ww2farmer

Funny you should ask As stated before most of my rods are Fenwicks and St. Croix, with a few other sprinkled in for varity. I have a few Shimano Compre's and Crucial's. The Crucial is an excallant rod, it is better than an HMX, but it is also more expensive. I would really look at that $63 HMG on amazon, and pair that with a Pflueger Supreme, which can be had NIB on ebay for as little as $75. The HMG is very very close to the Crucial, so much so that I can't say the Crucial is worth the extra $$. Don't get me wrong Shimano rods are slowly creeping into my my "favorite" catagory with Fenwick and St. Croix, but Fenwicks "bang for the buck" factor can not be ignored, and on top of that they are the most trouble free rods I have ever owned, not 1 EVER has had an issue.

I have 2 that I got new last winter that have seen over 150 days on tha water....still good as new.

1/2 of my rods are Fenwicks (HMX's, HMG's, and Techna AV's), the other 1/2 are St. Criox's (Premiers, Avids, and Legend Tournaments). I would buy more Fenwicks in a heartbeat. Dollar for Dollar the HMX's and HMG's are better VALUES than the St Croixs in the same price range. I don't feel the Techna's are worth the same as the Legend Tournaments or more than the Avids. The HMX and HMG beat the Premier hands down, and give the Avid a run for it's money for far less. If I had to fish with one series of rods exclusivly it would be the Fenwick HMX, they have an excellant range of lengths and powers, and are much less expensive than they deserve to be..........don't tell Fenwick that, I like that I can buy them cheap.

I have no problem with Quantum, I also own 3 Accurist PT's. Have had one for a few years and liked it so much I boght 2 more this fall when they went on sale. I am sad to see Quantum discontinue them. If your on an even tighter budget, the Accurist CX is also an excellant reel, own several of those too. I think Quantum gets it's bad reputaion from it's shoddy products it was putting out 10 years ago, and the fact they still make alot of low quality, low end stuff. There higher grade stuff has come along way in the last few years, and the Accurist, Energy, and Tour casting reels are as good as any one else's high end stuff. There spinning reels don't impress me though. Quantum would do itself a HUGE favor by dropping it's name off the low end crap that litters the Wal-Mart fishing isle.

I have a few Fenwick HMX's that have been used with braid for years, not one problem with those guides.

Out of Curiosity I would like to see a picture of this rod.

IMHO If you want something from Pflueger better than a Presidant skip the Medalist and go to the Supreme. I own all 3 (and a Trion too), but I use the Medalist the least, and only own one, I have several Presidants and Supremes.

I bass fish exclusivly from April to November. In the winter I hit the ice for some bluegills

I also have the LTB "frog and slop", but it is not my favorite frog rod or pitching rod. That honor belongs to my 6'10" Avid MHF, it's a powerfull rod, rated up to 1 1/4 oz, the shorter lenght makes it much MUCH easier to skip frogs, the shorther length also makes it IMHO a better pitching rod. It's a telescoping rod which some people might not care for, but I don't mind it. One problem................St Croix doesn't make it any more, I see there a few on e-bay now, I got mine new last year when the older Avids were on clearance, wish I would have bought another.

I own the St. Croix 7' M/F LTB "Teaser" rod, and while it is my favorite rod, it is not the rod I would chose for fishing heavy grass and cover. I would go up to a MH power rod at the least, and personaly, I would probably use a H power rod myself.

I agree with most of the above, I own several ML, M and MH power spinning rods, but stand by my "opinion" that the ideal SM rod for me is my 7' ML Avid. I fish waters where big fish are not rare (Erie, Oneida, Finger Lakes etc...) this rod has handled many 5 and 6lb class fish on 6lb Flurocarbon line for me with ease, so it has the power, and, forgiveness that IMHO is a must in a SM spinning rod.

My favorite Smallie rod is my St. Croix Avid 7' ML, Fast action. I use it for primarily for drop shotting, but it also is a great rod for 4" senkos, small jigs and tubes, and split shot rigs. If I had to only keep one of my spinning rods it would be this one.

5 years ago I swore off Strike King spinnerbaits due to very bad luck with getting poorly made baits, but now I am back using them almost exclusivly. The Premier Plus, and the KVD baits are fantastic.

I use a #1 Gamakatsu split shot/drop shot hook for nose hooking both 4" and 6" finesse worms.

We just went through this about a week ago. If you don't like it..........don't buy it. I don't need it or want it, but thats just me. To each his own. BTW if your going to flame something, get the name right.

I bought those hooks and HATE THEM. Try the Gambler Cane toad hook, it is by far a better and easier way to rig them.

3/16 oz. finesse jigs, Senkos, 1/4 oz. Spinnerbaits, 1/4 oz. lipless cranks. light texas rigs.

When I am a non-boater I try to only bring 4-5 rods. In my boat I have the full lineup, usually 14 or so. Now back to what 5 I carry when I am a non-boater, well, it really all depends on the time of year and body of water. If I am fishing Lake Erie any time of the year I bring 2 dropshot rods, 2 tube dragging rods, and a Jigging spoon rod. If the TX is on Conesus or Honeoye, I'll bring a dock skipping rod, a dropshot rod, a senko rod, a flipping stick, and a topwater rod. So there are no 5 I can really pin down LOL, but I can and have limited myself to 5.

I also like them, I use the 1/0 weedless for wacky rigging 4" Senkos, and the 2/0 for 5" Senkos. The weedguard is pretty flimsy but it is surprisingly weedless. I toss them any where with no fear. I do have a new favorite hook for wacky rigging, but I'll keep that to myself for now

Good value? YES Well made? YES Decent performance for the price? YES As good as the big name brands ? (St Croix, Loomis, Fenwick, etc...)No, but I still fish a few even after upgrading to St. Croix, and Fenwicks.

What worked= same ole stuff I always used: Paca Craws, Beavers, Tubes,flukes,frogs, Senkos, Trick Worms, Robo Worms, Rat-L-Traps, X-raps,Manns baby 1-, Bandit cranks, 1/4 and 3/8 oz Spinner baits, spooks, poppers, Jigs. What didn't work= same ole stuff I always used when I fished it where there were no fish. Color this year ment very little to me, as long is it was some shade of green pumpkin and/or watermelon in clear water, junebug and/or black-n- blue in stained water.

Past time to stop buying "online". : I think the poster is pulling our leg, what are the chances of getting 1, let alone 2 used/abused/crappy reels in the same order form a reputable seller, slim to none. Just trolling for a controversy, I call BS on this one.

I use the palomar knot 100% of the time while drop shoting and have yet to break off a fish on the rig this entire season. I use Berkley Trilene 100% Pro. grade flurocarbon, 6lb test. I must be doing something right as I have 3 5lb+ smallies, and 1 6lb SM this year, as well as hundredes of 3-4 lbers both SM and LM, I even landed a 10lb pike on it.

Anything Rapala or Bandit. Strike King Redeye Shads, Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps, Manns 1- Elite,

St Croix Legend Tournament LTB70HF "Frog -n-Slop". Or if thats out of your price range try the Avid AVC70HF. I recently bought both and the fish the frog equaly well. BUT my favorite frog rod is neither..........thats right. I have an older (pre IPC) St Croix Avid AC610MHF that IMHO is a PERFECT frog rod. Long enough for long casts and good hooksets, short enough for pin point accuracy in tight spots, the shorter length makes walking the frog much easier IMHO, and it's a much more powerfull rod than the MH rating it sports. St Croix doesn't make this rod any more, but from time to time they turn up on e-bay.