I like the Sammy 100 a lot, but there are a bunch of walk-the-dog TWs that will catch fish, spitting poppers are a different story, I have a bunch of different ones, and very subtle differences can make or brake them, even between "identical" ones. I have several Yellow Magics, and like the ones I get from Japan much more than the ones available here. They are much closer to the Rico and older Michael. The Don Iovino is good, and the Xcalibur works well for me when there is a bit more wind. Short answer (too late) is I would get one of each type you mentioned and try to build confidence with both. But I'm just a saltwater guy....