Abu and St Croix = love

[Matt Hardwick]

Well I've been on a journey the last couple years trying different brands. Here is my thoughts and what I ended up falling in love with!!

 

I start with an Abu Ultra Max and loved it but wanted to upgrade,  so I tried a lews MCR laser and absolutely hated the thing so after it blew up I switched to Diawa Tatula CT, it was okay but had issues with the drag as I like to throw baits  into heavy cover and would catch fish fine , but never had enough power to get the big girls out and after a while started to slip, so I moved to the Shimano curado K and liked it till the hearing and grindy feeling or noise just started to annoy me so I gave that to a buddy  not long ago. I bought 2 BPS Johnny Morris reels and rods April/may 2020 (for time frame.) There WERE amazing out the box but that's where it ended. The rods and reels where the carbon lite 2.0 and signature series. Well after 8 to 10 hours of use everyday for 3 weeks the first to go was the carbon lite 2.0 combo the rod was good but I hated hook keeper location and the reel was smooth on retrieve but sounded like a bad diesel truck on the cast and it only ever saw soft plastics weighted at 1/4oz at the most. Ended up being the duralumin gears or whatever they call it has cracked and crumbled. Next a few days after the Johnny Morris signature combo its looks amazing but.... it completely locked up mid cast and never worked again... the gears shattered and froze the reel, also the rod was beautiful but the actions fished way heavier than its ratings. Basically a broom stick for MHXF. Now my all time favorite reel is my Abu STX gen 4 but its 25ft down in water and muck next to snapping turtles den ( disabled vet, I had muscle spasms only yak) I cried that day lol watching her sink like the titanic. So any ways this morning I took my BPS Johnny Morris combos back to BPS with receipt,  they have me full refunds and I ended up getting 2 Abu Garcia Gen4 revo SXs in 7:3.1 and paired them up with 2 st croix mojo bass in Medium power fast action handset me tell you what... the power is unreal as well as the sensitivity in the rods and my God are they accurate and the sx can cast a country mile!! I love this combo so much I'm go na but 2 more but in medium heavy. Now I can feel and see that this combo will serve me well for many years to come. Hell I still throw my old faithfuls an Abu pro max3 and black max that go to hell and back on pond hoping days. My rods have always been veritas or curado or dobyns  fury rods. Of all the rods I have, I'd say the mojo bass is my favorite followed by dobyns then veritas and curado. I know this isn't a good blog as to why but... my general thoughts where

 

Diawa and shimano are good but lack drag and power to get em out the cover and timber in the lakes and ponds I fish.... and diawa thimb bara break, shimano gets gritty even slx

 

Lews both the MCS and mach series just didnt impress me and didnt like them at all. 

 

I tried quantum, nothing to write home about

 

BPS Johnny Morris series lool beautiful  but are IMO b.s. junk and no way has any reel I ever had blow up in 2 to 3 weeks. 

 

Now my abus ja e never ever failed me, maybe I'm lucky IDK.... but the SX feels just as good as my STXs and my pro max and black max just keep kicking. I clean and oil my reels once a month as I'm a disabled vet (Iraq) so I fish everyday 8 to 10 hours. So I'm def an Abu believe now. And will be all I throw.

 

As far as rods go my favorite has always been dobyns till I got the mojo bass today wow I thought for the price it'd be hard to beat dobyns but I swear you can feel a fish fart with that rod. 

 

So that's my hear story for today. Been fishing for quite a few years now and each reel minus Johnny Morris had a good 6 month to 1 year run before i made a decision.  Hope this helps some of yall. 

 

Also my criteria for reels are 

IPT OR LINE PICK UP

DRAG/POWER

ABILITY TO CAST weightless plastics.

So as of now Abu is my go to and say croix is my new favorite rod. 

 

If this made no sense I apologize

[GreenPig]

Excellent.  Thank you for your service. ??

[jimmyjoe]

   I haven't used the low-profile ABU reels, but all the other descriptions you posted pretty much match the experiences I've had.

   Like you, I'm fishing every day, and as long a time as I feel comfortable. I've found that's a way to flush out the weak points of anything, rod or reel or line.

   I've been fooled before .... thought something was the Second Coming and 6 months or a year later it turned out to be trash. I'd like to hear your impressions in another 6 months.

   Thanks for the review.       jj

[Matt Hardwick]

43 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I haven't used the low-profile ABU reels, but all the other descriptions you posted pretty much match the experiences I've had.

   Like you, I'm fishing every day, and as long a time as I feel comfortable. I've found that's a way to flush out the weak points of anything, rod or reel or line.

   I've been fooled before .... thought something was the Second Coming and 6 months or a year later it turned out to be trash. I'd like to hear your impressions in another 6 months.

   Thanks for the review.       jj

Oh it'll be before that. I put about 60hrs a week on water fish literally everyday

 It's my theropy for my PTSD so it'll get hard use. I'm stuck on finding the limpest most sensitive fluorocarbon line I can find. I hate braid but my favorite mono is either trilene xl or big game all in 12lb

[jimmyjoe]

9 minutes ago, Matt Hardwick said:

I'm stuck on finding the limpest most sensitive fluorocarbon line I can find.

 

   I had tried FC line 5 years ago, and I absolutely HATED it. This last year, several people got me to try FC again, and I found InvisX by Seaguar to match my Curado 70 perfectly. It's on a M/MF cranking rod.

   I firmly believe that different reels have different lines that are perfect for them. Perfect on one is lousy on another. And a perfect match for one fisherman is a poor match for another fisherman.

   I guess it's one of the things that make this game interesting and drives a person crazy, all at the same time.   ?    jj

[Manifestgtr]

3 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

What is it with you people making 13 pounds of drag slip?  Even if it did how is that a bad thing?  It is suppose to slip.  It's a drag.  That is what it is there to do.  

Hahaha seriously...

 

I fish in deep timber on every outing and seldom get my maxed 10 lb drags slipping. It’s a good thing when they do...keeps your gears from exploding... 

[new2BC4bass]

3 hours ago, Manifestgtr said:

Hahaha seriously...

 

I fish in deep timber on every outing and seldom get my maxed 10 lb drags slipping. It’s a good thing when they do...keeps your gears from exploding... 

OP did have gears exploding. 

 

Matt, thanks for the post (and your service), but do an old fart a favor.  Use a few paragraphs.  Much easier for my old eyes to follow. 

[Allen Der]

I love Abu Revos and St Croix but have to poke a serious hole in your story.  You complained about the Johnny Morris reels giving up after a few weeks but you are sure that the Revos will be great for years to come after just one day of use?

[Matt Hardwick]

8 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

OP did have gears exploding. 

 

Matt, thanks for the post (and your service), but do an old fart a favor.  Use a few paragraphs.  Much easier for my old eyes to follow. 

Sorry I had sick toddler climbing on me late last night

2 hours ago, Allen Der said:

I love Abu Revos and St Croix but have to poke a serious hole in your story.  You complained about the Johnny Morris reels giving up after a few weeks but you are sure that the Revos will be great for years to come after just one day of use?

Ive always had Revos as well. Just bought other brands to try along the way, so my Revos have lasted years thus far. But I'll pick up other brands and fish them hard as I do my revos. To do comparisons 

16 hours ago, BaitFinesse said:

What is it with you people making 13 pounds of drag slip?  Even if it did how is that a bad thing?  It is suppose to slip.  It's a drag.  That is what it is there to do.  

Windy days or gusts on a kayak while fighting a fish or super timber heavy ponds/swamps give bass a huge advantage.  Also if 13 or less was good they wouldn't make drag heavy reels they'd all be 13lbs or less, also you forget people fish in all conditions as well...

[Allen Der]

42 minutes ago, Matt Hardwick said:

Ive always had Revos as well. Just bought other brands to try along the way, so my Revos have lasted years thus far. But I'll pick up other brands and fish them hard as I do my revos. To do comparisons 

 

Yeah I'm just giving you a hard time.  Not a lot of love around here for Revos.  I've had very good luck with Gen 1 and Gen 3 Revos.  picked up a Gen 4 Revo X inshore last year and so far so good.  Personally I cant stand the cast control location on Daiwa and the one Lew's I had was terrible and sold it.  I have some of the old silver Johnny Morris Signatures and they were good but heavy by today's standards.

[Heartland]

Fished ABU's for many years and still have a few.  The Gen2 STX and Premier were my favs.

[zell_pop1]

From one vet to another thanks for serving.

The Johnny Morris reels and the Abus should be the same thing internally, and I have several Tatulas/Fuegos for a few years and no problems.

[Matt Hardwick]

22 hours ago, zell_pop1 said:

From one vet to another thanks for serving.

The Johnny Morris reels and the Abus should be the same thing internally, and I have several Tatulas/Fuegos for a few years and no problems.

I thought so too but JM are cheap "duraluminum" that lews got ( same as my mach crush. All my abus have hardened brass. Plus over the years I've never had an Abu Break. I just seem to always like them better.

On 5/9/2020 at 6:28 PM, BaitFinesse said:

Sub 13 pounds of drag has been around for ages and tamed far bigger fish than anything we target.  There is just a idiotic trend of thinking that more drag = more better so manufactures are creating reels that will literally **** themselves if pushed to the point where the drag slips.  There are reels with 8 ball bearings in the knobs just to jack up the ball bearing count becuae more bearings = more better.  This is what 20 pounds of drag does to a brand new Revo Beast 40 rated up to 30 pounds of drag.  20 pounds of drag is blue water tuna fishing reel kinds of drag.  That amount of pressure on a bass reel just eats the pinion.

 

Skip to 42:35

 

You assumed I run full drag, I dont but again I'm speaking from my experience not yours or anyone elses. I could care less about the drag debate. Simply stating on my post, my experiences. Yes my revos have 24lbs but I got em set to around 13 and do fine. But fish where I fish again, AGAIN MY PONDS AND WATERS and you will see what I mean. If this hit a nerve sorry, not sorry but again my post, my opinion, my experience.

Edited May 11, 2020 by Matt Hardwick

[Big Hands]

I think I'd be out there draggin a slab around that snapping turtle den for that STX Gen 4. I'd rather catch that than a 5 lb bass.

[dodgeguy]

never had issue with lews. had a abu mgx that turned into a coffee grinder.never had gears explode in 52 years of fishing. never heard of so many reels from different manufacturers breaking with one dude. i dont get it. thanks for your service.

[Matt Hardwick]

6 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

never had issue with lews. had a abu mgx that turned into a coffee grinder.never had gears explode in 52 years of fishing. never heard of so many reels from different manufacturers breaking with one dude. i dont get it. thanks for your service.

Not all of em broke. only ones that broke where Johnny Morris. The thumb bars had their issues on diawa but lots of people have that issue. Shimano was great but just sounded geary or grindy but every shimano I've seen sounds like that after a hot minute. I take good care of my reels and equipment but just bad luck or bad batches. Everything besides JM where bought at a local tackle shop so who knows how they handle the products

 

[jbsoonerfan]

Well, that settles all debates from this point forward. Someone who has never had a problem with an Abu decides on a whim to try different reels and each and every one of them had problems. One of them the gears even blew up, that is a BAD reel right there. Those worthless Daiwa's and their thumb bars that fall off and those Shimano's that get "geary" and "grindy" after a few casts. 

 

Sounds more like someone who has read a lot on the internet and needed to justify his purchase of Abu's a St Croix's. BTW, if the Mojo Bass is a great rod to you, you haven't handled very many good rods. 

 

An opinion is one thing, but to just bad mouth simply to do so is a bit out of touch with reality. Thank you for your service, but your post is a bit of a stretch to say the least.

On 5/8/2020 at 9:43 PM, Matt Hardwick said:

My rods have always been veritas or curado

I bet you have never owned a Curado rod if you say your rods have always been Curados, they have only been out a little over a year or so. 

On 5/8/2020 at 9:43 PM, Matt Hardwick said:

pro max and black max just keep kicking

Those are literally two of the biggest junk reels on the market.

[king fisher]

If you ever want to give Diawa another try, I highly recommend the Coastal 200.  I have used mine 3- 5 days a week

for almost a year.  No Problems.  Enough drag to land many different inshore species up to 30#.  Should be able to horse the largest bass out of thick cover no problem.

    Most people can't handle 25 lbs. of drag using stand up gear for tuna.( some can handle 35 pounds, but not your average angler)  Anything over 20 pounds most people will opt for using the rail or a chair.  I can't imagine needing 20 pounds of drag for any bass fishing.  I highly recommend getting a scale and setting a drag at 20 pounds just to see what it feels like.  Not saying you are wrong, I haven't fished where you do, Just saying from my experience full drag 10 to 15 pounds has been enough drag for any bass fishing situation I have experienced.  Every fisherman and fishery, has different requirements.  I may be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.    

[Matt Hardwick]

5 minutes ago, king fisher said:

If you ever want to give Diawa another try, I highly recommend the Coastal 200.  I have used mine 3- 5 days a week

for almost a year.  No Problems.  Enough drag to land many different inshore species up to 30#.  Should be able to horse the largest bass out of thick cover no problem.

    Most people can't handle 25 lbs. of drag using stand up gear for tuna.( some can handle 35 pounds, but not your average angler)  Anything over 20 pounds most people will opt for using the rail or a chair.  I can't imagine needing 20 pounds of drag for any bass fishing.  I highly recommend getting a scale and setting a drag at 20 pounds just to see what it feels like.  Not saying you are wrong, I haven't fished where you do, Just saying from my experience full drag 10 to 15 pounds has been enough drag for any bass fishing situation I have experienced.  Every fisherman and fishery, has different requirements.  I may be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.    

Oh your right. I never had an issue with diawa minus cheap thumb bar/clutch but my tatula TV had 13.2 lbs and I watched a 8lber just pull line but I think it may ja e been defective and my buddy al.ost all his thumb bars /clutch broke. I searched threads thinking I don't understand.... apparently they are good at first buy..... deteriorate I guess I just had better exp with Abu but most people here love shima o or diawa so that explains my hate mail I get from guys on here