kickerfish1

For paddletail I like: Keitech 3.8 fat impact on a Cali swim jig Keitech 4 inch swing impact on a bullet or northern swim jig RI big dipper and little dipper depending upon jig size Missle baits shock wave Yamamoto swim senko cut down some Have a few others I am testing but the above are my staple

That's nice but who needs that kind of line capacity and reel that size for bass fishing? Spooling up 300 yards of 12 # line so I can toss a jig or spinner bait? Maybe as a big swimbait reel but these reels are more used for Stripers and for Muskie in freshwater. Perhaps the OP should have been more clear ... A bass fishing reel for "normal" bass fishing needs and weights. Per

As soon as we thaw out I will be working on gathering some real time data on this topic. I have purchased several packs of casting plugs and a big spool of Trilene Big Game. I am going to attempt to keep all variables the same except the reel. Plan is to place a ruler on the ground to serve as a line to cast behind. I would like to use flags with the reel names on them to indicate where the bait landed. Thinking about doing about 10 casts with each reel and then taking the measurement for the best distance. Going to do this test with a buddy in a park to help find the plug in the grass when it lands. I have 13 casting reels for this but may have another 1 or 2 added by then. The biggest pieces of info I will be after is significant differences in casting distance. I did a Curado 50a vs Alphas SV and the Alphas SV beat it by about 15 feet. When I get around to this I plan on posting the unbiased results. I also have different weights of plugs from 1/4 to 1/2 so I can do a light vs heavy test as well...

i use 3/8 to 3/4. weight depends upon depth, sink rate needed, and possibly off setting the wind (posted in all lower case to quite things down using an 'indoor voice')

Unless you are looking for material to read while "one the pot" I have pretty much found magazines to be obsolete. So many advertisements and what not that it gets old. Plus add in the fact that after subscribing to a few for several years you all of a sudden have lots of magazines taking up space. You could end up with boxes full of them sitting in storage. With the amount of information and articles found on line plus videos on YouTube I have found the need to rely on fishing magazines to be almost non existent. When I used to get magazines and such I would use post it notes to mark pages with articles I liked or I would just cut the article out of the magazine and put them in a binder.

$147 on TW? I just went there and added one to my cart. Still shows $219?

Good info

You have my thoughts and prayers Tom. Stay strong my friend.

Japan Tackle I know will offer reels in the bargain room for a significant savings and sometimes as much as 50% off. I know Japan Lure Shop has had some similar savings when they moved out the 50 series Alde's. If you are looking for a % off coupon code or Holiday sale like you would see in US I don't think you will find that. Just be careful not to hesitate too long with hopes of better price as sometimes their stock goes so quickly that the next thing you know the reel you are looking at is sold out.

The TD sol is great little reel that was sold in the US but made in Japan. It is basically the same frame as the Alphas series. Lots of tuning parts and upgrades available too. For $90 you made it out like a bandit assuming both are in good shape. Fish it like you stole it! Here is a review of the reel and it's specs if you haven't read it... http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwasol.html

Mike, could you ellaborate on what you mean by added maintenance costs of DC reels? Assuming you are talking about just regular service work and not the actual DC unit going bad.

Another vote for "Tactical Bass'n" with Matt Allen.

I would echo the above comments. Not a fan of boat rash and such on rods and reels. If I fished tournaments for big money or had rod and reel sponsors it would be a different story. Another thing to keep in mind is resell value and condition. If you are someone that regularly tries new rods and reels and sells them or upgrades their gear to newer offerings every few years than it pays to keep them not only performing well but looking well. Just a recent example: I sold a Lews Speed Spool in near mind condition interntally and externally for $70 shipped. That is $30 less than the retail price. I watched one in much worse cosmetic condition sell for $50.That is a difference of $20 just on looks of the reel. Some people don't care about external condition but I would be willing to bet a good majority do and most often associate a reel with lots of external where to be one that was abused or that has lots of miles on it. TW had their house brand reel covers on sale for $2.99. Match that with a rod glove for about $7.00 and for about $10 you can protect both your rod and reel. The rod covers also help prevent the guides from getting tangled up too.

The new Legend Elite is actually on my radar too. I like the components and such even if the looks are rather plain.

We don't need this for freshwater bass fishing....

Glad to hear things are looking up Jeff! You deserve a new toy or two for those Fuegos/TDZs

Longest bass was on a Northstar Flip and Swim jig in pumpkinseed. Heaviest was on drop shot with a jackal cross tail shad.

Not unless Shimano brings something stateside that I actually like I have the spinning 7'2 ML Fast and and 7'2 Med XF drop shot rods. In the casting I have the 7'2 Med XF and 7'2 MH XF. Right now they aren't going anywhere!

That isn't the news I wanted to hear! I am in the market for roughly 3 new rods. Decided to go custom for one but I am waiting on this Bantam rod to see if it could be a worthy option.

I would have a hard time focusing on building with a lake like that in the background. Nice work area !

Any chance they would bring the Ultima or Poison Glorious lines to the States? Haven't bought a Shimano rod since the Gen 1 Cumara (still have 4 of these) and Cumulus. Nothing they have sold in the US has really interested me.

Really interested in the Antares DC depending upon weight and size of the frame. Also I prefer the looks of that Metanium in all silver over the 13 Met. And that Bantam rod looks great. Paired with that new Metanium would be pretty slick looking. I am 50/50 on the Scorpion and Curado I in the 70 size. Kind of tired of red and black but it always looks good together. Shimano is setting the bar high with a diverse lineup of reels, frames, etc.

Booty I dig the machine or robotic appearance of those handles and knobs. How do they feel in terms of comfort, especially fishing for extened periods of time?

I think Shimano has hit more "Home runs" than Daiwa has in 2015 and 2016 and I am now exclusively fishing both brands. I will let the dust settle and see what is left by spring when a few new things should be officially introduced by both parties. I have had my Tatula for about a year and half and haven't had any grooving issues. Love the reel just not crazy about the frame. At this point I don't have a strong preference on the T-wing system yet...