight that is 4.1 ounces. Lets compare that to say a rod that was built on a premium blank but has some bling/decorative components on it so lets say a finished weight of 4.5 ounces. The 1st rod is lighter but will not be more sensitive just because it is lighter. There are just too many factors that paly into sensitivity than weight. Here is another example since you are a Dobyns guy. The DX 743 HP rod weighs around 6 ounces. The *** *** 7'3 Medium weighs 4.86 ounces. Does this mean the 2nd is more sensitive than the first since it is over an ounce lighter? I would say likely not.

The older Loomis blanks prior to Gary parting ways with G-Loomis were great. They set the standards by which all other rods were compared dating back to the original IMX and GLX lines. I am not sure what Loomis blank you are looking at but I would pick one over a St Croix any day of the week.

Thanks, I am looking forward to seeing some photos. I hate painted blanks and these have caught my attention.

What rods were you comparing?

Imagine 20 something boxes like these bluegill swim jigs broken out by color, head style, and skirt material. I would venture to guess a few hundred have been used. My color selection and preference is a bit more complicated than others but that is another story. It really boils down to the lake, water clarity, and size of fish and even the time of year.

Infestation eh? Nothing a little rodent killer wouldn't get rid of.

I have over 1000 jigs

By deep I am usually fishing 10-20 FOW on my home lakes. I like a 1/2 oz poisontail style head and paddletail style trailer. Basically I will lift the rod tip and lower it significantly so that the jig is moving up and down the water column vs just a standard straight line retrive I would use in shallower water.

Could you post pics of the finished rods you have built on these blanks? ~ Thanks

The JDM MGL with the shallower spool would be my choice. A bit over $300 but a very nice reel and much lighter than either of those Zillions.

Same type of setup you would use for senkos.

Not 100% true. The length of the handle and the type material the knobs are can influence the weight. Yea it will be a fraction of an ounce so something that starts at 7.5 ounces for example could possibly get down closer to just over 7 ounces. It just depends upon the length of the stock handle and the knob type and size. It may not be a huge weight savings but for some it may be worth it. And I agree, they do look sharper regardless of any noticed weight savings.

So to answer your question IM=Intermediate modulus and HM=High Modulus.

You probably won't be able to put any Non-Shimano knobs on a stock Shimano handle. An after market handle, would but that would depend upon the handle. As far as a longer handle I would like at the Met XG handle assembly. Much cheaper than buying a carbon fiber version if you aren't willing to shell out a lot of money for a handle.

Sorry, the 80 size is that I have used which is 3/8 oz. The bait is a slow sink/countdown type of bait. It really needs pretty clear water to be affective. The other brands like the MB and LC are ok but they aren't quite as good. They seem to do the best during the spring or fall for me.