A Monkey Tale. (Pics)

BigBassin144 · 03-01-10, 06:17 PM

Alright, I haven't said anything about this, other than on the chat. I was waiting for it to get here.

But here is the result of my most recent fight with the money (monkey: too high to count, me: 0 (if not a negative number by now))

I got home from school and it wasn't here yet. Had to run an errand, and when I got back, I find a tube and a small box sitting in my garage!

I quickly opened everything up, and mounted my new reel on my new rod.

Then I figured I'd better take some pics for you guys or I'm gonna get yelled at.

First impressions:

First, the Vendetta.

I was a little worried about this one. I hadn't held any of them over 7' in the stores, and honestly chose the 7'6" on a whim with no real good reason as to why. The first thing I saw when I opened the tube was that nice red aluminum butt cap with the Abu emblem, a very nice touch. The next thing I noticed was how big around the blank was, and I thought to myself, great this is gonna be a lot heavier than the shorter rods. To my surprise, it wasn't much heavier, at it was still balanced nicely.

Looking over the rod, the guides look fine, and nothing is damaged (takes a lot to get damaged in those thick cardboard tubes TW uses). The wraps are kinda sloppy, but I wasn't expecting them to be absolutely wonderful. The split grip is nice, but I wish the rear part was a bit bigger in diameter.

Next up, the Fuego.

Before today, I had never even HANDLED a fuego, only looked at them. First thing I noticed was it is light. It terms of magnesium reels, it's not the lightest, but it probably is the lightest in its price class. Gave the handle a few turns, engaged the reel a few times. Gave the spool a nice spin after loosening the spool tension a bit. A picture's worth a thousand words, and I think this one sums up how the reel feels:

Daiwa uses a simple handle and clicking dragstar.

I don't care for the goldish colored spool, and think it would've looked better with a black or silver one.

The Fuego is one of the most comfortable reels I've ever held, being so similar to the Zillion, it doesn't surprise me.

The Combo: It's all fine if they feel good separate, but the real test is how they feel together. I like how the Fuji ACS reel seat feels without a reel on it, but this is my first time holding it with one. Not bad at all. I don't know if I'd say it's more comfortable than a Fuji ECS, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another rod with one. Like I said before, the Fuego is a VERY comfortable reel to palm, even for people with small hands.

One complaint I had right away was the lack of padding on the metal hood Abu uses to hold the reel down. When I took the reel off for the photo shoot, the front of the foot was already scratched from tightening it in. The aluminum hood looks great, but I think i'd prefer the gentler surface of a plastic one to keep the reels from getting scratched as easily.

One thing that surprised me was the Fuego is a darker red than it shows in most photos. But it still makes a great looking combo with the black and red Vendetta. I can't wait till the ice is melted and I get to try these out, and write a full review.

For those of you haven't been beaten by the monkey once already (or many more times for some of us), beware, he's hungry this winter.

carolina-rig-01 · 03-01-10, 06:30 PM

Anthony that just isn't going to work, the colors on them clash so you need to get the reel custom painted lol.

Seriously congrats dude I know you must be thrilled right now.

BigBassin144 · 03-01-10, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolina-rig-01

Anthony that just isn't going to work, the colors on them clash so you need to get the reel custom painted lol.

Seriously congrats dude I know you must be thrilled right now.

Yeah, I am. Don't worry, the Fuego actually looks darker in my pics because of my crappy DIY photo studio, lol.

By the way, I forgot to mention the Vendetta is a 7'6" MH. and I'm planning on using this set up for small swimbaits, heavy t-rigs, and most of my flipping/pitching soft plastic duties.

BB

MallenManson · 03-01-10, 06:57 PM

Congrats BigB, that's a nice lookin set-up

Bassboss · 03-01-10, 07:14 PM

haha! Anthony, that's an amazing looks combo, and a great look reel man! Love it, love it, love it!

So are you gonna put the 12lb fluoro on it, or another reel?

Jrob78 · 03-01-10, 07:30 PM

Pics look great! You're gonna love that reel.

BassinNC · 03-01-10, 08:14 PM

Congrats!! I love the vendetta rods. Hope you do to.

aikenyounggun · 03-01-10, 08:31 PM

Man I hope you like the set-up. Those are some amazing pictures.

Captmikestarrett · 03-01-10, 09:01 PM

Cool looking indead.. oh the handle is on the wrong side BTW..

Capt Mike

BigBassin144 · 03-01-10, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captmikestarrett

Cool looking indead.. oh the handle is on the wrong side BTW..

Capt Mike

Man, I wondered why I was holdin' it upside down to crank the handle...

Luckily for me, all they had was lefties!

BB

BigBassin144 · 03-02-10, 07:18 PM

Just a heads up. On Tacklewarehouse, they have the 7'6" MH Vendetta's lure ratings listed as 1/2-3oz and the 7'6" H listed as 3/8 - 1 1/2. Now I though this was a typo when I bought it and they were switched around. Turns out, as far the MH is concerned, it is not a typo. The rod is truly rated for 1/2 to 3 oz lures. Gonna make a nice flipping/small swimbait rod for sure.

Also, I weighed the combo today (with 12lb mono on it, which is temporary and just for practice casting in the yard). The weighs 13.8 oz. Figuring the Reel is 7.6, that means the Vendetta is 6.2 oz. A fairly heavy rod, but by how it balances, I would have guessed around 4.5, not over 6.

BB

bamabassman · 03-02-10, 08:37 PM

Nice anthony.......but............ not getting on to ya buddy, but you know i think it is bad karma to put any kind of reel in a ABU GARCIA rod other than and ABU GARCIA reel, hahahahahaha.

You know how much i like the garcia's, hehehehe.

BigBassin144 · 03-02-10, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamabassman

Nice anthony.......but............ not getting on to ya buddy, but you know i think it is bad karma to put any kind of reel in a ABU GARCIA rod other than and ABU GARCIA reel, hahahahahaha.

You know how much i like the garcia's, hehehehe.

Yeah I do John, but if it was getting an abu, it would've been an STX, and the Fuego was a better price. I could throw my only Revo on, there, but that would leave me without a crankbait reel.

BB

nova385 · 03-02-10, 10:01 PM

love that daiwa- If another rod tube shows up at my house I will be sleeping outside.
Ever see the shakespeare comercial were the lady crams the rod in the garbage compacker? Thats how she rolls.

islandbass · 03-04-10, 06:57 PM

Nice set up and I'm glad to see the handle on the "correct" side. lol.

You took some really great close up shots. Congrats on your latest acquisition.

Cavs1123 · 03-06-10, 11:38 AM

Awesome combo Anthony. Hope you like it!

keithdog · 03-07-10, 07:06 PM

Looks like your gonna have a great time on the water this spring! Nice outfit BB!

03-01-10, 06:17 PM	#1
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	A Monkey Tale. (Pics) Alright, I haven't said anything about this, other than on the chat. I was waiting for it to get here. But here is the result of my most recent fight with the money (monkey: too high to count, me: 0 (if not a negative number by now)) I got home from school and it wasn't here yet. Had to run an errand, and when I got back, I find a tube and a small box sitting in my garage! I quickly opened everything up, and mounted my new reel on my new rod. Then I figured I'd better take some pics for you guys or I'm gonna get yelled at. First impressions: First, the Vendetta. I was a little worried about this one. I hadn't held any of them over 7' in the stores, and honestly chose the 7'6" on a whim with no real good reason as to why. The first thing I saw when I opened the tube was that nice red aluminum butt cap with the Abu emblem, a very nice touch. The next thing I noticed was how big around the blank was, and I thought to myself, great this is gonna be a lot heavier than the shorter rods. To my surprise, it wasn't much heavier, at it was still balanced nicely. Looking over the rod, the guides look fine, and nothing is damaged (takes a lot to get damaged in those thick cardboard tubes TW uses). The wraps are kinda sloppy, but I wasn't expecting them to be absolutely wonderful. The split grip is nice, but I wish the rear part was a bit bigger in diameter. Next up, the Fuego. Before today, I had never even HANDLED a fuego, only looked at them. First thing I noticed was it is light. It terms of magnesium reels, it's not the lightest, but it probably is the lightest in its price class. Gave the handle a few turns, engaged the reel a few times. Gave the spool a nice spin after loosening the spool tension a bit. A picture's worth a thousand words, and I think this one sums up how the reel feels: Daiwa uses a simple handle and clicking dragstar. I don't care for the goldish colored spool, and think it would've looked better with a black or silver one. The Fuego is one of the most comfortable reels I've ever held, being so similar to the Zillion, it doesn't surprise me. The Combo: It's all fine if they feel good separate, but the real test is how they feel together. I like how the Fuji ACS reel seat feels without a reel on it, but this is my first time holding it with one. Not bad at all. I don't know if I'd say it's more comfortable than a Fuji ECS, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another rod with one. Like I said before, the Fuego is a VERY comfortable reel to palm, even for people with small hands. One complaint I had right away was the lack of padding on the metal hood Abu uses to hold the reel down. When I took the reel off for the photo shoot, the front of the foot was already scratched from tightening it in. The aluminum hood looks great, but I think i'd prefer the gentler surface of a plastic one to keep the reels from getting scratched as easily. One thing that surprised me was the Fuego is a darker red than it shows in most photos. But it still makes a great looking combo with the black and red Vendetta. I can't wait till the ice is melted and I get to try these out, and write a full review. For those of you haven't been beaten by the monkey once already (or many more times for some of us), beware, he's hungry this winter. __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

03-01-10, 06:30 PM	#2
carolina-rig-01 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Webb City, MO Posts: 6,387	Anthony that just isn't going to work, the colors on them clash so you need to get the reel custom painted lol. Seriously congrats dude I know you must be thrilled right now. __________________ You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.

03-01-10, 06:57 PM	#4
MallenManson BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Beulah, Michigan Posts: 6,431	Congrats BigB, that's a nice lookin set-up __________________ Bass fear me. Women pepperspray me.....

03-01-10, 07:14 PM	#5
Bassboss BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Shawano, WI Posts: 7,761	haha! Anthony, that's an amazing looks combo, and a great look reel man! Love it, love it, love it! So are you gonna put the 12lb fluoro on it, or another reel? __________________ If you can't fix it with heavy squats or fish oil, you're probably going to die.

03-01-10, 08:14 PM	#7
BassinNC BassFishin.Com Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: albemarle, NC Posts: 788	Congrats!! I love the vendetta rods. Hope you do to. __________________ 138 bass in 2K10. Biggest 4LBS 14oz.

03-01-10, 07:30 PM	#6
Jrob78 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 4,671	Pics look great! You're gonna love that reel.

03-01-10, 08:31 PM	#8
aikenyounggun BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: aiken, SC Posts: 2,051	Man I hope you like the set-up. Those are some amazing pictures. __________________ <>< Rather be Fishing ><>

03-01-10, 09:01 PM	#9
Captmikestarrett BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Accokeek MD Posts: 3,315	Cool looking indead.. oh the handle is on the wrong side BTW.. Capt Mike __________________ Capt Mike Starrett light tackle guide Potomac River http://www.indianheadcharters.com

03-02-10, 07:18 PM	#11
BigBassin144 BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 9,463	Just a heads up. On Tacklewarehouse, they have the 7'6" MH Vendetta's lure ratings listed as 1/2-3oz and the 7'6" H listed as 3/8 - 1 1/2. Now I though this was a typo when I bought it and they were switched around. Turns out, as far the MH is concerned, it is not a typo. The rod is truly rated for 1/2 to 3 oz lures. Gonna make a nice flipping/small swimbait rod for sure. Also, I weighed the combo today (with 12lb mono on it, which is temporary and just for practice casting in the yard). The weighs 13.8 oz. Figuring the Reel is 7.6, that means the Vendetta is 6.2 oz. A fairly heavy rod, but by how it balances, I would have guessed around 4.5, not over 6. BB __________________ As of June 14, 2014 the members of the BF.com forum have moved to basschat.yuku.com!

03-02-10, 08:37 PM	#12
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	Nice anthony.......but............ not getting on to ya buddy, but you know i think it is bad karma to put any kind of reel in a ABU GARCIA rod other than and ABU GARCIA reel, hahahahahaha. You know how much i like the garcia's, hehehehe. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

03-02-10, 10:01 PM	#14
nova385 BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MID MI. Posts: 140	love that daiwa- If another rod tube shows up at my house I will be sleeping outside. Ever see the shakespeare comercial were the lady crams the rod in the garbage compacker? Thats how she rolls.

03-04-10, 06:57 PM	#15
islandbass BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: WA State Posts: 1,783	Nice set up and I'm glad to see the handle on the "correct" side. lol. You took some really great close up shots. Congrats on your latest acquisition. __________________ ARX "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." Doug Larson (Shimano 2005 Reel Catalog)

03-06-10, 11:38 AM	#16
Cavs1123 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bellevue, Ohio Posts: 1,398	Awesome combo Anthony. Hope you like it!

03-07-10, 07:06 PM	#17
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Looks like your gonna have a great time on the water this spring! Nice outfit BB!

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