FishTank

50% off coupon. What is it and where to? Just asking for a friend....

I have the Bantam and I do like for crankbaits but I like the Curado DC better. It seems to work perfectly and casts a little further but on the other hand the Bantam is smoother. I am looking into getting the new Conquest DC and that thought has crossed my mind. I have had a 251 Calcutta for 15 years and it feels like brand new. I think it will last forever.

The most accurate setup I own is a G.Loomis 783C GLX paired with a Shimano Core 101. There is just something magical about this set up. I guess it comes with how the rod loads and the fact that I can thumb the reel more easily (which also has a very important part in casting accuracy). Personal opinion, a rod with a soft tip and stiff middle is what makes a rod more accurate for me> As well as how well it balances with the reel.

Another option would be the Calcutta Conquest BSF. Pricey but from what I can tell and yes, I don't own one, it's the best you can get.

I use to use this same line for jerkbaits and never had an issue. I have since gone to 12lb only because I got a good deal on a big spool.

I never use braid for backing for this reason. 6lb or 10lb of the cheapest stuff I can find or the left overs of whatever FC or Mono I have around, is what I had good luck with.

Ebay.... This is the MGL 30. It's even more finesse oriented. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-18-Aldebaran-MGL-30HG-Right-handle-From-Japan/133042854526?epid=27013900797&hash=item1ef9f8da7e:g:4FgAAOSwxy5ceJk5

Welcome to the forum. I am going to guess this is for the Metanium MG DC7. I would personally leave it alone and I don't think there is one available. The control that fits on the spool would have to fit the new spool. I am also guessing that the DC function is based on weight of the spool and the amount of torque. If you change those beyond a certain range, it will not function properly. One other thing too, would be the cost. You are probably looking at $100+. A new stock one from Plat is about $80. Most new reels average about 120 yards or less of 12lb line, the Metanium MG DC7 I think holds 120y/12lb. There is not much you can't do with that amount of line on a bass reel, except some serious trolling in deep water. If that that's the case, a different type of reel may be a better choice.

Welcome to the forum. My personal preference would be to use straight 6lb FC. My personal favorite is Trilene XL 100% FC. I have used Power Pro depth hunter for something like this but only for night fishing. I tend to use my finger on the line and bounce the Ned rig that way.

I say you got sort of lucky. Last year I seen a guy get a ticket for $2400 for turning on an engine that was larger than a 9.9 at the dock. This lake has an engine limit of 9.9 or smaller. He also got a ticket for gunning it trying to put his boat on the trailer after getting the first ticket which was kind of dumb. I am not sure how much the second ticket was but I still can't believe he got a ticket for $2400. I know there are rules but that was a little much.

I went out today but fished from the bank and left the kayak in the truck. We had40-45 degree weather here in Indy but the wind gusts were brutal, around 30mph. There were white caps on the lake I go to. It's supposed to snow tomorrow. I can't wait for nice weather. Last year it didn't show up until the middle of May. I did catch 4 in about 2 hours. Not bad for just messing around.

For value baits that work..... Anything made by Zoom. What's weird is that a lot of their baits and concepts have been duplicated by other companies and they will always be more expensive. Usually it's the other way around. A bait comes out, it catches fish/becomes popular, it goes up in price with the demand, and then the imitations come out at a cheaper price.

The most expensive thing, from a manufacturing stand point, in a rod build isn't the components... it's the hype/marketing. A rod might cost $50 to $100 to build (at the most) but add a pro staff of anglers, show booths, online videos, and tv spots and you might have one expensive rod on your hands.

I had the E and sold it but still own the G. Both reels are great when properly taken care of. Like DVT said above, about the best thing you can do is supertune it and update the bearings. I have done both on the G I have. The supertune made it a little smother but not much. It was pretty smooth to begin with. I did upgrade the bearings to ABEC 5 Boca ceramics and it did cast further. I also tried the ABEC 7's and didn't see where they were an upgrade from the 5's in terms of smoothness or casting. If I had to do it all over again, I would have ordered the stock bearings that go in the Calais/Antares from Shimano. They are the same size and this would have been a major improvement over the stock. I also feel that these bearings are as good or even better than the "upgraded" type bearings out there. They are also cheaper, $14 each.

My personal favorite for a general purpose rod is either the St. Croix Avid 7' MH Fast or the St. Croix Avid 7' M Fast. I have fished both from a kayak and like how they both can handle a wide variety of baits. For what you are doing, I would say the M would be best.

I only have used it once so it maybe too early to tell if it would work for leader. As far as stretch goes, it doesn't seem to stretch much but I used it in 40 degree water this past weekend. I think I will need to fish it for some more and at better water temps to tell. Also, just a personal preference, I like FC for leader if I am using it with braid which would be rare. Abrazx would be my choice for this but I tend to use whatever I have left over from a spool of FC now. What I like about though....Abrazx tends to be super tough, last a long time, and has minimal stretch.

In mono at same price point, maybe Sunline Natural. I also like Sufix Elite. My favorite in an any line..... Seaguar Invizx 12lb. I use it for just about everything except topwater. I just bought my first spool of Sunline Defier. It maybe too soon but it maybe my new favorite mono but it's pricey for sure.

I like both but there are better options. Big Game is great for tough, cheap line and Stren is good for an all purpose line. My gripe with both is that they tend not last too long and loose their properties quickly but each are good for the price.

This guy.....

It's going to based on where you are sending it too. Most rods I have seen shipped run between $25-40. All of the carriers are pricey though. You can check their websites for shipping prices, each has an estimator. Personally I like UPS unless it's going to Alaska. UPSP would then be my choice. Fed Ex only if you have too.

12lb Trilene will do. Personal favorite but not for topwater... 12lb Invizx

I have rods from G.Loomis, St. Croix, Abu Garcia, 13 Fishing, Shimano, Fenwick, and Quantum. If I had to pick one brand over all, I would say St. Croix but G. Loomis is a close second. Loomis does make my two favorite rods to use though> 783GLX and 853NRX. I may change my mind to G. Loomis in the future. We will see.

I'm probably going to be between 3/8oz and 3/4oz, the usual crankbait range. If I was going down to 1/4oz or less, the Aldebaran BSF would be on the radar. It too is one slick reel.

I don't think I can go wrong with either one. I do like the DC breaking system in my Curado and having that in this reel would be amazing. The plus side with the 19 is it will be new and it has the newer spool. This is what's driving me nuts.