PBBrandon

haven’t tried the X series, but I think I slightly preferred the 7’2” MF Psycho Stick I used to have compared to the DX743 I have now. I can only imagine the X series is better

Never tried the Steez rods, was going back and forth at one point between the Bottom Contact 2 Steez and the DRX755. Went with the Dobyns and am happy with my decision

The Tat Elite is a heck of a reel for $170. Id grab one of those i will say for $200 you could grab an Alphas SV if you don’t need a crazy amount of line capacity. The jump from Tatulas to Alphas/Zillion/Steez is a nice one

Looking back, I’d be happy running all carbonlite combos. I’ve had a few of the white 2.0s and liked them. Next time I’m at Cabela’s I’ll take a look at those

The 8 strand stealth smooth is pretty good and the regular 4 strand stealth is okay. Wouldn’t touch their EZ Braid with a 10 foot pole, that stuff is awful. I tend to stick with PowerPro and Sufix 832 when it comes to braid.

Depends on what you’re throwing. Big thing is that mono floats and FC sinks, so for bottom contact and moving baits, FC gets lures to depth better. Topwater you’d want mono so the line sits on top of the water

I’ve tried various cheap FC lines and they aren’t good for anything except being a leader. The best FC I buy as mainline is Invizx

Bantam all day, if you want a Curado, I agree with @Rockhopper. The 150MGL Curado is an amazing reel and the best value reel Shimano makes

Yeah I used to break off like that too. I still do on spinning reels. But I am 70% sure that’s how I bent a spool shaft on a Revo SX

Sweet looking combo and even better fish. That white bass is a slab!

T-rigged lizard. Only time I use it, and one of the only things I use targeting spawning bass

Unless they are AGS guides I cant really tell the difference in sensitivity. Weight and rod balance are affected though. Alconites are good but they are heavier than SiC or Torzite

It’s really kind of splitting hairs as I think around the $300 price point, you are getting a rod with close to top end sensitivity, but if I had to rank the ones I have experience with- 1. Shimano Expride B 2. St Croix LTB 3. Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS (last gen) 4. Dobyns Champ Extreme HP 1-3 is very close. I think the AGS rods feel more “loud” I guess than the Expride or LTB because of the guides, but as far as discerning what I’m feeling, those 2 have the edge and are very close. The Champ HP is a tiny bit behind those other 3 IMO.

Jigs, chatterbaits, cranks- Invizx FC Topwater- Big Game mono

Well I thought about it and ended up using my credits towards protecting my gear got 9 rod gloves and 5 reel covers for $18 all said and done. I’ve had too many rod breakages and eye issues due to them all getting tangled up in the truck. I even let them ride in the cab and I still have problems