FishTank

Two reels that look very similar. One at $100 and the other for under $30. I would pass. I will say Dobyns rods are pretty good. Seeing this reel from them is odd.

Sunline Defier Armlio 22lb is my first choice. I have also used 25lb Invizx. Both good lines but Deifer seems designed for the job.

I have not handled the Adrena but I have the NRX 873. I have used it for jigs, spinnerbaits, and Texas rigged soft plastic. As far as power and taper goes, the 873 sort of falls between the 854 JWR and the 843 MBR. It's almost a heavy in Loomis stuff but not quite. It's a toss up for me to chose between the 873 and the 904 for jigs. Both are great and versatile but I tend to like the 904 a little better.

So just for examples and yes, I was expecting the above response but it took me a few to go through the reels I have to work on and decide which ones to show..... Can you tell which is which?...... One of these gear sets is bad and will be replaced, one just grinds a little, one is obviously brass, one aluminum set is from 2007. One is from Shimano, one is from Banax, one is from Doyo and to get you started the brass one was used in saltwater and is from Shimano. It is still perfectly good. Also, one is from a reel that came from Texas and was regularly fished at Lake Fork.

I remember going to the BPS in Louisville (it was awesome 20 years ago) and they had a whole row of them at $15 a piece. At that time, it was equal to the amount BPS lures they had. I thought they were crazy expensive then but they ended up being my introduction to JDM lures.

They are on my list for my next JDM order but I would not pay $25 for one (crazy). So far my favorites have been from Megabass (all versions) and also the OSP High Pitcher.

That looks good. I have got to try that color. It would go well with one of my favorite jigs.

Keitech and OSP are two that I have used that have 1/8oz jigs but you are better off with the Bitsy bug cost wise. I do have to say that my buddy fishes the Bitsy Bug and I have seen him loose more fish on them than any other lure. I have been working on getting him to use something different and heavier but he is stubborn. Also, we are fishing in 10-20 feet of water, where an 1/8oz jig just doesn't seem to be the best choice either.

I can pretty much find them anywhere online. Locally, maybe Cabela's. Most stores (DSG, Walmart) around me seem to be moving away from fishing gear. My favorite color is black and blue flake. I use them as jig trailers and on occasion as a flipping bait.

I have two K's and several guys I fish with have them and no issues. I would agree that Daiwa's Aluminum main gear is better than Shimano's version. Doyo I would say is a draw but no way on Banax reels. As far as reels with the grinding issue that people pointed to with 2016-2019 Metanium, it wasn't the main gear or the pinion on any of the ones I worked on. It was bearing BNT3927. I swamped a few gear sets of my own before figuring this one out. The problem would resurface later after some use on the reels but it would feel different because of the new gear set. As far as I can tell, the bearings were dry from the factory in most reels but not all. After some heavy use, the reels would start to grind, especially if the reel had the drag smashed down. So basically if you oiled those bearings, this was a non issue but the average guy did not. I saved one from the last Metanium I worked on.

It's one of those baits I always have tied on now. I have killed it on every lake I have fished in three different states last year. On the other hand, my buddy tried it and he too can't catch a fish on them but he drags or slow swims everything. He never let's a bait sit, which is how I fish them. I free rig them with a 4/0 EWG and pop them off the bottom. The fish hit it on the way up or immediately on the fall.

Each year I try a few new products that are different from the norm or at least something new to me and see if I like it. I try not to make a major investment in this but it's fun. Last year it was the Cover Scat and Bellows Gill (both winners).... So this year I ordered a whole box of different things to try. This is the one that has intrigued me the most, the Decoy Switch Head. You can tie on one end, push the pin out and attach a hook without retying. If you put it on one direction, it's like a swimbait head or slider. Turn the weight around, it's supposed to cause the bait to wobble. What do you think? Anybody else trying something new this year?

I baby my reels but some damage is inevitable. As long as the reel functions well, cosmetics come second.

San Diego jam knot. I never have an issue with it. The Palomar is good but for whatever reason I tend have a hard time getting this knot done to my satisfaction and I end up re-trying it until I get right. All three mentioned by the original poster have given me issues with various situations and lures.

Not sure what you mean by window? Also, the reel I held was all aluminum. This was from a review on TT. One other thing I didn't like on this reel was the line guide. It sticks out from the frame. It too just didn't feel right.

I would start here. When it comes to reels, companies don't really specify a weight range but they may, in some cases, give a "It's capable of" number. For example the Shimano Aldebaran BFS, Shimano says it capable of casting a 1/16oz lure but I know a guy that throws 1/2oz jigs with a trailer on 17lb line. This is not what the reel is designed to do but he likes the size of reel and the small spool for flipping jigs. Another example, another guy I know has nothing but Tranx 300 reels. He uses them for everything from 1/4oz jigs to 3oz swimbaits. He likes the size of these reels better since his hands are as big as a tennis racquet. If you are just beginning and want to sort out the confusion, I would pick a few techniques and the guys here can steer you to the right equipment. Also, think of the rod, reel, and line as a system that works together and not as an exact science, even though I'd like it to be. For instance first on the list, the Daiwa Steez CT... I use this reel for light weight softplastic (roboworms, shakey head, small swimbaits) with a G. Loomis NRX 802c and 8lb fluorocarbon. So the line and lures fit the rod and the reel is suited for those techniques. This setup/system works for me but there are always alternatives, price points and in some cases, skill levels that change what you might need.

In this case, I like braid to leader. I use 16lb Sunline Xplasma and Seaguar Gold Label 8lb for leader.

Kind of curious as to why you think it is lesser quality. I have only held the Conquest BFS in hand and thought it was too small. I also like to use my thumb to stop the line or control it and just didn't feel like this would be easy to do based on how the reel was designed. In the above picture, I have a Calcutta TE 101GT (US Conquest in it's day). This reel works perfectly for my thumb braking. But in comparison, I felt that the newer Calcutta BFS was made to same quality standards as the old. So what am I missing? I ended up passing on the Conquest BFS and ordered an Aldebaran BFS from Japan. This reel seemed cheaply made at first but after fishing it most of the year and after taking it apart to service it, it was like working on a well made Rolex watch and fishing with it was a pleasure, especially after catching more fish on it than any other reel I used last year. My only complaint was that the reel was dirty inside and out, more so than most.

Over the years I have worked on more Curado B's than any other reel. I usually work on about 12-15 during the off season. This year I have only seen 7 but out of all of them I have only seen one that needed to be retired. They are probably the best longest lasting reel I have ever seen, more than likely because of how simplistic it is. I could take one apart in my sleep. As far as the other Curados go, I have owned and worked on all of them since the B and only the Curado I had an issue that bothered me. The K's I have, have been flawless. The G might be favorite. It's sort of the under dog of the bunch. Mine is still going strong and casts a mile. Plus I have a love of Shimano reels from that Era.

I have fished them several different ways, all with success...... Texas rigged, free rigged, wobble head, weightless, ball head jig and on a skakey head. I fish it like a football jig, sometimes like swim jig and occasionally I drag it a like tube.

I dont have the Alphas Air but I do have have the Silver Wolf, the Millionaire CT, and the Aldebaran BFS. All three have slightly different IPT and I have used crankbaits on all three. I just pay attention to how fast I want to reel and do so accordingly. I don't get to caught up in it. As far as which reel I like the best... it's a tough call but the Aldebaran has been my favorite. I might change my mind as time goes on but so far it's the best caster between all of them for 1/8oz baits. The Millionaire CT is better at 1/4 oz baits and the Silver Wolf sort is the in-between, being great at soft plastic and ned rigs.

I have been thinking of replacing them on this reel as well. I like the knobs on it for cranking but not for bottom contact jigs and soft plastic. I have this odd thing about pinching the knobs with my pointer finger and my thumb. It feels weird to do this on those bigger knobs. I might see if I can switch the handle and knobs on the Zillion HD to the new Steez A II, which I will be using for deep cranks.

I like the Metanium but if you are using it for saltwater the Tranx 150 or Daiwa Costal 80 would be the two I would be looking at.

10lb on a 2000 size spinning reel would probably cause issues with most lines. I would step down to 6lb. Also, Basix is slightly thicker than some other FC. For example, 12lb in Invizx is .011in which is the same as 10lb Basix.

I have both and both are great reels but the Metanium is just an all around better reel.