Hogsticker

Thanks guys. Just gonna stick with Sniper for now. I ordered a spool of the green Sniper for the heck of it. Plus this way eventually I'll likely end up getting confused as to which reels I have spooled with Sniper, and which I have spooled with Defier!

Crankbaits at or around 3/16 to 1/4 Oz, Daiwa Alphas SV all day. Weightless soft plastics lighter than a 4 inch Senko, such as trick worms, small creatures/craws and the like - get a Yumeya BFS spool for any 50 size Shimano reel.

Sunlines diagram shows Assassin a hair more sensitive, not as good of knot strength, same on abrasion resistance, not quite as slick or supple, and a hair more stretch than Sniper. Think I'll use the Assassin on my paddle tail rig, and the Sniper on my Flick Shake set up. I love Tatsu, but I just don't feel like spending the money right now.

So what size are the hooks and what kind of hooks do they use? I'd like to try these with some paddle tails but I'd like to know if they're 2/0, 3/0 etc. Mustad?

I was thinking more along the lines of single hook moving baits. I use Defier for trebles. Did you use the Assassin enough to determine if it handled better or worse than Sniper and compare stretch properties?

Does anyone prefer one over the other for moving baits? One over the other for weightless plastics? Does one offer better slack line sensitivity or less stretch than the other?

What exactly is your question? Are you looking for a blank that mimics the 893c?

I love Phenix blanks. Never had an issue. The gen 1 Recon blanks had some issues. Don't believe all the garbage you read on the Internet.

I prefer a 3/0 hook for 3.3 and 3.8s. Owner makes a great swimbait jig. It's the ultrahead inshore hook. Comes in 1/8 Oz and it's not too big for 3.3s imo. You could also use the Owner ultrahead round jig head. 2/0 hook, 1/8 Oz.

I concur. I think the reason it gets the hype it does is because it's sort of a middle ground between fluorocarbon and monofilament. It doesn't handle as well as a nice mono, not quite as sensitive as a quality fluoro. The lower pound tests are fair as the review suggests, and us a nice compromise for slack line finesse presentations. The heavier tests I never cared for. Not being precision wound onto the spool and having below average abrasion resistance are the main reasons for the fair rating according to the review. All I know is once you use Tatsu you will never look back!

It doesn't matter if the blank is labeled spinning or casting. It knows no difference. Finding the right blank for the task at hand is key in terms of pulling power, tip speed, and flex characteristics under load. If you go custom make sure you get the exact blank you want that will meet all these requirements and also accommodate your preferences and fishing style. The Sj843 is a very, very fast blank. The MB843 will be a little slower but still fast. DVT is the guy you want if you go the custom route. I would also talk to him about spiral wrapping. It's amazing. If you're wanting that Jdm taper like the Adrena has, or a little on the slower side of fast like the Kistler I'd recommend the MB843, though it will still be noticeably faster in nature, similar to a Loomis. The nice thing about a custom is having the rod built right vs mass production will bring out the full potential of the blank. And of course you can have it exactly how you want. DVT will do a fine job in accomplishing all this.

First thing first, what makes a rod good is having the right rod for the task at hand. The blank should behave in a manner that best accommodates the technique / bait you're using in terms of pulling power, tip speed, and and flex characteristics. Rod blanks designed with a carbon scrim or no scrim at all will typically offer better feedback. The higher grade of graphite the same, however it makes the blank more brittle. The type of resin used and the greater compression strength the blank is rolled under also attribute to the blanks sensitivity and strength. All that being said it doesn't mean a hoot if the rest of the rod is built poorly. Keeping the weight of added components to a minimum while maintaining the balance of the overall rod build is critical in allowing the blank to perform at its peak performance. Typically you will find either stainless steel or titanium guide frames. Titanium grade levels vary a lot. Titanium is lighter. The inserts are typically some sort of ceramic material and they vary in terms of degree of hardness. Size of guides is typically personal preference, however imo overly large guides are not necessary and add unneeded weight. A guide that is just large enough to pass a leader knot is pretty standard these days. Placement of guides along the blank is also important to avoid the line slapping against the blank when the rod is under load. Fancy colored bling trim parts are not necessary either. They do add weight, however some folks like the looks. Unfortunately the majority of this can only be achieved through a custom built rod. When buying a rod off the shelf the best thing you can do is bring the reel you will be using loaded with line. Mount the reel and pull the line through all the guides. Tighten the drag and pull the line putting a bend in the rod. Check to see if the line touches the blank anywhere. This should also give you an idea as to how much power the rod has and what kind of backbone it has. Get a feel for how the tip of the rod behaves. If you're happy with it at this point go over the build quality with a fine tooth comb. Check to see that the guides are aligned properly and straight without excess gobs or drips of epoxy, and that there isn't any visible gaps or misalignment between the rod grip and reel seat. Unfortunately if purchasing a rod a line you're buying blind, and the best thing to do is look at reviews and ask questions about that particular rod series and model. The bad side to that is opinions vary greatly.

If you want a custom 2 piece to adequately handle a half ounce, you'll need a blank with a minimum of 500 grams of power. Rod Geeks has a 2 piece 7 footer in the Carbon 2 line. A medium power I believe, but I don't know if it will handle a half ounce. Mhx has 2 piece blanks in the standard line. The Sj843 would make a good blank for what you want. With either blank I can tell you you won't get the same transmission feedback as you find with any North Fork composites blanks. Even the one's Kistler uses. There are no high quality 2 piece blanks on the market. Not any that would rival Kistler or that Poison Adrena anyways. I have a 2 piece mhx Sj842 and it gets the job done.

I prefer a Jackall Flick Shake worm wacky rigged on a light head when covering water. Cast, let it sink to bottom, reel up and repeat. I can make numerous target casts around structure with this presentation. Simple and effective. If I'm dialed in to a spot or area I'll split shot rig a Keitech Crazy Flapper. Again, simple yet effective.

It's glorious. Make sure to report back after you've put it through the paces!

No tackle box is complete without them -

How much power do you want and how fast of action do you desire? A higher modules blank is going to have stiffer characteristics. I wouldn't focus on a higher carbon rod for sensitivity purposes, rather a blank that has the right tip to effectively work a jerkbait as its designed to do. A blank that has a progressive bend and a fast tip. Yes, the high mod offers a little better sensitivity but it's not night and day.

First I'd skip the high mod for jerkbaits,but that's just my opinion. They do fish relatively close to ratings. I'd go with the standard SJ783 if you want an extra fast blank, or the MB782 if you want more of a traditional fast action. The MB783 is too much blank for effectively working jerkbaits imo. The SJ783 is a pretty powerful, stout blank. The MB782 will be a little more forgiving. Just cut 3 inches off the blank. 3 inches will make no noticeable difference in how the blank performs or behaves.

It's all about that spool fellas

You can throw upgraded drag washers, ceramic spool bearings, and a nifty hand on most any reel. What truly transforms a reel into a different animal is the spool. Daiwa has a ton of spool options. If you want something to throw lighter baits with look for an Alphas platform and add an Alphas SV spool. If you want something to long bomb casts with look for a Fuego and add a hyper long cast spool. The Tdz and Zillion platforms are also great platforms to upgrade. One of personal favorites is the T3s. Inexpensive, you could find a new in box T3 ballistic for pretty cheap, add an SV 1000 spool, a 90 mm Tatula handle, carbontex drag washers, Boca abec 5 spool bearings and it would run you about 225 bucks. Plus the SV spool comes in both deep and shallow versions and will allow you to do just about anything you want with the reel. You can also bling it however you like if it tickles your fancy.

Have you had a chance to fish that blank yet? What are your initial impressions and is this your first Point Blank? I've read that these blanks are over rated regarding lure weights. I've also read that they all have a rather progressive bend under load, yet have fast tip actions. Spill the beans! Thx To the OP - Personally, I'd be more concerned with balance and the reel you'll be using than lightest handle configuration possible. Use the material and reel seat you prefer and find most comfortable. Nothing worse than a tip heavy custom build.

Get another Croix would be my advice

A large diameter spinning reel spool will generally produce more drag pressure than most casting reels. They can accept larger drag washers. A fiberglass rod will not cast further than a quality graphite rod that loads the presentation employed correctly.

What action do you prefer for those techniques? Take a look at the Liberty blanks Getbit sales. P702, SJ702, SB701, DS701

Tdz 103 with red SV 1012 spool, T3 1016 cast control cap, 100 mm Steez handle, and black Zillion Type R drag star I took off this SV103. SV103 with Steez drag star and green trim pieces. My current 2 favorite reels.