dk2429

You dodged a bullet. Good choice. I'm a recent Daiwa fan and will never mess with that 13 **** again

What is the proper process of doing this without creating a giant mess?

I called Falcon and talked to Adrian. He said I could trade in to upgrade. Since the rods are new he can put full retail value of the Lowriders toward the upgrade. (I also picked up a Lowrider Amistad for the same price at a different location on Sunday) I don't know if I should trade them both in for a Cara Amistad or not. Or maybe just trade the Amistad in for an Expert Amistad. I guess it kind of depends, are the Expert/Cara Amistads a significant step up from the Lowrider? Love my Cara HCJ so far. Wouldn't mind trying an Expert. OR just keep my Lowriders

Exactly the reason I decided to not buy anymore of their reels. I was trying to get a drive gear for a gen 1 Concept C and Rapala told me the same thing. Only way to get it is to send it in for $40. That is asinine. I wrote them back a nasty email and sold that reel for $50 as-is. Before the Rapala buy out, I got a few parts from 13 and they were great. Sent me a new handle for my KP and the level wind pawl for my TX free of charge.

Possibly. When I got my Tatula Elite that thing was dry as a bone out of the box. Oiled up, greased worm gear, good to go.

Yup, got the Lowrider Cranker II for 5XD/6XD. Actually picked up a Lowrider Lizard Dragger and an Amistad for $49.99/piece on clearance yesterday at Academy. Got them up for sale already to try and make a little profit to put toward another Cara, but if they don’t sell I’ll keep em. Great rods When I was big into inshore saltwater trout/reds, I had no problem throwing down $350 for a nice rod. THOSE are worth every penny to me personally. Super nice rods. Still have them for the somewhat rare occasion I do go chasing trout and reds. I just haven’t seen spending that kind of money yet on a bass rod. I got the Cara recently and only have had it out one time (yesterday.) A really nice rod. It’s definitely a big bump up from the Bucoo and Lowrider, but I’d have no issue with a full arsenal of Lowriders and Bucoos.

I have 12# red label on my 5XD/6XD setup. Only problem I’ve had is it fraying up by the bait.

$549 is just asinine for a rod. Sure, I can’t realistically afford one. Even if I could, that’s just nuts. It was hard for me to pull the trigger on my $250 Falcon Cara lol. This is especially true to me since I caught my 10.5lb PB on a $99 Falcon Bucoo BUT, now it’s gonna be super hard for me to buy anymore rods under $200. Once you hit that price, it’s a big jump in quality IMO. I can’t even fathom a $500+ rod and likely never will Still want to add a Dx743 to my lineup. Pending another sale

I checked the rod with a q-top and it’s fine. This is likely what happened though. I did backlash it a few times throughout the day trying to get that reel dialed in. Nothing terrible but I did have a few where I had to pick through some loops and what not.

Yep, all mine are the first generation reels, including the TX. It was the first “limited edition” one they sold with the camo box for $300. As I said, that thing really has been a tank in the grand scheme of things. Only thing I’ve replaced on it was the pawl for the level wind (typical wear component if you ask me, no big deal). I used it like hell in saltwater for trout and reds. I dont saltwater fish much anymore so it’s on my squarebill setup now. The first gen reels were awesome. Like I said though, I had a C AND a Z that both stripped the main drive gear last year. I repaired the Z and sold it (didn’t like it since the day I got it.) Had trouble getting parts for the C, so I sold it as-is and decided to longer buy their reels. Only ones still kicking are the TX, two A’s, and one C (it’s on its last leg though). I wouldn’t touch the new reels with a 10ft pole

I’ll check the rod. If it is the rod it’s going back to Falcon because it’s brand new as well

Per Gary Dobyns from the Dobyns Facebook group “The Frenzy Series is a joint venture between Dick's Sporting Goods and Dobyns. Guys, when a retailer has almost 800 locations, they're simply a big deal. The buyers at Dick's that I work with are really good guys that I've known for years. They asked about a joint venture and the Frenzy Series was created. They chose the models that they feel the best about to start and I made them. They're starting with 6 models but there are already another 5 that are made/approved that can be added quickly to the line-up. The rods are 100% graphite, feature a full cork handle, and rigged with Sea Guide guides. Yes, as with all my rods, the balance is key. They are very clean, good-looking rods and, honestly, a steal at $79.99.”

Lews Mach 1 MH/F 6’10/Concept A 6.6 Falcon Bucoo 7’ Mansfield/OG Concept TX 7.3 (2) Falcon Bucoo 7’ Trapcaster/Concept KP 6.6 and Shimano SLX XT 8.2 Falcon Lowrider 7’ Dragger/Concept C 7.3 Dobyns Sierra 735/Concept A 8.1 Falcon Cara 7’4 Heavy Cover Jig/Tatula Elite 8.1 Falcon Lowrider 7’6 Cranker II/Lews BB1 Pro 6.2 I plan to add some more. Dobyns DX743 and Falcon Cara Amistad are next on the list. I started exploring the $200+ bass rods a few months ago, and unfortunately I see no sign of slowing down. 😬 Really wanna try a Kistler Helium (I live about an hour from them). I just haven’t heard the best things about their customer service. A rod is worthless to me if the manufacturer isn’t going to back it up when something goes wrong. I know that Falcon and Dobyns will.

Take this for what it’s worth I’ve been using 13 Fishing Concept reels since 2016. A’s, C’s, Z’s, TX, etc.. They were all great up until the last few years or so. I sold that POS Concept Z and a C that stripped the main drive gear. I never liked the Z from day one. The TX and my two A’s are still good, but the TX is starting to slow down and get a bit tired. I’m not mad though, I’ve used the absolute hell out of that reel from inshore trout and redfish to bass fishing. A fresh set of Boca bearings would probably wake it back up. With all that said, I’d personally never buy a 13 Fishing reel again. Shimano, Daiwa, and Lews is all I will buy from here on out. This is especially true since Rapala bought out 13. The customer service is complete ass now and you can’t get parts for their reels (why I sold half of mine). I saw that $99 deal and was tempted at first but then bypassed it. If you think it’s worth it, go for it. The newer 13 reels might be really great. I just wouldn’t bother from personal experience. Use that $99 and get a Shimano SLX or Lews Speed Spool LFS. Just my 2cents

I’ll give this a go. I tie an improved cinch knot for just about everything Might give Sunline Sniper a try too. I put Seaguar Red Label on my 5XD/6XD cranking setup and that stuff got all frayed up down by the bait in no time. I’m done with Seaguar for now. I thought this stuff was supposed to be the most abrasion resistant. I’ve got to admit that am I not seeing any advantages to a $22 spool of 150yd fluro vs a $10 spool of 1000yd mono. It seems like it’s more of a hassle than anything