kickerfish1

With all do respect, I guess it is a matter of to each his own. I really don't fish rapala jerkbaits anymore. Their success or lack there of, is awful after trying hard to make them work at various times in the year. I too, am a big jerkbait fantatic but pointer variations work better than just about anybait I have fished. Their color selection, size, and action is very impressive and provides me a sort of one stop shop for my jerkbait needs. I have my 110s sitting in display boxes still and a few sitting among the jerkbaits still in the rotation. For the under $10 baits Excalibur, Smithwick, Strike King, and Lucky Strike would get my vote. Maybe I need to give the x-raps yet another chance, but right now they are at least plan F.

If you go outside on Denali, the megabass orochi extreme mission type F and the nrx 873 are great rods for jigs in that weight range. The EMTF is a bit more versatile. Sensitivity on both are outstanding. The dobyns dx 745 is another great rod to consider as well.

Catch more than rapalas? ... Yes. Do they catch more than pointers and other quality jerkbaits probably not in my experience. Some claim that at times only certain jerkbaits will get bit while others simply won't. What I feel megabass provides is a realistic profile and color scheme, great casting distance and accuracy, a bait that suspends and has the right amount of roll to trigger bites, and a wide array of color choices. The only downside is price and the finish can be scratched just by the hooks rubbing up against the body of the bait. Some have reported the bills can crack easily but I haven't had that issue yet. They are good baits for sure, and very productive, but 9/10 times I can be just as successful throwing a LC pointer. If you can afford a few give them a try and see how they compare to others baits you have fished. Personally, I dig their topwater offerings a bit more...

Float and fly all the way. IMO it may be a bit too long and somewhat lacking in sensitivity and proper power for a drop shot.

The biggest difference for me is cold water applications, where the bait being able to stay stationary in the water column. For these sluggish fish a good suspending hard jerkbait is often the ticket. Flukes are good most of the other time, especially in shallow cover.

Digging the handles! Nice touch to any reel.

Axe body spray! What I would do is remove the reel from the rod. Take a bucket of warm soapy water and spray a shot or two of 409 and scrub the cork using a soft brush like an old toothbrush. This should remove the unwanted scent and grime. If there is remaining soiling on the cork, use a Mr. Clean magic eraser to give it the like new finish. To prevent further deterioration of the cork, apply U40 cork sealant. This would be at least a good place to start.

Hmmm... I am not going to suggest brands or specific models bit a few things stand out to me... The crank rod you noted is on the higher end of what it appears your max budget. For a rod where feel is of a lesser priority I can't see spending that much on it when compared to the needed bottom contact rods you noted. I would look for a lower priced crank rod. Spinnerbaits - same as above Jigs- I would use the additional money saved by not spending as much on the above rod to buy a better and more sensitive rod than a GL2. IMO they are poor buy as Loomis doesn't make good bottom contact rods until you reach the IMX line, though some will argue the GL3 is close to the IMX. GL2 rods are heavier and lack feel over rods of similar price. I would repalce your weightless spinning set up / light jig set up with a rod of the same quality as the avid. The mojo is a heavier rod and less sensitive rod. OK I lied. I will gibe a few alternative rod recommendations. BPS cranking stick for $80 Lots of lesser expensive spinnerbait rods out there pick one IMX or above Loomis, champion or above dobyns, or orochi xx rods Elite tech medium xf, or *** medium spinning rods, or crucial These are just a few examples. If you cut down $50 or so on the reaction bait rods and dump some more into the contact rods you will probably be happier in the long run. Just my $.02

This topic has been covered in great frequency on here. However your budget is a bit more than most folks spend on their first. There are ALOT of great choices for that kind of money and you will probably receive dozens of opinions. I would suggest a quality aluminum frame reel and rod that offers a lifetime warranty. If you have a local outdoors store nearby, mess around with some rods and reels to get a feel for what might work for you. Also keep in mind a reel with a gear ratio "in the middle" and an all around casting rod like 7 +/- MH casting rod would be good bets. As previously stated online holiday sales will be good times to stretch your dollar further...

I am with ya on the notion of in some cases increased max drag and larger line capacity can be of benefit to the angler especially for large freshwater fish like cats, sturgeon, muskie, large carp etc... or saltwater fishing. In several other threads the OP was asking for dropshot advice, so I am 99% he will be targeting freshwater bass in non heavy cover. Piecing this together, I am guessing he is trying to gather info on a reel he can use for said technique while keeping an open mind to different manufacturers. In majority of the the cases where freshwater bass are targeted in various regions of the US, a 1000-3000 shimano reel or other manufacturer equivalent will suffice.

If you fish for Marlin. We are talking freshwater bass here. Show me a freshwater bass "spooling" a 2500 series reel where the reel has been filled with appropriate amount of line and the drag has been set properly.

Personally I would leave the reel stock. The drag is going to be more than adequate and the bearings should be fine as is. Just maybe flush them before purchasing new ones if you are unhappy with their performance. You can leave the gears stock. It may make the reel more versatile in the long run should you decide to use it for another technique or move it to another rod at a later date. If matching the reel and rod together from a cosmetic standpoint doesn't appeal to you then I would get the chronarch 50e over the curado. Plus the knobs of the chronarch are more beefy, which most guys prefer. Honestly even though dobyns rods balance great, the smaller core may not balance as well as the chronarch. I really feel from a cost to performance standpoint stick with chronarch and make changes to the reel if you feel they are necessary at a later date after fishing it first. Can't comment on the CI4 so I don't have much to offer should that be an option. As rockchalk noted "Hooligan" and "the hooligan" both have one as do a host of others. They would be of more help than myself on this...

X2 on the VMC hooks. Size 1 or 2 would be fine for general use. I would get the slender sinkers in 3/16 and 1/4 oz. For baits my can't miss top 5 would be in no order. 4 inch roboworm FX sculpin roboworm Jackall I-shad Jackall cross tail shad Keitech 4 inch swing impact This cover about 80% of what I do with a dropshot...

I know a few guys that use them and they absolutely love em. For very early and very late in the season they would be a worthwhile investment if one spent enough time on the water during these rather brisk periods of the fishing year. If not there maybe cheaper alternatives out there or another option would be to buy one after ice fishing season when they start showing up during sales in the spring.

Look at the line capacity more than anything. Also factor in the weight of the reel (affects rod balance) and max drag. I only use spinning reels for lighter applications 99% of the time. The biggest spinning reel I would need is a 3000 sized shimano though a favorite among most bass anglers are the 2500 sized reels. Realy boils down to intended use and amount of cover present in the body of water(s) you fish.

What you provided were general questions. Are you vertically fishing them or casting them? Vertical fishing you can get away with a shorter rod and to an extent it makes it easier. For casting look for a longer rod. You can find companies offering 6'10 - 7'2 rods which help other casting distance. Are you fishing the 1/4 and under weights or something heavier? For a general rod I would look at ML or Medium depending upon the manufacturer and the rod specs. Your reel should be something small to mid sized. Something that is around or slightly less than 150 yards of 8# line. The drag should be high quality and capable of keeping fish pinned on lighter line without slipping. You can use just about any kind of line though most options involve floro somewhere in there as a main line or leader. Typically 6-10# test is good but if I had to pick one I would say 8#. Just remember to set your drag accordingly and if you use floro as a main line close the bail by hand and apply line conditioner as needed.

I like the plan! The dx744 should be a versatile enough bottom contact rod for most anything you could ask it to do. Buying one during the sale would be a good move. Should be able to find plenty of 20-25% sales around the holidays. I have a curado 50e, chronarch 50e, scorpion 1000xt (Japanese 50 sized reel), and core 50. All are great reels and difference moving up the list in price is rather small IMO. The differences are in weight, ball bearing quality and number, casting distance, and to a small extent refinement. Is the core worth nearly doube the price as a chronarch? Maybe for someone obsessed with weight, color scheme, and slightly better performance then possibly. What I would do is pair the rod up with a curado 50e. The reel and the rod will match almost perfectly stock. Should be rather easy to find the curado 50e for under $160 in great shape. To solve the 6:4.1 ratio issue purchase a core 50mg7 gear set for about $28.00 and put it in the reel. Mike at DVT can do this if you don't feel comfortable. You could even put in upgraded spool bearings in there and still be well under the price of a core. I have settled on a curado 50e for one of my champ extremes and can't ever see that changing.

I also sport the glacier gloves. Very handy for the 35-50 degree days with wind. For anything under freezing it really isn't worht the hassle as my guides start icing over on the rod as does the line. Typically my open water fishing has ended at this point.

A dobyns champion series rod would be just a touch out of your $175 during an online retailers 20% of sale. I bought all 5 of my dobyns by talking to pro staff members, Gary dobyns, and a few others that I know that fish them. I am confident that between the guys on here and a few emails with dobyns, you will be to track down the rod you need for whatever you may be intending to use it for. Should you decide to go the dobyns route just ask here and I am sure you will get enough input to get you going in the right direction.

Or a good reason to send it in for a new paint job! Then it can be fished or shelved!

Interesting responses. A bit different than I was anticipating. Thanks for the ideas and photos. I will do some playing around with various combinations and even without one.

For spinning reels I prefer 6-8# floro. Anything higher you would probably be better served with braid or braid and a leader. I tried mono and copoly in 10# and didn't care for it.

Appreciate the additional feedback. Thanks for the dilligent recording keeping and quality info. Amazing job on your part! Sounds like it may work for what I have in mind for a resistance bait reel...

For the guys that fish colder and clear waters in the fall and early spring what type of trailers do you prefer for when water temps dip into the high 40s and lower. I got the painfully slow retrieve down though I will admit it isn't something I enjoy but strongly believe in its effectiveness. I have a few dozen northstar hair jigs between 1/4 and 3/8 oz that I have been using throughout the past few seasons but wanted to gather a few more options from others that may find themselves in similar circumstances. Thanks guys.

A few things to considerer for better c-rig distance... 1. Longer rod 2. A c-rig specific rod (IE. Loomis 873 CRR) 3. A heavier weight 4. A more aerodynamic soft plastic bait if you can get away with it. 5. Shorter leader legnth The above may also hinder your effectiveness of using the presentation but distance should be better.