Megabass rods are great rods to admire and feel. I own an old style F3-59XS with the current Hi-10X graphite. But my 6 ft 1 piece factory old style G-Loomis SJR722 IMX very honestly feels more comfortable to grip. My 6 ft 2 piece factory JDM Shimano Scorpion SJ2602-F2 feels very well balanced too. A...

If its a 1 piece rod, then a US$150 premium over JDM prices is justified due to the astronomical shipping charges but certainly not for small light items like bass reels between size 1000 to 4000 that use heavily subsidized EMS rates. Existing sellers whom have the coveted goodies can charge premium...

The Daiwa Exist costs close to A$900 (that is like US$740) retail in Australia but I got mine from Ginrin at just US$431 including 3 day EMS shipping with tracking. That is nearly US$310 in savings or close to getting two for the price of one. So yeah, IMO consumers here in Australia are getting rip...

Costa del Mar with grey Wave 580 lenses. Stay away from the rubberised temple models like Fathom. IMHO, CDM makes the best performing polarised lenses ie Wave 580.

Tell me about it. I lost a Jackall suspend lure and a vintage balsa Rapala lure last week to a tree branch and submerged log, respectively in a span of less than 3 weeks. I lost a lot of TT jig heads and soft plastics too during the same period to submerged logs and mangrove roots. All isn't lost. I...

I use Costa del Mar Fathom with Wave 580 glass lenses. Best polarised glasses I've used. Certainly not heavy. The glass is tough, I've dropped it over 2 feet on ceramic tile flooring by accident and it did not scratch or crack. But I take issue with this model's rubberised temples - they disintegrat...

Fireline or Fireline Crystal (for the moment). Breaks at higher lb than stated on packaging, casts further than others I'd used. Good abrasion resistance.

I think GinRin is trying to sort out their messy ordering and delivery system before selling big time again on eBay. I've had a not pleasant buying experience from them but then again, who else can offer an Exist 3000 for just US$432 incl. EMS shipping? GinRin's prices are not below market rate - so...

There is no US Steez spinning reel. All Exist and Steez spinning reels are JDM. Otherwise, they'll be just as common as Shimano Stellas on eBay.

In the past, I have bought Yumeya handle, various spare parts and spare spools for my Stellas, Varivas anti-salt spray, Daiwa rod tip protector, etc. from Harada-san. PLAT provides top quality packaging and supersonic shipping speed even though my items are considered small value. I will say PLAT's ...

The paintwork is definitely tougher than the Stellas I own (2500, AR3000, 4000FA). Mine (Exist 3000) was tossed out of a rod holder after the boat was rocked by waves but surprisingly no boat rash developed. Also, incredibly no paint chipped off at the points in contact with the rod. The only light ...

I haven't toyed with the Opus. Like Mamiya in the past, Evergreen wants part of the action in the highest end tackle market. BUT I have nagging doubts it has the kind of R & D capability to pose a credible challenge to Daiwa and Shimano. Myself? I'll just stick to Exist, Steez and Stella.

I have handled both the GLX and IMX. Very honestly, they felt no different, had the same guides, cork grade and handle so I went with the IMX. Actually, with the exception of the rods with REC components, GLX rods has SiC guides which are more expensive than the Alconites used on the IMX. Also, I t...

I own the SJR 722 IMX. Very versatile all-round rod. Honestly, the O-Ring style handle feels more comfortable to the grip than my older styled Megabass F3-59XS Jighead & Skipping Special's custom finish Fuji handle. Megabass does not have a 6' model and the F3-59XS is their directly competing model....

A spinning reel IMHO is a lot more versatile than a baitcaster - you can cast a lot further, cast in the direction of the wind and throw baits of all manners of weight without the line trouble of most baitcasters. With a spinning reel, one can use it for lure fishing as well as baiting. It is not so...