Flywatersmallie

Denali Jadewood 843WJ.... Just sayin. Everything you are looking for, great sticks, right at $100. Problem is you wont find them at Dicks either. Similar in weight to the Veritas only the dead feeling is gone.

Not true! A local shop here has a bunch of the old Loomis rods with the Weibe reel seat. I bet some of those rods are pushing 10 years. Coincidentally, they also have some of the old style Fenwicks (along with the newer models). I like the feel of the old HMG too.

Up until yesterday, I had a Supreme XT 9230 on a 692 and 693 Dobyns Savvy. You will like how it looks and balances. The 35 seemed to big to me when I bought my reels

That length is 7'2". If you ship in cardboard, it will run you maybe 15 to 20 bucks, PVC is a bit more because its heavy. I would agree with the consensus though, just pay to replace the guide. If its not an oddball style like say the Castaway Microwaves or the like, a builder should have no problem getting one or may even have one on hand for you.

I can do better, here you go.... ABU/Fenwick Combo

Not me, I carry a 7' MH casting a 6'9" M spinning and a 7'6" H casting on my kayak. I hardly ever throw cranks though and like the option to sneek in and flip a jig into heavy cover.

You will like that 734. its a really versatile stick.

I have that same reel, Supreme XT 9230, well 2 of them.... I have them on a Dobyns DX701 and DX702. I love them! Very light, smooth and solid feeling. I've been using mine since early spring and no issues. I don't think you could go wrong.

I dont think anyone has fished the new GL2 rods but.... The old ones were less than stellar performers at their price point. I fished one that a friend had, was not impressed. He won it on ebay or would have returned it. Anyway I now own 12 Dobyns rods, 8 of those are Savvy series rods. I own the 733 and it is my go to for senkos, spinnerbaits and tx rigs under 3/8 oz weights. Any heavier than that and you might want to jump up to the 734. The 703 has a slightly faster action as well if thats of any importance to you. I haven't found a dud in the lineup, here is what I have. 692 spin, 693 spin, 703 cast, 704 cast, 733 cast, 734 cast, 735 cast and 766Flip. Any questions on how any of them fish, give a shout

I have 3 Tournament Pros and 2 Speed Spools. I like them all a ton. Very compact frame, lots of features for the money. The Speed Spool is the best reel out there for under $100. Nothing even comes close. Blows the Citica away that everyone seems to want to recommend. Lews is the real deal. Oh and I wasnt sure if I would like those big paddle handles, I love them too! The 2 non-Lews casting reels I have left just dont feel quite right anymore without them.

Pflueger Supreme XT ($150) or Pflueger Patriarch ($200) in the 30 size, both are well under that 8 oz mark, are rock solid performers. The supreme XT weighs in at 7.2, the Patriarch at 6.3. I have a pair of Supremes and a Patriarch and love them.

Dobyns 704 or 735, depending on the weight of jig

Nice boat J Francho! And this one was a little under $400 fully rigged before I added the fish finder. Of course then I add 400 lbs of tackle and 5 rods and it becomes more expensive but... you can do it on a budget if you want to

Breexy, I have a Future Beach boat (Trophy 126, SINK model). I think you would like the Angler just fine. If I recall it has the same hull.... Far more stable than any canoe you have ever been in. I started Kayak fishing this spring and now own 2, both fully rigged with fish finder and the whole nine. Never dumped either of them or really even came close. Lots of easy and inexpensive upgrades to consider too. Kayak fishing is great and Future Beach makes great boats that won't make the bank account hurt too bad.

I fish from a 10' and a 10'6". One a SOT (WS Tarpon 100) for the warm weather months, the other a SINK (Future Beach Trophy 126) for when the water is cooler, I stay dry in that one. I like them both. Have both rigged nearly identical so I don't have to learn a new boat all the time. I have plenty of room in both, both track reasonably well and are stable (Especially the Future Beach) almost to a fault. I can sit or stand in either without issue. I should think an 8 footer shouldn't be too far off. All depends on if there is enough room for you and your gear. That's up to you to decide. Looking up that Apex Fade model you had listed, It priced at $250.... Look at the Future Beach Trophy at Dicks. More room, more storage and a VERY stable fishing platform, rod holders as well. Its retail price is somewhere around $500 but routinely goes on sale for $300-350. I bought mine in June at $299. Its a nice boat

Champion 734 if you are to include swimbaits there. The 733 is a great spinnerbait stick and does a good job with lighter t rigs. If you plan to use heavier weights, step up to the 4 power, as was stated. I have both the 733 and 734 and I like the 733 a lot but if I had to choose one, there isnt really anything the 733 can do that the 734 can't.

I own both a DX701SF and DX702SF, also too light to be heavy. I don't have an exact weight to give you though. Very nice rods for what thats worth.

I have a current model XT, I looked at both the Supreme and Supreme XT side by side. I FELT very little difference, though opted for the XT. Only real reason was because it looks sweet on a Dobyns DX701

My brother in law has the 7' medium spinning. It's relatively light but.... the reel seat is uncomfortable, he was getting blisters holding it until he wrapped it in tape. Also the sensitivity just isn't there. I told him to get a Dobyns Savvy when he got that thing in the spring, didnt listen. He ordered a Savvy yesterday to replace it. Much better sticks our there in the price range.

That Champion is a sweet all purpose stick! I have one in the Champion line and 2 of the Savvy series with the same specs. Awesome!

Lew's Speed Spool. Lots of bang for your buck there.

I don't have either but... I have the 692 and 693... The 3 power is definitely stouter. Honestly the 692 became my go to tube rod and I fish tubes for river smallies A LOT. Then again, I rarely fish anything but 1/8oz heads and 2 3/4" tubes but, I know it can. I like the tip on the 692 a bit better for tubes. I don't think you can go wrong with either. FWIW, I have a 2000 size Diawa Exceler(last year's model) on both. Classy looking rig and they both balance well with that reel.

I wouldn't worry about it. I use 8 and 10lb floro with 10lb braid (2lb diameter) and never an issue. Also use 12 and 14 with 20lb (6lb dia braid). As long as you tie a proper knot, you should have no issues

As someone who is sponsored by several national companies and a few local ones and was before I fished a single tournament (I have been a guide for years).... First thing you need to do is learn to market yourself. By that, I mean, sell yourself. You are a product to potential sponsors, make them want to "buy" you. If you can not promote their product the way they see fit, you are of no use to them. Because you fished a couple local tourneys and and placed well in some of them, well, that just isn't good enough. A friend and I finished 3rd last week in a tourney maybe 50 miles away and beat out 30 or so boats of locals that actually know the lake. My sponsors all know about it, it doesn't really matter to them though. What they are looking for is money. Nothing more. YOU have to show them how YOU can increase profits. As was previously stated, its a job. Plain and simple. You could just as easily be selling Amway or Kirby vacuum cleaners. It is a sales job. At one time, I was guiding 75-80 trips a season for smallmouth. I had an "in". I can put company X products in the hands of someone who wouldn't ordinarily try them. You need to find your "in". What can you do? Fishing is really a secondary though. My guide business has tailed off to some extent in recent years due to the economy but I can still offer the same advantages. A marketable angle. Every company out there has a website, I do too for both my guide service and my "day job", I run a window cleaning company. Since I am not a top ranking Elite pro, I have to do something else to eat. Knowing a few of them personally, a lot of them carry a side job as well. Also, I have a marketing degree. Education goes a long way. Another thing, only, and I mean ONLY contact companies that offer products that you are familiar with and believe in. Most of these companies are contacted dozens if not hundreds of times a week by folks looking for a handout. They can see right through you. Nothing here was meant to degrade you or your resume, just want to make it clear that you need to do something first. Sounds like you have a good start but its exactly that, a start. Keep building on it, go to school and make yourself a commodity that everyone wants. One other quick thing, you stated that you wanted help with lures and tournament fees.... So do I! I get free plastics, jigs and rods at a discount but all my tourney fees are paid directly by my number one sponsors, my wife and I. Unless your name is Van Dam or Iaconelli, you better be ready to pony up some cash. They are in business to make money, not give it away. No sense in paying someone's fees and getting no return on that investment. Say you fished a local tourney and won. How does that benefit the company that may have paid for you to fish? The Elite tours are worldwide events with every imaginable media outlet covering. Not so with local bar league tourneys or even FLW or BASS club tournaments. Gotta make it worthwhile!

X3 That Curado deal is the best going right now. As far as retail price under $100, best I have found is the Lew's Speed Spool. Lots of bang for your buck there as well. Not a lot of good options in that price range, those are 2 of the best, Citica isn't bad but a definite drop off from the Curado and the Speed Spool.