new2BC4bass

You can add another 1/8 oz. to those lures if adding trailers. A spinnerbait is almost that much heavier than its listing without a trailer. For me that would mean a MHF. If you can find a MF with a top end of 3/4 oz., it should work. Especially if from lines known to fish a bit heavy such as St. Croix and Abu.

My first choice would be a Daiwa Fuego CT. Can be found for about $57 on ebay. TackleTour gave them the "Best Value" award. Or keep an eye on the classifieds on different forums, and pick up a $120-$140 reel in excellent shape for that price ($60-$70). EDIT: Used is often a good way to go. There is currently a thread on another forum with 3 Tournament MBs for sale at $70...normally a $140 reel...but can sometimes be found around $110. If you can increase your budget to $110, the same site has Patriarchs used 2-3 times at that price. They are $200 reels and highly underrated by most.

LionHeart, I was just having a little fun with you. I am sorry if it came across as something else. I am a bit frugal myself, but don't have the kind of personality that lets me haggle. Wish I did. Instead I walk away if something is more than I want to pay. Same for items in the Flea Market.

I hope the BG isn't just for saltwater cuz I got the 1500 to put on my new-2-me Benkei finesse rod. Got it over the winter for about $75 if I remember correctly. A good enough price for you optimator?

Can't help diagnose your problem, but can tell you your line is not too light. You should be getting double that distance. I just can't tell you why you aren't. You are a bit far away for me to swing by to help out.

LgMouthGambler has a thread on the Fuego CT on another site. He did some work on his and seems to be thoroughly impressed with the reel. TackleTour gave it a "Best Value" award. My Fuegos are all the original models so I can't give any personal opinion of the new model. Reel doesn't matter for flipping. I don't have enough experience to comment on the pitching and skipping, but would assume the SV spool vs standard spool would have a lot more affect on those techniques than which reel you are using.

That is an old saying from the area where I grew up. Just means you are never satisfied.

Not sure about you. You seem like the kind of guy that would complain about being hung by a new rope. No I didn't know that, but am not the type to haggle. A fault of mine. Good going.

Yup. Guy is in trouble now. I've always gone the other way. Needing more rods to equal number of reels on shelf. I'm guessing I am still short on rods by 10-15. You probably should upgrade the spool bearings for easier start-up. Carbontex drag set never hurts.

I have read quite a few rod reviews on TackleTour. Occasionally they test a rod able to handle a fair amount over its listing. Obviously the only way to know for sure is to try it. Personally I like to stay within a rod's limits. I have a 7'6" MHF rated 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz. Since it will barely cast a 1/2 oz. a decent fishing distance I decided to try heavier. I could only lob a 1-1/2 oz. bucktail jig. I was afraid a normal cast would break the tip. This is a rod from a brand noted for fishing heavier than normal for its rating (MH, M, etc.).

Danger, Will Robinson. Danger. My youngest grandson...at that time...wanted to use a baitcast instead of a spinning reel. Original Lew's Tournament Pro and Cabela's XMLTi. Total MSRP $400. (Not my cost thank goodness, but still.) 10 year old kid. I now have it back because the boys can't stand the boredom of seldom catching a fish.

No experience with the HD. I have one Cara, had 3 Original (one was stolen), had 4 Experts (one got broken), but none more powerful than a MH. In my opinion Falcons fish a bit light. It may seem to be this way because they have more of a parabolic bend than some other rods of the same rating. This would lead me to believe the HD is probably similar, and therefore should not be too stiff. My PB was hauled out of the slop on a MH Original. They may have a nice parabolic bend, but they still have the necessary power. I have two 6'10" HF Quantums. They would handle those techniques fine....as long as the total weight was within the rod's range. However, my 7'6" MHF Gen1 Villain is like a broomstick. Basically what I am trying to say is that there is a good possibility that the HD will be fine (based on my experience with Falcons), but the only way to positively know is to use the rod.

Sorry. Can't help you. You are already a better caster than I am. I don't run my centrifugal brakes with less than 2 on.

Think he can handle a spinning reel? I started at 5 with a cane pole and went to a Mitchell 300 the next year. The Pflueger Trion would make an excellent low cost reel that he wouldn't outgrow.

Will you be using it or techniques requiring sensitivity? You can get the Pflueger President for less than $60 and it is a highly thought of reel. That would leave you plenty of money for a very sensitive rod. Personally I'd probably go for a reel in the $100-$130 range and spend the rest on the rod. Wait a sec. That is what I am doing.

What weights do you consider finesse? EDIT: Picked up a spinning reel over the winter that needs a rod. I have been researching MLs. I really like what I have been reading about the Villain 2.0 rods. Other rods on my list are Abu Garcia "IKE", Zodias, Cronos, Sierra, Tatula Elite, Major Craft Don Iovino and the Ark Invoker. For a reel I would suggest looking at a Daiwa BG, Okuma RTX, Shimano NASCI or Pflueger Supreme or Supreme XT.

Kind of partial to Daiwas. The Tat SV at less than $150 is excellent. Any Tat is good. For pure value a Fuego CT for just under $67 is tough to beat. You should try several reels on a rod you use to see what feels comfortable for you. You may not like what I like. There are many good reels in that price range. Lew's offers quite a few under $200. Two brands that aren't likely to get mentioned are Okuma and Pflueger. I like my Helios, but haven't had much time with it yet. The Patriarch and Supreme XT are also fine reels. I have no experience with the newer Shimanos, but the Curado 70 and 200K are well liked by many on here.

I have one St. Croix and it isn't a spinning rod or an Avid X. However, from everything I have read I feel safe in saying you are going to love that rod. Congratulations, and let us know how you like it.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. https://tforods.com/quick-guide-rod-actions-rod-powers/

Do you throw a lot of treble hook lures? I used a MF for a long time before investing in a crankbait rod. Guys are going to want a lot more information than that before making recommendations. Seems to me you have a good start. Maybe a ML spinning rod for small stuff.

I would prefer to be a good fisherman with fancy gear.

Yeah, but I enjoy fishing more.

A Daiwa Tatula in Regular action may be what you are looking for. They tend to run a bit heavy, so check the lure rating. The 7' MR runs 1/4-3/4 oz. FAIC they are great rods at full price. Mine were anywhere from $93 to $110. You might want to look at the Fenwick 7'2" MH-MF. I like my Falcon rods, but all of them have a Fast action so I can't comment on the MF action rods. I'm thinking the Tatula would be exactly what you are looking for.

X 2 Sometimes less.