skeletor6

I don't know if Tatsu is the best, but it's the best I've used. Either way, my 1 2 and 3 are tatsu shooter and fc sniper. And yes get fluorocarbon

I'd lean towards the top of your range and get a Shimano Stradic. I never regret buying quality gear.

One of fluorocarbon's advantages is its refractive index that is close to water, making the line less visible. I would rather not have my line dyed unless it was for RAUL's purpose to make it more visible for the user. I feel, if anything, the green stain would make the line more visible to the fish.

55-65# Braid for sure. The line floats and its zero-stretch property is great for a frog's pause-set style. Being able to turn their head and horse them out works well in thick cover. That is why a powerful rod in combination with heavy braid does the trick here.

I don't agree with you on this one WRB. Throwing a 4'' or 5'' wacky rigged senko on the NRX 893c is stupid easy. Cast it however you want, overhead, lob, hell lean bank and throw it as hard as you want. The 893c loads a wacky rigged senko better than any rod period. It is like the tip on the 893c was made for it. If you need practice casting a senko on this rod than you need to practice your casting. I have found the length and tip allows you to cast the senko at a great distance without causing any damage to the bait I've used almost every senko knockoff including the yamamoto's without any issue. The first time I casted a senko on the 893c it was a dream. Too soft of a rod would overload with a senko, too stiff of a rod would not load the senko completely. This rod loads a senko then launches it You can feel it zing off the tip like a spring, so crisp, so perfect. No other rod has given me that feeling. I look forward to getting an 894c in the future to see how it compares. Good luck OP

I don't try to save money buying fluoro. Good fluoro pays for itself when longevity and lost lures is considered. I would get invizx if you made me, but sunline fc sniper on a discount or BOGO is best.

I love the gen ones. My favorite rod under $200 it was theft when they were a hundred bucks. Haven't fished that model but trust the cornhusker on this one.

Here's a nice review on that rod. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewstcroixles76mlxf.html

If you want to try something different. would give a look at a Gen 1 cumara. Something like a 7'2 MHXF. I still think these rods are a good buy and perform with the best of them in this range.

Have you used this specific rod? For the most part I would agree as a rod out of balance makes it feel heavier. However, this rod is extremely light. Refer to kickerfish1 combo the 7'1"MHXF is only slightly heavier. Adding an 8 oz reel to balance this out would be increasing the overall weight of the setup by ~200% this rod is so light that even the tip heavy is not heavy. It is out of balanced towards the tip on a very light rod. Like I've said, I've tried numerous reels on this rod to figure out which is best. And it is far less tiring and far more performance driven using a 5.5 oz steez making this under 10 ounces total. Fishing with ten ounces just slightly out of balance is not tiring once so ever on this particular setup. When I placed my exsence dc on the rod. The combo felt much heavier and was far less of a novelty to fish with when compared to the steez. Unfortunately I use the steez on a different setup so after testing was over I now have a Chronarch 50mg which is almost as light and performs very well on the rod. I do agree that with most rods balance takes precedence over weight savings. However, this specific rod it goes the other way for me.

He's right. The 7'1"MHXF is very light but is slightly tip heavy. That being said, adding a heavier reel to balance it out kind of defeats the purpose of the rod. I've put everything from a Exsence DC to a steez 100 on it to see what works best. I highly prefer the lighter end of that spectrum and having the rod tip heavy. Having the combo overall light beats whatever adding weight to make it balanced accomplishes.

I haven't seen a custom rod builder who has measured a k2 verse a NRX blank. The people I have spoke with graded the k2 about equal to a NFC HM and a SCIV using objective measurements. It would be costly stripping down an NRX, however it would be interesting to see its strength to weight ratio and how it compares to the high end blanks available.

NRX 893c for 3/16-1/2oz

Steez!

I've had consistent success using the method you've described. With a big hookset you'll lose those fish that are chasing. A sharp hook and the speed of the retrieve, along with pulling into the weight felt from the fish is plenty enough to pierce their jaw. I've often encountered the fish continuing to swim at me after feeling the weight. Stay committed to what you feel. The only instance this changes for me is if I am killing the bait. Such as ripping it and letting it fall, then I will set the hook more like I would a jig as I don't have the force from the retrieve working in my favor.

Spot on. I also use Super Flukes and Caffeine Shads. The caffeine shads are definitely denser and cast further because of the added weight. They also have a different action than the super flukes, especially in the tail. These just flat out catch fish and would be a great addition if you haven't used them. Rigged weightless t-rigged fishing in submerged vegetation is just killer. Vary your retrieve and depth until you figure out whats working for the day.

A quality Flurocarbon is the way to go here. On a 2500 series reel I haven't had any issues with up to 10lb fluoro. I fish Tatsu, Shooter and FC Sniper. Use backing on whatever line you choose to save some cash.

It's excellent.I use Tatsu 12 lb and have had no issues setting the hook on 50 yard casts with heavy wire jigs. I'm deadly accurate and the castability is phenomenal.

With a quality fluorocarbon, abrasion resistance will be higher, equal diameter lines will run deeper, and drag/bow will be lower.. However, if price is your number one concern, then just get mono. Fluorocarbon is not worth getting if you buy cheap. Use backing if you decide to stick with FC to save for the cost. In all honesty, I love using FC, but for cranking in low abrasive areas, I do not feel I am losing much using mono.

If it remains legitimately profitable for resale, I could care less of the price.

I'd scavenge the flea market here and on other forums. For fishing jigs, most of my money would go into the rod. You would be surprise what you can get for $300. I would look for a used reel, or even an H20 mettle. Something less than $100. That leaves $200+ for the rod. In the top end of that range you could find older GLX's, Dobyns Extremes, etc. Point being, drop the money on the rod.

I have this Powell max 683c that you are mentioning. There's actually an old review about it on tackletour believe it or not and I agree with their findings. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfastpg2.html I disagree about needing to bump up to the endurance line. This rod does not leave much left to be desired. Don't get me wrong, it does not fish like my NRX 803c, however, for what I paid for it I am more than happy. This rod is an excellent utility rod. It does just about everything that I throw at it (within reason). Its rated as extra fast, I find the action to not be as fast as some other XF rods I own. I would say it is a little slower. I dislike the lack of a foregrip, but that is a personal preference issue. With the light CH50mg it balances well and is a light rod overall. The sensitivity is well above par for its price point. What I find to be the best thing about this rod is its versatility. I can do just about any technique within the 1/4-1/2oz range. That is the upside about this not having a true XF tip. It can handle lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, t-rigs, jigs, jerkbaits, topwater etc. etc. It is a utility rod. I put monofilament line on it and let it cover techniques that my other rods aren't dedicated for. This rod finds a solid place within a lineup of higher quality rods in my lineup. I don't think you can go wrong with this rod.

I have fished this rod in both the green and blue versions extensively. This rod performs fantastic in the 3/16-1/2 oz range and casts exceptionally well within that range. I've used both 12lb Shooter and Tatsu with a Curado 50e, Steez 100, and Exsence DC. Not a single problem from the very first cast. The 893c is the highest performing NRX series rod I own. This rod offers more sensitivity than I can put to good use. Spend some time and get accustomed to what it is offering. It's not going to shock your hand when you hit a pebble. However, it will offer subtle sensation that you need to pay attention to. I've used both braid and fluorocarbon with this rod and highly favor the latter of the two.

I'd avoid a fluke as a swimjig trailer. Keitech Swing impact and SK Menace placed vertically are my top 2.

I would be interested in reading a review from you on this as questions regarding this system and it's efficacy come up quite often in my camp. Most are over on TT. Anyways, as a baseline I'm not enthusiastic over magnetic breaking systems outside of Daiwa. My experience isn't grave, however a Sol and 103 steez have shown superiority over a variety of magnetic only reels I have used. Still, these systems require greater skill from the user than a centrifugal system most notably Shimano. Casting on a windy day will quickly reveal the need to control the spool to a higher degree early in the cast. It's not necessarily a downfall, it just requires more practice and skill from the user to achieve proficiency with the reel when compared to a centrifugal system. As such, I let my friends use my Shimano 50 size reels when they hop on my boat empty-handed. However, when dialed in with adequate talent from the user fantastic results can be obtained from Daiwa's systems. Whereas, Shimanos systems you just set and forget with less thumb usage and with consistent results. My issues come up in cheaper magnetic only systems. They just do not compare to the breaking and efficiency obtained with daiwa. They have a large lead in performance on a magnetic breaking platform as it stands right now. Nonetheless, an interesting mix is DC reels. My Shimano Exsence DC is an absolute bomber when it comes to distance and is ridiculously easy to control. Even on short casts which I was skeptical about. And it is the only reel I can legitimately skip without issues. If only they could make a 6oz version.