MediumMouthBass

The stiffest/least parabolic rod i own is a 7'2" M-F rod, so id say thats a no for most rods brands as a whole. Theres several M-M rods on the market, but most are very flimsy and weak on the ratings. A cranking rod will help you alot on the water, from reduced strain on the body casting over and over again, to better hookup percentages, etc, etc. But these can get expensive, especially when you need 1 for light cranks, 1 for squarebills, and 1 for deep divers... The best alternatives ive found are 2 options. #1. Take any MH-F rod, use mono or hybrid for line, and loosen the drag. I fished all the crankbaits my heart desired for years when i didnt have a cranking rod. Didnt lose a single bass from 2-10lbs (although there were several before the drag got loosened). #2. This is the best alternative to a cranking rod, works great for lipless cranks, crankbaits, even lighter deep divers, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, and swimjigs. The 2 piece (its got to be a 2 piece to get the most parabolic action it can get) 7' MH F (its not a fast, its moderate-moderate fast) Aird X. It costs $25-55 depending on sales and keeps up with all my cranking rods.

Not Berkley Vanish. Stay away from this, even though its dirt cheap.

To add, OP i was just on Ebay looking for a Daiwa T3, 3 different JDM sellers had the same pictures of an old beat up reel. And no descriptions. Usually sellers might use one or a few stock photos (usually from the manufacturers website) but these sellers have about 10 pictures all of the same beat up poor condition reel. This is very odd for Ebay.

If the seller has a high rating buy with complete confidence, and even if they dont. Ebay always sides with the buyer, even if they purposely ruin the item they purchased. - Ebay seller..... Check the profile and see how many items sold, and if they do have bad reviews read them. Sometimes its a good review but the person didnt put the right rating. Ive gotten some unreal deals on lures and reels there, but remember the new reels and rods there are not sold by an authorized dealer. Most companies (Daiwa for one) will consider it a used product and give you 0 warranty or support. Another thing to think about is this when buying used reels, i bought a few new and used ones that were listed "great reel no issues" only to find the drag didnt work, and the other came with the wrong spool tension knob that wouldnt work. Most guys are resellers and as long as the thing brings in line they call it good. But again Ebay/Paypal always side with the buyer, and most sellers are more than helpful if an issue arises. The guy who sold me my second reel refunded half the price when i only asked for enough to cover the tension knob.

15-20lb Yo Zuri Hybrid or Berkley Big Game mono. Thanks for the info, ill have to try this with the rod ive currently got. If it works ill keep the rod for the 6" and fish it in grass. And then buy a bigger bait rod a month from now and have a 2nd rod for those 7" ones.

Im actually planning on pickup one of these up for treble hooked swimbaits and glides, i love the rod and would buy a 2nd for these if they offered it in a non moderate action. It would definitely work, but i think i would like a fast or extra fast much more for these big single hooks buried into plastic. Im a big Dobyns fan, and have wanted the 795 and 806 for awhile but the ones ive looked at where just a bit too parabolic for me. Will definitely add this to the list of rods to checkout, did it seem like the 6" with the 3/8 Beast in any way was too light for the rod since its rated to 5oz?

I use the Daingerous the most, but picked up some Whales to try. I really love fishing these type of swimbaits but really struggle fishing them with the rods i own. The rod im using for them now is a KVD CC5 (7'4" Heavy - Moderate, rated 1/2-2oz) it does fine for the 6" although it struggles with distance, but feels like it may or may not become a two piece rod after a few casts using the 7". For context the 6" weighs 1.2oz, and the 7" 1.6oz (using what i could find on the internet since i dont have a scale currently). Depending on which swimbait and Owner Beast hook size used the total weight can range from just under 1.5oz low end - just under 2oz high end. The other issue i have with this rod is the moderate action, but it was all i had at the time to use. I know its been talked about on here before, but everything i could find for rod recommendations were $250-300 rods, and only went to 1 1/2-2oz at the highest. Thats way out of my price range, and IMO too low in ratings for me. Ive found 4 rods that might work for me. #1. Lews KVD GC9 7'6" X-Heavy, X-Fast. 1/2-3oz rating #2. BPS Crankin Stick 7'10" MH, Fast. 1-4oz rating #3. Lews Super Duty 7'6" Heavy, Fast. 1-4oz rating #4. Falcon Expert (Amistad) 7'4" Extra Heavy, Fast. 3/4-3oz rating Anyone use any of these rods for stuff like Magdraft freestyles or similar? If not any other rods i should check out that wont be pushing the rod to its maximum?

Today used reels are closer to MSRP than new ones. On marketplace they actually cost more most times. I buy all my reels new from Midway and DSG and get between 20-80% off regularly when they have a sale or open box items. However im not against buying used reels, if given the chance to get one in good condition for the right price id buy it.

I see it now, you're correct, TW for nicer reels/rods. BPS for mid range rods (although they carry much less options) and those mid range reels. For anything under $200 it doesnt seem worth it, but back to what you said about using them for higher end reels. Over $200 you would be getting back atleast $50, most places can ship a reel for $10. Its not much of a loss at that level. And you never know, TW might surprise us and send a prepaid shipping label with the orders that are done online. But thats my wishful thinking and unlikely.

Im hoping its a bigger skirt, and bigger profile too?😀 Ive been needing something with a vibration and a big profile for awhile now, so this is great. Any updates on the Mini Fogy?

BPS 40-79.99 = $10. TW 50-100 = $10. BPS 80-119.99 = $20 TW 100-150 = $20. BPS 120-174.99 = $30 TW 150-199.99 = $30 BPS 175-219.99 = $40 TW no option BPS 220-499.99 = $50 TW 200-299.99 = $50 (until this point TW has been behind in each tier, making you spend more) After this TW takes the win. But if TW isnt covering shipping your items to them (which is realistic they wont) that would eat into most if not all of the trade value.... But still a good option for those who want a rod or reel BPS doesnt carry. Lets be honest, i have more rods and reels in a corner collecting dust than whats on the floor at most BPS/Cabelas these days....

When i say power knobs, im talking about power knobs. The ones that are bigger than your reels spool and popular upgrades for guys slinging 6-8oz+ baits or salt water anglers. I could never use them, im big on how my gear looks. Its just as important as performance and comfort to me. But i think my point was taken out of context, i asked what place they have on 100 sized reels for regular bass fishing? Because there is none. If you are flipping in vegetation like you said, or casting swimbaits like i said #1. theres better looking knobs of that size on the market (IMO Gomexus is an atrocity), and #2. Not many guys are using 100 sized reels for either of what we talked about, as most would prefer a 150-200 atleast 8 times out of 10.

Is only the hook bigger in size? Or the blade too? How much larger is this compared to a regular Fogy?

TW going after BPS, from today till the 26th (what a coincidence) they are having a rod and reel trade in program (although BPS has better values its close, and TW has much more inventory for rods and reels). You can ship it to them or drop it off, although im guessing we pay for shipping. So factor that in to the trade values.

What did you think of them?