Brian11719

Love the 610mlxf legend xtreme I found used a while back...one of my favorite rods in my lineup. OH you said 'talk you down'...sorry.

Reverse tariff sale today and tomorrow at the hookup tackle . Spend $100 get $24 back as a gift card.

^ this is actually very true and why I didn't suggest a kaden 735cb. I'd still suggest a dobyns cb rod for what OP described over a sierra though...and as much as I like the two sierras I own I personally wouldn't use that line for this type of application, but it could certainly be done and that's the thing is action preference varies depending on the individual. In my case I've found dobyns rods seem to be really good at exactly what they recommend them for (more so than other manufacturers) so if a dobyns rod says 'crankbait' on it, the ones I've used have lined up with what I seem to like for a treble hook lure...another thing I like about their rods is the fact that their actions are mostly consistent across different lines...and the balance on them is also notable.

+1 for the ultegra (or any shimano reel w/ x protect). This is one of the main reasons I suggest the ultegra over the lower end reels...never know when it's going to rain. ^ The last gen ultegras were a steal at one point I got one for $75. You can probably still find one for well under your budget.

Yeah that one looks like a shallow spool. I'd personally want a regular spool. If you can't find a comparable stradic in that price range there might still be some last gen ultegras around and on sale and that is a great reel and not much different from the old regular size stradic (I use both).

footage of what that will most likely look like: I love the action on dobyns crankbait rods in the kaden and champ xp series but at the moment you would have a very hard time trying to convince me not to go with that Daiwa DXB. Also agree that the closest option from St Croix (for me anyway) would be the LTB (composite model) and honestly that one is ok but in terms of bang for the buck it wouldn't be my first choice. If you read through some of the older posts on this site there are a lot of people that swear by that last gen Daiwa and for the price I'm not sure anything looks better right now... On another note...glad I bought all my rods for the year a couple of months ago from the looks of it...

I have a few Dobyns crankbait rods and a couple in the Sierra series. I wouldn't personally recommend that rod for those techniques...also shame to see their prices are higher for these rods. The closest match I have would be a medium heavy rod and while I like the action on it a lot but I wouldn't use it for treble lures. If it were me and I wanted something for heavier lures like the trace around that price point one option I'd be looking at is the Daiwa DXB Glass Reaction rod on TW. The previous gen has some really good feedback from this site and while I haven't used it based on what you are describing that would be one of the ones I'd be looking at...or maybe one of the crankbait rods in the champion xp series but that might be a bit more than you were looking to spend.

I used a 1/0 ewg for a while but I've been getting away from ewg hooks lately. My current favorite is actually a newer one called the Armor Point Drop Shot Long Shank by BKK and I like the 2/0 size. It's fairly light but still heavy enough to not bend out easily and I feel like these type of hooks do a little better than an ewg. The other one that I've found that is pretty good and similar is a 1/0 vmc redline finesse neko but that one is more expensive and I actually like the BKK better because reasons. For lures I like Roboworm. 6" straight tail in tequila sunrise or margarita mutilator. Also like their alive shad when they won't bite a worm. Or if the water is darker I've had a fair amount of success with an og junebug sensei from yamamoto. 1/4oz weight almost always but might go to 3/8oz if I'm in deeper water. I've also noticed line can be a thing. I am beginning to see why some people like @TOXIC like straight mono but apparently I prefer to light my money on fire so I like 20lb sufix 832 to a 12lb seaguar grand max leader...or maybe the gold label leader...I'm actually convinced those 2 are the same but for some reason the grand max seems like it's on sale more often so I tend to find myself looking at that. I should also point out line / leader size will vary depending on what type of cover you fish around but if you are looking at a good amount of grass and/or zebra mussels I've found these lines do better than most of the others I've tried.

Pointer 100 is still the best bait

I prefer shakey head lures that stand up straight like an x-zone deception worm. For a neko rig I just use a senko with a nail weight in it but honestly I don't use one that much and typically just throw a senko on a 3/0 twistlock light...might be a bit old school for some but it seems to be what works the best for me. For drop shots I like a yamamoto sensei or a roboworm. The roboworm has great action and I'm honestly not sure why but something about the sensei just seems to get bites over most of the other worms I've tried. I prefer a spinning rod for all of these techniques. In terms of which one to get I'd say the same thing that I've been saying for a while now which is to pay attention to how you actually like to hold the rod and then pick one based on that rather than just doing that the internet says to do. Medium fast is what I'd suggest for these for the most part...maybe an extra fast if you are looking at something like a st croix or a cashion but for most other manufacturers I'd probably suggest a fast action. I personally use a st crox 6'10 ml xf for my dropshot rod and would recommend anything at or above the mojo line. For other stuff if I was going to buy another spinning rod it would most likely be a poison adrena and that 7' medium regular fast or that 7'2 medium light fast both look good to me. If you want something a little less expensive the dobyns sierra 692sf is a solid choice. For reels I like the shimano ultegra, stradic, or vanford. The vanford is noticeably lighter but all three are very good reels. 'Budget' choice would wait for the next Dobyns sell whenever it is and pick up that sierra and you can still find the previous gen ultegras on sale. Those two also pair nicely together color wise.

I use the freestyle w/ a 8/0 owner beast since there's usually a fair amount of grass / cover where I like to throw them. I think the daingerous does a little better in terms of the range of speed you can retrieve it and get a good action. I also like that one since it has a single hook on top...also picked up a couple of shadtrons but haven't tried them yet...hoping to get to that one this month. I still like the magdraft freestyle but to your point it does seem to have a narrower range when it comes to the retrieve speed. Also found this video a little while ago and thought I'd share since it has some good info on the freestyle (and no irony whatsoever):

I like the swamp lord in black or mf bluegill...which is basically a white bottom with an orange spot near the head.

Fair amount of daiwa and st croix stuff at 30% off at tackledirect O.O

https://6thsensefishing.com/collections/crush-series-squarebills/products/crush-series-shad-burst ^ they do have some colors w/ the 'xtra rattle' https://6thsensefishing.com/collections/crush-series-squarebills/products/crush-series-wild-shad ^ others don't the faint rattle is the one I've been using and it's worked well for me (even when the water isn't as clear)

I actually like the crush 100...bit bigger profile so you get a little more drawing power that way...plus it's 5/8oz which I usually end up getting a significant amount of more casting distance with vs the 3/8oz model.

The 705CB is a mod fast action...similar to their other crankbait rods. Some people think moderate action is the best for a bladed jig. Others say it's fast. Ultimately it comes down to preference but in my case I've found a moderate fast action does well in terms of keeping them pinned but still having enough to drive the single hook through and rip through grass. I actually own a KD 735CB and a DC 736CB GLASS. While I use the 736 as my primary rod, in the 735CB also does very well as a bladed jig rod especially with lures that are just a little lighter. Not going to try and convince you why any action is better for a bladed jig than another (there's plenty of info on the subject out there), but if you look at the Evergreen Combat Sticks that were designed by Brett Hite they also have a more moderate action...

Since we are doing trailer pics I'd argue the 3" zakos were a good fit w/ the original ones

Staying in the Fury series: FR 705CB - crankbaits and a bladed jig (I'd use a 3/8oz bladed jig instead of a 1/2oz since a 1/2oz evo or thundercricket w/ a trailer is just short of an ounce while you can get away with it using a 3/8oz would probably help a bit). FR 734C - jig rod...could also go with the 7' model if you want. FR 702SF - a drop shot / shakey head seems like it would work. Having said that you can pick similar sizes / lure ratings and go with different rods and IMO it might be worth paying a little more for the finesse rod. Not sure what your budget is but I personally like the Poison Adrenas the best in terms of bang for the buck...but even going up to the Sierra series for the second spinning rod would be a noticeable improvement over the Fury series.

Almost gave in when I saw the email but told myself I need to use the couple of mini maxs I haven't even opened yet before I pick one up. My willpower seems to be holding so far but if they do another 20% off sale all bets will most likely be off.

Looks like I beat Glenn to posting this video: Pretty much spot on IMHO and 4 is what I take in my kayak although I could fit 5 if I really wanted to... Since you already have a couple of Dobyns rods I'll throw in what I'd do if it were me. KD735CB - all purpose crankbait rod...great for a lipless and can also throw a topwater walking bait like a spook or a bladed jig with it. KD745C - good for frogs, pitching and flipping, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits. If you want to pick up a fifth one I'd suggest 1 of 2 routes depending on what you tend to throw more. If you want to get into punching or heavier swimbaits you could get something like a KD735FLIP and use that for a punching rod or throw heavier single hook swimbaits like a 6" magdraft freestyle with an owner beast in it. On the other hand if you like trebles more instead of the KD735CB you could go with a 6104CB and use that for smaller stuff like jerkbaits, squarebills and poppers and then go up to a DC736CB for bladed jigs and medium - deep crankbaits. No reason to stick to all Dobyns I just used these as an example because I'm familiar with them all (and own most of them). A third option for the fifth rod would be a second spinning rod if you find yourself throwing a lot of finesse stuff.

If it were me I'd go with the Sam Sobi 724c on their website over the Fury. Same price since it's on sale right now but it's basically a Kaden blank from what I've read which is a noticeable step up from the Fury line...

Do you have any more details on why you want a moderate rod for this? Generally speaking they have rods with stinger tips for this type of thing and most of them are fast or extra fast so just wondering why you are considering a moderate action rod. Having said that if it were me I'd probably go with one of the new Adrenas or an Expride for a strolling rod but it's hard to say in this case. Is there a specific lure or lures that you are looking to throw?

I have not tried an SLX but recently picked up a Curado 200 and a Tatula 100. The Curado is ok and as good or maybe a little better than the previous favorite in my lineup (Lews Tournament Pro) but the Tatula 100 is already my new favorite reel...by far. The handle and the brake dial are both a little too small IMO but aside from that it's been perfect. To be fair the Tournament Pro came out several years before the latest gen Curado or Tatula and it should be interesting to see what they replace it with if / when that happens, but at this point I'm leaning heavily towards the Tatula line for future reels. Hopefully they will make a bigger brake dial and increase the size of the handle a bit at some point if not I can live with it (or just replace the handle). I still like Shimano the best for spinning reels, but it's looking like Daiwa might have converted me for casting setups.

I personally don't. A senko with a 1/0 hook in it usually comes out to about .35oz and generally speaking I don't like to throw anything less than 1/2oz on a casting setup. I also like a senko or a fluke around docks and with a spinning rod you don't need to worry about hitting the dock and dealing with a backlash.

+1 for this ^ suggestion for Dobyns. They also have a similar model in the Kaden line if you want a faster action but I prefer the Sierra line for spinning rods and you can usually find them on sale at some point and get the price down to below $150 and the difference between these lines and the Fury is worth it IMHO. Right now in terms of bang for the buck my favorite line for a spinning rod is the Poison Adrena series since I don't like foregrips. That will cost more but there is a significant step up in terms of sensitivity and I really like the handles and overall feel of them. If you want to stick to that price range and prefer a rod that isn't a foregrip, then I would recommend the Sierra line. On that note it might be a good time to take a look at how you actually prefer to hold a spinning rod as I've seen a few people buy one based on advice / internet videos only to find out they prefer a different style grip. And since it's your first one it might also be worth going to a local store and holding a few different ones since you can get a better feel for the different options out there than you can by just looking at pictures, reading articles or watching videos online. I haven't used it but the Falcon Lowrider also seems like a good rod and either the medium or medium heavy looks like it would also work. Interestingly enough that one also has a foregrip and the handle is above the reel so again in your case it might be best to try holding a few in person if at all possible.