FishTank

In Indiana we will hit 65 degrees today but it won't be enough to thaw the ponds and lakes near me. If they were, I think the fish will be pretty lethargic but I would get to practice some casting. For drop shot in clear water, I like a small 3in minnow, nosed hooked, and fished slowly,. But in cold water, 🥶 good luck.

The JWR rods to me are just what they say they are, jig and worm rods. They are not really designed for moving baits with maybe the exception of the 802c (I use it for small swimbaits). IMHO, in the NRX+ line, the closest you get to a moving bait rod is the 883C and the MBR rods but I don't care for them for crankbaits. They are too sensitive and somewhat stiff but great all around rods none the less. I prefer the IMX Pro rods for treble hook baits and I also really like Megabass P5 rods for moving baits. They are a little softer at the tip and are pretty powerful when controlling a fish.

I have used it for spinnerbaits, swim jigs and some topwater. Great rod. I haven't tried it for swimbaits or flat sided cranks but I would think it would be just fine.

And yet they are what all other rod companies aspire to. For the most part, when a new rod comes out the phrase, "It's nice but is it as sensitive as an NRX?" applies to everyones curiosity.

This stuff works. Oddly, I haven't tried it on a tackle bag. I usually use the tube I got with my Yeti cooler.

I have a 12v 100ah LiTime lithium on my kayak. I can operate my trolling motor for about 3 days. I'm out for about 8 hours each time. I did buy a battery box, which made carrying it and charging it a breeze. You do need a lithium charger and yes, you do need to charge it in warm but not freezing temps.

Whether you're for it or against it, this is something to really think about.

I don't have any GLX spinning rods but I have three casting, the 844c, 783c, and 803c. All are older models. I tend to use casting more than spinning for jerkbaits. The 783c use to be my dedicated jerkbait rod but then I purchased the Megabass Levante Jerkbait Special. It's a little on the stiff side and does well with regular 110s. Then this past fall I picked up the Megabass P5 Z-Crank Elseil and this rod to me was perfect for 110s and 110jr's, and of course small cranks.

I don't like x-fast rods for jerkbaits so the St. Croix rod would be out for me. Then on the G. Loomis side, I have the 842s NRX+ and is way under powered for a Megabass Vision 110 but it's great for baits like 110 jr and small shad baits. The 843s, which I don't have, may be better suited for 1/2 jerkbaits. I would suggest the Megabass P5 Windbuster. It can handle all of the OP wants. It has plenty of power and it has a nice tip but it is 7'2". There is also the Addermine. I have not fished this one but it seems to be great for jerkbaits.

I will add I don't totally think 832 is bad line. It's pretty good for frogs and most heavy vegetation when fished without a leader. I have just found other lines I like better.

I used 832 for years. It is the most expensive braid I have tried. Thats not because of the actual cost but because of how many lures I have lost on it. I had it in multiple diameters on spinning and casting. I had too many loops and backlashes. I blaimed it on user error for years. I just eventually decided to move on from it. Xbraid is made by YGK. I usually order it from a JDM site. It's about half the cost on some lines but it's still not cheap. I use lines from PE #0.8 up to PE #4. I also like Varivas. I haven't used it but they say their Varivas 8 and 4 are excellent lines. This will be my experiment for this year.

@Goby My experience with 832 and Almight has been the opposite of yours. I find the leader knots on 832 to be unreliable at best. Once it looses some of it's coating which happens quickly, it absorbs water and line starts to become questionable. I fished Almight all last year on two setups and never retied the leader. As far as diameter goes, I found Almight to be spot on and 832 larger (same listed diameter on the boxes). Also, I find if no leader is used 832 has really good knot strength and Almight is not so good. For an alternative, I like X-braid Upgrade.

This brings up one thing (and probably just me) about Sieberts site...... I wish it had a place that had the jig head types all on one page with an explanation of each. Then you select the jig by head type and add the size and skirt color. I kind of have to have two pages open. One to figure out the variety of jigs and then a page open to order from.

I have the 6'11" MH Fast. There is nothing much to tell about it yet. The lakes are still frozen. I can say that it's light and strong (stiff). I haven't really fished the regular Steez rods so kind of hard to compare. Off the rack, it was hard to feel a difference but the blank is definitely different. This is also my first Daiwa rod. When the weather warms up, I'll report back.

@UmairF I wouldn't say the 803C is softer. It just loads differently. It seems slightly more powerful when fighting a fish. I also roll cast when I skip with this rod.

@UmairF The 872S has a softer tip and is a fast rod (more moderate). I use that one for small jerk baits, drop shot, and small swimbaits. The 803S has an x-fast tip and more powerful middle than the 852S but when you get to the bottom of the 852S is just as stout as the 803S. Also, the tip on the 803S is easier to flick, which is why I like it for skipping.

For skipping, I like the 803S. It's short and powerful. I am able to skip a 6in senko with it fairly easily. So if you are wanting something to complement the 852S with something that can do a little more stuff on the heavier side, these two make for a good one two punch. Another suggestion, but not quite as sensitive as the NRX+, is the Megabass P5 Windbuster. It is longer but it sort of a good do all rod. It handle a 1/4oz weight and a 4in DoLive Beaver with no issues. For the lighter side of things the two mentioned above, the 821S and the 822S would be good as well.

@MediumMouthBass I have tried both the Chad Shad and a few of 13 Fishing's versions and so far I have had no luck but I may not have given them enough time on the water just yet. I have had better luck with the Deps Slide Swimmer 175 but again, I have only fished it sparingly. I did catch a few on it though. I was able to pick two of them up at a JDM site for around $60 each. Got a favorite color or does it matter?

Hi Float or Low Float?

How about this one? I remember someone saying this was taboo or something.

Raid Egu Dama is my go to shallow water jig. There is also the Keitech Mono Spin jig but it's really small. Another good one is the OSP Hunt Football Jig in 3.5 grams. One more, the Bottom Up Kosmo. This an awesome all around small jig.

I'm wanting to do more offshore fishing (no FFS but using side and down imaging). I'm going to throw some 20+ft diving cranks, big football jigs, heavier drop shot, and maybe some heavier Texas Rigged plastic. Specifically, I'm trying the Megabass Deep Six and OSP Blitz Magnum EX DR. Drop shot, I'm going to do a 3/8oz weight with something like the 6th Sense Whale. I'm also trying a split drop shot rig. I saw this in a Japanese angler's video. It looked cool. I ordered the split barrel swivels so we will see how it goes. Oh and dice, lots of fuzzy dice.

I just purchased a Daiwa Steez Real Control Rod and was this close 🤏 to putting a Shimano Metanium DC on it or I thought of waiting for the new 25 Antares but it just didn't seem right. I picked up a 24 Steez SV TW instead. With that said I mix and match my reels all the time to whatever rod feels best. I think I have 3 or 4 Daiwa reels on G. Loomis (Shimano) rods now..... Sacrilege

I've been reading all the comments on this thread and have been wanting to respond but wasn't sure if I should or if I did, what would be the right thing to say. I could go into detail about my experiences with the other reels outside of Daiwa and Shimano or explain why l prefer Daiwa and Shimano but instead I think I will answer the original question this way.... Why would you buy an ABU over a Shimano or a Daiwa? Some people want to be different and that's ok.

I guess what I'm saying is that the gears are probably the last thing it could be and that is most likely one of the two x-ship bearings. Also.....It's a crapshoot sometimes when it comes to getting a new reel that is oiled and greased correctly. Some have it on too heavy and others are bone dry (the Tatulas are often this way, for example). If they are making noise, greasing the gears fixes it. Daiwa makes a great gear grease by the way. And there are also reels that have thin/light frame walls like the Aldebaran and Steez Air. You can feel the gears if they are not greased.