Help?!?! Birthday Rod

[TxRaider]

So with the birthday coming up next month, the wifey gave me the green light for a new rod. Since I only recently got into fishing (August 2020), I would love to get SME feedback on what holes I could fill given my sparse current setups and what I’ve been looking into. I’m trying to prevent overlap.
 

Current lineup:

6-8 Medium Fast Daiwa Tatula (cork) Spinning - Ned rig, wacky rig, neko, finesse swimbaits (1/4 or less). 
7 Med. Mod fast Lews TP1 black Casting - shaky head, finesse swimbaits (1/4 oz - 3/8), traps

7 MH fast Dobyns Sierra 703c Casting - finesse swimbaits, traps, 1.5 squarebills and smaller, plopper 90, T rig (1/4 oz or less), senko. This seems to overlap the lews and I am considering selling the lews combo I have. 
7-2 MH MFast Shimano Expride Casting - Texas Rig (1/4 to 1/2), swim jig, chatterbait, paddletails up to 1/2

7-3 MH Mod Dobyns Kaden 735cb - bought initially for shallow squarebill up to 1.5, but seems like it’s too much rod and won’t load up. Strongly considering selling this one since the Sierra handles the squarebills I plan to use, still holding on to it in case I start getting into bigger cranks like 2.5 and up to 3xd.

 

What I am looking at:

7-2 MH expride glass for chatterbaits, traps, topwater 

7-1 MH Tatula (cork) just to add another Tatula. I am just not a fan of the silver surfer color scheme of the elites.

7 M Reg Tatula (cork) for the cranks I had intended to use the Kaden for

7-5 H Zodias (new) for frogging and light flipping/pitching

ALX toad face or deputy (I like the idea of a USA made, but no current sales on kistler)

 

What holes am I looking at here? As mentioned, I like the idea of getting a USA made rod like ALX, Kistler, Cashion, St Coix. But I haven’t been fishing for a year and haven’t had the chance to experiment with the different brands out there, I also get that blasted FOMO. I want to like Dobyns, but I’m starting to think paying a higher price for a warranty won’t justify a real quality rod that Shimano and daiwa are capable of putting out. I love my expride and only have a Tatula in spinning, but enough about that, I can clarify more later. 
 

so, what are your thoughts??

[PhishLI]

13 minutes ago, TxRaider said:

so, what are your thoughts?

I give my wife a rod on my birthday.

[Born 2 fish]

My son accidentally closed the door on my tatula last week. I ordered a Daiwa KAGE and I’m definitely impressed I would definitely recommend it over the tatula. I know it’s still a X45 blank but it’s a little bit more sensitive. I will definitely be adding a few more KAGE’s to my lineup.

[kayaking_kev]

Looks like that Tatula 7 ft. M/R would fit in nicely with your lineup.

[CrankFate]

4 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I give my wife a rod on my birthday.

One hand bag and that’s my new rods for like 6 years.....

...plus reels......maybe 3......

[TxRaider]

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I give my wife a rod on my birthday.

Hmmm, that’s unfortunate. I usually don’t have to wait till my birthday for that

 

3 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

My son accidentally closed the door on my tatula last week. I ordered a Daiwa KAGE and I’m definitely impressed I would definitely recommend it over the tatula. I know it’s still a X45 blank but it’s a little bit more sensitive. I will definitely be adding a few more KAGE’s to my lineup.

@Born 2 fishwhere would one find these Kage rods? This is line is new to me. 

[Big Hands]

3 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

My son accidentally closed the door on my tatula last week. I ordered a Daiwa KAGE and I’m definitely impressed I would definitely recommend it over the tatula. I know it’s still a X45 blank but it’s a little bit more sensitive. I will definitely be adding a few more KAGE’s to my lineup.

I got one of the Kage 731 MH all-around rods and it has become my favorite casting rod. Sooooo sensitive, light, easy to handle, casts a country mile. And, it's not silver. All business.

[Born 2 fish]

7 hours ago, TxRaider said:

Hmmm, that’s unfortunate. I usually don’t have to wait till my birthday for that

 

@Born 2 fishwhere would one find these Kage rods? This is line is new to me. 

The tackle trap.

https://tackletrap.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=78_2091_2913

[ATA]

My suggestion for you is not about brand, it is about power, you missing 1 H or XH rod in your lineup.

my main line up is like that.

0- ML Casting
1- M spinning 

2- M casting 

3- MH casting X 2

4- H casting X 2

5-XH casting 

6-XXH Casting

7-XXXH casting 
 

as you can see covering everything. Because sooner or later you want to tray frog and you want to try S waver, and you have no 7’6” heavy or extra heavy there in your line up.

 

So my vote is for 7’5” Zodias.

 

 

[TxRaider]

2 hours ago, ATA said:

My suggestion for you is not about brand, it is about power, you missing 1 H or XH rod in your lineup.

my main line up is like that.

0- ML Casting
1- M spinning 

2- M casting 

3- MH casting X 2

4- H casting X 2

5-XH casting 

6-XXH Casting

7-XXXH casting 
 

as you can see covering everything. Because sooner or later you want to tray frog and you want to try S waver, and you have no 7’6” heavy or extra heavy there in your line up.

 

So my vote is for 7’5” Zodias.

 

 

That’s great feedback, a frog rod is definitely something that is missing from my current lineup. What kind of action makes a good frog rod? 

[ATA]

Since you are from Huston I recommend XH 7’6”.
Take a look at E6X g-Loomis as well, little more expensive, but it is very good rod.

[TxRaider]

3 hours ago, ATA said:

Since you are from Huston I recommend XH 7’6”.
Take a look at E6X g-Loomis as well, little more expensive, but it is very good rod.

Thanks I’ll take another look at those, I almost got the e6x cranking rod and ended up with the Dobyns Kaden 735cb and wish I would’ve went the e6x route. 
 

For heavy rod/ frog rod I’m looking at the 7-3 XH expride, 7-4 H Tatula. Would bumping up to 7-6  give me a little more of a softer tip for that type of fishing? Would it double as a flipping stick?

(I was also looking at daiwas kage but they don’t look to be in stock)

[Born 2 fish]

3 minutes ago, TxRaider said:

Thanks I’ll take another look at those, I almost got the e6x cranking rod and ended up with the Dobyns Kaden 735cb and wish I would’ve went the e6x route. 
 

For heavy rod/ frog rod I’m looking at the 7-3 XH expride, 7-4 H Tatula. Would bumping up to 7-6  give me a little more of a softer tip for that type of fishing? Would it double as a flipping stick?

(I was also looking at daiwas kage but they don’t look to be in stock)

Daiwa Kage  741 XHB frog 

[TxRaider]

8 minutes ago, Born 2 fish said:

Daiwa Kage  741 XHB frog 

Do you happen to know the price, the webpage says call to order, but I like the way the reel seat looks here compared to the shiny plasticky looking Tatula. 

6 minutes ago, TxRaider said:

Do you happen to know the price, the webpage says call to order, but I like the way the reel seat looks here compared to the shiny plasticky looking Tatula. 

Never mind, after a quick google search I found out, I just need to see if there is any in stock, I think I might go this route and slap a curado k on it (I only have Shimano reels)

[Born 2 fish]

16 minutes ago, TxRaider said:

Do you happen to know the price, the webpage says call to order, but I like the way the reel seat looks here compared to the shiny plasticky looking Tatula. 

Never mind, after a quick google search I found out, I just need to see if there is any in stock, I think I might go this route and slap a curado k on it (I only have Shimano reels)

I paid 180 shipped mention discount code bbc10 when you call.

[Big Hands]

8 hours ago, TxRaider said:

Thanks I’ll take another look at those, I almost got the e6x cranking rod and ended up with the Dobyns Kaden 735cb and wish I would’ve went the e6x route. 
 

For heavy rod/ frog rod I’m looking at the 7-3 XH expride, 7-4 H Tatula. Would bumping up to 7-6  give me a little more of a softer tip for that type of fishing? Would it double as a flipping stick?

(I was also looking at daiwas kage but they don’t look to be in stock)

Kage products (rods and reels) are not supposed to be sold online. My understanding is that Daiwa threw a bone to tackle shops by giving them access to a line that would only be sold in tackle shops so they could have product that could not be sold for less by online retailers, which is why you won't see them offered by large retailers.