Hooligan

In general the higher the pic count the more supple the line. The more supple the line the better casting and better knot tying. The better handling and knot tying isn’t always a good thing. It translates to line that is more flexible and susceptible to “wind knots” and line twist. I love PP super slick in 10lb on spinning rods but I’m very conscious of my line on the reel. ( I’m not going to get into a discussion of beat knots and how to tie them, that’s way loaded to get into. Besides that- opinions are like... well, you know...)

They differ in the way the blank loads and recovers, they differ in the power transition of the blank. They differ in casting accuracy and trajectory as well. The legend is as close to a perfect squarebill rod as I’ve come across. The sole aspect that I do not like is around wood it is too quickly into the power of the blank because the rod loads in so heavily with a 1/2 ounce bait. It doesn’t “bump and run” in wood because the rod is already loaded so much, half the time you feel the wood too ate and you’ve buried a bait. In grass, you can let the rod load up and it will rip a bait free nearly of its own power. Just a difference in the way they’re built. The CBR is better around docks for that same reason, you can feel small changes better, you can feel deflection easier, and it casts a short line a bit better. The difference between the two is solely a difference of bait size. A Big BX brat doesn’t fish as well on a 4 power rod. A Little John doesn’t do well on a 5 power. As for what else I have, they’re all tools. You don’t strike a chisel with a sledgehammer, and you don’t drive 16p with a tack hammer.

Depends on what I’m doing. In grass and/or rock it’s a Legend Glass 7-2 Med Mod. In wood and around docks I prefer the IMX Pro 843 and 845 CBR.

Firecraw, black neon, black purple, purple blue, black gold... the list goes on and on.

Take a regular marabou jig and tie it about five times thicker. It could be four to five plumes if you cut out the blood quill and the tip. I tend to not strip a quill, cut out the center tip and stack them in. It provides a natural taper.

Seriously under-rated tactic for ice out feeshes. That said, skip the hair and tie a 5x full marabou jig for ice out up to about 48 degree water. Then transition to hair. I am odd man out, I like my hair tied really sparse. Like almost no body to it at all. Just the faintest profile and swimming slow. I’ll fish them under a float on a 7-6 Medium Light, but only in a really light chop. Otherwise it’s all in the rod.

Nothing coming in the Xtreme in a moving bait rod. Everything is bottom contact. Disregard this. I was replying to another Megabass rod thread that I had responded on and gotten them confused in mine head. Now, on the the reply: Xtreme is legit. That’s about all I have to say about that.

16-6 Greenfish on a 4” Roboworm in AM red black flake. 7-14 Brownfish on a jig. 7-3 Coosa on a Jig. 6-9 Spot on a Wart. 8-12 Northern Strain on a Taxi Trout.

https://www.bubbablade.com/tools/fishingpliers/8.5-pistol-grip-pliers/1085970.html#msclkid=c4799d9d73461cba4553c3cec10a5a1c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CPCS - Trademark&utm_term=bubba blade pliers&utm_content=Pliers&start=1 I have a couple pair I like a lot. This is the one that’s in both boats.

F6 is a true one piece. It’s also a little less forgiving rod. The carbon in the rod has a much higher strain rate, which is where the power comes from. I prefer the F5, personally, for everything up to a 6XD, anything over that is too much. That being said my preference for a crank stick is deep flex and power very low in the blank. I prefer linear glass, or a very light composite. Glass will always be more forgiving and, in the end, more powerful than carbon or composite. It just won’t have the “feel” that a carbon rod will. Modern glass rods are very similar in weight to their carbon or composite counterparts so that argument is pretty much out the window. Which brings us back to F5 or F6. Both sticks are outstanding crank bait rods. Both have excellent feel and balance. Both are powerful enough to chunk and wind all day long without being fatiguing. I have no issue with either rod in any situation I’ve used them. Both will fish a 1oz bait equally well. The F6 will handle a BigM 7.5 or 10XD and the F5 will not. The F6, on the other hand, won’t cast a Wart or a Little John DD. So there’s that. Big baits- Go F6. Smallish to medium-large baits get an F5.

For what it is worth, the Orochi is just about the perfect rod for a SH and Ned rod. It’s not the greatest TX rig rod because it doesn’t have a lot of guts to drive a hook through larger plastics. Trick worm, robo, finesse worms and such are fine. Start getting to a TX rigged Rage Craw or Menace and it is less than optimal. the Expride is more powerful, just given the taper of the blank. It’s slightly slower and transitions to power more efficiently giving you a better hook set. Both are outstanding. The third I might throw in the mix, albeit a little more bank, is the LegendX 6-10 ML. This is the rod that has taken over a huge portion of my Ned/SH/DS/Neko/Light TX rigging. I like it almost more than my NRX822DSR and that’s the greatest rod ever known to man. (And no one will ever be able to present me a valid argument otherwise.) But seriously, any of those three rods is very suitable for what you’re asking it to do, personally would lean towards the Orochi for what you’ve prescribed.

Depends on situation. If I'm straight chunk and winding 5.5. If I'm sliding a lot, 7ish. Squares anything from 3.8 to 8.1.

Yep. Not a Keitech.

So, here recently I've had the opportunity to fish the Terminator frog. I like it a lot. Not too expensive and it walks better than any I've tried. Good hook sets, body collapses easily, and doesn't draw a ton of water like spro or koppers will. Two thumbs up from me. And I hate fishing frogs.

I heard Cabelas is discontinued. Too soon?