FishTank

My favorite is a Loomis GLX MBR783C with a Shimano Calais 201A. I use Pline 15lb flouroclear for line.

In spring and early summer I use these all the time. I have caught just about everything on them, bluegill, crapie, bass and even some catfish. My favorite secret weapon is a sonic white 1/4 or 1/8 oz. rooster tail. I go through about 4 of these a year. The hooks and body of it just get destroyed. I have caught 30+ crappie and 5 bass in about a four hour span. Not my got to lure but it is a lot of fun.

The rod is the most important part to me. Of the two, the rod, IMHO, does most of the work. You will never bring a fish in unless you know it hit your bait or lure. The rod is what transfers the feel of a strike or nibble. The quality of the rod's sensitivity is what will tell you the difference. After that, it is a matter of personal taste and sometimes the size of your wallet.

I might be getting a couple of these for Christmas and was wondering if they are worth the price. They seem to be very well designed. How do they compare to Lucky Craft and Rapala, since these are my two favorite brands?

The few times I have fished in Florida, my favorite was 5'' Senko black and blue laminate. One other color that was equally as good was a 4'' and 5'' Yum Dinger Smoke Laminate.

My personall favorite is the GLoomis GLX MBR783C. This has become my general purpose rod. I have yet to find anything that fits so many needs. If your looking for something just for soft plastic and Senkos, I have been using a G Loomis GLX BCR803. I still need to fish this rod for a whole season to say it is perfect but so far it is the most sensitive rod I have ever experienced.

RW, I hate to say it but I already have a St. Croix AS66MF. I love this rod. I have been using it with an Energy 20pti and a Shimano Sustain to through 5'' senkos. I am getting another 20pti from wife for X Mas (she does not know that I know). I hope I have a nice day to try it after X Mas. I think this will be my last spinning set up. Baitcasters have become my favorite. I guess I have been converted. Thanks for the input to all and have a Merry Christmas.

Man, you have got some awesome stuff. Just to poke a little fun since I am a part time photographer. Based on the photos, maybe you should introduce the baitmonkey to the photomonkey. Be careful, you'll find the photomonkey can get you in even more trouble. He can easily spend $1000- $2000 at a time. d**n monkies.

RW, Thanks for the info. Do you a suggestion on a spinning rod 6' or 6'6'' for weightless soft plastic, either a Loomis or St. Croix?

Probably never, unless I was replacing something I had already owned or maybe if the rod and reel were highly recommended together. There maybe a slim chance I would consider a custom rod from a skilled rod maker. Through this forum, I have learned that is a good idea to take the reel you are going to use and mount it on the rod in question, just to see how it feels. This way you have a good idea how the complete system feels and balances.

Sammy Skitter Pop Buzz Bait (Any)

15lb p line flouroclear and 30lb powerpro.

Picked up a St. Croix Avid 6' ML spinning rod tonight with some Christmas cash. I will be pairing this up with a Quantum Energy Pti 20. What do you guys think of this match? I will be using this set up for bank fishing Rapala shad raps, weightless worms and some light weight spinners. Thanks for again for all your opinions.

An original silver Rapala or the Senko.

Sorry, I wanted my question to be a general "What would you like?" kind of question. Just wanted to hear opinions and thoughts. For me personally, since I don't own one, a Mega Bass lure. Maybe an Ito Vision 110.

If you could only get one Lucky Craft lure for Christmas which one would you ask Santa/BaitMonkey for? Just in case, same question for Megabass lures, even though Santa will probably never deliver one. Thanks again and Merry Christmas.

Not to stir the stuff but here is the link for the All Star warranty. Please read it for yourself. http://www.allstarrods.com/rod_warranty.htm Phone: (800) 347-3759 Email: service@allstarrods.com I did like my rod from them but again the service was not what I had hoped. I bought their rod not for the warranty but to fish with. The warranty was a bonus, however useless. Just in case the rod I owned cracked near the reel seat while I was pulling in a large 20LB+ catfish. I explained what happened to an All Star CSR and he was just plain rude, defensive and hard to deal with :'( :'( :'(. If he had said sorry, your rod broke because of abuse that would have been OK. I would have been off to the tackle store to buy the exact rod again. But instead, he said I should have known better than to fish with that rod for catfish. (Tell that to the fish). He then said something about the warranty being more of a liability statement. At that point, I had enough. It was nothing but a waste of time. I was able to return the rod from where I purchased it and invest my money in a Loomis. I do beleive that warranties on rods help inflate price. IMHO, warranties/service go hand in hand with reputation and a good reputation can be won or lost based on how a customer is treated (no matter what the circumstances).

I too am right handed and use left handed baitcasters. It just feels natural to me but if I had started using a right handed at first I'm sure I would be saying the opposite.

I too had a bad time with All Star rods' service. I had a rod break when I was reeling a fish in last year, I tried to reach their customer service and all I got was a run around. I sent the warranty card in and even had my receipt. The rod was less than one year old when this happend. As luck would have it, the store where I purchased it took it back and gave me a full refund. No harm done. The rod did work well all season long. This was the first rod I ever tried to exchange via a warranty. I had heard how good their customer service was over the years but based on my experience I will probably not buy from them again.

Looks like Santa fired the elves and hired the bait monkey. Have fun fishing with your new toys (tools).

I've been using PLine Flouroclear. I think it is a coated mono. It has been an excelent line for me.

I tried a batch of these last year and I did not care for them. They rusted real easy and did not stay sharp for very long. I would not recommend them. I have been using Gamakatsu, Owner and occasionally Eagle Claw.

Hardbaits> Lucky Craft and Rapala Soft Plastic> GYCB Senko and Zoom Lizards Jigs> Booyah Spinner Baits> Terminator Inline Spinners> Mepps

Looks like an awesome choice. Let us know how it works out for you.

Shimano citica>brakes are not what you want but a good reel and a Quantum energy.