So with the birthday coming up next month, the wifey gave me the green light for a new rod. Since I only recently got into fishing (August 2020), I would love to get SME feedback on what holes I could fill given my sparse current setups and what I’ve been looking into. I’m trying to prevent overlap.
Current lineup:
6-8 Medium Fast Daiwa Tatula (cork) Spinning - Ned rig, wacky rig, neko, finesse swimbaits (1/4 or less).
7 Med. Mod fast Lews TP1 black Casting - shaky head, finesse swimbaits (1/4 oz - 3/8), traps
7 MH fast Dobyns Sierra 703c Casting - finesse swimbaits, traps, 1.5 squarebills and smaller, plopper 90, T rig (1/4 oz or less), senko. This seems to overlap the lews and I am considering selling the lews combo I have.
7-2 MH MFast Shimano Expride Casting - Texas Rig (1/4 to 1/2), swim jig, chatterbait, paddletails up to 1/2
7-3 MH Mod Dobyns Kaden 735cb - bought initially for shallow squarebill up to 1.5, but seems like it’s too much rod and won’t load up. Strongly considering selling this one since the Sierra handles the squarebills I plan to use, still holding on to it in case I start getting into bigger cranks like 2.5 and up to 3xd.
What I am looking at:
7-2 MH expride glass for chatterbaits, traps, topwater
7-1 MH Tatula (cork) just to add another Tatula. I am just not a fan of the silver surfer color scheme of the elites.
7 M Reg Tatula (cork) for the cranks I had intended to use the Kaden for
7-5 H Zodias (new) for frogging and light flipping/pitching
ALX toad face or deputy (I like the idea of a USA made, but no current sales on kistler)
What holes am I looking at here? As mentioned, I like the idea of getting a USA made rod like ALX, Kistler, Cashion, St Coix. But I haven’t been fishing for a year and haven’t had the chance to experiment with the different brands out there, I also get that blasted FOMO. I want to like Dobyns, but I’m starting to think paying a higher price for a warranty won’t justify a real quality rod that Shimano and daiwa are capable of putting out. I love my expride and only have a Tatula in spinning, but enough about that, I can clarify more later.
so, what are your thoughts??