bass1980

Actually during the classic when he won he was cranking on a steez with the Rapala DT. Then later switched to the Tatula.

That's a 7'1 MF rod. I also have the same reel on my jig rod. *** 7'3 HF.

Throw that curado on your avid and put the Chronarch on a ***. That black and white combo looks sick. Here's mine with a Curado I handle.

Well I first bought the HH and used it the wrong way and bent the pin and scratched my spool. Got another one, worked good but scratched my spool again but this time slightly. Sorry but with all the engineering brains in the world the HH seems to be designed by kids. Why would I want my spool touching the tool? Why would I need to put tape or something to block it? It is not just me, I bought an extra spool for my Steez and it had the very slight mark too. I asked him if he used the HH and he said yes. It didn't effect performance but why would I want a tool that risk it? I have seen at least 2 spools being sold in the classifieds from various forums with the same mark and there is only one tool that can make that mark. The Boca is violent lol, but it works. I don't think you will ever damage your spool shaft or pin, it just sounds like it when you pop it out. Between the two I will never go back to HH. I won't go as far as saying the Boca plier is perfect either.

I wonder how much will the DC version weigh? I hope it'll be under 7oz. I really want to buy the Exsence DC but at 8.5oz it's a tad heavy for me.

I use Sieberts Punch rigs. Tungsten already comes with skirts wire tied (optional). Easier and less mess around the tackle box. http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/Tungsten-Punch-Rig-408.htm

IMHO the Lexa is just ordinary. Nothing special about it. It can get the job done but that's it. The Tatula is the best reel at $100 and it's not even close. A Tatula in a alpha size, my whole tournament gears would be full of them.

Megabass, Steez, and SV spool, you guys gotta be kidding me, that's bad ass right there. I regret selling my Steez with a SV spool every day.

Woot woot.....smashed 14 Smallies in 16 degree weather in 2.5 hours. So cold my guides kept freezing up. Kept getting back lash when I cast and the guide freezes up lol. Then I learned a new trick. Dipped my rod in the water to melt the ice away from the guides for a few seconds and then cast away. I was just under handing cast since I was using live bait. Started off slow but when I found the sweet spot I couldn't hook my minnows fast enough to keep catching them. A few 2's with the rest 3lbers with the biggest at 3lb 10oz. Hope everyone's 2015 is great too.

Wow feels light and cheap? They are tanks to me and feel super rigid. Ive tried lews and I just don't see anything special with them unless its the TP. I guess to each their own.

Mitch it's a long...long...loooong winter here so I have time lol. Plus I'm a gear head too so why not. I once swapped a motor all by myself so how hard can reel maintenance be

I like my Curado I more than my ci4+ regardless of price. As to why I sold my ci4 and kept my curado. Throwing a hollow body frog the Curado outcast the ci4 and was way less finicky.

Whoops forgot to oil the raceways on the Curado. Now it free spins better but still not as freely as the 51e. However new out of box the Curado never free spin as nice as the 51e. On the water it doesn't matter much as the Curado is pretty smooth so I'm don't pay too much attention to free spool and handle free spin. As for the worm gear I added a lot of bantam oil so it should be lubed well. The Curado I didn't have an anti reverse paw on it and I've researched plenty and taking the AR paw should be fine.

Finished.......51e and Curado I. 51e handles free spin very nice and super smooth but it was already smooth before. I left out the anti reverse paw since that thing is annoying. The Curado I seems to be noticeably smoother but handle doesn't free spin much. Feels a bit stiff but I'll keep on spinning the handle. Maybe just needs to break in the grease. I will have to go back and read all the comments and do more research. I think there may be a few spots I didn't lube.

Also the only lube I have is shimano drag grease, Shimano batam oil, and Alchemy oil.

So when removing the drive shafts do I clean it throughly and do I need to relube? Also that particular bearing should I flush it and oil it? The side plate and spool bearing I flush it in alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner and reoil.

I looked at many videos and researched threads but could not find one that tells the exact parts to lube when assembling the reel back together. Right now I got it almost all apart sitting in simple green solution. I know the worm gear I will lube with oil, the main gear and drags I will lube with shimano grease. Is there anything else I need to lube? Also by looking at the picture what else should I disassemble and throw into the simple green solution? Thanks.

Who works a senko and Trig with the reel? You work it with your rod. The benefits of a fast IPT is getting the lure back to you to cast again.

Why would 40 IPT be over kill? Sure you won't need it for cranking but for techniques likes weightless senkos and Trig I would love it. Cast a senko, let it drop for a few seconds, jig it a bit, burn it back to me and repeat. I can search for fish a lot quicker this way. Plus when fishing for smallies they tend to make runs at you and this will definitely help out. Is it life and death not having it? Of course not but back then some people thought 6:1 was fast and when 7:1 came out the same skeptics said the same thing. If these high gear reels don't lose too much torque then I'm all for it. Heck using my Metanium XG at 36 IPT I'm loving it. Longer handle and gear design, I don't feel like I'm losing any torque at all. That reel has some serious power for what it's offering.

Man for the longest time I defended their reel seat. I mean I used to have some veritas 1.0 and the pac bay minima reel seat along with the thick handle made it hard for me to get a good grip on hard hook sets because I have small hands. I switched to Omens and fell in love with the reel seat along with the skinny handle. Upgraded to Envys and still liked the reel seat until I started getting more rods and when I got started to get bigger rods using heavier lures it started to bother me. I tried to not think about it for a while but now I just have to admit it that I don't like it as much as those simple Fuji ACS or ECS reel seats. I've mounted a reel on Shimano's new Poison Adrena and Exprides reel seat and I really like them but I doubt they will sell just the reel seats. What a shame as these *** blanks are such a performer given the price point. I've tried GLX for a day and felt the blanks perform very similar.

I think their reel seats are their own designs.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......I have 7 Envys. I love the blanks on these and the looks. I don't mind the reel seat as much on their lighter rods using lighter lures but the heavier rods and heavier lures starts to hurt my hand after a day of tournament fishing. Going to be a PITA selling this much rods.

Sorry for the noob question but I was wondering if it's even possible to take an existing rod and have a rod builder change out the reel seat? I have no experience in custom rods at all and looking to go that route one day but right now I have a bunch of 13 Envys and would like to keep them except I'm starting to not like the reel seat on these. Wondering if it's possible and if it was if it's worth it with the extra cost that's involve. Thoughts?

To be honest I just don't understand why clikcing drag star and tension knob isn't standard. How much could it possible cost them to add it?

Should I put in my suggestion or is it too late? Lol