FishTank

I was recently looking at buying about the same type of rod you are and ended up with the Megabass P5 Super Destroyer. It is shorter than most flip/pitch rods but I kind of like it that way. The guy I usually fish with stays so close to the bank that longer rods are sometimes an issue. Another rod that I took a hard look at was the St. Croix Legend Elite 7'4'' H Fast. It is a heavy duty rod but some how balanced. I have a couple LE and wanted to try something different so the Megabass fit the bill. This rod sounds more like it may fit your needs better.

Depends on the time year and water temps. In general I start off with either a senko or a dark sleeper.

Amazon had Plano Edge boxes for almost half price but it was only for a few hours. I contacted them about the price changes and they said it was an unadvertised Lightning Deal. They will go on sale periodically at these prices> Deep, Regular, and Thin 3700 $17.00 each. I picked up the Deep Box for big cranks but went back 5min later and the price was back to normal.

Senko 5in in black with blue flake has always out produced Dingers for me. You would think its sort the same but some how the Senko just brings in more fish.

Its been an awesome bait for me. Any bright color in stained water, 1/2oz has caught several fish for me. Only issue is its a rock snag magnet. I loose one every time I'm out.

Here you go..... https://www.softschools.com/examples/simple_machines/class_three_lever_examples/513/

I've had a $150 BPS gift card burning a hole in my pocket for a few weeks. I think I will hold out for one these rods. It will be nice to see how it compares to the Mojo, Premier, and Avid. My two cents on the tip heavy rod debate..... I fished several St. Croix rods and IMHO, around 2012 (guessing here) something in their rods changed. They became less stiff/tip heavy and they got rid of the hump below the reel seat on models that had it. Prior to that I was not the biggest fan. With that said, if you stick a light weight reel on a heavy pitching rod (from the mojo, avid, or legend tournament line up with a Shimano STX), it's going to feel tip heavy with a 3/4oz jig or bait. And that's pretty much any rod. Another example of this is, I tried out a G. Loomis NRX 854 with an Aldebaran and didn't like it >tip heavy. I put the Aldebaran on the 853 and it was magic. I then put a Bantam on the 854 and again magic. I can't explain it but there it is.

The one by me is slowly improving a few things but still lacks a lot of ordinary stuff. They did get in some St. Croix Rods which surprised me (Mojo, Bass X and Triumph).

Ebay got me again for some Lucky Craft Lures but they are some of the coolest colors I have found yet. Also, got a deal on a new bag at Cabelas and some Edge boxes. My favorite find was pulling 4 Fire Craw Jack Hammers off of the stocking cart at DSG. I have been looking for this color forever. Monkey got me this weekend.

I would take off a few yards and check the color. If what you took of is a different color than what is below, then it's bad. Also, like to suggested check it for breaking strength. Mono is cheap> a lost lure and/or a lost fish is costly and heartbreaking.

I have a Revo Winch Gen 4 with this braking system and casting is pretty good but not the best. Where it does well is in varying conditions (medium wind, rain, etc). You can actually feather a cast with the magnetic brakes and get a nice and easy presentation. Also, a 1/2oz crank is where this reel shines. Overall, I like this system.

I had the displeasure of working on one of these reels over my winter break. It was not a fun project but the reel had been abused and the owner was expecting it to be an everyday workhorse, tournament type reel. I did what I could and made it better by just cleaning it but it needed parts which would have cost more than the reel itself. The owner was not happy.

One thing I should add.... Sniper, Assassin, Invizx, and Tatsu are all good lines... Like you said.... splitting hairs.

Haven't ordered from them but here you go..... https://www.fishusa.com/Lews-Wally-Marshall-Signature-Spinning-Reel?quantity=1&IO-Model-Reels=753&gclid=CjwKCAiAg8OBBhA8EiwAlKw3ktwejhLis3_d2xud4R6sdVk78rYRIPmtX4fXJ4o4JMYiT_cHzYXo4BoCB1IQAvD_BwE

I believe it is similar to Abu Garcia's (Doyo) Infini system.

Alas.... if there is a Bait Monkey, there must be a Buyer's Remorse Gorilla.

Nice find. I had an old Ryobi SX-4 (I think). I used it for saltwater. It became corroded over the years despite my best efforts. It was not the best but it got the job done.

In a short amount of time it started to get stiff and deformed which lead to more break offs and reties. It was the first line I used line conditioner on which did help but it wasn't a cure. The first time I tried Invizx I didn't have these issues. It just seemed to last longer, it held it shape better and no conditioner needed. The only thing about Sniper I might have liked better was it had better abrasion resistance over rocks and heavy cover but it was marginal. Both lines did cast well when new. Also, I tried Sniper over a course of about 3 years or more. I bought one spool, tried it out for season and it worked well. It was the first true FC line I had used. When Gander Mountain went out of business, I bought several spools at a huge discount. I got tired of fighting it so I started looking for different line. Invzix, Sniper, Abrazx, Red Label, and Gamma were the ones I tried out at that time. Invizx became my favorite overall line but all that changed when I tried Tatsu (still like Invizx better for jerkbaits though).

I have tried both Sniper and Assassin in 12lb and they were just OK. I didn't care for Sniper for most baits but Assassin wasn't bad. The line I prefer though for jerkbaits is 12lb Invizx. I have tried Defier but like it for crankbaits. Also, oddly enough, I like Invizx better than Tatsu for jerkbaits.

For spinning gear I stick with the Shimano stuff, Bantam oil and Shimano drag grease. A small amount of each goes a long way.

I think so. It said on the package that it works for 200 casts and it's activated when it hits the water and turns off when it's out. I remember these having some popularity a few years ago for maybe just one season but since then I have heard nothing about them.

Going to say the Bantam. It feels like a solid, heavy duty reel. Not sure on the braid though. I tend to like heavy FC (15-20lb).

Thought this was cool.....

I picked up my first from these guys. Are they any good? I picked this up for $7.

Lucky Craft CB-50 and the 2.5 SSR.