Cgrinder

Slayer

A little oil in the bearings might fix it. Give em a good cleaning and a drop of oil and see. If not's not that, one of the more experienced reel guys will surely chime in.

I caught a lamp post. New Sol pitches a long way. I had a good size snowbank on but she threw the hook.

Depending on how tiny of a Rapala, M might be too stiff.

What sort of rod is this reel going to sit on? A MH general purpose type set-up?

If you're thinking Elite Tech for topwater, there's a 6'3" M-MF that you should consider. It has the shortest handle in that line of casting rods. I wouldn't choose a Mojo over a Denali, Fenwick, or 13. They're fine rods but I feel that they are a little dated and you get more value with other brands. I think pretty soon here you're going to have to try to get your hands on some rod handles. You have a very strong list of candidates.

Hungry Howie's pepperoni and pineapple with ranch crust. Gave it up for Lent. Regret it every day.

Welcome to the site. Go check out the Show Off Your Stuff thread and prepare to surrender your wallet. BPS Pro Qualifier is on sale online for $70. It's a good buy at that price. That said, I vote for buying the speed spool and establishing a rapport with the guy at the tackle shop. He seems like a good dude.

I might look into a 6'7" MF *** Black for your intended purposes. I have a 7'1" MHF that sees 1/2 oz walking bait duty from time to time and it handles it very well. I would imagine that the M could handle a 1/4 oz popper with the right reel and still be able to work a 1/2 oz bait. The M *** would double as a great jerkbait rod and it could do other things as well. Plus it would look sharp with a Lews reel. I've never used a Denali rod, but I pulled up the Kovert that you mentioned and the specs look about right so it has my vote if you're not going to go ***.

There are a lot of white dudes in midtown Detroit. They are just hipsters though.

St. Croix Premiers are $120-$130. I feel that St. Croix's don't start to get price-efficient until the Avid at $190. The *** is a crazy good rod for $100, though I think soon other companies will start to introduce quality rods at that price point to compete. I can also see *** prices going up a little. If you can find a Lightning Rod Shock with reasonably straight guides, it is a great buy at $40. Apparently the real bang for your buck is the 13 *** which goes $225 to $250, but I don't (yet) have firsthand experience with the rod. It's supposed to be the cat's meow, comparable with high end Dobyns, Loomis, Croix, etc. Like I said, just contributing to the rumor mill. I haven't used one.

I don't hunt but I know where the supermarket is. Does that count?

I have the 6'8" MF. In addition to what Goose posted, it makes a great 1/4 oz jerkbait and popper rod.

Mine came today as well. Great looking shirt. Now I just need t-shirt weather and soft water.

From a business standpoint, $80 is a less competitive price-point these days.

Don't feed the troll.

How many rods do you want to carry?

A BPS Crankin Stick is a pretty good idea.

Avid or LTB 6'8" MXF or Elite Tech SM 6'10" MF, depending on your price range and brand preferences.

Glass or graphite?

1/4 to 1/2 oz Husky Jerks and X-raps. I fish for big trout.

You should hold out. A pretty solid alternative to buying new is to check out that internet auction site and purchase from a respected seller, or continue to check the flea market here. I have seen a lot of Rages and Avids go for ~$100. It sounds like you really want that higher-end blank.

Uni to Uni if the lines are similar in diameter, Alberto if not.

It's hard to beat the Veritas at $80. I don't feel like you're getting good value in St. Croix rods under the Avid series. If you're open to spending above your price range, the Avid spinning 6'8" MXF would make a killer wacky/jerkbait rod.

I need to pretend to be angry about this or else I'll just get lazy and not call.