jdr99a

I’ve recently tied a slinko in the okeechobee craw color and wacky rigged it. I’ve had success with it. It seems to be a good worm…but in all honesty it would be hard for Yamamoto to screw up something that simple.

I’ve got a BPS carbonlite 2 in 7’ ML. I use it as a semi-bfs rod for light cranks/topwater and an occasional Ned rig. Works like a charm and fits your budget.

I’m a fan of 10lb smackdown.

I bought that exact for the rare occasions I deep crank. Works great. If I were to deep crank more often I’d probably buy a purpose-built reel for it, but this one works perfectly well.

I’ve got the 6-10 ml for neds and I absolutely love it. I haven’t fished the 7-2 to compare though.

My favorite bait for small ponds is a little Berkley lunch worm. If I’m just looking to get a bite that’s what I’m reaching for.

I’ve got 3 DC models - the SLX, Curado, and Metanium. Where they excel for me is in the wind and with non-aerodynamic lures like spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. They are not backlash proof, and they aren’t God’s gift to casting reels, but they have their niche. Like others have said, an SLX mgl would be my choice to start with.

Anyone with experience on the 8 or 10xd rods from lews? While they should be able to handle the deeper stuff well, how do they handle squarebill/lipless baits? I don’t do a lot of deep cranking but am looking to add a rod to my arsenal that can be versatile enough to do crank multiple depths with.

That’s awesome information and exactly the insight I need. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

I once backlashed 2 reels on one cast. I was pond fishing with a backpack and had a combo in the rod holder. I had just done some reel maintenance and didn’t set my spool tension on either reel. I reared back and slung my lipless pretty hard…except I caught the line of combo in my rod holder. The reel in my hand blew up like crazy as you would expect but the worst part was the reel in the rod holder got all kinds of tangled as well. Not a good start to the morning.

We’re staying in a nice house on the water this July near Mystic, CT (near the mystic harbor which is saltwater). I’ve got a 7ft MH travel casting rod that I plan on bringing with me. The problem is that I only know how to fish for bass (and then, only sometimes -ha). I don’t care what I catch out there, I just want to catch something. I assume something like a saltwater rattle trap or paddle tail in a jig head would catch multi species out there. Does that sound about right? What kind of line should I spool up? Is 15 pound fluorocarbon too light? Too heavy? Should I go braid? Braid to leader? Mono? I’m clueless when it comes to saltwater, but I want brainless lures that can catch just about anything out there.

I’ve got 3 dc reels that I’ll use in certain conditions. Where the excel for me is when throwing spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. All those blades and skirts can wreak a bit of havoc when the wind shows up and this is where they really excel. That being said, I generally prefer my mgl spools for just about anything else. Also, I may be in the minority, but I absolutely love the sound the dc reels make.

The expride 6’10” is considered a fantastic jerkbait rod. I don’t throw a lot of jerkbaits but would it be as successful as a dedicated popper rod? I’m a fan of the expride line in general but would appreciate your feedback on performance with poppers (or other smaller topwater lures) before dropping the $ on it.

Thanks for the replies. I’m really looking at baits the size of the burrito or magdraft. I’m not planning on using it for the really big baits.

I’m in the market for a swimbait rod specifically for single hook soft swimbaits is the dobyns fury 795 rod a good fit for that application or is that more of the treble hooked hard baits? Any recommendations for an entry level (say $150ish) single hook swimbait rod?

I keep a tfo traveler mh rod and a Shimano slx spooled with 15lb fluorocarbon ready to go. I’ve got a Fanny pack with a few speedworms and paddletails and a small box of terminal tackle. That covers 95% of what I’d need if I got a wild hair to stop somewhere.

Storm largo shad

If I’m dragging or frogging I’ve got an 8 in my hand.

I have both. I prefer the platinum, but LOVE the lews built in baitkeeper.

I’ve got the itch to build a ‘high end’ combo for fishing a popper. Before I go on I am fully aware that ‘high end’ is 100% unnecessary for popper fishing. That being said, it’s my favorite technique and I figured it would be fun to mess with. I’ve got the reel sorted out (most likely an aldebaran) but really wanted to focus on the rod. I’m looking for something to throw 1/2 oz poppers and something less than 7 feet long. What would you suggest for the rod? I know high end means different things to different people…so all suggestions are welcome.

I’m not interested in the reel and won’t comment on the overall quality of the reel. That being said, since when does having more data about anything hurt? I may not find knowing my precise casting distance particularly helpful but in what way could it possibly hurt someone to know it?

I could have a pretty good day covering all parts of the water column with a handful of baits. A speed worm, fluke, and toad could keep me busy all day long in a bunch of different conditions.

I’m a fan of the red ear color.

I’ve got fury casting rods and a 703sf spinning rod. I like the casting rods but think the spinning rods feel a bit too tip heavy for some reason.

I bought the lews signature series chatterbait rod. I fish 3/8 oz jackhammers and mini-maxes almost exclusively on it. I love the rod and wouldn’t change a thing about it. It’s a 7-3 mh and it’s been perfect for me. I’ve thrown a few tx rigs, spinner baits and paddletails on it and it’s performed very well. I think it was $179 or so.