new2BC4bass

Just don't get the 7'6" MH if you want an all-around rod. Although rated down to 3/8 oz., it will barely cast 1/2 oz. a decent fishing distance. As mentioned, the Fenwick Smallmouth and Aetos are great rods. The HMG will most likely be the older model. Still a very good rod at the full $99.99 for that matter. If you read through some of the links already given to other threads asking this question, you will come across Berkley Lightning Shock and H2O rods as possible options. My standard Lightning is a decent rod for the money. Other possibilities are the Berkley E-Motion and the Field & Stream Tec Spec Elite (sold by Dick's Sporting Goods). No experience with the #8 rod, but have read a couple good reviews of it and a youtube video. My choice is normally to go for the expensive rod on sale unless looking for a specific model As it happens the last new rod I bought was the Fenwick HMG 7'2" Medium-Mod Fast after a friend told me how well he liked his and what he used it for. Turned out to be a very useful rod for me as well.

Welcome to the forum. As you can see, there is no limit to how many rods we should have.....only to how many we can afford. When I visit relation in Florida, I carry 4 casting rod combos in a 14' dingy. Other guy carries 3 spinning combos. We make do.

Easy way is to ask no more than half your cost of the rod. Lots of takers then.

Great........except I want the 7' Medium casting rod.

And my wife gives me hell.

No experience with the newer models. I had 2 Trions (still have one) and have 2 of the older blue Patriarch XTs. Trion is not pretty or the lightest reel. Mine is on an HF rod. Casts great and I have had zero problems with it backlashing on this rod. The XT looks very nice, has a tough finish, is pretty light, dual braking and casts very well. In my opinion the XT is much better with lighter weights than the Trion.

PXL Type R is now on my Expert 6'9" L, but I was using an older gold colored Carbonlite on it before buying the PXL Also have another Carbonlite on a 7' ML Crankin' Stick. A third combo is a TD-Z 105H on an older 7' ML HMG Fenwick. Quite sure my Curado 51Es and a couple other rods such as the 6'10" MF Smallmouth would also handle a #5 Shad Rap, but a person only needs so many set-ups for that weight. More experienced casters can handle 3/16 oz. on combos that I probably couldn't.

My first reel at that age was a Mitchell 300. Obviously the push button is a bit easier to learn, but if he has any coordination at all, it won't take long to learn the spinning reel. I know a couple guys that fish with a push button, but in my opinion a spinning reel is a better tool. I don't like the heavier weight of the push button on top of the rod.

That company spammed the site so they are now banned.

CX or CXX? The latter is a going to have a lot more memory than the former. I tried some 8# CX on my first baitcast reel. Handled well, but broke down in the spool. I attributed it to the fact I was learning and had probably kinked it on a backlash. I did remove it, but feel I should give CX another try to see if it was me or the line.

My thought is that you are wasting your time worrying. My understanding is that the Shocks have a little more "give" (softer action) because they were designed for braid. I see a couple answers were posted while I was typing. We all agree.

Welcome to the forum. Can't help. Never used that technique. Nice price range to be in. Several will be along later today with recommendations. Doubt most will agree on what to use. Enjoy the quest. It is at least half the fun. BTW, the Bait Monkey is a friend of mine. Say hello for me.

Getting new gear can become addictive. Not just rods and reels. I've got crankbaits that the box has never been opened on. Plastics that have never been opened. However, that has more to do with where I live than my fishing habits. Only time I dig them out is when I go to a lake. I practice at a local boat ramp on the river, and quickly learned not to use a crankbait there. Much harder to snag a spinnerbait. Lure used doesn't matter since I don't expect to catch anything. Probably have more spinnerbaits than most guys. Casting reels is where I get into trouble. Have way more rods than needed, yet have at least 8 more reels than rods.

A friend tells me the new Kistler Argon crankbait rods are very good, but that his Dobyns 704 CB Glass is his best crankbait rod regardless of price. I hope to try out an Argon later this year as crankbait rods are in short supply in my arsenal. So far I have always used a MF for crankbaits. Seldom lose a fish with one, but lost 3 one morning a couple weeks ago using a 7' ML Redbone rated 3/8-3/4 oz. Possibly had too much drag. Don't know if it was my set-up or that a cold front had moved in. Can't hurt to try a rod designed for crankbaits. For cheap, you could try a Lightning Shock with something other than braid.

Okuma Helios 701M rod 3.4 oz. Helios Air reel 5.3 oz. on TT review. 5.7 oz. at TW. Pretty sure I've seen an Abu reel listed around 4.5 oz. Not cheap, tho. So it should be relatively easy to get combos weighing less than 10 oz. total. You won't be limited to throwing 1/8 oz. lures either.

Send the reel to DVT. Get a better than new reel back.

Not sure what you mean by this, but Taylors are still very popular acoustic guitars. However, an all solid wood one is beyond my budget. I'm thinking an OM size Larrivee might be my next guitar. Nazareth (home of Martin Guitars) is just up the road from me, but they are also out of my budget for an all solid wood guitar. I just keep on dreamin'.

I didn't order any Tatula reels recently. I ordered 2 Primmus and a Helios Air. However, I have the Tatula in 6.3:1 and the Type R in 8.1:1. I don't see any difference in casting between the two (although someone better might), but like the looks of the Type R better. They are very good reels. Doubt you will regret getting them unless you are one of those few who feel it is a bit wider than they like. Only real complaints I read about the reel is the ergonomics from some people. I feel my hands are average, and I have absolutely no problem with how they feel in my hand.

First let me welcome you to the forum. Welcome!! $250 is a good range to be for a custom built rod. There are plenty of excellent factory rods in the $200 or less range. Pick your poison. As I mentioned in another thread, I like my Tatula rods quite a bit. Checked out the Shimano Crucial and Academy H2O Express rods yesterday, and would have loved one of each if they had been on sale. Another rod I definitely want is an Okuma Helios, but in Medium. Tackletour gave this rod a "Great" rating when they tested it. A friend tells me an Avid or Avid X is hard to beat at the $200 price point. Actually giving just one recommendation is impossible for me. If at all possible, I would suggest taking the reel you will be using, and try it on some rods to see which one(s) feel the best to you. Personally I am not a fan of the short fat triggers. I prefer the longer ones that are a bit thinner.

X2. My first thought is always for casting as that is all I use now since getting into baitcast reels. I like my Tatula reels a lot, but have to recommend this reel. It is a no brainer at this price. It came to Florida this year with me while the Tats stayed at home. I like it well enough that I ordered 2 more at the $104.10 price that I posted in a thread. Should have waited as I could have save a bit more since this link got posted in my thread. http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Pinnacle-Fishing-PR10Xi-Primmus-Xi-Hand-Tuned-Baitcast-Reel-(10%252b1).html?google=1&gclid=CjwKEAiAuKy1BRCY5bTuvPeopXcSJAAq4OVskbW6tkIwmxWlG6XsegWtU9UKvc-MEOr7tO2iP9EnPxoCyh3w_wcB Hand tuned at factory, light at 5.9 oz., good looking, casts great. Check out the review of this reel here. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/dhc7-primmus-review.html Unlike the author, I set the brakes at 3 and haven't needed to adjust them....even here. Currently fishing with relative in Florida. Fishing out of the front of his dinghy required adding more brakes to my reels....except for the Primmus....due to changing my backcast. Love this reel. I like my Tatula rods. Was at Sports Academy yesterday and got to handle a Crucial and H2O Express. Liked the looks of both rods a lot. Might have walked away with one of each if they had been running a sale on them. The Primmus and any of these 3 rods will keep you below your $300 limit, and you would have a very nice combo.

Unfortunately I don't have one, nor ever seen one. No doubt it is a reel I wouldn't mind having................if the price were right. Like you, once the brakes are set I see no need to change them unless moving to a situation like I have right now. Fishing from the front of my brother-in-law's dinghy has me changing my backcast which resulted in some jerkiness and the necessity of adding more brakes to my reels to avoid overruns and backlashes......with the exception of my Primmus.

In your case I see no need to move up from a Medium power rod. I would only move up to a MH if desiring to throw a heavier weight than my Mediums were comfortable with. A Medium power rod will handle any bass you might catch, and will be lighter than a MH in the same line. Light is always good. In my own case, I normally will switch to a MH rod for 1/2 oz. or more lures even though most of my Mediums will handle a 1/2 oz. weight. That is the upper limit on my Medium Falcons, and a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait not only weighs more than 1/2 oz., but the blades create extra drag....especially when fishing in my local river. I also like a MH when fising in lilies and weeds, but this year I have also been fishing a Medium with 12# mono in those situations without a problem so far. I must admit that I haven't gotten out as much this year as previously on my visit to Florida. Also the cold fronts are not helping me catch fish.

Just to clarify...the Shimano cover doesn't come off (on any of my Shimanos). However, you must pull the side cover "off" to adjust brakes. The cover won't be lost because it stays attached on one end. You turn the release, pull cover out, swing it out of the way and make brake adjustments. The side cover on a Helios Air comes completely off the reel to make centrifugal brake adjustments. The cover could be dropped and lost if not careful. I am not aware of any reel with only magnetic brakes that require the side cover to be removed. All adjustments are made by the dial on the outside of the cover. I have to take back that statement about all covers coming off a Shimano and staying attached on one end because I happen to have one of the models with the external adjustment, and have had no reason as of yet to remove the side cover. For me getting down to 1/8 oz. requires a reel with different parameters than the norm. Haven't tried that weight with any of the 4 reels you mentioned, but doubt I have the ability to cast that light with any of them...and I have all 4 in various models. Possibly I could with a Curado 51E, but haven't tried that light yet...and may never as I'd rather grab a Daiwa once below 3/16 oz.

TD-Z are older Daiwa models. The 103 and 105 refer to spool sizes with the 103 holding more line and being a more all-around reel. Because it has a shallower spool and holds less line, the 105H handles light lures better. I mainly use my TD-Z 105H reels for 1/4 oz. or less. Many consider the TD-Z platform to be one of Daiwa's best ever. Raul and a few others probably can tell you what the H means. I can't. Either because I got into baitcast reels after the TD-Z had been replace, or because of ignorance.

No specs given in the link for the rod or the reel. I'd be very leery. Have to agree with the other posters. The Academy reels get very good reviews. I also feel the reel is going to be more important for you as a beginner. Sports Academy should have a sale coming up shortly. So should most stores. I'd do a little more research, find something a little better, and then wait for the sales coming up.