Alphas CT SV

I'll have to go with the Daiwa Alphas CT SV. It's small, light, has ample drag power, and is a super versatile piece of gear. Mine has had an array of fish at the end of the line; stream trout, big perch and bluegills, monster Lake St Clair smallies, Detroit River walleye, and a few decent pike in the mix.

Without a doubt I think you should buy the Daiwa Alphas CT SV. I bought one this march and fished it all summer. I loved mine so much I had to get another, and so I did earlier this week. That reel comfortably casts lures down to 1/8 oz.

I own a pair of the Alphas CTs and they're my favorite reels, but they do need a shallow spool to cast below 3g. In one of mine I have the SLP Works SV700S spool ($120) and the lowest I've tried casting was 1.6g which worked wonderfully from my Major Craft Finetail 5' L. For out of the box finesse, the Conquest will be much better than the Millionaire. The Millionaire will need a different spool to cast as light as the Conquest. If you were to pair the Millionaire with the SLP Works spool, you're looking over $500 in total, making the Conquest a better value in the long run.

I'll second the Alphas CT SV. Very nice reel. Well worth importing.

1/8 to 1/4 range I'd look at the Daiwa Alphas CT SV and pair it with a JDM Daiwa Bass X 64LB-Y. I have this exact combo and it works great for everything from crappie jigs and small Pop-Rs to smaller cranks and weightless trick worms. My favorite bait to use with it is a 1.5" paddle tail grub on a 1/16 ball head jig, total weight comes in about 2.8g.

You don’t have to put any power into the cast to cast a good distance with the Alphas CT SV. Personally I definately prefer the more free, light and effortless feeling over the more rigid and tight feeling Shimano offers.