Help with new Casting Setup 2025
icemonkey reply :
The season is coming up again and this time around i am looking to purchase a casting setup.
I purchased my spinning setup with the amazing help of the people here so maybe you guys can help me with a casting setup as well.
I normally fish only plastics and jigs so having something centered around that would be preferred but not necessary. my budget for rod and reel is about $1000.00
So far i been looking at
Abu Garcia® Revo® MGXtreme® Low Profile - considering it due to weight and i have smaller hands so my feel better
Daiwa Steez SV TWS Baitcast Reel - I like the sound of the new T wing tech
Shimano Metanium MGL - a lot of people recommended
As for rod i been looking at the
St Croix legend and the G. Loomis GLX, but i need to do more research on the rods. So far i am thinking 7ft with Heavy fast or Med heavy Fast.
I am open to any recommendations.
Thanks,
bigfruits reply :
that budget will get you whatever you want.
for jigs and plastics i like a very sensitive rod and usually spend the most on rods for those techniques.
you could go custom and get whatever you want. there are about 5 or so blank manufacturers that are mentioned frequently, i hope someone will chime in.
if you buy prebuilt, id check out the following combos. i also fish St. Croix and Megabass for moving baits but when fishing jigs and plastics, i prefer Loomis NRX and GLX. it would be wise to handle a NRX before purchasing as many do not like the ergonomics. i am not a huge fan of the ergonomics but can live with it because the blanks are amazing.
NRX JWR 852 / 15 Aldebaran HG - jigs and plastics up to 1/4oz plus plastic. also good for single hook moving baits. Not a heavy cover or heavy hook rod. 2015 JDM Aldebaran is around $300. This combo will spoil you for life. Get the BFS version if you want to go very light and line capacity is not an issue. .
NRX JWR 893 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 3/8oz plus plastic. good for single hook moving baits as well. MGL can be bought for under $300 from Japan. be aware that the rod is 7'5". a bit tip heavy with a light reel.
NRX CRR 873 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 1/2oz plus plastic. stiff tip. great for football jigs and carolina rigs. a bit tip heavy with a light reel. not a typical Loomis 3 power - i'd call it a 4.
You could use the change to super tune the reels and get some upgrades if the money is burning a hole in your pocket.
Ive never fished a Steez but it might be worth a look. You should be able to get the NRX rods for about $400.
new2BC4bass reply :
Wow! Nice budget. Out of the realm where I could make any suggestions. I agree that I would look for a good custom rod builder. I've got quite a few casting reels, but you are way above my budget so I'm no help there either. I would be very interested in what you wind up with. A fellow can always dream. 
hunterPRO1 reply :
now that is a budget,
i cant help much with anything particular in that price range but i will say with shimano you cant go wrong.
IndianaFinesse reply :
Is a thousand dollars really considered a "budget"?
icemonkey reply :
LOL to be honest, you ever get that feeling where "I wish i bought something better" i hate that feeling so that the reason for the high budget.
I know others have like 4-5 or even 10 set ups taken on a boat but i tend to go with 3-4 ppl on a boat and usually dont have that much space to have that many set ups. So in the end i want 2 really good setups that will do the job and last me a longtime.
Bigfruits - Thanks for the advise, i dont know anything about custom so i would probably stick to something i can buy, unless you can point me in the right direction, Note i am in Canada so supply is limited.
thanks for the suggestions do you know the difference between the Aldebaran and Metanium?
Thanks,
Angry John reply :
Yes that's a budget and it's reasonable imo. What speed reel? If your going plastics only a 7.9 would be great but if you want multi purpose 7.1 might be better. Check out the tt review on the steez xbd rod. It is very versatile and lite. I still see them new around 475. The muted build would give you the chance to get any color reel you want. I think the green IS megabass 71 looks good together. If your more into jigs then maybe an NRX or a st Croix legend might be better. I feel a custom build should be done only if you cannot find what your looking for. Resale sucks on customs. A st Croix SC 5 or nfc hm would be the first to blanks I would look at, or maybe a k2.
bigfruits reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 10:04 AM, icemonkey said:
thanks for the suggestions do you know the difference between the Aldebaran and Metanium?
The Metanium palms bigger than the Aldebaran and does not hold much more line. Especially the cheaper JDM version with a shallow spool (all other things exactly the same i believe). The Metanium is still very comfortable to palm in my hands. I have all fingers north of the trigger when palming. The Metanium MGL is the best casting reel I have fished. This includes older Zillions, Met 13, Met DC, Aldebaran 2015 and 2009 51 Mg7, Core 51 Mg7, Curado 51E and 201E7, Curado 71. More expensive options like the Antares (heavy), Conquest (round) and Steez may cast as well or better, i have never fished them.
The 2015 Aldebaran is the smallest and lightest reel I have used by far. Noticeable weight difference between it and a Magnesium Core 51 or Metanium MGL. Casts great. 2 bearings in each knob (Met MGL does too) but i swap the knobs for the larger MET 13 XG ones. It has the small knobs like the ones on the Curado 71. On a lightweight and balanced rod like the NRX 842 (fast action) or NRX 852 (XF) it makes a hard combo to put down.
Both the 842 and 852 lack a bit of power to be ideal for pitching typical skirted jigs 3/8oz plus plastic and greater to cover IMO. Better suited for 3/16oz jigs and t-rig, shakey jigs, weightless plastics, small paddletails, small squarebills. Perfect for a 4" senko and beginning to feel light with a 5" senko but totally doable if that helps.
For an all around jig rod for pitching id look at something sensitive, MH, XF or maybe F. some rods I have never used like the high end Kistlers (sensitive), Dobyns (balanced) and some of the high end Megabass rods where value starts to diminish rapidly might be worth some research. Different MB lines vary greatly in sensitivity, do your homework if you go this route. My MB experience is only with the XX line. Great sensitivity but not near NRX territory. Awesome tapers for moving baits.
offsidewing reply :
I have the Met MGL XG and Steez SV TW 1012XH. I've also had a Core 50 and Aldebaran 50HG. The Steez and the MGL are my favorite reels. I've had the Steez about a week and it is a smooth reel. I can cast 1/6oz Ned Rigs with it on a rod rated no lower than 1/4oz with no backlash. I haven't really put it through the paces yet, but its the first reel I went "wow" when I picked it up. Its on a St Croix Legend Elite 70MF rod - this combo balances very well. The steez is a Smooth caster, decent distance. It feels like the perfect weightless or 1/4oz weighted set up.
The MGL is a sweet caster. Had it for a year and the thing is a joy to cast with. I have them on an Avid X 70MF and 70MHF.
After trying some Loomis rods, I'm a St Croix fanboy. Love the Legend Elites and the Avid X line ups. I own a couple of each. The Avids fish slightly higher than their rating and the Elites are right on, tho I've never had a MH or H Elite.
The Met MGL is really versitile and smooth - definitely worth it especially if you're thinking a MH St Croix. The week I've spent with the Steez SV TW has been awesome, but not enough time to give a fair recommendation.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 10:04 AM, icemonkey said:LOL to be honest, you ever get that feeling where "I wish i bought something better" i hate that feeling so that the reason for the high budget.
I know others have like 4-5 or even 10 set ups taken on a boat but i tend to go with 3-4 ppl on a boat and usually dont have that much space to have that many set ups. So in the end i want 2 really good setups that will do the job and last me a longtime.
Bigfruits - Thanks for the advise, i dont know anything about custom so i would probably stick to something i can buy, unless you can point me in the right direction, Note i am in Canada so supply is limited.
thanks for the suggestions do you know the difference between the Aldebaran and Metanium?
Thanks,
I like your way of thinking. I have a tendency to take too many rods. Heading out today for my annual Florida pilgrimage. I am hoping to keep the number of my rods on the boat to three. Pretty hard to do....for me. Also I have a tendency to keep what I buy and wish I had been a little more selective in my choices. Not that I have very many rods (or reels) that I would part with voluntarily. 
icemonkey reply :
new2BC4bass - buyers remorse!!! i hate that feeling!! lol
offsidewing - thanks for the insight in the Steez, it seems like he is the new kid on the block and not much people use it, but it sounds like the Shimano reels have more love. so it may be a matter of try the new kid or stick with what works well. i do need to try them out live to get a good feel for them. That may be the deal breaker.
bigfruits - big kick in the ..... no one here in Toronto has NRX ... i was starting to fall in love only to have my heart torn out.
Anyone know any Canadian retailers that my have it? though i did find the St Croix Legend Elite so i may have to go that route.
DBL000006 reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 8:00 AM, icemonkey said:The season is coming up again and this time around i am looking to purchase a casting setup.
I purchased my spinning setup with the amazing help of the people here so maybe you guys can help me with a casting setup as well.
I normally fish only plastics and jigs so having something centered around that would be preferred but not necessary. my budget for rod and reel is about $1000.00
So far i been looking at
Abu Garcia® Revo® MGXtreme® Low Profile - considering it due to weight and i have smaller hands so my feel better
Daiwa Steez SV TWS Baitcast Reel - I like the sound of the new T wing tech
Shimano Metanium MGL - a lot of people recommended
As for rod i been looking at the
St Croix legend and the G. Loomis GLX, but i need to do more research on the rods. So far i am thinking 7ft with Heavy fast or Med heavy Fast.
I am open to any recommendations.
Thanks,
With a budget like that, you can get a few Bait Caster combos. Reel brands are tough to pick from. Everyone here, has their own likes. I'm a Abu Garcia fan. I like their braking system. Plus i used their reels for years with no issues. So pretty much do some research, if you don't have a brand you like.
offsidewing reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 11:19 PM, icemonkey said:
offsidewing - thanks for the insight in the Steez, it seems like he is the new kid on the block and not much people use it, but it sounds like the Shimano reels have more love. so it may be a matter of try the new kid or stick with what works well. i do need to try them out live to get a good feel for them. That may be the deal breaker.
Also, the Steez is a $500 reel that came out in the last couple months. While I could afford it, I had a hard time clicking the "complete your order" button when I saw that puppy in the shopping cart. From what I can tell, there are many people on these forums with way more self control than me.
lmbfisherman reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 11:19 PM, icemonkey said:new2BC4bass - buyers remorse!!! i hate that feeling!! lol
offsidewing - thanks for the insight in the Steez, it seems like he is the new kid on the block and not much people use it, but it sounds like the Shimano reels have more love. so it may be a matter of try the new kid or stick with what works well. i do need to try them out live to get a good feel for them. That may be the deal breaker.
bigfruits - big kick in the ..... no one here in Toronto has NRX ... i was starting to fall in love only to have my heart torn out.
Anyone know any Canadian retailers that my have it? though i did find the St Croix Legend Elite so i may have to go that route.
Hey Icemonkey...good to see another tortured soul, having to wait for bass season to open up over 3 months from now.
There should be lots of places to choose in the GTA to see a NRX. The one that gets the most attention is Pro J's. They carry a lot of brands and they carry a good inventory of G Loomis and Megabass I hear. I haven't been there myself. I live in Guelph, so I don't go to the city much. Natural Sports (Kitchener) carries them but they don't always have a good selection of Loomis rods to check out. It would be hit or miss, Hamilton's Fishing World usually carries a decent selection of Dobyns, G Loomis and St. Croix. Call ahead of time and ask if they have any available in store.
My vote would be to get the MGL HG or XG from Japan and then get a NRX. I own the MGL and it's just unbelievable, that is all I have to say. I haven't caught a fish on it yet, I've only just tested it with a practice weight and thrown it on the local rivers using a Mepps, still too cold to catch anything but casting and retrieving is just a pleasure.
icemonkey reply :
DBL000006 - Thanks for the input, i am not a fan of any brand yet so definitely open to options, but i guess there are not a lot of abu garcia fans here lol
offsidewing - maybe i should be like you and just click check out and roll with the punches, but its hard to fight the tested setups but also i like being unique and having something different (geez i sound like a girl picking out an outfit for the night)
lmbfisherman - you da man ... i have now fallen in love with you. Natural Sports does have it and my buddy runs the smokes at Waterloo so he may be able to help in picking it up.
now i am back up to having options for rods 
but i think the consensus is MH F or XF would work well. would M work or no? ... so i guess only issue is to find that exact setup so time to make some phone calls.
Angry John reply :
MHF is the most versatile rod around. Funny how fast the tide can change on reels. There are just as many daiwa fans as shimano, and if anyone tells you one is better than the other they are just selling you something. Both make a solid quality product and a lot of people stick with what they know. There are some real classy aftermarket people to check out and special options that were limited release. TD ito's are amazing, DEPS, the z pride is very intresting, my partner just got one and loves it. One of my favorite reels is a td ito spinning reel. Might be worth the time to look around...
http://japantackle.com/casting-reels/megabass/low-profile-casting-reels.html
http://japantackle.com/casting-reels/shimano.html
The JDM stuff is more high end and has stuff like shallower spools and more bearings.
MDbassin reply :
Dobyns DX704C.
I myself am a fan of Dobyns and even tho I've never fished there top of the line rods the Champion extreme HP I have fished there fury line and the Champion XP line and both feel like a more expensive rod.
I can only imagine what there top of the line rod feels and fishes like.
Donyns Champion Extreme HP:DX704C it's a 7 ft heavy power Fast action rated 1/4-1 oz lure recommendations are Carolina rig/horny toads/jigs/spinnerbaits/Texas rigs
I use the 704c in the next step down the Champion XP for jigs and Texas rigs and it's amazing
nameiztaken reply :
Curado 200i 6.3:1 and Abu Garcia Veritas 7' Medium Fast. It'll be able to throw a great variety of baits, plus its sensitive!
(About $290)
Yudo1 reply :
I'd figure out what weight lures you're going to use primarily and what kind of cover and then choose the appropriate NRX (852c, 893c, 873crr or 894c). I'd narrow the reel choice down to either the steez sv tw or the met mgl. You can't go wrong with either.
Angry John reply :
The other rod that may interest you is the Megabass xx perfect pitch. It has the diversity to run jigs, frogs, swim baits and even punch. It is two inches longer at 7'2" but has the JDM style with no real colors so you can accent with the reel. Its on my short list to pick up and it has a full handle which a lot of JDM rods don't. The 300 price tag will leave you with a larger amount to spend on the reel to pick up something truly unique.
roadwarrior reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 8:16 AM, bigfruits said:that budget will get you whatever you want.
for jigs and plastics i like a very sensitive rod and usually spend the most on rods for those techniques.
you could go custom and get whatever you want. there are about 5 or so blank manufacturers that are mentioned frequently, i hope someone will chime in.
if you buy prebuilt, id check out the following combos. i also fish St. Croix and Megabass for moving baits but when fishing jigs and plastics, i prefer Loomis NRX and GLX. it would be wise to handle a NRX before purchasing as many do not like the ergonomics. i am not a huge fan of the ergonomics but can live with it because the blanks are amazing.
NRX JWR 852 / 15 Aldebaran HG - jigs and plastics up to 1/4oz plus plastic. also good for single hook moving baits. Not a heavy cover or heavy hook rod. 2015 JDM Aldebaran is around $300. This combo will spoil you for life. Get the BFS version if you want to go very light and line capacity is not an issue. .
NRX JWR 893 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 3/8oz plus plastic. good for single hook moving baits as well. MGL can be bought for under $300 from Japan. be aware that the rod is 7'5". a bit tip heavy with a light reel.
NRX CRR 873 / Metanium MGL - jigs and plastics up to 1/2oz plus plastic. stiff tip. great for football jigs and carolina rigs. a bit tip heavy with a light reel. not a typical Loomis 3 power - i'd call it a 4.
You could use the change to super tune the reels and get some upgrades if the money is burning a hole in your pocket.
Ive never fished a Steez but it might be worth a look. You should be able to get the NRX rods for about $400.
A Gloomis NRX if you decide to go with a "production rod". However, for about the same price you can go custom with a RainShadow Eternity blank from Batson. My custom is saddled with a Shimano Aldebaran and Tatsu #12. Talk with Mike at DVT before you decide.
http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/eternity2-bass-casting/
http://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/
icemonkey reply :
Angry John - thanks i know absolutely nothing about the JPN market, but i am not gonna lie their stuff looks really sexy!!! .. it fits the category of unique and quality. THANKS FOR MAKING THINGS HARDER!!! LOL
Yudo1 - i think your right you cant really go wrong whit the higher end stuff its just a matter of preference, it sounds like.
roadwarrior - the custom market i dont know anything about and i feel if i go that route i may end up biting off more then i can chew and i have not ides how the custom stuff holds up against the tried and tested rods.
i guess there are more options and things to think about then i though.
Yeajray231 reply :
The only thing that will make your reel last a "long time" is proper maintenance... Kinda like your redneck buddy (I'm sure you have one) who can keep that old truck runnin. I suggest watching videos or talking with someone who knows how to clean and maintain reels. That, my friend.. is what will make your reel last the longest.
Nice budget btw.. ya know.. with that kind of money... You could ditch ur buddies and get a kayak.
5Keepers reply :
On 3/20/2017 at 8:00 AM, icemonkey said:The season is coming up again and this time around i am looking to purchase a casting setup.
I purchased my spinning setup with the amazing help of the people here so maybe you guys can help me with a casting setup as well.
I normally fish only plastics and jigs so having something centered around that would be preferred but not necessary. my budget for rod and reel is about $1000.00
So far i been looking at
Abu Garcia® Revo® MGXtreme® Low Profile - considering it due to weight and i have smaller hands so my feel better
Daiwa Steez SV TWS Baitcast Reel - I like the sound of the new T wing tech
Shimano Metanium MGL - a lot of people recommended
As for rod i been looking at the
St Croix legend and the G. Loomis GLX, but i need to do more research on the rods. So far i am thinking 7ft with Heavy fast or Med heavy Fast.
I am open to any recommendations.
Thanks,
I have the Revo on a St. Croix Legend..LOVE it and you can buy TWO of these... (TackleWarehouse!!)
St. Croix Legend Tournament Cast Rod 7'1" Medium -- $ REVO ALX-HS -- ($$ METMGL150XG) -- ($$$ TW1016SV-SH)
St. Croix Legend Tournament Cast Rod 7'2" Medium -- $ REVO ALX-HS -- ($$ METMGL150XG) -- ($$$ TW1016SV-SH)
On 3/20/2017 at 8:00 AM, icemonkey said:The season is coming up again and this time around i am looking to purchase a casting setup.
I purchased my spinning setup with the amazing help of the people here so maybe you guys can help me with a casting setup as well.
I normally fish only plastics and jigs so having something centered around that would be preferred but not necessary. my budget for rod and reel is about $1000.00
So far i been looking at
Abu Garcia® Revo® MGXtreme® Low Profile - considering it due to weight and i have smaller hands so my feel better
Daiwa Steez SV TWS Baitcast Reel - I like the sound of the new T wing tech
Shimano Metanium MGL - a lot of people recommended
As for rod i been looking at the
St Croix legend and the G. Loomis GLX, but i need to do more research on the rods. So far i am thinking 7ft with Heavy fast or Med heavy Fast.
I am open to any recommendations.
Thanks,
oh yea,,,forgot... - my fishing neighbor just bought 2 Loomis GLX rods and put two ABU's -RVO3 PRM-HS (Revo Premier Gen3) ,, they are AWESOME and got both at Cabelas for $1000.00!!
LBASS01 reply :
I used to be a Quantum guy, but bought a Lew's casting rod and reel last year and now I'm hooked! Can't go wrong with any Lew's products. Lew's is all I'll buy from now on. I have two casting Lew's rod and reels, and one spinning Lew's rod and reel. I love them all.
icemonkey reply :
Just wondering is there any high quality 2 pcs rod by any chance?
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