kickerfish1

I have an IMX, several cumara rods (previous generation), and several dobyns champion extreme rods. I would rank the sensitivity in the order of the rods listed from least to most sensitive. The champion extreme series is a bit over your budget by about $30 but there should be a memorial day sale coming up with discounts from 15-20% at most major tackle retailers. The champion extremes will be under $275. They are fantastic rods. For worm/jig and general bottom contact baits I would get the dx744. I haven't fished the new cumara rods but all reports seem to indicate great sensitivity with a slight concern for handle/foam grips. I would get the 7'2 mh fast cumara for general bottom techniques. The IMX is a great rod just not as lively as the other two in my hands. Really likey the casting distance and crispness of the mbr 844. A very powerful traditionally styled rod. If you are willing to roll the dice a bit more megabass has a new Orochi rod. Rod checks in around $300 with a 3 year warranty. I believe all rods have a 3 year warranty and can NOT be discounted below full retail prices. Early reports show very good sensitivity and balance. They also feature full grip handles and modest looks by megabass standards. Quite a few options out there in that range. I guess if it was me I would wait for the dobyns dx 744 to go on sale during the memorial day weekend. Great balance, looks, sensitivity, and casting distance.

You probably wont convince many on here that purchasing Tatsu and Kanzen together would lead to cost savings. Sure many on here have fished both lines together or independently but most would struggle to find these "affordable to everyone". There are plenty on here that struggle to justify a rod much more than a lightning rod or reel more costly than a black max or shimano sedano. To expect these folks to be able to fork over $70 +/- to get both lines together is very unlikely. Doing so would be spending more on line than the reel or rod, even though they can multiple seasons out of the line. I just can't see this line as "affordable" in the eyes of most anglers. FWIW... I have both lines and think quite highly of each. The reason I purchased these was I was looking for the best line or one of the best lines out there. I had to throw the "price card" out the window, as when buying tatsu as a main line or to be used combined with braid, the words "value" and "affordable" shouldn't be associated with one of the most expensive lines of the market.

Thanks for the follow up goose! I will likely pick one up sooner than later...

Glad to have you here. Chime in anytime.

From a fellow Nebraskan, welcome!

Smalljaw is on the money with his post! Casting distance when using weightless soft baits as well as a faster fall rate. When a fish takes the bait the salt may help the fish hold on longer but it is not meant as an attractant.

Possibly add the fenwick elite tech smallmouth medium action rod to your list of rod candidates. BPS should carry them and TW carries them. Price is right at $129 with a lifetime warranty and good quality components not mention the rod is pretty light as well. I have two of the medium light elite tech rods that I use for most finsesse presentations under 3/16 oz. Stepping up to the medium would be more versatile for what you are wanting to do. If I was picking from the list you have assmebled it would be the carbonlite followed by the rage rod.

Not to sound mean but these just became available for purchase a matter of weeks ago... maybe less. The folks that pre-ordered them may have them already but most folks probably haven't received their rods yet alone fished them. If you are wanting a review of this rod series before you pull the trigger probably wont find much for a little while. Only know one guy that has fished the rod but I don't want to give the thoughts of someone else.

Sounds like a hint to me! Watch for this rod. It would we be well worth the investment for what you want to do with it depending upon the model #.

While it is early in our fishing season this year I have been running suffix mono this year on two setups for topwater and bigger jerkbaits. Have caught a few fish on it but haven't tested it enough to call it any more stretchy than Trilene XL, my standard for mono. Early impressions are the line casts well, knots are strong and clean, and the line is incredibly strong.

For just leader purposes I don't think how you could go wrong with red label given its price. If you don't like it for whatever reason you aren't out much. I fish and have fished many types of floro. Seagar ranks up there as one on best lines I have used. Abrisix may give the abrasion resistance you would desire for dock fishing but I am not saying red label couldn't get the job done.

Generally most of the folks that's really into fishing jerkbaits ... dedicated setups and all the fancy baits prefer mono in most situations at 10# test or so give or take. The swimbait guys tend to go braid most of the time unless they are tossing smaller swimbaits. Generally I will go braid on my bigger soft body swimbaits when fishing them around cover. When I am having fun fishing the cool "looking" swimbaits... Spro's, jackalls, ABT lures, etc... I am using floro.

Typically I see my order arrive within 4-5 days going the free shipping route unless there is a need to have something sooner. Good folks to deal with. Another cool thing they have going for them is the product request forum. Typically this results in TW ordering a particular product or color that a customer/potential customer request. One of 4 retailers I routinely buy from.

I wouldn't worry about it... here in the Midwest we have seen temps fluctuating from as high as 85 one day to 35 a day and half later. Haven't fished as much this year as I have in years past due to other obligations. The outings I have had this year have been pretty poor by a 'typical' years spring fishing in comparison. Last year I was getting frog fish already and this year water temps are still in the high 40s. Most of the local anglers are struggling with hit or miss days and typically most are getting a few fish. Stick with it. As temps warm and stabilize so will the fishing.

X2... yes sir! I can't speak for the megabass rods but this would be my top 3 if we substituted the cumara series for the megabass rods. Sometime I will pick up a megabass rod (I think...). Though I haven't spent over $280 for a rod yet, I do have a few sticks that come close to the $400 when looking at retail pricing... just afraid the further I go into the darkside the worse it will be!

It may not be what you are doing wrong as much as it is the pit. I have seen many ponds/pits that seem to be what you are encountering. The problem could be as simple as stunted fish growth. This means the level of competition for food is much higher than the amount of food/prey available, resulting in fish not reaching their full growth potential. In other words the body of water lacks food sources for the bass. A few friends I know manage ponds locally with different strategies. Fewer bass numbers in a small body of water generally will allowed the fish to grow as they should. Less competition for food means more meals and bigger fish. As to how to fish your pits for larger fish there may not be much you can do to keep the dinks from getting the bait first. You may just need to put in time and just wait it out. If you increase the size of the lure it might help somewhat as well. One last thing don't rule out fishing during low light periods as bigger fish may let their guard down more and also move shallower... a surface bait would be a good place to start when your water temps are upper 50s to lower 60s.

If funds allow it I would give it another shot. The pro qualifier is a good reel to purchase for under $100. If you choose this reel don't forget to adjust both breaking systems. You will have the external magnetic break on the exterior side plate with numbers from 0 - 9. Also you have an internal centrifugal breaking system which operates using pins. Also on the exterior you have a casting control knob... smaller circular piece used to help fine tune the reel. Best advice would be this: Purchase the reel when it goes on sale for $80 (it happens fairly regularly) Select a good castable mono in 12# test. Spool it up on the reel making sure the line lays tight on the spool. Lots of good mono lines for under $10 a spool, just pick one. If you don't have one select a good Medium Heavy 7 foot +/- casting rod in either a full or split grip depending upon which you prefer. Having a good rod will help with casting over say a more parabolic ugly stick for example. Bass Pro Shops or most local stores will have a good supply of under $100 rods. Might even be able to track down a close out or in house brand that fits your budget. Now you are pretty much ready to fish. Your local store should sell yellow casting plugs which are great to use in the backyard. I would set your internal breaks with 2 or 3 pins engaged or in the outward position. Set your magnetic break to about 8. Then set your spool cast control knob to where the plug slowly falls when you push the thumbar release. If set properly your reel should not overrun or backlash when the plug hits the ground. These settings should help ease you into casting reels. Don't forget your thumb acts as an additional break during the cast and most importantly at the very end before the plug reaches the ground or your lure hits the water. As you become more comfortable add more force to your casts and slowly back of the brakes and relaxed the spool cast control knob. Note: not all reels feature the same dual breaking system as the PQ, so it may just have one to use depending upon reel and brand selected. Hope this helps...

Someone may be able to identify the rod with a picture of the handle section of the rod. I am guessing the name has worn off?

Probably a thread looking for a short life span. Like Maico noted, a reel is only overpriced if you paid at or over full retail for a current production reel. There are always guys out there that are best described as "best bang for your buck". Typically wont fish a reel over $100 and may prefer setups that are all purpose. At the opposite end you have the high end enthusiasts/collectors. These folks look for simply the best of the best out of a reel that may only be used for one bait or style of fishing, something rare, or a reel with a color scheme to match a rod or custom build. Is the guy fishing Texas rigged worm with the $100 budget reel missing out on any more fish than the guy using the megabass hedgehog or Daiwa Z? Did the guy fishing the latter over pay for a reel? The answer essentially lies in level of expectations, budget, and level of perfection one looks for. Some folks meticulously take care of everything they have to a level of care that would drive most people nuts. Then you have some that are in more of a hurry and just sort of toss things around without second thoughts and are harder on their equipment. Since a reel for these folks will be put through the ringer they may have a hard time justifying a "pretty reel" since it will get beat up quickly. I know guys that refuse to buy reels other than pro qualifiers and others that only fish $300-$600 reels. Guess what, ... the guys catch the same amount of fish and do equally as well on the water. The guy fishing the $300 reels has a totally different expectation of his reels, and while they may not catch him any more fish he says he gets more enjoyment out of them with respect to their looks and performance. So back to the question at hand... without bashing brands that I don't care for I will say that most reels in today market place are priced fairly for their market segment for what they offer the angler in their stock form. While I have a reels from $100 - $500 in the rotation I have no problem catching fish on the $200 and less reels nor do I have an issue with their performance. It all boils down to angler preference / expectations / budget for determinimg the price to performance ratio for a reel.

The ballistic isn't that great a reel despite the technology it utilizes. I would say chronarch for a good reel or get a PQ and save some change for possibly a rod upgrade or tackle. Neither was on your list but Lews would be another good product to look at in the under $250 range. A Daiwa Lexa would be another worthy option. Most of the reels past $100 are all solid choices with a difference here or there. Often boils down to preference as well as the level of quality in some of the internal parts. I would probably lean more toward a chronarch e / curado e if I was picking a reel. Best advice would be to handle as many as you can in person and possibly mount them on a rod to get a sense of how they feel to you.

I have found both to be great reels. Can't go wrong with either. Only noticeable difference to me is the actual weight of the reel.

Nice grab! Pretty much like buy the alphas, get the other 2 for free or very minimal. Enjoy!

I use a dobyns 735 as a frog rod as well. Also use a 7'6 mh flipping stick as well. I guess the longer rods allow me to take up more slack line on a hookset. Also it gives me better casting distance which to me is somewhat important to me. Plenty of good options for a frog rod under $150 or even under $100 for that matter.

I haven't doctored any topwater baits but do think the MB x-pod is a pretty cool adjustable lure for topwater. Basically a wake bait, spook, and popper style depending upon how the lip is adjusted. Other than this bait I just fish my topwaters as is out of package.

All of the 78 series pointers I have used suspend horizontally and pretty much perfectly.