A lot of the Raid guys are using solid tips. JohnnyA mentioned taking a look at Raid's youtube videos. I've watched several, good stuff in there. I think you can do it with any rod - I've mid and bottom strolled with my expride 610ML for years - but the Excite Top and similar setup seems optimal. R...

Hogsticker2 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:20 pm

The majority of folks doing this in Japan are using solid tips.

I don't think this is true - solid tips collapse easily and what you want is the opposite to get that rolling action going with minimal effort. Shimano's Excite Top is tubular with added mass at least according to their website.

I agree that air sensor seat is tops - and the hook keeper looks perfect as well.

DrTrevorkian wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2024 5:12 am

Ok, clearly you aren’t used to how NFC rolls.

Lol what a joke - nobody cares about your 89 perfectly received blanks, that's how things should go - we want to know what happens when things go wrong, and obviously NFC has a long and rich history of screwing their customers on that front.

hoohoorjoo wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:21 am

Imho, St Croix hasnt made an aesthetically pleasing rod since the brown blank Legend rods with the bronze marbled ECS reel seats.

I mean there's "aesthetically lacking" and there's St Croix's abominations...what were they thinking??

Firstoutfisher wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:07 pm

They must have a designer from nerf on the payroll

I would love to meet the psychopath who design rods for Croix

I eventually would like to get a 5.3 300 for A-rigs and bigger swimbaits. What gear ratio do you have? I got the 7:1 for swimbaits big topwater and magnum cranks - it's going on a 9ft XH rod so the faster IPT will help me work the lures w/o having to swing the rod tip. I don't think you need 5:1 ra...

I’m happy to hear that. Mine is being delivered today! For anyone interested, there’s new 8.1’s on the bay for under $190. 42 IPT! Out of the box mine had a pretty heavy winding resistance to it but in a good way - very refined and smooth just not free spinning. Feels like sticky grease that will s...

Lol I have other 300 sized reels - this one's drag is special.

Why is the drag so buttery smooth on the Tat 300? It's easily the smoothest drag I've ever experienced on any baitcaster.

Is it a new grease Daiwa is using?

The rest of the reel is also extremely impressive...but I'm amazed at the buttery drag on this beast.

Thanks, I must have misconstrued my intel. I thought the solid tip was a benefit to the shake. I just got the MB Kirasame st to dedicate to the hover. Was planning on re-purposing my MB Whipet to the mid stroll. I guess it depends on how you're fishing the jig. To me, midstroll/bottomstroll/rolling...

Hover strolling BFS rod with it's stinger tip perhaps, sign me up. From what I read you don't want a solid tip for shaking or rolling action (what we call hover strolling here) rods - that's for dampening movement of your lure through debris/grass etc. Rather you want a springy tubular tip with som...

There are but a handful of truly original bait designs. Pretty much any billed crankbait can be traced back to Fred Young and countless other bait builders back in the late 50's and beyond. Slender minnow baits have been around for well over 100 years. Megabass may have perfected the concept and tw...

I agree and couldn't knowingly by a knockoff anymore especially after Luck E Strike 110. What sparked my question, was somewhat in defense of your second point about consumers. I personally don't know how to follow JDM baits and stay up to date on what is out and what is coming out. I used to work ...