Cranky

I think anyone that owned a Livre pre-DRT hype is well aware of that. That’s why I referred to them as rebranded. I bet 90%+ of the people that own a DRT handle don’t know that though. I actually prefer the Livre style and knobs myself. Gomexus certainly has a great price point. More power to them. Great that people have more options.

If you don’t want a rebranded handle that costs more than your reel (which to many, many people seems ridiculous) Gomexus is perfectly fine, great in fact for the cost. Nice to have alternatives on the market. If you want to support an OG buy a Livre. The handles they actually MAKE have always been underrated and absolutely incredible. I will always tell people to try/buy a Livre. They are awesome. If you want to support DRT buy one of those too. Great to see more options and colorways for aftermarket handles. It’s a small niche market compared to reel sales in general. As always you get what you pay for INCLUDING THE BRANDING.

If you’re fishing in San Diego just about any old T shirt will do won’t it? In all seriousness learn to effectively dress in layers and you’re better off than a single super puffy coat. Simms challenger stuff is nice and highly regarded, stocked by TW. 2-3 base layers for moisture wicking and insulating (layered lightest to thickest) , add a high loft mid layer of wool or fleece, and a wind blocking rain shell (insulated if you want) and you can fish comfortably even in below freezing temps. People dress like this to ice fish and it works great.

Mustad 36329. Have no intention of going back to Owner ST-66 or VMC 9629 after switching to these. Sharp. Strong. Stiff. Perfect shape. Straight point. Not sure what’s not to love.

Pretty sure if you stop shipping long rods they will all be thrilled. rwp is right, I’ve shipped lots of long rods. Just need to know what you’re getting into before you package them up and plan ahead. Almost always lands between $20-$30 too.

If you got the 806, add the 908.

Has anyone opened one up to compare to a Tranx 300 yet? Be curious if it’s reasonably identical minus the “core protect” feature that’s geared more toward the saltwater market. For anyone that has had one in hand, does the clutch seem as strong as the Tranx? They increased the tension significantly for the tranx HG because of the length/weight of the power handle.

If you want something high end for 1-6oz baits Evergreen Grand Stallion GTX

Saw Oliver over at Big Bass Dreams has been fishing 35 and 41# fluorocarbon from Defiant. Cant find any info on these lines but interested in the heavier sizes for saltwater and stripers. Anyone know if/when these lines might be available to the public or anywhere these can be purchased now?

It’s not for everyone but works great for me. Just mentioning it because lots of ppl don’t seem to be aware you can get spare spools for certain reels. Gives you a lot of flexibility and a lot more cost effective than two reels. I’m fishing a heavily modified 200DC a lot and it’s a breeze to swap the spool out. For me it’s really nice to switch between line types for different situations and/or baits and stay hyper efficient.

Could also consider buying a spare spool depending on what reels you use. Lot easier to pack and carry a spool vs extra reels. Some reels they’re very quick and easy to swap out.