Cgolf

So I just took out my Avid X 6' 6" MH fast and my prodigy 7" MH Moderate and sensitivity the Avid won the day, but by a small margin. As far as casting I was more comfortable with the Prodigy. I could do everything with both just easier with the moderate Prodigy. I think this comes down to personal casting styles. I grew up casting fiberglass and moderate action rods and I also fly fish. My casting motion likely gets the same velocity as many, but my acceleration is slow and gradual which I think suits a more moderate rod. Someone that casts with a quicker accelaration will do better with a faster rod. I don't feel that I load the Avid as efficiently as I do the prodigy. For me I need a medium heavy rod with a medium tip. I think this is why I like Dobyns rods for the 3 I have and the 6 St Croixs, still on the fence about the Avid X, is that I bought actions that suit my casting style. I may pick up a Dobyns 1/4 to 1 Kaden and a victory medium heavy moderate over the holidays for next year. One of the two will become my spinnerbait rod or who knows maybe the MH prodigy will win the day. The above blurb though is why I suggested to the OP to try different rods if possible before they buy or to stick to one brand and learn their ratings to make the next purchase easier. We are all different in how we fish.

Yeh the revos are mostly for moving baits and same with the round reels. For me all up close plastics I use spinning reels. When I fish in reed beds with moving baits both the round and the revos perform fine on shorter pitches or roll casts. My issues with the revos are that they just aren't as smooth as other reels which has surprised me. Like I said they aren't pulled from my lineup like my pfluger president spinning reels, I just had higher expectations for the price points.

For me my C3s and Black max outperform my Revos. The Revos aren’t junk by any means but I was disappointed for what I paid. I have older and much cheaper reels that outperform them in all areas except casting distance. Most of the newer reels outdistance the older reels so this isn’t surprising. Thanks and this is a bummer because the made in Sweden reels are swimbait/musky sized reels. Maybe I do a search for more black max 3600s but I doubt they would be in the same shape as the one I got this year.

Thanks, my C3s are 10 plus years old. The reason I was curious was that I wasn’t pleased with my recent S, SX, and STX reels, they were inconsistent in performance. I don’t hate them but I have used better. The C3s and the black max are amazing reels. Now I wish I would have bought more C3s back in the day when they were even cheap too:)

I got an old black max 3600 for 10 bucks at an estate sale and on vaca I put it on a rod to try it on a session and switch to a more modern reel for the next session. Well it never came off the rod and it was a very solid reel and I found I really liked the feel of round reel. , especially where my thumb rests. The black max like my C3 musky reels were made in Sweden. The new Abu round reels, are they sourced from the same place as their other baitcasters or are they still made in Sweden?

so the 6’ 6” MH Avid X, Fast I have is too tip stiff for my liking, the 7’ 1” extra fast would have a softer tip? I mostly throw 14 ounce spins. Also hope the op got their question answered as this is a catch all thread now.

So reading this we are looking at very different classes of rods. Even if I could afford the class of rods you fish I likely wouldn’t buy them. St Croix does make good sticks, but the tips are to darn stiff and they can feel like a broomstick on their MH rods. That is keeping me from them for my spinnerbait rod because I want lots of backbone and a soft tip which my 3 Dobyns have. As far as Bourbon goes yeh four roses yellow label is a very solid pour and I enjoy it, but if the wife is in a good mood I won’t turn down a bottle of Bookers. Scotch is a whole different discussion, that s the fly rod of spirits ?

Very curious on the hate for Dobyns. Mine are every bit as good as my St Croix stuff, no complaints for me. My cap is the approximate 200 range so I will never play in the premium range.

I think that there is definitely a point of diminishing returns. Stepping up to a St Croix Avid X saw a big difference in sensitivity. Saw the similar difference when I got a couple of Dobyns sierras. Sleeper rods though are my St Croix premier and Eycon spins. The point of this though is I have to assume the jump in sensitivity is rather huge between 50 and say 200. Jumping from 200 to say 400 the sensitivity jump would be a lot less and you are paying for a lighter prettier rod which for me matters little so I stick to the 200 range. Also had a heated discussion on this a while back, it is a touchy subject for some. To the op I try to shop sales, especially for Dobyns. I got my Sierras for 115 and 97 each the last two years. The price point around 100 is hit or miss. The St Croix rods I mentioned above perform well for me, but there are a lot of just ok rods too. Unfortunately the only way to figure out the good vs the bad is to either buy and try or borrow someone’s for a few casts. Asking on here can be helpful, but we all have a different feel for what we want out of a rod so deciphering the replies to figure out if is what you really want is difficult. One suggestion for long term is to try and stick to a couple of brands, so you can learn their characteristics which makes future purchases easier.

Liquid Mayhem for me. Another gel scent like the Megastrike crowd.

You and Columbia craw hit on the same rod. Would go with the KD714C to help get them out of the reeds. Always liked listening to Gary on the ultimate bass podcast and this would be my 4th Dobyns so I am learning their ratings, slower along with St Croix’s a bit faster than other brands. Not that other brands don’t have great rods, knowing what I want out of the rod and knowing what I will get with those two brands increases the chance I get the right rod. It is amazing to think though I have progressed enough to know exactly what I want in a rod, no more random buys which is nice and save money.

So I did get an interesting surprise today using the Prodigy MH. It cast very well even short pitches with a 1/4 ounce spin and was a bit more sensitive. The only thing I can figure is this rod has 11 micro guides on a 7 foot rod, 12 if you include the tip. I think a MH rod will be the way to go and if the rod doesn’t work I have two prodigy rods that will fill the bill with the MH being the better option to get the fish out of the reeds. upgrading rods is fun, but I do feel a little bad retiring rods that have been really good to me over the years.

I can go longer just with the small boat shorter is preferred. While researching though even finding 7 foot sticks can be difficult. With the rise of kayak fishing you would think there would be more short rod options. Is the rod pictured the one? I wish TW would list Dobyns code as well.

Unfortunately they are all out of stock for shipping and the selection was very small. Thanks everyone and if their are more ideas throw them out there. tomorrow I am taking my 1/4-1 ounce mh prodigy to the river and will see how accurately I can toss some 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits on it.

That tells me a lot about Ark. Dobyns are slower than their ratings so a fast ark might be like a moderate St. Croix. minor rant is that it sucks that there is no consistency to manufacturer to manufacturer. You would think there could be a standard flex curve for each length everyone could use. The square bill rod I bought was a Dobyns champ Xp that thankfully worked out as a jerkbait rod otherwise would have been an expensive mistake. No wiggle room on this one because I really only need one more rod lol.

Honestly in my mind I see the prodigy as an elevated ugly stick. When I fish my ugly spin vs my Dobyns Sierra spin there is a huge difference in sensitivity. Buying rods is a nightmare because in the past I picked up a rod for square tills and the action on the water was to soft for that, specs wise should have been perfect, and it ended up being a perfect jerkbait rod. The ugly stick comparison probably isn’t fair as they are good sticks and at least one of the three has been used every year on vacation since I have bought them.

Looking through TW I noticed an Abu Ike delay 6’4” medium moderate rod. Anyone use this series or Abu rods in particular? Trying to gather as much info as possible before I buy:) Also the reasoning behind the shorter rods is I fish out of a small single console deep v. Longer rods are a pain especially with two people in the boat. Also the Megabass Levante rod. picking out a new stick is really tough. I know exactly what I want I just don’t know who has it.

For the 2 of you. The Prodigy was more expensive than the Aird X back in the day so I would be worried about getting a similar rod (prodigy was a Daiwa rod back then). Can you feel the blades with the Aird and the light takes? The trip I was just on had the softest spinnerbait hits I have ever seen, I didn’t think it was possible for them to hit a spinnerbait that way. Also is the fast more on the slower side? I really need a moderate rod, I grew up fishing them and they fit my casting and hook set style. I struggle with fast and extra fast rods. That is good to know and the Mojo series is not on my list. When at the factory I was convinced to stay away from them (the general bass rods not the musky or swimbait rods) with what I believe was an honest comment from an employee. I was looking at B stock rods that day so it wasn’t like I was going to spend a lot more. I did get a mojo swim bait rod that day and really like it, but would agree it isn’t the most sensitive rod I own. Do the Ark rods run slower? My fishing style almost forces me into a moderate rod. I did see they have a medium regular, assume moderate in that series.

I looked at a MHM victory and in the store it felt softer than my MHM premier that I love but is way to stiff for smaller spinnerbaits. I am concerned the MH victories would be to stiff as well once I got it on the water.

I am on a budget so getting the most for my money is key. Doesn’t take all that long to find the deals and the latest sale thread here helps a lot. I don’t overdue it’s though as I have a handful of shops I trust so I go with those only.

Looking to replace my Cabela’s prodigy medium moderate 7’ rod for spinnerbait fishing. Just need a little bit more sensitivity. That said I fish in reeds a lot and need a lot of backbone to keep them from wrapping me around a reed ands getting away. I generally throw 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits and the weights vary between 3/16 and 1/2 ounce. The price point max is roughly 200 give or take. If there is a great rod out there for less than 200 all the better. Length 7 foot max with 6 1/2 even better.

They were mine because prices, selection, and service were top notch. There price structure is now more similar to BPS, especially when you look at the prices on Rage stuff and others. Sieberts normal rage prices are great compared. It pays to shop around now. Holiday orders for me come from 3 to 4 stores including TW. The days of TW covering my full order are sadly likely over.

Not many. That said many of us could give them a run for there money on a lake or two, but traveling to different waters across the country very few would cash checks. Would be curious to compare daily limits from the pros to what is seen by local bass tourneys where most that fish those that is either their home lake or one they fish it regularly. If the pros daily numbers are higher that would push the number even lower.

To fully answer the OP my combos for the next trip are as follows. Dobyns Sierra M spin heavier sliders and swing head jigs Dobyns Sierra ML spin lighter sliders and DS Cabelas prodigy M Moderate BC Spinnerbaits and possibly swim jigs Lews Crush BC Moderate square bills St Croix Premier MH moderate BC Lipless and light swim baits Dobyns Champ XP M Moderate Jerkbaits St Croix Mojo H (1-4) Swimbaits and light Musky lures Also Have a Medium Ugly spin for spy baits and light jerkbaits and 2 musky rods. If one bite is hot some rods do double duty.

The same goes for me. Whether its a trip to the local lake or planning what to take on a week long fishing trip trying to think like a fish and figure out what to pack is a lot of fun and not the easiest job in the world because I always forget a key bait or rod combo and only use 10% of what is packed?