FishTank

A little more info on what is available.....

Abu Garcia Winch. For the money, it's a great reel. I would also suggest the Curado K.

I have two of the rods you may be looking at.... The St. Croix Legend Glass 7'2'' M and the G. Loomis IMX Pro 903C. Out of the two, for their intended purpose as a crankbait rod, I like the Legend Glass the best. It is heavier and less sensitive than the IMX but it is ideally suited for its task and seems to give better hook sets. On the other hand, I do like the IMX for chatterbaits and smaller deep divers. For topwater I would not use either one of these rods. I like the IMX 844C for those techniques.

Based on what I could I find, it looks like a Mod-Fast taper.

Just in case, I have no experience with this rod but I think it fits what you need...... Shimano Expride 7'11'' X-Heavy Mod-Fast It is more of a swimbait rod but to chuck a crankbait that big, it might as well be a swimbait. It is rated up to 3oz so your 2oz bait should hit the sweet spot.

I ordered a rod from them about a month ago and it came directly from St. Croix. It was packed well and had no issues.

Just wait> It only takes one and all of a sudden you're handing your money over like it ain't yours. On a side note, some of the lakes you spoke of, if memory serves me right, are pretty clear. If that's the case, pick up a matte colored one. The lack of reflection seems to cause more bites.

Smackdown and X-Plasma

I have two swimbait setups and at first I caught a few fish each time I used them but since then not so much. It's fun to fish but it can get tiring. I tried a friends set up originally and a had a nice 4lb LM blow up an 8in Huddleston. I knew I was hooked at that point. I will try again this year but I am starting to question my investment.

Not exactly a finesse tube, but I like the Venom Stubby Tube in black and blue flake.

Best Seaguar Tastsu Seaguar Invizx Seaguar Abrazx H.M.> Daiwa J Fluoro. Still evaluating this but looks promising Like but Not as Much..... Trilene XL 100% FC Sunline Shooter Sunline Sniper Gamma > like and sort dislike One's I Have Tried but Dislike Berkley Vanish Seaguar Red Label On a side note.... P-Line FloroClear is not a true Fluorocarbon line. It's copoly with a coating. I used this stuff for years and never had an issue. I used it for crankbaits mostly and always used 12lb. It lasts as long as mono and is not very abrasion resistant. Overall, it has a short life span> which is why I have stayed with my favorite FC's and not gone back.

How much convincing you need.... About $410 at Asian Fishing Portal (Ebay). I have ordered from them 3 times and have had great luck.

I picked up a Plane Edge Terminal Tackle box last year and so far so good. It's pricey but it's the best thing I have seen so far.

I would donate it or trade it in at BPS's Spring sale.

Not sure what your budget is but I like the G. Loomis 844C IMX for what you mentioned above.

I have them on a couple of rods and don't really see any advantages or disadvantages with them.

Antares 70A. One of the finest reels I have ever used. It is a work of art but its pretty much flawless in every way. If I could afford it, I would have a couple more. My only gripe is fishing it in cold weather> It's like holding an ice cube.

I have the 844C GLX, 783C GLX, 803C GLX and the 853C NRX. Out of all of these, the 844C is the most versatile and also cast better than the NRX. All of them will handle a 1/2oz jig but 853C NRX is the most sensitive. I think if you are strictly going with a 1/2oz jig rod then the next step up from what I have, the 854C NRX, would be great. If you are wanting a rod that is good at just about anything, then the 844C GLX is the best choice.

I think you can use that reel for just about whatever you want. I use mine for my general purpose set up when I am on my kayak.

For fluke type baits and small swimbaits I like a fast rod similar to a jerk bait rod. For shakey, Med x-fast is fine but I like a spinning rod for this technique. Spinnerbaits, I like a slower taper (mod-fast or fast) so the fish can swallow the bait.

I had one of these years ago. It was horrible. If you can think of an issue, this reel had it. It looked so cool when I bought. I loved the way it felt, casted and retrieved when I first go it but it was short lived and to top it off, before a season of fishing was over, the paint started to come off. I tried to work it out with Quantum but had no luck. They did what they could. Unfortunately, it ended up in the trash. I would contact Quantum and see if they can help. Despite the reel I had being bad, they do have great customer service.

It depends on the rod >some are stiffer than others. My initial thought is that I would not use it for spinnerbaits, flukes, and shakey head but it would be ok for the rest.

I agree as well but my only gripe and stems from about 20 years ago is that the old Loomis reps would say something like... "You will never need to buy another rod. The lifetime warranty has you covered". Of course times have changed and 15 years is good enough for me. I hope they stay with a lifetime warranty. Also, what I rumored about above was mentioned to me by a St. Croix rep as I was buying a new NRX at, what may be, the last trade show I attended.

The rumor I had heard last year is that Loomis was changing their new stock to a 15 year warranty similar to St. Croix when you mail in a rod but they will still offer the Xpeditor service. Old rods will be replaced with the new version but the new rod will have a 15 year warranty instead of lifetime.

I am kind of curious how this all went down as well. I have been debating between the 844C Conquest, an 854 NRX or a Megabass Super Destroyer. I will be using it for bigger jigs and small (1.25oz at the most) swimbaits.