Hulkster

I guess it depends what you are throwing. Small spinner baits are fine on spinning gear but trying to cast and retrieve a 1/2 oz one or better with big blades on it sucks. Way too much resistance in the water for a spinning reel. Same with a big mepps spinner or even a crankbait with a big lip on it.

Fenwick came out with some great USA made rods in the late 90s (mainly the Techna AV and the CoFi 57 rods) then promptly switched all their manufacturing to China and made crappy rods for about the next 20 years. The damage has been done. Even if these rods are great (they have a long time loomis employee Dave Binkerhoff working with them) its going to be hard to get people to spend a good buck on these given the last 20 years of easy to break Fenwick rods.

Sufix Siege mono is the best I have ever used. I use it on both spinning and baitcasting gear.

only new for me

I use Sufix Siege mono on my two main rigs. 12 pound on my baitcasting rig with 200 size curado and 6 pound on my spinning rig with a 1000 size shimano nasci.

I have ordered a few G. Loomis rods from them shipped up here to Canada over the years and had no issues. They packed them very safely in a secure rod tube with the rod taped inside to prevent movement.

I try to get rods that have at least Fuji Alconite guides on them. They are durable and cast smooth.

I use the rod glove ones. Not really a sock per se, but it protects them pretty well.

That would be a great rod to throw Mepps spinners too. I use the Mepps Black Fury in various sizes all the time as well as the Gold and Orange Aglia. They slay fish. That rod would be great for using the #4 or 5 size on spinning gear

G. Loomis.

hearsay that is documented with video proof all over youtube: this isn't internet BS this is real (reel?) life.

St. Croix has fallen drastically since the pandemic. Quality control in the toilet, expensive rods now with cheap guides (avid walleye and panfish) etc. its a shame.

I've always used shimano 1000 size reels with 4 pound Sufix Siege mono or elite for my UL setups. The problem with the 500 or 750 sizes as noted above is that they usually lack key features of the models that the 1000 size and up has.

Can you put the reel on the rod and show us the full frontal?

Maybe not as 'high end' as some the others but they are high end to me (over $500 up here Canada) lol I have two Imx Pro rods that I absolutely love. The MBR 9903C and SJR 901S both 7'6 rods that are light, sensitive, durable and cast like a dream.