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Hey guys, SInce y'all gave such great advice on a great new spinning rod a few months ago, I could use some advice now on a baitcaster rod. This baitcaster rod is replacing my very first baitcaster setup, an All Star Select rod DSLASCO701MH which had a RevoS on it (gen2 i believe). This setup was great and has lasted me many years, but now its hurting and needed to be replaced. After this years cleaning/lubing it just didn't improve like it has in all the years past. Plus I still used this setup a lot, for multiple purposes, and I wanted to replace it with some nice new equipment. After learning to baitcast with this setup I started buying technique specific rods; a crankbait baitcast rod, H baitcast rod for jigs/heavy cover/etc, M drop shot/general spinning setup, and lastly a very flexible M baitcast rod for very small lures and finesse applications. Even with these technique specific setups, I still used my 1st baitcaster setup a lot, for techniques I dont have covered such as: lighter jigs, lots of different style plastics, spinnerbaits, lipless crankkbaits, jerkbaits, flukes, small swimbaits (i.e. swim'n caffeine shad), etc. I already have a new reel for the setup, a Lew's BB1 HZL, which is 6.4:1 ratio. I tried it out today on my old All-Star and I am very pleased with its performance. So smooth and casts very far, even lighter lures. I do have 4 rods in mind, in the $60 to $100 range, but I am open to other suggestions. -Denali Jadewood 7' MHF jig/worm rod. -Denali J2 7' MHF jig/worm rod -Abu Veritas 7' MHF VRC70-6 -Abu Veritas 7' MHF VRCM70-6 (with micro guides) The Denali's would run me around $100 and the Veritas around $60. I am looking at these 4 rods because I own a Jadewood drop shot rod and love it, and I also own a Heavy Veritas rod, love that too. Also, setup is using FlouroCarbon line exclusively, 15lb most of the time. Don't think I'll be using any leaders, which is why I am considering micro guides. Thanks for any and all help!

Thanks for the reply Munkin! Yeah from what I have researched, last gen accurist didn't come in a 25 size. But thats ok, I went with the 20 and I love it! On my new denali ds rod it is weighted/balanced perfectly! I think I got a great deal for $40. It will definitely hold me over until I can afford the Revo S or SX this summer. I also picked up a spool of 6lb InvisX, my favorite $20 flourocarbon. So I got the reel, the spool of flourocarbon, and 4 Xcalibur cranks for $70 minus a $10 off coupon, $60 total (and no tax cause it was in NH). very pleased with my haul! They had 2 bins of Xcalibur hardbaits on clearance $3 each. Grabbed 4 of those; two 200 size squarebills, a 3/4 oz one knocker lipless crank in sexy shad, and a 1 oz one knocker lipless crank in tilapia.

I'd suggest this or that you go with an Abu Garcia Revo S. 105 with free shipping for gen 3 and 103 for gen 2 with free shipping. I think you'll like either the RevoS's or the Speed Spool better than the Orra.

1st off thanks for everyones advice on picking a nice new spinning rod. I ended up going with the Denali Jadewood Drop Shot rod. One thing I want to mention about this rod is that even though the Denali website and TW say the rod specs are for 6-12 lb test line and 1/8 to 1/2 oz, the rod itself actually says 8-14 lb test and 1/8 to 5/8 oz. I was a little disappointed because I think I want to use 6 to 8 lb test Flourocarbon, but when I emailed Denali they said 6 lb would be fine on this rod. So ideally I wanted a Revo S or SX spinning reel in the 20 size, but I won't be able to afford it for a few months. So in the mean time I found a pretty good deal on a Quantum Accurist PT (last years model) on clearance at Dicks for $40, regularly $80. (Spending at least another $10 and I can use a '$10 off $50 coupon', I'll probably get line for the reel) So they have the reel in 2 sizes, 20 and 30. The 20 specs are as follows: *Line: 4-180 6-140 8-100 *10.7 oz *25 Inches per turn *5.2:1 *16 lbs drag and the 30 specs: *Line: 250-6 160-8 120-10 *12.5 oz *26 Inches per turn *5.2:1 *18 lbs drag The rod will be used mostly for drop shot, but I'd also like to throw little jerkbaits/crankbaits with it, and the occasional 4" and 5" Wacky Rigged Senko. I am torn between the 2 reels. I am pretty sure I am going to be using 6lb test InvisX flourocarbon, maybe 8. If I can find cheap extra spools I will spool one with 6lb FC, one with 8lb FC, and one with braid. What do you all think, would you go with the 20 or 30 size? If you could only have one size line would you go with 6 or 8 lb test?

Great deal buzzfrog, I would so pick up that rod for $25! I def want to grab some of those SK chatterbaits, maybe they got some of those in too at one of my local Walmarts.

Sounds like your Wally World got some great stuff in and some great stuff on clearance! The Walmart in my town is pretty good, they've got jitterbugs and hulu poppers on clearance for $3, and KVD 2x1x trebles for $5.00. They also have Skeet Reese Jig/Worm and Spinnerbait/Worm on clearance for $69.00 and the 7' Skeet Reese Crankbait Glass rod for $79.00. So was the Bucoo nly $25.00? or was the 25.00 referring to something else? They have the exact same rod at my local Walmart and its $99.00, well a week ago when i price checked it. I had the same thought, looks like a nice jerkbait rod for jerkbaits 1/4 to 1/2 oz.

I do alot of repairing by melting and some modding plasics, I'll post some pics after i organize and sort all my plastics. I do have a question, I usually use a lighter and/or candle to melt, but has anyone tried using a smaller soldering pen to do the melting? I have always thought this might be a precise method of melting and modding but don't have a solder pen to try it.

Thanks for the heads up! I have been cleaning up on clearance tackle at Dicks, along with coupons I have got some insane deals. I have bought a lot of tungsten for dirt cheap! I also noticed some good clearance on high price rods on Walmart. Of course none of it is labeled clearance at my local Walmart so I just go to the price checker thing an aisle over and scan, scan, scan...

fishing them wacky style can work wonders... also, yeah you can drop-shot them too, wacky like people have suggested but I also like to use a EWG worm hook texas rigged drop shot. (saw JVD on Zona's show drop shot like this but he was using a flipping hook, gonna try that out too when the ice melts! he wasn't using a senko tho btw)

I use and recommend Seagaur InvisX and use a palomar knot and it works fantastic for me. I dont care for the Seagaur AbrasX. Even though its called AbrasX, I dont think its very abrasion resistant at all.

great thanks for your input, ahh a coin size battery. how do you like the scale? have you tried weighing any fish yet? perhaps some weights if not? and do you have to calibrate it every time you use it? (not a deal-breaker but curious...) thanks for the suggestion, i may end up with something like that setup but I think I might treat myself for something a little less dangling since I'll be weighing mostly on my kayak. So can you tare the scale to include weight of the lip grip there or do you just subtract its weight from the total weight?

Good afternoon fellow anglers, I am in the market for a digital fish scale. I have used the hook type ones before but I feel like the they are not stable enough to hold a fish if it squirms enough, especially when kayak fishing. lip grip would also be useful to help handle pike and pickerel. I found 3 lip grip style scales that looked promising. I also looked at the boca one but it's mechanical and i need digital for tourneys. Rapala Fish Grip Scale, max 50lb $60@Rapala 2 AAA's Berkley Pistal Lip Grip max 30lb $60@Cabelas (Lithium?) Berkley Lip Grip max 30lb $50@Cabelas 9V There's reviews on the 3rd one and they seem alright. I did read that the third one has to be calibrated before each weighing, does anyone know if the other ones need that as well? I couldn't find what powers the 2nd one, one site did say lithium, so maybe its rechargeable? What do you think? Any other recommendations?

I like to try this variation every so often when fishing super clear water with smallies... long cast and as soon as it hits the water burn it back, super fast. 1st i try without stopping at all, then I'll try a few dead stops along the way. sometimes this variation is the ticket!

Great question! A lot of mine is... I'm getting a fishing kayak, a spinning reel setup, a good digital scale, and a good amount of tackle (some cranks, some plastics, and lots of wieghts, hooks, etc.) Just a few more days till good ole federal arrives for me!

haha pool cues. thanks for info. i have a H veritas baitcaster (not sure why i said MH before) and it is beast indeed.