Joseph Baggs

Which Flicker Shad do you prefer for Steelhead? I was thinking about trying them in one of the creeks this upcoming fall. Do you suggest a certain size, good producing colors?

Contemplating that also. Not sure if I want to put like 14-15lb flouro on it for baits in the 1/2oz range and up to different kinds of swimbaits up to like 1 1/2oz, or do I just put 10 or 12lb line on and use it as a multitasking rod.

The Dobyns Fury 734C, 733C, and 703C were a couple of the rods I was thinking about. For the most part, seems like MH rods and higher is what I am seeing the reel paired with. The 3/8oz and higher is what I am seeing from the little bit of research I've done so far.

I received a Curado K 201HG a few months ago, but have yet to put it on a rod. Was wondering what techniques and baits that Curado K owners really like to use with it. Trying to figure out where to put this in my arsenal. Where it would be best utilized. I should note, 90% of my fishing is done from the bank. Also, do you prefer any specific rods that you think it really pairs well with? I'm looking for a rod to pair it with, at around $150 or less.

I picked up the same reel about a month ago for a good price, and although I've only used a handful of times, I felt like it casts a 1/4oz jighead with a 3.8 swimbait pretty well. Got pretty good distance. I think I have 10 or 12 pound trilene mono on it. My buddy also got one and he loves it, especially for the price. I think we paid 50 $60 US for it I should have added, the reel came with a 7' medium heavy lews speed stick.

What sort of crankbaits are you using on that setup? Mid depth divers? I see the SLX/Curado DC comparisons where users say they both are identical in regards to casting/braking. I love my MGL 70. I prefer it over the DC, but yeah, I was casting the DC with some wind last night and it does seem helpful there.

When I put a 1/2oz lipless on the DC, which is on the same Dobyns 705CB rod, it definitely casts further then some other baits, I'm guess because of the aerodynamics of the lipless, whichni definitely get more then 50-60ft. But like you said, it's about the same distance as other reels. Maybe I was just expecting the SLX DC to get better distance then my other reels. I do however feel like regardless of what bait I put on the DC, at the end of the cast, it seems like the bait stalls and drops because of the DC feature. I will launch a bait, and about 75% of the way thru the cast, it seems like the spool slows down really quick, significantly, and the bait just drops. Almost as if the spool was to just gradually slow down without the DC, the bait would keep sailing even further. Hope that makes sense. Have you noticed at the end of rhe cast where it shows down so much that your bait stalls mid air and just drops? My buddy was next to me while I was casting, and he even noticed right away. Said it seems like it stalls towards the end of the cast. He doesn't own an DC reels, but he is a big Shimano fan, with at least 6 or so of the higher end Shimanos casting reels.

My bad. The 7ft rod is a Dobyns Fury 705CB. I also tried on a 7'2" Lews TP MH, fast. Got a little more distance on the Lews which is stiffer, but same line and bait on that same Lews rod using a RevoX, I got the same distance as the SLX DC

I tried what you suggested. I loosen the tension knob To where spool would move side to side, then I tightened it just to the point where spool would stop the side to side movement. When I did this, I notice the fall rate of my bait is super fast. If I was to let it fall to the ground, the line would definitely overrun and come loose, but I didn't allow that. So, then I go to cast and it increased the distance on setting 2 for mono. But I noticed once my castbis complete, if I take my thumb off rhe spool at all (with thumb bar engaged), the spool would turn and line would start to fluff up. So basically I have to keep thumb on it throughout the entire cast and until I disengage the thumbar, otherwise the line would loosen and fluff up. If this is supposed to be how it's supposed to be, the tension knob seems crazy loose to me and if I take my thumb off the line at all, even with the rod being still and not moving, it's so loose that the spool just keeps turning. Even though I gained some casting distance, it still doesn't seem as far as it should be. I'm able to cast just as far with a 1/4oz lipless on an Abu RevoX which cost like $80-100.

I love the SLX MGL. Wish I had got another MGL over the DC.

I will give it a shot regarding the side to side movement of the spool. I tried so many different vargations with the tension knob this morning that I thought for sure if I made it any looser, then it would be an issue, but I will play with it shortly and try that. I have mono on it so I know it's supposed to be on 2, But eventually I tried every setting and even trying to do it between 1 and 2. It seemed like 2,3,4 gave me very close to the same distance, but 1 gave me an increase, but nothing substantial.

It is my first DC reel. I the tried with it falling slowly, and have even tried letting it fall quicker then I usually would on other reels, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. This is my first Shimano that did not come with the oil, and it does seem like it may be a little dry. I actually ordered it online, so I will have to return it if I can't figure out what's going on with it

In regards to casting distance, curious what the impressions are of those who own SLX DC reels. I just put on an SLX DC 151 6.3:1 reel, on a 7ft rod with a 1/2oz bait, and it seems like the casting distance is terrible. I put 10lb mono on as I do with any new BC reel until I decide what rod it will stay on.. I tried casting on every setting down to the lowest (1. Minimal Braking), and it just seems like it doesn't cast very far at all. Maybe 50-60ft tops. Just feels like it is being held back. I have other SLX reels and Curado, but this is my only DC.

I wouldn't say it's brilliant, But I have a P-Touch labeler that I use for labeling, and I just use abbreviations like 10#FC, 30#PP, 20#832, 8#FC>10#PP... And they make the labels in many different colors and you can even use clear with black print so if you have a rod that is white or silver, Using the clear tape with black print works well and you just wrap around Is either somewhere on the lower portion of the split grip or right above the foregrip. I like using the yellow label tape with black print.

Dragging a jig or carolina rig on the bottom- I know the odds arent in my favor and there arent many spots I can do it from the bank. I am hoping to get a small boat within the next few months (working on the truck now), so then hopefully I will be able to do more with jigs and C-rigs. As for tackle shops around me, I live 30min north of center city Philadelphia, and there are only a couple shops around here, but their rod selection sucks. Most have less of a selection than Dick s and Walmart. We dont have shops around here that have rod lineups like Shimano, Falcon, Abu, Powell, ....ducket, lamiglass, etc... I couldnt figure out how to edit my last response. I hit submit by accident before I was done typing. The Dick s sporting around here have some st croix, a couple dobyns furys, but thats about it. Id have to drive 1.5 hours just to get to a cabelas or bass pro. Those 2 have the best selection in this area, and even then when I went to bass pro, they were out of a lot of rods. I've traveled around the country alot and I kniw there are other sporting goods/fishing gear chain stores, but we dont have them here.

The Bucoo, lowriders, and the Amistad are all rods I've been considering actually. I wish I had somewhere local that had all of these in stock so I could before buying. My area really lacks shops that have a rod selection. Dick's Sporting Goods has the biggest selection in my area which is terrible.

I'm looking for a rod that would be decent for frog fishing, dragging an occasional C-Rig and some jigs, as well as throwing swimbaits up to 1 1/2oz. Would like good distance for the frogs, but sensitive enough for bottom contact. It doesn't need to be fantastic at doing all of it, but would like a rod versatile enough for these techniques and not be a complete broomstick. I'm looking in the 7-7'3" range as I am a bank angler. Sure I would love a longer rod for more distance & longer leaders for C-Rigs and a shorter rod for ease of maneuvering in tight spaces and accuracy, so I figured right around 7ft would probably be middle ground. Leaning towards a heavy power rod, but the more research I do, I see many using medium-heavy rods since a lot of the heavy power rods lack the flex in the tip to launch baits . There are way too many options out there in the MH-H spectrum. Anyone else use a single rod for all the above techniques? Any rods I should really look at in the $80-100 range.

Anyone have good experience or sizeable catches with the War Pig? Different profile from a typical lipless crank. Bought a 1/2oz in red and 3/4oz in brown craw. Only fished the red twice with no luck yet.

Between the XT and MGL, which do you think gets better casting distance? I was just about to purchase the XT, but I'm reading good things about the MGL.

I've never seen a Daiwa reel box, or any other reel box for that matter, that has multiple little Made In China stickers used to seal the box edges like that. A couple people said it feels plastic-like, and not very solid, yet in that FUEGO SV description above it says Aluminum allow frame and origin Thailand. This could very well be a knock off. There are lots of them out there.

Patrick, is this Sierra 703 the casting model or the spinning model?

When you say 10/12lb Invisx, are you using it as a leader or straight flouro? I'm debating on spooling up a BC with straight 12lb Invizx or Sunline Sniper, but alot of rhe stuff I am reading, people are saying that there are alot of issues if you get some overrun or backlash at all. Has this been your experience?