kickerfish1

Corkish looks great. If they brought the Speedstyle stateside I would probably pick up a finesse model.

Looks good! Seeing possibly 2 Gen 1 Cumara rods but I can't tell what the others are. Can you fill in the blanks?

Perhaps the 873 could be in the mix. It would be a step up from the 893. Prior to Loomis adding the 894/895 it was a poular pick for 3/8 to 1/2 oz jigs plus trailers. I couldn't tell you how it compares to the 853 or 854 as I don't own either not have a fished either. Plus the added length of the 873 allows for better hook sets when fishing deep and longer casts. Don't let 3 power rating fool you as it fishes closer to a 4 or 4.5 powered rod. I use my 873 for jigs between 3/8 and 1/2 oz as well as Texas rigged plastics from 1/4 is to 5/16 oz bullet weights. IMO the general progression for NRX in terms of power among the longer models would be 893, 873, 894 and 895 is just a rod that is tough to find a use for due to its extreme power and some what tip heaviness. If I was to pick from the 853 and 854 only the 854 would better fill what you need as a rod with a bit more power to handle slightly heavier baits.

Quite, true! It has been a progression over the years to find exactly what I like/prefer for different times of the year and types of cover present. Considering getting into tying of various jigs which could lead to even more. Part of the reason for the large quantity is a enjoy collecting them and 2nd is I fish them more than other bait.

While a 7 foot MH casting rod is considered to be on the best "all rounders" I agree that a medium casting rod and a quality spinning rod would be a good addition. I am not sure how many outfits you could bring in your kayak but I am assuming you want to be around 5 or so? A few friends of mine are sponsored by Hobi and fish many regional kayak tournaments every year. They like to have about 3-5 in the yak with them to be able to adjust on the fly. They typically like a Heavy powered rod for big jigs, topwaters and frogs. A 7MH casting rod which you already have a few of to handle most apps including Squarebills, texas rigs, senkos, normal sized jigs and spinnerbaits. A third casting rod is used in a Medium power for lighter baits like a jerkbait, smaller plastics, etc. Generally one or two spinning rods to cover shakey heads, drop shots, ned rigs, light jerkbaits, spybaits etc. So if I was looking for 4 outfits for a yak it would be these in the length of your choice: 1. Heavy/Fast casting 2. MH/Fast casting 3/ Med/Fast casting 4. ML/XF Spinning

1. Weightless fluke 2. Spro frog 3. Chatterbait 4. Swimjig with a paddletail 5. Drop shot Honorable mention for the next 5: lipless bait, jerkbait, Texas rig, rage rigged Keitech swimbait, and a shakeyhead.

Generally a bigger jig that combines thick living rubber and silicone with a beaver style trailer. Second would probably be a larger size topwater bait or frog during the warmer months fished early or late in the day.

80 Spinnerbaits (roughly 4 spinner bait boxes full) 40 chatterbaits (1 full 3700 series boxes) Close to 750 jigs (27 of the 3700 series boxes in every style imagineable)

Almost need to distinguish between soft body and hard body. I like the MB Xpod for hardbaits. The lip allows me to adjust it for what type of action/presentation you need. For soft body a hollow body frog is nice but I am one of the few people that really like the Yum Money Hound.

My last outing of 2015 was a good jig bite. I was using 12# mono. Didn't notice much of a drop off from higher end flourocarbon.

It was during Black Friday I believe and it he had a post about it on here. He generally does a few throughout the year.

Looks good, I too got a half dozen during the last sale he had. Can't wait to try them.

Maico1 had a nice post about his opinion on DC reels. He owns quite a few and has fished them quite a bit so I would take his opinion as a trustworthy one. I am not sure he has used the Exscence DC but he knows his way around the DC braking systems. The only DC reel I own is the Exscence DC. In fact I now own two of these. Here is why I like the DC system: 1. All external brake adjustments without having to take a side plate off 2. Various modes that allow the user to cast a variety of baits in a variety of conditions 3. The addictive DC whine 4. Most of all I find the break system to be the equivalent of what the term "smart" means to cars, phones, TVs etc. How many casting reels can you cast a respectable distance on without applying your thumb at the end of the cast when your bait hits the water or feathering the spool during the cast? How many reels have modes for different types of line? I think it allows for the most customization for the user to dial in what they are using while the reel does some of the work/thinking. Why the Exscence DC. 1. X Ship gearing for a incredibly smooth yet powerful retrieve 2. Blazing fast gear ratio 3. Same platform as the Core 100 or Chronarch 100D which were widely popular reels/frames 4. Easy to palm 5. Fairly affordable around $250 for all the bells and whistles 6. Puts a smile on your face as it is a true joy to fish Why not the Exscence DC 1. Reel is a bit heavier in weight than most high end reels 2. Only one gear ratio so not suited for apps requiring low IPT With that said the reel isn't noticeably heavy or bulky when paired with a 7 foot plus MH or Heavy rod.

My comment was more directed to the guys that fish with oversized gear and sight these large round reels as distance kings. I am not disagreeing but rather looking at this realistically in terms of modern day bass fishing... Not surf fishing, large freshwater game fish, or such. Casting distance is a term that always creates some controversy. Most of the numbers are often not realstic. What I mean is how often is a bass fisherman casting a lead sinker only? Or how about a hevier lipless crank bait? Most of what I throw has some degree of wind resistance to it. What I want are reels and setups that will cast normal bass lures, in normal weight ranges, that are comfortable to use for extended period of time to achieve an "acceptable" long distance. Do I think it is fun to tie on heavy or impractical baits like a 1 oz lipless with no hooks and see how far I can chuck it? Sure, that kind of distance is fun and intersting to think about. What I am more interested in the every day side of it...

No thanks at 12 ounces. While I have no doubt that these large capacity round reels are the distance kings for casting reels I have no use for one for bass fishing. Enough people complain about a reel being heavy at 8 ounces...

Continuing to beat a dead horse the LC pointer 78 and 100 have always treated me well.

So the next logical progression in the sequence is the Savvy line. Wonder when they will unveil that? I too was hoping for a blank upgrade for the Champion. Perhaps the guides were enough of a performance upgrade? This could have also helped keep the price roughly the same.

A true finesse casting reel will start with a true BFS spool. To compliment the spool one will usual find a small compact frame, a reel that is light in weight, and has bearings that help with spool startup such as the Hedgehog air BFS bearings. The appropriate rod and and line diameter should accompany the reel as well.

Any lineup that includes at least one DC Reel like the Exscence DC is alright in my book!

Awesome addition Mike! And on a side note please don't get rid of the owner deep throat hooks.

Best deal will always be bad buying gently or lightly used gear from places like our flea market here. The deals can be found year round. EBay and another auction sites are nice but they are more hit or miss on items, sizes, and availability. Big retailers are good around holiday sales as they will provide you with a new items up to 25% off give or take. They will sometimes offer closeout items as well. Locally is hit or miss for me. Clearance items are availbale in small quanities so you have to act fast. Majority of my purchases are done online through US or Japan retailers.

Sharp looking reel that carries the Stradic name. Not sure how much I want/need one. Not too worried about the body material. There was a lot of fuss about the Zaion body material Daiwa started using. Well they are still using it today and I haven't had any issues with it.

And the wait is over! Nice collection! Now to add a new 2016 Antares DC...

Not much of a pre-order guy. Thanks for the headsup. The Met MGL and Antares DC have my attention right now.

So roughly a release date or rough idea? I am chomping at the bit for a few of these reels...