At this price, they are not much cheaper than the lower end JDM travel rod options. Not even alconite K guides? No thanks A far cry from Abu's own Hornet Stinger Plus.

This is one of my favorites for inshore grouper fishing in shallower waters. Rig it with single hooks, let the lure sink to the bottom, jerk it up, and repeat. It always gets grabbed on the fall.

FYI the colored J-braids will fade rapidly. The moss green colored one stained the silver frame of my FX68 reel green and I've not been able to wear it off after 3+ years. I also use the metered version and it lost half its color after a day of fishing. It's a decent line if you can live with that. ...

I like the new system. As long as the complete breakdown of points is shown, it helps to pick rods and reels for specific characteristics without getting carried away by the total score. Good job!

I can't get my ZPI BFC 911RSR with KTF bearings to free spool for more than 1.5 seconds with no magnets and CC turned down all the way. Yet, it casts <3.5g baits MUCH farther than my BFS XG with ABEC7 bearings which can easily free spool for 10 seconds. I think the BFS XG's performance is optimized ...

Thanks for answering questions, Bantam1. What about the financial aspect of introducing different sizes to the US market? Is the reason for not bringing Calcutta 50, 51, 100 and 101 related to cost? I'd think that the marginal cost of increasing production of what's already on the JDM market would b...

Maybe brake adjustment is not a big deal for the bass fishermen on TT, but the old Calcuttas and Conquests have been the go-to reel for heavy duty inshore fishing among my friends. Out there, brake adjustment is necessary because wind conditions can change quickly.

What a complete joke! What's the marginal profit of saving on some screws for each reel? Maybe $2 for a mass producer? So if Shimano profits $100 per USDM Calcutta, the cost saving is worthwhile if less than 2% of potential buyers are deterred. From what I've seen and heard, the actual figure is pro...