Grantman83

I don't do enough to justify a rod specifically for punching. I double up my frogging rod which is the champion 736. Great tip and 65lb braid does double duty for both applications. I like trokar flipping hooks because they aren't as long as other hooks. I can upsize my hook and use a wider variety of bait sizes. If you want a great bait that doesn't move, check out the Havoc Slop Craw. It was a plastic keel like keeper built into the bait which adds an extra place to keep the bait on beside the hook keeper. You can use one bait for a long long time.

Havoc wide load...great cheap long bait

I've owned them all. Veritas is lightest but more tip heavy. It is also EXTREMELY stiff. I picked up a 7ft heavy and it has no tip. Close to a broomstick as you can get. I would put it much closer to an extra or mag heavy. To put it in comparison, I have a champion 736 and it is much easier to bend. I won't use braid on it because it will have literally no stretch. However, with Fluoro it is a great heavy jig/t rig rod. My medium spinning rod is at least a medium heavy. Again, heavier rating than listed. I had 3 mojos and they were much more well rounded rods. Again, they are generally heavier than their rating but not even close to the veritas. The slop and frog rod was very heavy and tip Heavy to boot but it was a sold rod. The plastics rod was just as rated. Medium fast was a true medium fast. The vendettas are good for the price but the heaviest of the 3. Again, very stiff rods. Abu does have a good warranty. Veritas rods have a rep for breaking so the warranty is a good cover. I would say bring your reel and try them on each if U can... Balance means the most imo

Savvy 735 and zillion type r with 50lb braid of your choice...super duty is also a great reel for the proce

That is one amazing looking reel....

Check out the tackletour review...they got 5lbs of drag on it

Even though the specs have it at 12lb the measured drag continually comes in between 5-9lbs. Even then, it should be more than enough for what you are doing

He was using a fluke and it is my favorite way to fish. You saw how deadly it was. Jerk jerk jerk then kill it and let it sink

Savvy 735. I believe it is rated as a Mag Heavy but Dobyns rods usually fish a power below their rating. More than able to handle thick stuff with a soft enough tip to be able to walk the dog. A frog rod is one rod that you don't have to spend too much money on because feel and sensitivity aren't an issue.

The Chronarch D is a gem. The E series curados are great, but I sold mine eventually. The Chronarch will never go lol. If the introduce a chronarch that is anything close to the D, I will switch to them entirely.

Dx mike long jig rod Zillion 50th Anniversary high speed 17lb sniper fluoro with 15lb leader... 4/0 EWG and a creature bait whether it be a lizard, hawg or big worm etc.. Need a long rod for long casts/deep water hooksets. Fast reel for line pick up

I had 20lb for flipping and it was totally unmanageable. I had two different spools so if they were both bad it's a manufacturer problem. Would not recommend it. May be tough but that's because the line diameter is huge compared to other lines especially in the larger tests

I am lucky enough to have a Chronarch D and I can see why they are hard to get, it's a tank and smooth as butter. Shimano IMO merely wanted to cash in more on the success of the Curado E. Since everyone loved the reel, they kept it going merely as a re-branded chronarch hoping people would continue to purchase them knowing they were getting a beloved Curado E. If you look at it that way, they have kept their most popular reel going for longer than usual. The problem is they attempted to fill the new void with a reel that, all be it a good solid reel, isn't up to part with what people expected. As for being made in Malaysia, I don't really have a problem with it as long as the product works. Lew's reels are built overseas and have been nothing but exceptional for me. Just because something is made in Japan doesn't mean it is automatically better than everything else, though one can assume the quality is there.

1. I would have to say the Zillion is overpriced and I love them. However, I feel they are overpriced because of inflation. Original retail of 249.99 was apt IMO. 329.99 is too high...Great reel but little things like riveted, non removable knobs (which they have on their 139.99 lexa series), low drag output compared to others. 2. New Steez. From what I have heard, it is basically the same reel but has been priced 100 more than before. 3. Abu Garcia G3 Premier. Again, not necessarily because of the quality of the reel, but the fact that it is now so close in price to the MGX (300 vs 350). I would be very surprised if the Premier was selling well because many preferred the dual braking system which is now on the the STX. The G2 Premier was significantly lighter than the STX which was its main selling point. Now, they are basically the same weight, with the STX having the dual braking of the previous generation premier. ALSO, one can get a brand new MGX for 250 on other sites, The Premier just seems lost in the shuffle IMO..

1st. I am ocd love trying to match tackle to the right application be it line, rod action and reel speed. I love tinkering to find out what works best for what. 2nd. I love to be constantly working and moving baits etc. I never got into fishing because I thought it was throw a bobber out and wait. I can't take something so boring. When I found out how interesting and complicated it could be, I was hooked. 3rd. I love trying to figure out a puzzle and knowing I am pitting myself against the fish in trying to get them to bite. Basically that is trying to figure out 2 puzzles at the same time. Gear puzzle and then pattern puzzle. Keeps my mind constantly working.

For heavy Swimbaits I would say heavy mono. Don't want the line snapping with such a heavy lure and braid and fluoro can do that whereas mono is more stretchy and forgiving. For jerkbaits, I prefer 10lb Mono. Some guys prefer fluoro. Different strokes for different folks

http://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/Largemouth%20Bass%20Biology%20and%20Life%20History.pdf quick little 2 page article on the expected growths etc... Basically it says 5 pounds for routine maintenance and then an additional 10lb for 1lb growth in a bass. Needless to say, this is a very wide variable depending on location, feeding season, bass strain type and food availability

Skeet Reese cause he comes off as a joker and someone who likes to have fun while being a great fisherman. Tommy Biffle because he is old guard who goes in, does what he has to and just plain fishes. Makes his living fishing and without plastering his image over everything. Hearing the guys talk about him in MLF is hilarious. Brent Chapman. Guy had a tough stretch, pulled himself together and has shown himself to be one of the top anglers on tour. Humble, hardworking and a great angler, everything I look up to in a fisherman.

Invizx is soft and supple but at the expense of alot of stretch. Still has good sensativity though. Sniper and Shooter and stiffer and less stretchy and more sensative IMO..

Every time Todd Faircloth sets the hook it with braid in MLF it creates it is super high pitched and loud. I always wondered if it was his reels or exra sound. He was obviously using Shimano stuff. Seems lame to add a sound over that with all the other stuff they could do to improve a show lol.

Man I would love to try that out....Always game for a new experience.

I don't understand how guys use such long rods for frog fishing. Is it because they are just dragging the frog across the slop? How do I work a frog with such a long rod? I know guys who use a 7'6 ans it just seems too long

I use a Savvy 735 specifically as a frog rod. Great power and action. Doesn't need to be sensative since the strike is obvious. Its a rod that you don't need to spend a ton of money on. I think a heavier duty reel would be more important as it has to stand up to heavy applications which can cause alot of wear and tear on the gearing and drag.

A used zillion would do you well. Work horse that can be upgraded in several areas if you wanted to improve or "pimp" it out. Lexa 100 costs less but as expected has fewer features. Also a workhorse reel

Skeet Reese -- Clear Lake Edwin Evers -- Anywhere! Scott Martin -- Ocheechobee Jeff Kriet -- Anywhere, seems like a great guy