kickerfish1

WarEagle... I too am starting to find the D-Bombs to be a great bait. I haven't tried them as a jig trailer but I like the looks of that rig. The color selection is great and the action and durability is great.

I think for the price phenix offers anglers very good sensitivity. I really like my recon and would have no issues buying another for bottom contact baits. I was considering adding the rod you are thinking about but found a 7'2 ML cumara on sale at TW for less so I purchased it. If you want you can put in a call to phenix and ask to speak to Vince. He can offer you some better info regarding the recon and M-1. I spoke to him several times and found his advice to be spot on and he is very pleasant person to talk with.

Since handling seems to be a deciding factor I would look at seaguar. Their lines have great handling and castability. Simply put Tatsu would be a premium line and give you longer life, improved sensitivity, strength, and abrasion resistance. Since you are looking at 20# I am assuming heavy cover or flipping possibly? If that is the case Abrisix would be a solid choice here without shelling out big $ on Tatsu. On a side note I would be interested to hear what brands you tried in 20# that you did not like?

Would be interested in knowing what rods you plan on pairing some of these higher end rod with and what type of techniques you have in mind. There are many great reels out there from $150-$500 which seems to be in "your range". Too maximize your $ you could look for a well taken care used JDM reel. Alphas and TDZs can be had for well under $250. A core 50mg7 or revo mgx may be a better "all around" reel than the pixy if finding a super light weight reel is your ultimate goal but for true finesse the pixy is the tickett. It all depends upon what you are looking for. Some will be better at casting lighter baits and some will be better at heavier baits. If you want a rundown of JDM reels take a look a japantackle. They have both current and discontinued models listed as well as some limited production reels. They may only have a modest selection of reels for sale but at least it may help a bit with ideas.

Manufacturers tend to over grease and lube reels under the impression that "most" anglers will do minimal if any maintenance on the reel during its life span. For me I usually fish it for a season and then send it in for service unless a problem surfaces earlier.

I will be getting one soon. If the reel for some reason doesn't pan out, I won't be out too much. Intrigued by the weight, features, drag, price, and color scheme.

Dobyns rods are known for their balance. I have 5 and love em. Depending upon the rod a certain weight reel will balance better. I would say a 7.5-8 oz reel will balance better on the 766. While I don't have that particular rod I have a 734 with an 8oz reel and it balances nicely while I have 6.9oz reel on the 703 and it balances well. Without testing a reel on this rod in store it may be a tough call. Personally I would NOT opt for a super light reel for this particular legnth and power of rod.

Sunline shooter in 12# for this guy.

TW will likely have another sale soon. Typically they will be 15%. BTD will usually do 20-25% off but seems to have a limited inventory at times. THUT has 20% off sales with good inventory and great customer service. Just a few other options to think about to help you save a little.

Typically for me $100-$500 for the reel and $150-$300 on the rod. I generally spend equal on both equal on both although I have a few higher end reels I have invested more in. Typically bottom contact rods are likely going to see more cash thrown at them compared to cranking, topwater, jerkbait, and spinnerbait rods. With gear in this range I am getting longevity, lighter weight outfits, lifetime warranties on the rods, and pretty good sensitivity not to mention smooth reels with good casting distance and drags. To me I don't like to cheap out on anything, as when I have in the past, I just don't get many years out of the product despite good care and maintenance.

Any 50 series shimano or an alphas/sol series Daiwa reel would be just fine. Maybe dip down to 8 or 10# line and you should be set.

The older cumara is a better rod than the new crucial. While the modulus of graphite is the same the components, resins, scrims, and finished product isn't the same. The cumara is a lighter and more sensitive rod than the crucial. Back to the rods and reels you listed I would take a strong look at the phenix 715 if You will be fishing jigs and t-rigs that are 3/8 oz and up. The 714 recon excels as a weightless bait rod, swim jig rod, and jigs under around 3/8 oz or less. For the reels I would take any of those 3. All good choices that would match the recon nicely. The recon 714/715 are a shade over 3.6 ounces and if paired with the chronarch 200e for example would be just under 11ounces. Good casting distance, sensitivity, weight, and looks. If you wait for a 20% off sale you can have your outfit for a bit over $300.

When going on vacations I was looking for away to transport additional outfits that could not fit into the boat locker for special outings targeting other speciies... In this case walleye. I found a rod carrying case at BPS called the extreme rod tote. From my finding this particular system will transport 8 rods without reels or about 6 rods with reels mounted on them. It will house rods up to 7 feet and length and has strap tie downs for the rods and mini pockets at the ends for the butt section of the rod and for the rod tips. It has a nice carrying handle that allows for easy transport. Basically just unzip the soft rod tote system, load outfits, fold over the system on its self, ans then zip it up and your good to go. Keep in mind this was purchased back in the the early 2000s for about $30+/-, but I am sure a similar carrying system can be had today.

Goose, thanks for taking the time to conduct an actual test for this outfits capabilities. A perfect example of someone going the extra mile to help someone out. I understand your reel may not have been at its "peek" condition but at least you gave it a shot. I should have mine back in a few weeks hopefully. The reel will be spooled with 10# line and be placed on a 6'9 ML BPS pro-lite rod. I will find something I can toss around in the backyard that weighs an 1/8oz. I will see if I can get much distance out of it. To the OP, please give this thread a bump or send me a pm a month from now. My memory isn't great at times so I might forget if not reminded!

If it is between those rods only I would get the kistler and enjoy the sale price! Both are solid choices.

Spinnerbaits or jig fishing when accuracy is key. Also if you feel like there isn't a place for them you can rig them as duplicates and keep them in the locker as spares or possibly sell them if you feel like you really don't need them.

- sell any unneeded tackle, rods reels, baits, etc... -clean all rods... including blanks, guides, cork, foam, handle etc... -have all reels serviced -put new line on all reels -purchase anything that I need that I may be low on -regroup the tackle for early spring conditions -wait for the lakes to be fishable and the ice to melt

Love the pixy / recon combo goose! On a side note I have that pro-lite reel pictured but haven't tried it for finesse baits yet. Since the OP mentioned reaction baits only I think you are right that a BPS brand cranking rod will suffice fine. At any rate the BPS cranking rod and pro-lite reel would probably work. I just question if this reel in its stock form can truly cast an actual 1/8 oz bait. If it can do it well enough I would tell the OP to give it a shot. When I get my pro-lite back from service and the lakes loose their ice I will throw it on a ML rod and give it a test.

Looks more like a reject from the Wizard of Oz...

I don't know if I would return them just yet. If it were me I would fish a few first and see how the run. Do they suspend and cast well? Does the bait have the propped action you want? Are the hooks good and can they handle bigger fish? Will the finish hold up or will it deteriorate after a few fish. If the bait fishes well and the finish is good I would say it may be worth buying said knockoff bait. If there are quality or performance issues I would not buy any more going forward. For the same $15 per bait you can buy the LC pointer. It has many color and size options as well. I fish both and seem to have slightly more sucess on the pointers particularly the 78 size.

BPS Pro Lite (this was the honey mustard colored reel). The reel was absolutely flawless mechanically and cosmetically. I had it serviced and supertuned. Ended up selling this reel with a Skeete Reese micro honeycomb rod for $100. I wasn't fond of the rod but I do regret selling the reel.

Was previously a dobyns dx 703 with a curado 50e. Now it may be the shimano cumulus 6'10 MH with a core 50mg7

I am not sure how much money you are willing to invest in a finesse casting reel. Typically lightweight baits are reserved for spinning reels. To throw lightweight baits any distance at all with a baitcaster is more of enthusiast thing. Frankily it can be done but it isn't a cheap way to go about it. Best advice would be finding a curado 50e or a Sol / Alphas reel used. Depending upon condition you can find one from $120-$200. Next step would be having the reel tuned. Due to cost, finesse spool upgrades are likely out of the question. Therefore I would look at upgrading the spool bearings and having the reel supertuned by a professional. To do both of these it will likely cost you around $60. This would put the reel cost at about $180-$260. The next part of the equation would be choosing a finesse casting rod. I think a medium light or a 1 or 2 powered rod would best to load those 1/8 oz baits. Also don't forget not to go any higher than 10# line , if it were me I would opt for #8 floro. For rod, reel, and line and reel upgrades it will likely cost you $300+ depending upon the rod and line you choose.

I don't have a Helios but I do have the Komodo. I love everything about the reel except the breaking system access. If you can go back to the store and take a look at it. It isn't the easiest reel to get to the brake adjustment. However once you get it dialed in it is a good caster. Looks, retrieve, drag and comfort are all strong points. Before buying I would highly recommend messing around with braking system and making your decision based on this.

Spot on! If weight is a concern get the CI4, otherwise the FJ is more advanced and feature packed. I am guessing the FJ may balance better on your St. Croix rod.