To answer your question, Fishingelbow, I have no reel preferences for rod weight, as long as the balance is there. To me, balance is paramount as far as rod performance is concerned, and I've held a lot of 6 and 7 ounce rods that were incredibly well balanced and feel significantly lighter in hand (...

Sorry for the late reply guys, I know I promised a report a few days ago and have been insanely busy. To start this review off, let me say that I despise Abu Garcia reels. Not ambivalence, not disinterest, but pure hatred. And I've used most of their high-end reels extensively, including a couple Mo...

l2yan,

I just received a Revo Premier today. Preliminary assessment is pretty damn good. I'll post a detailed report about its casting abilities and all of its other aspects after I take it on the water tomorrow.

Goldenorange, I recently fished with both of these rods. In my personal opinion, the Dobyns rod is extremely well-balanced, much more so than the Kistler, and offers a more refined experience overall. I found sensitivity to be comparable on both sticks. As far as weight is concerned, I believe the K...

Johnny's right. Paypal, for the most part, is a company that is out to make as much money off the consumer as possible and then throw the customer to the wolves when conflict arises. Their response, or lack thereof, during refund situations borders on white collar crime. Payment via credit card is t...

Wow...a black Conquest. That would look amazing.

Let's keep our fingers crossed - a USDM custom shop, at least on a micro scale, definitely seems like a viable option if enough anglers were to show interest. Bantam, any possibilities?

You know, aside from a few members including Iangler, Scot, and Johnny, it seems as if much of this particular forum is being used to antagonize Bantam1 and the rest of the Shimano USA crew. This is absurd, considering the fact that they've chosen to take the considerable time and effort to create a...

Absolutely phenomenal reel, in my opinion the best swimbait tool, hands down. Everything about the Conquest 300 screams refinement and quality. Clicking adjustments, aluminum clutch and levelwind, porting on the frame and sideplate, etc. The smoothness of the retrieve is incredible. I researched the...

Progressive, The TD Luna does not, in fact, have a clicking drag star. Unfortunately, that particular feature seems to have been ignored on Daiwa's round reels, including their high end Japanese CV-Z variants (Bay Casting Special, Ringa, I'ze Light, etc.). The Luna is still a fantastic reel, and for...

Tournament, You're absolutely right. Saltwater fishing involves a much more rigorous strain on your equipment, and given lackluster care even the best tackle can lose its functionality. That being said, I have older Shimanos and Daiwas in my saltwater arsenal that have held up to years of abuse and ...

I picked up a few BP Prolite reels a couple of years ago for inshore finesse fishing (aluminum construction, no graphite or magnesium components) and while they cast light lures reasonably well, after a few short trips the gearing became noticeably rough. The cast control system in these reels is ab...

Zenbassr, Are you sure the new Ito lacks a clicking star drag and spool tension knob? If so, that's absurd. I realize these two features may be considered petty or insignificant for some, but they do add some practical value and seem fairly standard on high-end (even some mid-level) reels. Both the ...

In that price bracket I'd suggest the SCIV series of casting rods by St. Croix, also known as the Legend rods. St. Croix has an expansive array of different tapers and powers in this series and they're all very light, responsive rods, especially in the 6'6" length you're seeking. These rods retail a...

Saratoga, this is off-topic and may be construed as inappropriate (Mods, please remove my post if deemed tangental), but your use of epithets could be considered offensive to some members. TT seems to have open arms to members of all races and origins and we are all part of a collective fishing comm...

Illinois, Sorry to hear about your experience, but I believe for the most part that Loomis serves their customers extremely well as far as rod replacement and warranties. The fact remains that IMX and GLX sticks are as light and sensitive as they are for a reason - high modulus graphite, which on th...