GPtimes2

I would consider one of the lighter weight reals may feel/balance better with lighter lures. Not sure of all the weights, so maybe the Aldebaran?

I put a Conquest BFS (a little heavier than your Aldebaran) on an NRX+ Inshore casting 6'6" medium light, fast action rod that works well. I only had a chance to cast it a few times, so my opinion may be a little premature. My rod box won't handle longer, or I may have entertained the 7' version. Not sure of the weight but casting the small, short weightless fluke on a thin Mustad worm hook (#22) got it out there 50' or 60'. I think I can loosen the spool a little with more time. It's not a "buggy whip" trout rod for 1/32 ounce, but I like the combo so far with what I tried. On edit- model 781C. Rated for 1/8 to 3/16 and 8 to 15# line

Seems what I read before was go to Texas or Mexico. I don't even entertain catching one in Ohio.

You may choose by speed. Do you want to go 40, 50, or 60 MPH (give or take a few).

I have One original Calais DC and three current Antares DC's. I also have two Calcuta Conquest, One Calcuta Conquest BFS, One Aldebaran, and a Revo Beast. I sold a Revo STX, Revo Rocket, and Curado DC. (just to show I have and tried a variety). The DC reel will greatly reduce and most of the time eliminate backlashes. Especially the Antares DC's which Shimano claims to be their most sophisticated to date. Look on Digitaka.com and see if the price is in your budget because that will be the best for what he wants to accomplish.

Just an fyi. Most any AGM that you don't discharge more than 50% and recharge as soon as you get home should last 7 to 12 (based on 3 die-hard AGM) years. Also keep it on trickle charge when not in constant use.

This is rated for 1/8- NRX+ INSHORE CASTING – G. Loomis US (gloomis.com)

Hedgehog carries a lot of OEM and aftermarket parts, handles, knobs, and end caps of various styles, sizes, and materials. Maybe something worth looking at, if you haven't already?

When I opened this, I got a prompt to translate to English. It's from Hedgehog studio web site. 046659 24 Methanium DC 71XG (shimanofishingservice.jp) 24 Methanium DC 71XG SKU: 046659 number S Part No. Item name Base price (tax included) number S Part No. Item name Base price (tax included) 0001 10DN7 Fixing Bolts 165 0028 105BP Ball Bearings (5×9×3) 1375 0002 1017T Retainer 385 0029 144NV Pull out stop 110 0004 10RLX Handle Cap 605 0030 1005E Roller clutch 1705 0005 10DQN Fixing Bolts 165 0032 10BN3 Roller Clutch Inner Tube 605 0006 104VX Ball Bearings (4×7×2.5) 1375 0033 10RW3 Star Drag Plate 605 0007 104FH washer 220 0034 10RWJ Star drag washer 935 0008 10RMU Handle Knob 1155 0036 10CJ1 Star drag washer 385 0011 101JC Star-dragging sound board 165 0037 1021K Stopper Gear 605 0012 10B27 Sound Shipin 165 0039 10JDX Worm shaftfor gearsprings 165 0013 10988 Otode Shibane 165 0040 10HJF Pin for worm shaft gear 165 0015 10A78 Star Rag Spring 275 0041 10057 Worm Shaft Gear 275 0017 10J1N Star Drag Spacer 165 0042 105NC E-type stop ring 2 110 0018 10D60 Main gear washer (C) 165 0043 10FNX Worm Shaft Gear 275 0019 105PW Star Drag Bearing Washer 110 0044 10MPF Fixing Bolts 110 0020 10EX8 Ball Bearings (8×12×3.5) 1375 0045 10MT2 Fixing Bolts 110 0021 1027V O-Rings 165 0046 1005S Drive gear shaft fixing plate 275 0022 144P5 Mechanical Brake Knob 935 0047 10SZ4 O-Rings 165 0023 1057Q Spool shaft hit tari (B) 110 0049 10PXY Handle nigiri bush (B) 165 0024 10S37 Ball Bearings (3×10×4) 1375 0050 10GFG washer 110 0025 10LA9 O-Rings 165 0051 10EET Worm shaft 275 0027 1055J Fixing Bolts 165 0052 100T8 washer 110 24 Methanium DC 71XG number S Part No. Item name Base price (tax included) number S Part No. Item name Base price (tax included) 0053 1005Z Level Wind Pipe 165 0098 144NT Sound Shipin 110 0054 1006J Level Wind Guide 385 0099 10T6Z Otode Shibane 110 0056 144NZ Clutch yoke spring 110 0102 10R3Z washer 110 0058 10LVH Clutch cam fixing bolt 110 0103 10GFJ washer 110 0059 144P7 Clutch Cam Pusher Plate 990 0301 1469U Handle shaft set 3410 0060 10559 Fixing Bolts 165 0302 1469V Handle set 9460 0065 10RWD Clutch Spring Holder 165 0401 101DW Handle fixing nut 605 0067 103C0 Fixing Bolts 110 0404 144P9 Star Drag 1155 0068 100BD Fixing Bolts 165 0405 10A0C Star Drag Fixing Nut 275 0070 10FJB Level Wound Receiving 165 0406 144P6 Body A nameplate 935 0071 10CFW Adjustment washer set 110 0409 10RWL Drive Gear Shaft 2255 0072 100BT Worm Shaft Pin 275 0410 10PVU Fixing Bolts 165 0073 108WQ O-Rings 165 0412 13T1U Clutch yoke 165 0074 1469M Levelwind Suite 3960 0413 10RWF Clutch claw (B) 165 0076 10LZD Fixing Bolts 165 0414 10SKS Clutch Cam 275 0077 101GQ Fixing Bolts 165 0415 10RWC Clutch claw (A) 165 0078 103LN Fixing Bolts 165 0416 14026 Clutch Tube Spring 165 0083 10E7H O-Rings 110 0417 10RW6 Clutch Plate 495 0084 10TNF O-Rings 165 0418 10RVT Body A sheet 385 0085 10MD0 Spool Clutch Pin 165 0419 146A0 Frame assembly 13200 0086 1469P Spool tuple 14300 0420 1007C Clutch lever receiver (B) 165 0087 141R6 Fixing Bolts 110 0421 10RW1 Clutch Lever 495 0088 144NU DC Assy 12100 0422 10RWB Clutch lever inscription 605 0089 10B94 Bearing Seals 165 0423 100P2 Clutch lever set 1155 0090 144NQ Spool Shaft Tari B 110 0424 146A1 Brake dial set 1650 0091 144NM washer 220 0425 144NP Body B 1760 0092 144NN washer 220 0426 146A2 Body B 19800 0093 1024A washer 165 0601 146A4 Body A 11000 0094 144NL O-Rings 110 0602 13UYJ Drive Gears 2475 0095 144NR Body B nameplate 110 0603 10072 Pinion gear 1705 0097 1469R DC Dial Pair 1650

Antares DC

Every time I have tried something other than stren mono, I was disappointed. But I like the stren magnathin the best. For a change for you, I would recommend magnathin in a lighter strength for those lighter lures.

I put on a couple of coats of semigloss polyurethane. Still feels good and only have to do it once. It will clean easy and not get pits from filler coming out.

I have and still use the original Calais DC. A year ago I bought 3 Antares DC's from Digitaka (Japan). I sold all my other bait casters except 1 Aldebaran that I put a shallow spool and Hedgehog bearings for a BFS reel. I wanted to try that due to the centrifugal brakes on that model. I had 1 Corado DC, a Rocket, and a Revo STX that I occasionally backlashed and wasn't in the same league as the Calais or Antares that I never backlash. The DC part does work, and my vote would go for the Antares and skip the lesser models.

Search EBay for "Bass Pro Shops Extreme baitcast reel" and you may find it. No need to enter a year in your search.

It will make it easier for YOU to put a strain on it against a snag or too big of a fish because you will have more leverage. The strain being if you catch a 50# fish (or a snag, etc...) on a reel that doesn't have the components to handle it, it will suffer damage (gears, bearings) no matter the size of the handle. With a longer (larger) handle, heavier lures with high resistance will feel easier to reel in (I may have that backwards, it may be harder), so you may like that. But your hand will travel in a larger circle.