ABU is overpriced

If this is like the pixy and the og alphas, they should all be the same, yea. But what the hell, the reel was just released not long ago, and the side plate is already discontinued? You can still order 20years old plus side plates for reels released in the early 2000s, but not one (a non limited edition mind you) that was just released? makes no sense.

That's the thing, at the price they're selling them, you shouldn't be choosing between performance and looks. Both should be a thing without a question. I don't believe people are buying them for their looks, but more the Loomis's reputation, and warranty. If you let Megabass redesign the NRX, and sell it at the same price, i'd bet high buck that over 80% of people buying the NRX would choose the Megabass version. My best guess for this overly simplistic look is their lifetime warranty. When your only investment on a rod during production is the blank (which are great btw), it doesn't cost you much for a replacement. But if they put actual effort into the looks (reel seat, exotic materials on the blank like what Megabass has, torzine guides, etc), it'd be too expensive to have a great warranty they currently have.

Its 2025, and their rods look like something that was released between the early to mid 90s. Why is it that Loomis refreshes their rods, and one generation after the other, they all look extremely ugly and ancient? I would understand if they were sub $200 rods, but we're talking about the higher end rods there is, not some cheapo Walmart sticks. I never understood this, and i especially don't get it in 2025. You don't need to build a Megabass level rod that pops with the bling, but being this cheap looking at that price range doesn't make much sense.

Not having a double bearing supported pinion in 2025 is almost insulting in my opinion. I don't want to mention Abu, but i must mention Abu. Have zero experience with anything Lews, but two bearings supporting the pinion gear can only be a positive.

The TDZs, the Curado Es, the Pixys, OG Steezs, etc. How many of you still use em? Personally, i use my custom pixy, og alphas, og steez 100SH and the Z2020 as much as the newer stuff, or maybe even more so. People say how with the progress that went into baitcasters, older reels can't really compete. I couldn't disagree more. If you want SV or SV Boost in a reel from 2003, simply install the spool on that reel, and you get the overhyped SV Boost. The only issue i have with older reels is that the gear sets are discontinued for many models, so you can't replace em when needed.

On thread, no, i don't believe in any of this imaginary "lucky" stuff. But over the last 20+ years, there is one lure that has impressed me so much, and i just can't seem to find it on sale anywhere. Lost it while lifting a 4lb+ bass from a bridge, and never was able to find one like it on sale, same color or not, its as if this bait was never made, not even a picture on google images.

It of course depends where you're, but i fish musky mostly from shore, and if you cast large baits, they aren't as rare as one might believe. Cought 13 in 2024, two of which were 46", two 43", and the rest mostly between 40-42".

UV stability doesn't matter unless you leave your reels bake under the sun all day. The C series is weak, so if your goal is to have a very scratch resistant paint job, C series ain't that much better than standard paint from Shimano. E series is indeed the best against scratches, but there's barely any color choice. I'd say the H series is the best option for a reel, and this is what i think of using.

If you like fishing with a baitcaster, and you aren't just using it because its needed, BFS is a must. Completely got rid of all my spinning gear back in 2013 because of it. And as someone who fishes a lot of walleyes in early and late season, BFS is so good for small bottom presentations. Its also funny how pretty much all walleye fisherman that i see around, never use em, and usually stick to spinning gear. Then again, i don't expect them to even know what BFS is, so yeaa.

Think i saw his stuff, but not a big fan of camo paterns on reels. And the evo2s197 is Sagasi. He posted the same pics of his tdz's on TT.

Its the ulmimate endgame, tho. Custom spools, handles, bearings, etc is nice, but its not "far" enough😎

Yea, saw his work. Pretty much the best i've seen around. Was the guy posting on here? Only saw him on TT.

I don't want to have a reel that weights 3 Bantams.

lol they sure have been, but its only on there that you will find some examples.

For cerakote parts needs to be media blasted from my understanding.

Reading some old posts on other forums, there used to be many that coated their reels with automotive paint, or even cerakote, but i barely seem to find anybody who does it nowadays. I am thinking of cerakoting an alphas 105 cuz i really like these OG tanks, and was wondering if any of you have done it, and if its worth doing.

Even a Berkley Lightning Rod from your local Walmart will be better. Doesn't take much to surpass ancient tech.

Not sure i understand. You're saying that every time the reel has a buzzing sound, its related to the bearing and not the gears?

Its not the Xship bearing. yes, shimano has the other issue (another ding at shimano's reliablity) with this particular bearing, but gear sound is unique, and you simply cannot mix it with a messy bearing. Just watching random youtube vids, you see plenty of people with a super buzzy gear set when using shimanos. Reminds me of the first gen Tatulas which were buzzing more than a bee, but at least those reels were cheap. This sounds more like a dry gear set than a worn one.

It might not bother you, so you aren't really noticing it. I honestly don't know what else it could be. Gears are all the same, and i am certainly nowhere near the only one that complains about them.

I am not pushing Daiwa, no. I am pushing the Zillion, best bang per buck ever made.😊 And anyone in-the-know does the same, so i ain't a unique snowflake in that matter. And the only way your MM gears don't go buzzy and grindy, is if you use your reel for presentations that have zero pull on the line, things such as jerkbaitin'. This is not a matter of opinion either, Shimano has a secondary market at reselling gear sets because they're made to last 1 year. Have a peek at swimbait forums to find out how well those Anteres MD's hold up😐 I fully expect the gear set on my brand new 24 Met DC to die this year, or mid next season if i use a bunch of spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, etc. And if i were to frog/flip with it, OOOOOOOF.

Also gotta add, micro module+reliability=no bueno.

She paying rent, don't worry.

Sounds like nothing else but marketing. There's a ton of low diameter lines already.

Would never suggest you to buy anything Boca. They're nothing but Chinese overpriced garbage that are noisier than $3 Chinese bearings on Ali. If you want spool+side plate bearing, and you're looking for cheap ceramic hybrids, i'd grab these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004851026485.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.5.121dK2wxK2wxUd&algo_pvid=d09f4afb-c771-499a-90a0-608fbc026d97&algo_exp_id=d09f4afb-c771-499a-90a0-608fbc026d97-2&pdp_ext_f={"order"%3A"281"%2C"eval"%3A"1"}&pdp_npi=4%40dis!CAD!5.49!3.62!!!3.73!2.46!%402101efeb17378183356824724e3bab!12000030743169791!sea!CA!753774228!X&curPageLogUid=CtIcMi0KSGfX&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A If you want higher end stuff, Hedgehog bearings, be it metal of ceramic hybrids, they're all amazing.