Help choosing my 3rd rod please

[Joeroe]

I am a fairly inexperienced fisherman that has a lot to learn and it's time to find a 3rd rod for casting light tackle.  Here's what I have right now. 

Shimano Crucial 7`2 Med/xfast CRSDX72MB with a Shimano spirex reel (Dropshot rig)

 

Dobyns 734C FH Champion Series Heavy Fast Casting Rod, 7'3" with a Shimano curado 201 (my everything but dropshot rod right now)

 

The Curado is my first baitcaster and it's working great but I am not good enough with it to cast light lures so looking for something to fill that gap. I'm thinking spinning is the way to go and I'm happy with the spirex but am up for suggestions there too. Is a Shimano Stradic CI4+ really worth the extra cost over a spirex. Any help you can give will be appreciated. 

[Kidflex]

Just stick with your crucial/spirex combo for lighter lures unless you really have to/want to get another set up. You have a heavy casting setup and a medium spin set up. I would personally get a med/hvy casting set up and you'd have a lot of stuff covered. And to answer your question about the stradic. Yes, it's worth the extra. 

[fishnkamp]

Here are my thoughts.  

First your Shimano 7'2" will handle most finesse techniques like throwing weightless worms, drop shotting and light weight baits like tubes or grubs very well.

Next your Dobyns is a fantastic rod.  It will handle all sort of jigs,big worms, even a frog.

I believe what you are missing are two rods. If you intend to fish crankbaits and rattle traps you may want a dedicated rod like a DC 684CB rod  If you want to fish jerkbaits and topwaters more go look at the Abu Garcia Ike delay series IKECW64-5 rod. Now let me explain  This rod is one of the Ike rods Mike iocconelly designed for Abu Garcia. I fish one and love it.  Now think of this rod as being a 6"8 rod only with a bit of a shortened butt so you can work a jerkbait or topwater bait like Pop R's and Sammy's. The rod lets you run a good cadence without beating up you arm with the butt.  It actually measures 6 ft 4 inches and is a workhorse of a rod.  

If either of those two techniques are not that important to your fishing then I would add a rod like the 703C in a Fury, Savy, or champion series. I would suggest looking at the Powell Max3D 723CEF and an Irod IRG703C. All of these are high quality rods in about the same action, tapers and money range.  Check each one out and see what seems to fit within the extremes that you now have.

I am lucky because I have an awesome independent tackle shop that carries all of these rods and more in stock. He is located just 20 minutes from my house here in Baltimore MD.  It is really nice to want something and your dealer has it to put in your hand. This also makes it a bit dangerous to go there. LOL  Good Luck I hope I at least i have you thinking   

[fishnkamp]

I forgot to mention reels. In my world no spinning reel is worth that much money! Period. There are some very nice spinning reels around the $100 price tag. I just set up my wife with an Irod Spinning rod and Shimano Symetre 3000 reel. Now that is a super nice lite weight reel that feels terrific in my hand. I almost went with the Saros but saved the $75  difference. There was no difference in how the reel felt so we saved the money.  That money went towards a fantastic rod instead. As for reels. I have fished with Bass Pro Extremes, several Shimano Curado, a couple of Lews and Chronarchs and now I have settled on Diawas. Last spring I set up a combo for frogging and matched the rod with a Diawa Tatula Type R in 8-1 ratio, I fell in love with the Tatula and Tatula Type R's. This spring I have sold 6 reels and replaced them with Diawa Tatula and Tatula Type R's, as well as one Exceller (my budget ran out on the last one).  I am extra pleased with all of them.  I will be replacing a few more reels next spring so all 12 baitcasters will be Diawas.  If you get one I know you will be happy with it.  

[blckshirt98]

Casting light lures on a baitcaster is a pain in the a** in my opinion and since I can cast light stuff on my spinning gear with accuracy just fine I have no intention of spending the time to get comfortable with it on casting gear.  I'll throw crankbaits up to a KVD 1.5 squarebill size on spinning gear with no problems.

You might want to get a dedicated glass/composite crankbait rod if you like to fish crankbaits/chatterbaits/etc.  At first I wasn't sure how I would like it but now a glass/composite rod is always the second rod I grab when I go anywhere, with a lighter spinning setup being the first.

Reels, you're really only talking a few ounces lighter for an extra $100+.  It looks nice and you may feel more confident with a Stradic CI4+, but a high end spinning reel for freshwater fishing is absolutely a luxury purchase and not a necessary one.  $50 spinning reels will get the job done.

[Nathan Burton]

If you have the extra money to purchase the Ci4+, by all means, get it. That reel will last you years. On another note, plus one here for getting a crankbait rod.

[Joeroe]

Wow!!  I didn't know anyone responded. I guess I need to check my spam folder and check the thread settings.  Thanks for taking the time to help me out. 

fishnkamp

I fish mostly from a fairly small Jackson Coosa HD kayak and I'm leaning toward your suggestion of the 684cb and a Shimano Symetre 3000 reel.  I was thinking about a 704 but kind of like the idea of the shorter rod. My brother in law has a small lake that I fish a lot and the large bass are illusive so it would be nice to have a rod that will cast a small rebel crawdad at the end of a slow day since that thing will catch everything. That was almost all I used in the past and it's never let me down.  That lure even hooked a 5-6lb bass on my daughters tiny uglystick but my inexperience got the best of me. The rod didn't have the backbone to get it into the kayak so I had to pull the last 10' in by hand. Unfortunately I lifted the fish out of the water too much and right before I got my thumb in his mouth the hook broke. It's sad to say but that would have been the largest bass i ever caught. 

Dropshotting is the only style I have been focusing on and I like the shimano rod but I need to learn a new style so looks like I'll be working on crankbaits and rattle traps. Since my shimano rod will only be used for Dropshotting would you suggest using my 734 or the new 684 for spinners?  I'm thinking the 734. 

[Fish4bigfish]

1 hour ago, Joeroe said:

Wow!!  I didn't know anyone responded. I guess I need to check my spam folder and check the thread settings.  Thanks for taking the time to help me out. 

fishnkamp

I fish mostly from a fairly small Jackson Coosa HD kayak and I'm leaning toward your suggestion of the 684cb and a Shimano Symetre 3000 reel.  I was thinking about a 704 but kind of like the idea of the shorter rod. My brother in law has a small lake that I fish a lot and the large bass are illusive so it would be nice to have a rod that will cast a small rebel crawdad at the end of a slow day since that thing will catch everything. That was almost all I used in the past and it's never let me down.  That lure even hooked a 5-6lb bass on my daughters tiny uglystick but my inexperience got the best of me. The rod didn't have the backbone to get it into the kayak so I had to pull the last 10' in by hand. Unfortunately I lifted the fish out of the water too much and right before I got my thumb in his mouth the hook broke. It's sad to say but that would have been the largest bass i ever caught. 

Dropshotting is the only style I have been focusing on and I like the shimano rod but I need to learn a new style so looks like I'll be working on crankbaits and rattle traps. Since my shimano rod will only be used for Dropshotting would you suggest using my 734 or the new 684 for spinners?  I'm thinking the 734. 

734 for drop shot? Wow maybe bubba shotting with 15 lb test and a 3/8 weight. I drop shot with a dobyns Sierra 702. This rod has a fantastic tip for the technique and plenty of power to handle a big bass on light line. 

[fishnkamp]

Let me be clear so we do not get confused.  There are a couple of rods that can get confusing. Here is the rod I was suggesting. It is the Dobyns Champion DC684CB. That is a 6'8" medium heavy action baitcasting rod with a moderate taper.  That is a slower rod designed to throw 1/4 to 3/4 lures with treble hooks.  This slower action allows for a slower reaction to allow the fish to suck in the offering and protects you  a little better so you do not pull the treble hooks out of the fishes mouth if it makes a hard run or sudden lunge at the boat.  I would use it for throwing small to medium (0 to 15 foot divers) crankbaits, jerkbaits,wakebaits. rattle traps, and even top water baits like PopRs and small  chug bug type poppers. I would also throw small spinnerbaits from 1/4 to 3/4 of an ounce, anything heavier or with real big blades might feel to heavy for that rod and your heavier rod might do that better.  I love that rod and if I did not own a very similar rod from Irod it would be on my to get list.  I would match it with a good Diawa Tatula or Tatula CT depending on which one feels better in your hand.  

I would use your crucial rod for more than just drop shotting. It is a very versatile rod. Look at the following baits to add to the arsenal to be used on that rod. First go to Bass Pro's website. I want you to look at Luck-E- Strikes' perfect finesse worm rigs and their perfect worm hooks. They are different colors, weights and hook sizes available. I believe we use some of the 1/0 fineness and some of the 2/0 or 3/0 ,1/8 , 3/16 and 1/4.  What you need are some grubs like Zoom 5 inch Fat Albert grubs. Match the hook size so it fits well. My wife has used a few colors all around the country. Salt and pepper,, watermelon red flake, green pumpkin red flake and maybe cotton candy.  The nice thing about the hook with the weight attached you can change to a worm real fast like a 4 inch Berkley Power Bait worm in blue flec or green pumpkin, in fact all of the colors in this worm work at some time.  There are a ton of other good finesse type worms like zipper worms, culprit worms etc.  The nice thing here is if you have a perfect worm rig on you can change style of baits without re-tying.

The last two rigs I want you to get are must haves and your Crucial will work fine with. The first one to look at is a Gary Yamamoto's Senko. These are a very special type of finesse worm that would work terrific in the pond you spoke of. Gary's baits are really good but fragile, so a good option would be the Kanami 5 inch Flash. basically the same but cheaper. Cabelas has some house brands that are nice as well. These can be rigged wacky style meaning the hook is placed in the middle of the bait using an o ring or texas rigged but always a very small hook is used.  The last rig I want to share is the Ned Rig. Go to Tackle Warehouse and look up ZMAN baits. It is called "ZMAN Finesse TRD(stands for THE REAL DEAL)"  They are 2.75 inches long and made out of a very special plastic called Elaztec which is almost indestructible. I fished one bait and caught at least 20 big smallmouth bass on it before I replaced it. Along with the bait you will need some of the ZMan Shroomz jig heads. They now have 1/8  and larger ones but we fished all the way out to 20 foot deep with the original 1/10 heads. These look ridiculous but we caught smallies up to 6 pounds on them. All of these baits will work on your spinning rod,very well so add these tricks to your arsenal. 

Now I would use your 734 for everything I did not mention for these two rods. I would throw heavier spinnerbaits like 1/2 to 1 ounce if I was going to slow roll a spinnerbait down a point in say 1 to 20 feet. This is what I would use to fish a heavier jig say  1/4 to 3/4 football head, , pitching jig ( not possible in a Kayak) or swim jig along with a plastic trailer. This would be the rod I would throw either texas rigged worms from 7 inches up to 12 inches with worm weights again of 1/4 all the way to 1 ounce. It is also a great carolina rig rod. If you notice I said to use the 684 for small topwaters. This rod can handle big Zara Spooks, buzz baits, chatterbaits and even some frogs like the Stanley Ribbit. These three rods would make a very versatile arsenal. And you will have fun learning new techniques to use with the two rods you already own. That is always a plus!

["hamma"]

looks like you need a med action rod for topwaters/crankbaits,jerkbaits,..and I say this as I feel these lures require that softer action for the treble hooks. And you can throw these lures on a spinning rod. But before I get ahead of myself, The spirex is a decent reel, but the saros and stradic are a different world. They offer the aerowrap line management, which lays the line on the spool in such a manner that the line isnt "fighting" to come off the spool which results in a much longer cast. For smaller lighter lures this can be a huge difference especially with lighter lines, but different just the same with any lure/line. Hence the more $ for them, and yes they are most definately worth it.

 As for the rod itself? you need to research what YOU want and what YOU can afford. I have rods that I paid forty bucks for, and ones I paid almost three hundred for and I like them the same. The more expensive may be more sensitive, but for treble hooks lures that only goes so far. You dont really "need" that sensitivity so much, yes it would be nice to feel every little thing, but not a "neccessity" as if you were looking to toss a jig/worm 

[Joeroe]

20 hours ago, Fish4bigfish said:

734 for drop shot? Wow maybe bubba shotting with 15 lb test and a 3/8 weight. I drop shot with a dobyns Sierra 702. This rod has a fantastic tip for the technique and plenty of power to handle a big bass on light line. 

I use the shimano crucial for drop shot not the 734.   I bought it since it was good for drops shot but also versatile.   Eventually I may get something like you suggest but right now I have other things I need to buy first since the crucial works pretty good for me right now. 

Thanks for the reply

[Joeroe]

20 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Let me be clear so we do not get confused.  There are a couple of rods that can get confusing. Here is the rod I was suggesting. It is the Dobyns Champion DC684CB. That is a 6'8" medium heavy action baitcasting rod with a moderate taper.  That is a slower rod designed to throw 1/4 to 3/4 lures with treble hooks.  This slower action allows for a slower reaction to allow the fish to suck in the offering and protects you  a little better so you do not pull the treble hooks out of the fishes mouth if it makes a hard run or sudden lunge at the boat.  I would use it for throwing small to medium (0 to 15 foot divers) crankbaits, jerkbaits,wakebaits. rattle traps, and even top water baits like PopRs and small  chug bug type poppers. I would also throw small spinnerbaits from 1/4 to 3/4 of an ounce, anything heavier or with real big blades might feel to heavy for that rod and your heavier rod might do that better.  I love that rod and if I did not own a very similar rod from Irod it would be on my to get list.  I would match it with a good Diawa Tatula or Tatula CT depending on which one feels better in your hand.  

I would use your crucial rod for more than just drop shotting. It is a very versatile rod. Look at the following baits to add to the arsenal to be used on that rod. First go to Bass Pro's website. I want you to look at Luck-E- Strikes' perfect finesse worm rigs and their perfect worm hooks. They are different colors, weights and hook sizes available. I believe we use some of the 1/0 fineness and some of the 2/0 or 3/0 ,1/8 , 3/16 and 1/4.  What you need are some grubs like Zoom 5 inch Fat Albert grubs. Match the hook size so it fits well. My wife has used a few colors all around the country. Salt and pepper,, watermelon red flake, green pumpkin red flake and maybe cotton candy.  The nice thing about the hook with the weight attached you can change to a worm real fast like a 4 inch Berkley Power Bait worm in blue flec or green pumpkin, in fact all of the colors in this worm work at some time.  There are a ton of other good finesse type worms like zipper worms, culprit worms etc.  The nice thing here is if you have a perfect worm rig on you can change style of baits without re-tying.

The last two rigs I want you to get are must haves and your Crucial will work fine with. The first one to look at is a Gary Yamamoto's Senko. These are a very special type of finesse worm that would work terrific in the pond you spoke of. Gary's baits are really good but fragile, so a good option would be the Kanami 5 inch Flash. basically the same but cheaper. Cabelas has some house brands that are nice as well. These can be rigged wacky style meaning the hook is placed in the middle of the bait using an o ring or texas rigged but always a very small hook is used.  The last rig I want to share is the Ned Rig. Go to Tackle Warehouse and look up ZMAN baits. It is called "ZMAN Finesse TRD(stands for THE REAL DEAL)"  They are 2.75 inches long and made out of a very special plastic called Elaztec which is almost indestructible. I fished one bait and caught at least 20 big smallmouth bass on it before I replaced it. Along with the bait you will need some of the ZMan Shroomz jig heads. They now have 1/8  and larger ones but we fished all the way out to 20 foot deep with the original 1/10 heads. These look ridiculous but we caught smallies up to 6 pounds on them. All of these baits will work on your spinning rod,very well so add these tricks to your arsenal. 

Now I would use your 734 for everything I did not mention for these two rods. I would throw heavier spinnerbaits like 1/2 to 1 ounce if I was going to slow roll a spinnerbait down a point in say 1 to 20 feet. This is what I would use to fish a heavier jig say  1/4 to 3/4 football head, , pitching jig ( not possible in a Kayak) or swim jig along with a plastic trailer. This would be the rod I would throw either texas rigged worms from 7 inches up to 12 inches with worm weights again of 1/4 all the way to 1 ounce. It is also a great carolina rig rod. If you notice I said to use the 684 for small topwaters. This rod can handle big Zara Spooks, buzz baits, chatterbaits and even some frogs like the Stanley Ribbit. These three rods would make a very versatile arsenal. And you will have fun learning new techniques to use with the two rods you already own. That is always a plus!

 I really appreciate you taking time to explain all of this to me in detail. Too bad I don't have someone like you to fish with. If I did I have a feeling I would be catching a lot more quality fish.

I have a Gary Yamamoto senko kit that has a variety of 4 and 5 inch senkos.  I haven't tried them out yet but looks like I should use them the next time I go to my brother in laws. I'm accustomed to going through a full bag of robo worms each outing when nose hooking for dropshot.

 I know you said you have used the Curado.  Do you feel fairly confident that I will be OK with this set up since I am having problems casting light cranks with the 734 and curado 201.   I know you don't have any issues with it but I am not as experienced as you.  Is the difference in the rod, reel, line or a combination?  I imagine its the combo. One other thing to note is that the curado has power pro spooled on it.  My spirex also has power pro with a mono leader and that is one of the reasons I don't do much more than drop shot with it.  I've been trying to avoid having to do the uni to uni too many times. 

Would you please recommend a ratio and line for that combo.  I will use your last post to start expanding my horizons and pitching isn't a problem in my kayak. It's very stable and easy to stand in. Looks like I have to type in the different styles you suggested into YouTube so I can learn to use these lures as they are intended to be used.

 I plan on ordering this combo once you tell me whether or not you think I will have any issues with the light cranks.

thanks again 

 

 

[Joeroe]

14 hours ago, Keith "Hamma" Hatch said:

looks like you need a med action rod for topwaters/crankbaits,jerkbaits,..and I say this as I feel these lures require that softer action for the treble hooks. And you can throw these lures on a spinning rod. But before I get ahead of myself, The spirex is a decent reel, but the saros and stradic are a different world. They offer the aerowrap line management, which lays the line on the spool in such a manner that the line isnt "fighting" to come off the spool which results in a much longer cast. For smaller lighter lures this can be a huge difference especially with lighter lines, but different just the same with any lure/line. Hence the more $ for them, and yes they are most definately worth it.

 As for the rod itself? you need to research what YOU want and what YOU can afford. I have rods that I paid forty bucks for, and ones I paid almost three hundred for and I like them the same. The more expensive may be more sensitive, but for treble hooks lures that only goes so far. You dont really "need" that sensitivity so much, yes it would be nice to feel every little thing, but not a "neccessity" as if you were looking to toss a jig/worm 

 

Thanks for the help.

 Unfortunately no one in my area sells Dobyns rods and I really like my 734  so I have to depend on  recommendations from people like you guys before purchasing one of them.  

I may just have to try one of the reels  you recommended on my crucial in the future but I think I will need to buy a Muskie rod after this one for the curado 300 reel that I have in the closet.   I purchased it for my Dobyns rod and realized it was too large so I ended up buying the 201.   I never claimed to be bright.

 

[fishnkamp]

First the Curado is a fine reel. I like Power Pro Spectra braid for lots of lures. I usually suggest 20 to 30 pound braid at most.  The thing about that braid is 20 pound test PP is only size of 6 pound mono and 30 pound PP will be the same size as 8 pound mono. So I like the thirty pound line for most baitcasting situation. Let me know which Power Pro product you have spooled up.  I also always tie on a backing to my reels. So I will buy a spool of inexpensive but quality 14 pound line like Stren Blue, or Suffix Elite, Bass Pro Excell, even Berkley XL. There are tons of good quality mono or copolymer lines that do not cost an arm and a leg compared to top quality braid and Floro.  Make sure you tie the backing on with a good tight arbor knot. If this not slips the reel will not perform correctly, this can mess up casting and the drag system. Once your spool is 1/2 full then tie on, using that dreaded uni to uni knot,(it really is an easy knot once you use it a bunch) the braid. Make sure you fill the spool up enough, but leave about 1/8 of an inch of the spool exposed.  This will work best. Now instead of throwing the light weight crankbaits I want you to tie on a 3/8 ounce jig with any kind of plastic trailer, like the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss or Strike King Rage craw. The weight of this bait will be in the middle of the weight the rod is designed to throw. Take this to the lake or cast it in the back yard. This will give you the confidence with this rod and reel. That jig and trailer will be able to load up the fast action tip very well The 734 is a terrific rod but it is not designed to throw light weight crankbaits.  I want you to look at the Dobyns website. Look at the Champion rods  You will notice as you scroll down there is a DC684C casting rod. If you read the description, both lure weight and suggested lures techniques, then read the same info on your DC734C rod. They almost match. Drop down further and read the info on the rod I am suggesting, it is the DC684CB. It list the rod as a Medium action rod with a moderately fast action tip. If you put the tip on the ground and gave some pressure to the tip it would bend the rod much further down the blank towards the reel seat. Light cranks need to load a rod more for distance.  These rods are like a mechanics wrenches, I need a 1/2 inch wrench and a 3/4 wrench , they will not do the same job even though they are both wrenches

There is no reason to spend money to replace the Spirex reel, it is a fine reel. My wife and I have gone to braid and a 10 pound leader on all of our spinning rods  In case you are wondering the combination of braid/ copolymer leader has caught us some huge stripers, catfish, and bass. So just fish that combo. It is perfect. 

I want you to do something with your Corado before you cast it. Tie on the jig and trailer. Now unless that is a new "I" series you will only have the spool tension knob and the centrifugal brakes to adjust your reel with. First loosen the spool tension knob until the spool will move from side to side with your thumb on it. Next slowly tighten the spool tension knob up until the side play is just gone so adjusted like this your reel is as free as it can be and set for its longest freest casting. Next open up the side plate and turn on all of the brakes.  Now with that all done push the thumb bar and watch how fast the lure drops. If it really rockets down to the ground you may need to tighten down the spool tension knob a little more. A s you get your thumb educated we will want to free up the reel a little more by dropping down the number of brakes turned on and then gradually loosening the spool tension knob till there is almost side play or just a tiny bit of side play. Make some casts but make sure to use your thumb to slow down and stop the line at or near the end of the cast.  It is a learning curve, but you will gain confidence and distance with some practice. Fortunately practice can be done on a kayak and is best done with plenty of "interruptions"   

Last one what would I to finish up the Dobyns DC684CB combo with. Well I am torn here because you already have two Curados. Let me ask this first. Which model Curado do you have on the 734? Is it the new Curado I series, a Curado G series or an older Curado E series? 

[Joeroe]

The curado on my 734 is an i and the one in the closet is an e so I have an idea of the difference in braking between the 2. I was thinking about turning off one of the brakes since I opted to have more brake to learn on. I will read your post better tomorrow. I have to go to bed and work in the morning. I've been working 6 days a week lately so haven't had time to fish. I'm making extra money to buy new gear but new gear isn't very useful when you don't have the time to use it. I've been reading about the differences between the diawa and the shimano. Seems like they are both great and people have strong feelings about them. I need to go and see what feels better in the hand. I like my curado but am leaning toward the diawa just to try something new. Just wondering if the diawa braking system will be a challenge since I'm used to the curado. Some say the curado is easier for a beginner but you know how the Internet is. One thing I haven't mastered yet is casting in the wind and that is one of the reasons I was leaning toward a spinning setup. I'm a fairly quick learner so if I can just find the time I'm sure I will get good with a baitcaster in less than ideal conditions.

FYI I only used my 301e in the back yard when it was around 30 degrees out so no actual fishing experience with it.  I can only imagine what the neighbors were thinking.

thanks

[fishnkamp]

There is no doubt that all of the Diawa Tatula 100, and its spinoffs like the Tatula CT, and Type R's etc. are 100 percent easier to learn than your I series, especially for a beginner.  The Curado I is a super reel but not really what i would give to a beginner.  Since the reel you have is a Curado I and they are one of the  smaller sized reels, then my suggestion is to get a Diawa Tatula CT model TACT100H. It should be about the same size. Both the weight and line capacity is almost exactly the same.  It is a right hand retrieve reel with a 6,3 to 1 gear ratio  which is perfect unless your Curado is a left handed reel.  A reel with a 6.3 to 1 will allow that combo to handle the small to mid sized crankbaits well, but also spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and lots more that my earlier post covered . Boy I wish you did live around here because I would just put a rod in your hand and say cast this ...

Everyone has this reel for the same price so goto Tackle Warehouse for the reel, they even offer free shipping.       http://www.***.com/Daiwa_Tatula_CT_Casting_Reel/descpage-T1.html

 I would order the rod from wherever you got your 734.

If you would like to speak over the phone e mail me directly at fishnkamp at comcast dot net. I will give you my number 

[Joeroe]

I'm pretty sure I'm using 30 lb on my baitcaster but not positive. I know I researched what would be best for the curado and if I remember right it was around the size of 8 lb mono so sounds like 30 lb. I spooled 100% braid but I made sure to wrap the beginning tight and tested for slippage.  I also used a piscifun line spoiler with a good amount of resistance.

Right now I have 2 of the 4 centrifugal brakes on and always hold my rod parallel to the ground with the lure that I intend to use press the button and back off of the tension until the lure slowly drops.  I have had good luck with this method in ideal conditions but I will try your method and see if I can add some distance to my casting. That will be helpful when fishing off the bank. 

Going to order everything after hitting post reply. I think I will go with the CT type r in a left hand setup (TACT-R100HL) I went with lefties on the curados since I was used to using spinning gear and didn't want to cast, switch hands and then reel. I may take you up on the phone conversation when I get my new toys. 

Thanks

[fishnkamp]

Looking forward to it.

[Joeroe]

On July 17, 2016 at 11:33 PM, fishnkamp said:

Looking forward to it.

I just wanted to thank you again. I'm 100% happy with the setup you recommended. It's not the prettiest combo since the colors don't work well together but that doesn't bother me one bit. I'm able to get some good distance with light tackle and that's what I was looking for. I've been ridiculously busy at work so I haven't had much time to fish but I did get a chance to try the Ned rig you suggested and I was very happy with the results. I'm sure cooler weather contributed but I caught more fish than I ever have at my brother in laws. 

I ordered a 2017 Hobie pro angler 14 so I will finally be able to fish some rivers which should make fishing a lot more fun. All of the public lakes around here haven't worked out too well for me. 

[skno]

If you really want to fling out light tackle , you need a good ultralight set up with a small diameter braided line for strength, you will need to use you your drag.

[bigfruits]

I'd add a MH Fast action baitcaster for an all-around rod. I would them fish all 3 combos for a good time before you decide what you need/want next.

definitely get the Ci4 over the spirex. you will be glad you did.