bgaviator

So probably no real reason to go 3000 over 2500? I’ve seen some Reddit posts that say a 3000 reel casts smoother and further than a 2500? what about rod type? Medium or medium heavy for my use case?

I really enjoy using my spinning ultralight reel so now I’m wanting to buy a versatile larger spinning setup for the fish species we have in our local dam spillway. Mostly white bass, drum, catfish, and gar. I am not opposed to spending some decent money to get a nice rod and reel. I am thinking a Daiwa Tatula XT rod. Just not sure medium or medium heavy would be the play here. Sometimes there can be monster fish in the spillway. I’ve seen some dead fish on shore that look like whales! Then I need to decide on a reel size. I am a Daiwa fan and I am thinking about going with the Fuego LT. I am not sure what is better for a versatile reel. 2500 or 3000 size? Also, talk to me about fishing line for this thing. I keep thinking I’d like to try braid line out as I understand it has no memory and can cast better. What strength braid and pairing to what strength leader would be best when you have no idea what may strike the hook? Appreciate the advice.

I never meant to imply the reel was made cheaply at all. I was just venting my frustration about damaging my new reel and not knowing how it happened. But I did finally remember the most likely place it happened. I caught a gar last month at the spillway and had to lean my rod against the stair railing because the gar was wrapped around my line and flopping around. I had no good place to put my rod down. Well the gar pulled my rod onto the large rip rap rocks. I’m pretty sure that’s the most likely time and place it got the damage.

it finally dawned on me when and how this damage occurred. I’m pretty sure it was last month when I took my rod to the dam spillway. I had caught a gar fish that got wrapped up in my line. I had no good place to sit down my rod while I tried to free the fish. I leaned my rod against the stair railing that was flanked by large rip rap rocks. Well when the gar started flopping around he pulled my rod onto the rocks. I’m pretty sure that’s how this damage occurred.

Ummm, when did I in any way blame Daiwa for this? So just as a follow-up, it finally dawned on me when and how this damage occurred. I’m pretty sure it was last month when I took my rod to the dam spillway. I had caught a gar fish that got wrapped up in my line. I had no good place to sit down my rod while I tried to free the fish. I leaned my rod against the stair railing that was flanked by large rip rap rocks. Well when the gar started flopping around he pulled my rod onto the rocks. I’m pretty sure that’s how this damage occurred.

The spool is not overfilled. My gripe with it is trying to tie knots with how small and flimsy it is, especially when I’m trying to do a uni knot, which is the only knot I’ve really learned how to do. If if this line gets snagged or twisted on itself it’s really hard for me to get it undone. Like I said, it’s like working with a cobweb I feel

No honestly I didn’t know about them. I’m still relatively new to this

How often would you say a deep cleaning is needed? I don’t go fishing nearly as often as I’d like in any given year so it doesn’t get heavy use.

Nah they never go in the garage Wow. Neat. Kinda pricey for such a small piece but it would be nice to know it’s metal instead of plastic.

No. Just leaning in a corner in the garage with my other rods Oh great to know a service like this exists!

What is PLAT? Is this thumb bar made of plastic? It sure looks and feels that way upon closer inspection. I thought it was metal I may not even worry about it to be honest. Yes it’s going to drive me nuts that it doesn’t visually look nice anymore, but it still functions ok when I used it today. I think there may be a local place that fixed reels too. I can always check with them.

Upon closer inspection this thumb clutch looks like it’s just made of plastic, and not metal like I thought it was! If that’s the case, no wonder it could get dented so easily! Kind of surprising for a reel that cost so much and something made in Japan! Upon closer inspection this thumb clutch looks like it’s just made of plastic, and not metal like I thought it was! If that’s the case, no wonder it could get dented so easily! Kind of surprising for a reel that cost so much and something made in Japan!

Are they easy to change out? I’m not a very mechanically inclined person

So I just got my first ultralight setup recently and after scouring many posts about which line to go with, I settled on Trilene XL 4lb test. I am using it on a Daiwa Revros LT1000 spool and an Okuma Celilio rod. this stuff is like trying to work with a cobweb! I can’t seem to tie a uni knot for anything with this stuff. It gets twisted and caught on itself a lot. I can’t easily grab hold of it. Is there anything better I could be using? Would going up to just a 6lb test help with being able to tie my knots or do I need a stiffer type of line?

I never thought it was a Daiwa issue. I don’t know if someone in my family banged it against something or knocked it over and just didn’t tell me. I’m the only one that uses them.

Well, I’m super bummed. Not sure how this even happened but my new Daiwa Zillion has part of the metal at the thumb button smashed in and several deep cuts in other places. I can’t recall ever dropping this thing or banging it around. Granted I don’t have a rod holder in my garage and just lean them against a wall in one corner, but d**n…

The zillion you’re not supposed to mess with the tension knob between bait changes is my understanding. I don’t mess with the adjustor knob on mine now. I didn’t learn about that until after I first unboxed it though and of course started ******* with it. Lol. I definitely have noticed if I put something lighter on, that I need to increase the mag brakes to prevent a backlash….which sucks cause then I can’t seem to cast it out as far. Today I threw a heavy swim jig and I felt like I was able to lower the brakes…but I did have one massive blowup though.

I thought you didn’t really thumb until the end? My Zillion is supposed to have tech I thought that helped prevent backlashes. But it doesn’t really seem to be the case.

So I got my first baitcaster a few months ago…a Daiwa Zillion from Japan. It’s nice and all. I love how far it can cast and I love how quickly I can reel back in. I get frustrated with the backlashes though that seemingly come out of nowhere. I can toss the lure the same way 10 times and for whatever reason one just backlashes. I’m getting pretty good at picking them out quickly though. I can’t seem to be able to set the brakes lower than about an 8 setting out of 20 though or else I’m almost guaranteed to get a bad backlash. I must say, I just recently got my first spinning reel too for an ultralight setup. It’s a Daiwa Revros LT 1000. This thing casts far! Pretty much as far as the baitcast. I’m really enjoying the spinning reel and not having to worry about a backlash. May have to pick up some bigger size spinning reels and put them on a medium or MH rod.

After being frustrated for too long being confined to the shore, I finally just got an Aquaglide Navarro 145 inflatable kayak. I know it’s probably not the most ideal model for fishing, but at a closeout $186 price, I couldn’t pass it up. If I enjoy it, maybe I can upgrade to a fishing specific model someday like the new Wilderness Iatak 110. But until I see how often I’ll actually use it and if I enjoy using a kayak, I wanted to save the money for now and use that savings towards the other gear I’d need.

Oh I’d love to use frogs and poppers. I have some in my bag but I can’t find any ponds or lakes around here with vegetation where those techniques seem to come in play

Oh I’ve just been throwing those on my baitcaster on the medium AirdX rod I have. What’s wrong with throwing those on a baitcast?

I feel like I’m getting addicted to wanting to buy fishing gear…even though I don’t fish a ton. I’m trying to determine if there’s anything I need in my lineup or if I’m just wasting money acquiring anything else at this point. Currently I have: Daiwa AIRDX medium rod 7’ (my favorite rod btw) paired with a Daiwa Zillion baitcaster Dobyn’s Fury 7’ Medium Heavy that has a Zebco Bullet on it (considering getting a baitcaster to put in it…but it’s nice having a push button for ease of use if the kid comes out with me or a friend goes out with me that’s not used to a baitcast) Okuma Celilo 6’6” ultralight with Daiwa Revros LT 1000 Part of me is really itching to buy a Tatula XT rod because they look nice and I’ve heard a lot of great things about them. But I’m not sure what I’d really do with it or if I have the need for it. I wouldn’t mind having a second spinning reel…maybe in a light powered rod. But I’m not sure if that’s necessary either. Like I said, I feel like I’m getting an addiction to acquiring new gear even though I’m not sure I really have a use case for it. Is there anything in my lineup you think I should definitely tweak or upgrade? Thanks.

Just took the reel out again. Had a good morning. No fish, but I was mostly just practicing casting. I kept my brakes between 14-16 and had no major blowups. Probably did about 100 casts total. I do like how precise and how far I can cast, even on a higher brake setting. The rod is so much less fatiguing to hold too than with the heavy Zebco Bullet. I attempted to lower the brakes to 10 and that’s when I got my first big blowup but I was able to pick it out. I did get a few casts on a 10 setting though. With brakes at 12 or higher I don’t even have to do any thumbing. Maybe some, but there were times I didn’t thumb and it was still fine with no backlash. But definitely once you do brakes 10 or less that’s when thumb control comes into play.

Been using between 10-14