Chris at Tech

Yeah, the boat captain said as much as well...But in my defense, I did have a spool of 20lb braid Yeah, the trout weren't terribly exciting, but the light tackle made it more fun. I'm confident this rig will do just fine split shotting, drop shotting and shakey-heading.

I guess I'll answer my own question Took my new St Croix Avid 6'9" ML X-fast spinning rod and Daiwa Tierra 2000 on an inshore fishing trip off Amelia Island, FL. Light tackle + saltwater fishing = FUN! I handled 8 nice sea trout and one exceptionally fiesty 4 lb redfish with no issues at all. The rod and reel both operated like champs! What a blast! I think I could have fished for largemouth for a year and not had a single fight that good! On a side note, I think I may now be addicted to redfishing...after 1 fish

For the 'simple' lures, I'd add some inline spinners. They catch EVERYTHING

Well, the monkey got me on this one. My wife got me a St Croix Avid 6'6" ML spinning rod that I promptly took to BPS to swap out for a 6'9" ML XF version (my fault, I told her the wrong one). I have a new rod, I guess I need a new reel too I just happen to wonder over to the reel counter and there are no Tierras, Sols or Fuego spinning reels out on display. Crap. But wait, what's that blue Daiwa box on the bottom shelf behind the counter? Tierras! Nice. I checked out the 2000 and the 2500 for my new rod, and ended up with the 2000 since it balanced much better. I think it's first test may be this weekend fishing for sea trout in Jacksonville

Yeah, someone on this board showed me this technique... The dropshot give you the advantage of being able to park the bait on the bed. It worked pretty well for us. Thanks Randall

Surely there are better folks to answer this question, but here's what I know based on my VERY limited usage. Equipment --ML or M spinning rod --1500, 2000 or 2500 size spinning reel --6-8 lb test line (small ane clear line is desirable) Tackle --1/0 or 1 hooks (octopus, dropshot-specific, etc) --bell or dropshot-specific sinkers in 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 and 1/2 oz for deep water --possible baits: small senkos, small flukes, finesse worms, etc Generally, it's considered a vertical presentation, meaning you position your boat over the desired structure and then drop the rig right over the side. Let it rest on the bottom on or near the structure, and then just shake your rod tip to give the bait some action. Some guys even go so far as to use their depthfinder to drop the rig right on a fish, and then use the graph to watch the fish go after it. This is good for fish holding on the bottom/structure, or suspended near it. You can either nose-hook or T-rig the bait depending on the structure you're fishing. Any dropshot experts, please feel free to correct me

Anyone gotten their hands on the new Daiwa Tierra spinning reel yet? They look good, but I haven't seen one in person yet.

Well, if it's an option, I'd recommend returning the rod and then buying the BPS Extreme combo with a Shimano Stradic. I have this and like it a lot! $119 for the reel vs $139 for the combo. If that's not an option, try the Sahara. Got one for my wife, and it's a nice little reel. And I think the 2500 is a better choice for a MH rod.

Well I was gonna get the Avid 6'6" ML for split-shotting and worm & jighead fishing...now I'm rethinking. Thanks RW Anyone have any experience with the Avid 6'9" ML X-fast rod?

Amazing... First I see about their 25% off rods and reels last weekend, and not this. My closest Cabelas is in WV. The problem is I'm in Atlanta. DRAT!

This thread reminds me of a funny story. I was having trouble getting a signal with my Sprint phone...while standing in a Sprint store!!! I originally went in because I rarely got a signal at home. And I was NOT in the boondocks. I called the customer service rep from the phone in the store (because apparently the people in the store are only good at selling stuff and cannot handle the monumental task of service cancellation) and the rep tells me that I need to purchase a new phone to get the better signal. And since I'm not a new customer, I need to pay full price. And even then if I do all that and I don't get the improved signal, then I'm just out of luck. And just to be clear, I cancelled That's just one of the several wonderful experiences I had with Sprint.

It's funny that you bring this up now... I had the exact same dilemma before I picked up my Curado 101D. For whatever reason, the fact that I couldn't even get 100 yards of 12# bothered me. I was stuck looking at the Daiwa's and the Quantum's that were holding 150 yards of 12#. Finally I got over it and went with the Curado. Glad I did With that said, I don't think the line capacity is the real concern here. Ever since I got over my line capacity 'phobia', having 100 yards is plenty. I'm more curious about the balance aspects of the 2000 vs 2500 on this rod. Of course, this is largely subjective but I was hoping to find someone on here with a similar combo. And ever since I booked an inshore fishing trip in Jacksonville over New Years weekend, I've been curious if the 2000 series would be able to handle light inshore fishing for redfish and seatrout.

Yeah, the intended line will either be Ultra Soft 6# or 8# Trilene.

Forgive me, I'm bored... So I asked for a St Croix Avid 6'6" ML spinning rod for Christmas. I intend to use this for split shotting and jigheading. Obviously, this will largely be personal preference, but would a size 2000 or 2500 reel be better suited? I already own a Stradic 2500 and I'm thinking I'd prefer something with less than 33 IPT for this application I'm leaning towards trying the new Diawa Tierra, and I'll likely have to order it since I can't find it locally. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Yeah man, spa gift certificate. Can't go wrong with that one. You can also hit Macy's and look for a nice watch or perfume. Gotta love holiday sales.

I like my BPS Extreme 7' MH for weightless Senkos and Ika's, and light T-rigs... And it's on sale now

Only 1 more game for Reggie Ball. Only 1 more... I love the guy's competitive spirit, but every game he plays in reduces my life expectancy by 2 years.

Yep, I'm right handed. I cast with right hand and crank with the left.

Haven't changed mine...

Seems to me the 7:1 ratio on the 200 would be helpful recovering line quickly after pitching into heavy cover.

I have that combo. Stradic 2500 and 7' MH Extreme rod. I really like it, but I've never fished a Loomis, St Croix, etc. For the price, I think it's great! Throws unweighted senkos and ikas a mile

Rooster tails.

But you do refer to yourself in the third person?

I'm no crankbait expert, but a little more info from you would no doubt help. What size/depth crankbaits are you talking about? Six feet and less? Six to ten? Ten to fourteen? Fourteen plus? I think the general wisdom is that the deeper the crank, the slower the reel ratio. With those deep divers, the lowest possible gearing makes them easier to reel in. I recently threw a DT16 for the first time on a 6.3:1 ratio and it was miserably difficult. However, with shallow cranks, you don't have nearly the resistance so you can get away with a faster reel. Since I'm not sure exactly the depth you're looking to hit, I'll recommend something in the middle. Go with an Abu Ambassadeur C3. Their ratio is 5.3:1, a friendly compromise between a 6:1 reel for shallow/lipless cranks and a 4.7:1 or 5:1 reel for deep cranks.

What are you looking to do with it? I know you said saltwater from boats, beach, piers and docks but are you talking about tossing 5 oz spoons/jigs, live bait rigs, plugs, surfcasting, etc...? Either way, you'll probably want to look at a higher line capacity reel. If you're looking for a baitcaster, perhaps an Abu Ambassador 5500 or 6500...