new2BC4bass

I only have one Dobyns....a 704CB Glass. Really like it. What I read about Dobyns is they have a great warranty, excellent build and balance well. Not the lightest rod, but a balanced rod will wear you out less than a tip heavy one. Some say they are very sensitive while others say there are more sensitive rods at the same price point. Guess the individual has to make that determination. Went out about 3 weeks ago. Used a Kistler Helium 3 Light MHF and Steez EX with a 105SV spool and spooled with 20# braid. Lure was an underspin with 4" finesse trick worm. Total weight 3/8 oz. I retrieved with finger on rod. I retrieved with finger on line. Couldn't feel any lure vibration coming through open water. My dedicated short range spinnerbait rod is a 6' MH Berkley Lightning with a Daiwa Procaster 100HN and 15# Daiwa mono. Coming through open water the whole rod and reel shake with a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait having a Colorado blade. It becomes tiring fairly quick. Lot of resistance. Does this mean the Lightning is more sensitive than the Helium 3? I seriously doubt it. I am merely pointing out that some steady retrieve lures will give more feedback than others. My first "quality" rod feels dead with crankbaits. Personally I prefer more sensitivity even with a crankbait rod. Will it catch me more fish? I don't know, but have to assume it will. I can't help with the rods you've mentioned. Above my pay grade. My "expensive" $250-$350 rods were all purchased used for much less. I've never handled a Metanium or Aldebaran. I own the others. My Zillions are OGs and I wouldn't use them for anything below 3/8 oz. I'm sure they would handle lighter, but results wouldn't be impressive. An aftermarket spool designed for lighter lures would change that, but why invest in one when I already have more than enough capable reels to handle 1/4 oz.? The new Zillions do much better...so I've read. My Steez reels are recent additions. Purchased used way below new cost....naturally. I love them. The EX is the newest model. Others are OG models. Some people will give you a hard time for spending that kind of money when you can catch plenty of fish with a $30 rod and $30 reel. I am sorry, but using quality gear gives me more pleasure. Fishing sucks in my area so my gear is what gives me the desire to keep going out. If you are like me (and many others), then buy that high end gear. Catching fish isn't the end all. If it were, I would have quit fishing again. I quit for 23 years after moving to this area. You might try also posting on TT. Many enthusiasts there that think nothing of spending $600 on a rod or reel. Some visit here, but often keep it toned down. Spinning may be a more viable option, but I enjoy baitcasters more, and don't mind their drawbacks. I am not going to catch many fish no matter which one I use so I would rather use what gives me more pleasure

10 pound mono is fine. I doubt anyone is going to be able to give you any solid feedback on your rod until you give the rod's specifics. Is it a Medium Light, Medium, Medium Heavy? Is the action Fast or Extra Fast? The Tatula line are good rods. Don't own any spinning, but have several casting. Great rods for the money AFAIC. Lure weight on a package is normally no where near actual weight. I weighed these two spinnerbaits. Packages say 1/2 oz. for both. Strike King Thunder Cricket weighed .62 oz. War Eagle Spinnerbait weighed .82 oz. A 5/8 oz. Storm Wildeye Swim Shad weighed 1 oz. What surprised me was the actual weight of these two frogs. 1/2 oz. Jackall Kaera Frog weighed .411 oz. 5/8 oz. Live Target Koppers weighed .462 oz. I re-calibrated my scale. Weights came out the same.

Can I assume the SS SV is the reel casting so far?

I would assume so since SVS Infinity brakes should be the same across all models. I haven't had my Scorpion out since coming across that post. I also have a Bantam still in the box to set up. Yes...according to the TT first look at the Curado K.

Here is a review of the Scorpion 70....has SVS Infinity braking. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimscorp7071.html I had my Scorpion 71 out once. Found it harder to get dialed in than my older Shimanos. I found a post by Dwight Hottle (spelling?) sometime afterwards. Wish I had this information before going out with the Scorpion. Might have been a bit easier getting it dialed in. As it is my reel still needs some fine tuning. The post was in regards to the Bantam, but it has the SVS Infinity braking as well. Quote: "After talking to a reel tech I found the answer to better casting distance. I always set my Shimano reels up with one or two brakes on. This was not the right way for the Bantam to achieve maximum casting distance. I was instructed to employ all four brakes on and set the braking dial at 2.5 then fine tune the dial a .5 adjustment at a time until I was happy with the outcome. That advice turned it into a distance casting machine for me." I fish from shore so distance is important to me.

Reel or rod it doesn't matter. There are a lot of good options today. Deciding on one is tough. Heck...narrowing the selection down to 3 can be tough.

Best price I could find right now for the 7.0:1 Icon is $65 on ebay. I personally like faster reels, but couldn't pass up $40 for a $120 reel. Especially after reading PhishLI's comments on the reels from personal experience. I have bought all my reels without first handling them. However, I am not picky about how they feel in hand. I seem to adapt to them with no problem....from the small Pixy to older Trion or OG Tatulas.

I couldn't quite make myself pay that much for a Lew's, but love the looks of that reel. Grew up cranking with left hand spinning reels. Started with left hand baitcast reels. Nice out of production baitcast reel came up for sale. Right hand, but bought it anyway. No longer matters to me which side the handle is on.

Rather than two 7'6'" ML rods I think you should consider the Steez AGS 7'6" MMLF and another shorter rod. Say a Poison Adrena 6'7" ML Mod-Fast or 6'8" M-XF St. Croix.

PhishLI didn't say anything about comparing different frame materials or countries of manufacture. Only that the 3 different braking systems do not behave the same. Surely you can agree with that? Otherwise there wouldn't be any difference between Shimanos centrifugal brakes and Daiwas Magforce Z system. That isn't to say that each style can't be set up to run well. Just that they behave differently. I believe my Daiwas have at least 5 different braking systems, Abus 4, Shimanos 4. I can say positively that they don't behave the same, yet they all cast well for me. Well....my newest Shimano with the SVS Infinity braking system isn't set up quite as well as I'd like yet. Not as easy (for me anyway) to set up as their older model reels. How come I never see these prices?

PhishLI is responsible for me currently having 2 Icons and a Tour S3. I see you (cgolf) use right hand reels. The Icon can be found on ebay for $55 with free shipping. Too bad you don't use left handed. Or do you? Right now you can get the left hand Icon 101SPT (6.3:1 ratio) for $39.99 from Amazon...but the offer doesn't include free shipping. You will have to pay tax. So an additional $2.40 in my state. I planned on giving my brother and his wife one each out of my current stockpile of rods and reels. I think I will order at least 2 more Icons at that price and give them each 2 casting combos. May order one for myself as my Icons are 7.0 and the Tour S3 is 7.3. Just ordered a few. Shipping was free for me. PhishLI is now responsible for me having 4 Icons.

The Smoke S3, KVD version of it, Tour S3 and even the PT Icon have gotten excellent marks for casting distance. Some people even saying their Quantum is their longest casting reel. I haven't used my Tour S3 yet, but it looks to me to be about the same size as my Curado 51E, but with a much longer handle. I did get line spooled on one of my Icons, but haven't made it out for a test run yet.

I meant better at throwing small crankbaits. If the OP reads the review, he will know what I meant. I can see I wasn't clear enough for anyone just reading my comment.

Have you checked out this review? http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwapixyspr.html Seems SPR stands for "Small Plug Revolution". It does better than the standard PX...according to this review. Wouldn't mind have one on a dedicated rod.

Zolos are very nice, but I think a fairer comparison would be the ALX Enox and Helium. Closer to the same price. Wish I could be of help, but was only out once with my 7' M Helium 3 this year, once with my Toadface last year and twice with the Deputy last year. Don't remember specifics. I do remember I couldn't feel any feedback from the 3/8 oz. underspin swimjig (total...had a 4" finesse worm trailer) I was using in open water. But that was also the first time I used an underspin swimjig so maybe that is typical. I tried keeping a finger on the rod and also tried keeping a finger on the line (20# braid). Never felt the blade spinning.

I didn't know there was a Crazy Cranker in the Steez line.

I own 20 some models of Daiwa casting reels, but the Catalina isn't one of them. I have read before that it is a very long casting reel. Hook2Jaw, have you measured your casts? I would think you should be able to make at least 60 yards with those weights. I had 40# Sufix Performance on my Gen1 STX. Box says it holds 140 yards of 12# line. Sufix Performance is equivalent to 10# mono. I spool to the lip. Couldn't say how much backing of 12# mono. 3/4 oz. spoon on a 7' MHF unloaded half a spool or slightly more on some casts. Still had some braid on the spool before getting to the backing. Not bragging. I have read of guys casting lighter weights than that emptying the spool. No way in the world will I ever be able to do that. I'd have to admit to having a little below average casting ability.

I looked at a video or two when I first heard of the FG Knot. Seemed complicated and too hard for me to tie. However, I just now checked out another video to compare its size to the Slim Beauty Knot. Are you using this method? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPTzkep9xlI I know I am going to give it a try. Been using the Alberto Knot, but this looks a lot easier to tie.

Started fishing at 5...with a cane pole. The next year my Dad got me a Mitchell 300. This was in 1954. One reel, one rod for everything from sunnies to bass to Northern Pike to catfish. OP, it is just plain fun to try different gear. I have never justified buying another rod or reel. Otherwise I would be lucky to have more than three or four.

I am surprised you need a reason for a new rod....other than you want one!

I leave the vast majority at home.

If I had my Dad's swing with today's rods, I'd be breaking everyone of them on the hook set. Well...maybe not the composite ones...if I was lucky.

I would have done the same thing at your age if there was a place nearby to fish. Heck. I am a lot older than 16 but would do that today if I thought I could get away with it.

You forgot to tell the OP to send it to you for proper disposal.

Would have to wait for a sale, but the 7' Med Lt + ALX Zolo Maestro. I don't have any of their spinning rods, but really like the 3 casting rods I have. Between the Sierra and Zodias, I would go for the 7' MF Zodias based not on actual experience, but on posts I've read. Unfortunately that is how I have had to buy most of my rods....based on opinions of others. Which is not a bad thing. Should be able to weed out the bad rods.