aavery2

DI units are much cheaper, but offer less in the way of coverage. All SI units that I know of are capable of DI also. I am not aware of a SI unit only.

The 735C is the more versitile rod, if you want to do more than pitching,flipping, and frogs, I would choose it, if your rod is going to be dedicated to heavier baits 3/8oz and over, up to a couple of oz, then the 736C may be the way to go.

I like to throw my hard jerkbaits on a bait casting combo. For line I like to use a 12lb FC, a reel in the 6.4:1 to 7.1:1 range works well, for a rod I like to use a med power moderate fast to fast action 6'6" rod. Like all things fishing there are so many variables and you will get as many answers to this question as people that reply, you have to find what works for you.

Wasn't it the Jelly Worm that Paul Elias was using along with a crankbait when he broke the weight record.

Sorry about that, it was an assumption on my part and you know what they say about assuming things. With your level of experience there are many good lines available, that will not break the bank. A good quality Fluorocarbon line may be the best choice for the techniques you mentioned. I would suggest looking at Seaguar InvisX in 15lb test, or if you really want to splurge Tatsu would be an awesome line. While I like InvisX for its manageability and knot strength, it does seem to have a little more stretch than some other lines. Get as many opinions as you can, and make an educated decision. Good luck.

I use the rule of thumb that the clearer the water the faster I want my bait to fall. If the water is very clear a bass can get a very good look at a bait falling through the water colum from quite a distance. I don't want the bass to have a chance to decide if he wants to take the bait based on what it looks like, I like the bait to fall fast and trigger his instinct to react and take the bait. In dingy stained or muddy water, you might want a bait with a bulkier profile and slower fall rate to help the bass actually locate the bait. Again just a rule of thumb for me, because I have certainly seen it where bass will take a bait with a slow fall rate in clear water better than the other.

My suggestion would be that if you are new or newer to baitcasting to use a good mono or copoly line. If you are newer to bait casting equipment mono or copoly will offer a couple of benefits, it's limp and easy to cast, and it cost far less than a quality braid or fluoro line. While you are getting use to using a baitcast combo it is certain that you will experience backlashes, you will feel far less frustrated cutting an inexpensive mono from your spool than your would a high dollar fluoro. As an additional benefit, once you feel you have mastered the new setup, you already have your backing spooled on the reel. Looking at the info you provided about your rod, I would look at something like a 12lb Suffix mono. Good luck.

Can anyone offer any info about this bait, a friend of mine is trying to find out who they were made by.

I use them in shallow water and when the fish seem to be keying in on baits with a slower fall rate.

Pushing the tabs on the centrifugal brakes inward toward the spool shaft turns them off, so to speak. To turn them on you will need to pull them out, away from the center of the spool.

Not to be critical and so we are speaking on the same terms, Med./Hvy. is a power, not an action, actions are like xtra fast, fast, moderate fast, moderate.... you get the idea. When you use the power and action of a rod together you get a much better idea what the rod is well suited to fish. Without knowing the action of the rods you listed, I will assume they are most likely fast, although that may certainly not be the case, these rods are some of the most versatile rods produced. If you are going to only have a few rods a MH / F or M / F would be my choice, because of the number of techniques they will allow you to use.

Pflueger President is tried and true, I don't know much about the Penn.

The older Revo SX, the one without the red accents was a little harder to cast than the newer SX. The newer SX upgraded the magnets in the braking system and the spool was upgraded to the Infini II design. Setting the reel up correctly is very important with these reels, as magnetic brakes primarily help control backlash on the coast down part of the cast. If the correct spool tension is not set, other than good thumb control and proper casting technique, the reels offer nothing to help control backlash during the inital part of the cast when the spool speed is at the highest. Many people feel these reels make for good pitching and flipping reels because when performing these techniques the spool speed is not nearly as high as it would be during a long cast technique, creating an opportunity for the magnetic brakes to have more effect on the cast.

Not sure what you looked up but for the E7 you should only need to upgrade 2 bearings, they usally run about 15 each. Get with DVT I am sure he can get you fixed up.

I agree 100% with DVT, the materials are common, but make sure you understand the techniques and procedures for tuning a reel. You can quickly turn a nice reel into a damaged mess if you are not sure of what you are doing.

2000 grit paper for the ones that have heavy use followed by a dab of never dull on a high speed dremel. Makes them look like glass.

6'10" MH/F Falcon Cara Eakins Jig model Revo Premier 7.1:1 6'10" H/MF Falcon Cara Head Turner Revo STX 7.1:1 7'2" MH/MF Falcon Cara Reaction Swimjig special Revo Premier 6.4:1 7'3" H/F Dobyns 734C - Shimano Core 100mg 6.2:1

I would add a swimjig and trailer to the mix, sometimes if the bite is more horizontal than vertical, a swimjig can be very effective.

Hello from Wichita

Great discussion, lots of great points made. I will add this, IMO the actual sensitivity of a rod has nothing to do with balance, balance only effects perceived sensitivity. Vibration propagation, or the speed at which vibration can travel through the rod and reach your fingertips is what makes one rod feel more sensitive than the other, in general the stiffer and lighter the rod the faster the vibration. The challenge to rod mfg's is to find a material that is light and rigid but still has enough flex to function as a fishing rod without breakage. A quick study on the way the human body interprets sense of touch will tell you that the parts of the body that have the most receptors are the tips of the fingers, the lips and parts of the reproductive organs. Since I don't fish with my thingy or mouth, I guess I will continue to trust my fingertips on the rod blank. Fuel for the fire.

I know you were asking about the PQ and Citica, and of the two I prefer the Citica. With that being said, maybe a good alternate would be the Carbonlite, much like the PQ, but lighter with a CF handle. During the BPS classic sale they will be 89 dollars as long as you have an old useable reel to trade in.

LC 100SP in Aurora Black, or Ghost Minnow

PM sent

Hard to beat for the price. Good finish, lots of color choices, good hooks, suspend ok, I have caught many fish on them.

Take a look at the H2O jerkbaits from Academy Sports, great finish, good hooks, and suspend ok. Best thing is they are around 5-6 bucks each.