Current rod and reel grouping

[BassSteve]

Hey,

 

So what rods and reels are you all using regularly? I don't mean the collection you have, but the combos you tend to regularly use. For me it's:

 

1. Curado 200k on a castaway crankin' rod.

2. Curado 70 on a gander mountain tournament series rod.

3. Bantam mgl on a shimano intenza rod.

4. Stradic 2500 FL on a defy black rod (looking for a better rod for this reel)

5. Scorpion bfs on a shimano clarus rod.

 

Thanks

[ironbjorn]

I'm constantly buying and selling gear, but right now almost all my combos are Dobyns Fury rods with Abu Garcia Max X (new Black Max) reels and Dobyns Champion XP rods with Shimano SLX XT reels. There's almost no difference between the Fury/Max and Champ/SLX combos, which says a lot about how good the Fury still is, how the Champ, while excellent, probably isn't worth the price tag, and how great of a job Abu still does in the sub $80 range (but remains lackluster at $100 and above imo).

[Eric 26]

I mainly used 3 this past season. For bass it was my Wright & McGill 7’-0” med rod with at first a Shimano SLX than a Daiwa Tatula 80, for spinning duties it was my 13 fishing defy black 7’-1” med light with a 13 fishing creed LTE 2000. For panfish duties it was my 7’-2” BPS Panfish Elite light powered rod paired with a Piscifun Carbon X in 1000 size.

[LCG]

Currently ...

 

Daiwa Rebellion 6'8" ML-F spinning rod paired with a Daiwa Tatula LT 2000

 

Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'10" M-F casting rod paired with a Shimano Curado MGL 71

 

Daiwa Rebellion 6'10" MH-R casting rod paired with a Daiwa Alphas SV TW

 

Sold off most of my gear to finance all of the above over the last year. 

 

This year was about fine tuning the gear to my style and preferred techniques with focus on versatility, comfort, sensitivity, and light weight. All of the above rods are 2 piece rods for maximum convenience for transport. Bank fishing or kayak most of the time, occasional boat trip.

 

Also reworked my tackle storage at home and tackle bag system for maximum efficiency, trying to focus on minimalism, but still versatile for any situation.

 

Can't wait for the spring to get on the water again and put the gear to use.

[LrgmouthShad]

I use all my gear. Only have 7 combos. The three that get used the most are Texas rig, jig, and spinnerbait combos, with my spinning rig not far behind. 
 

I thought about it and my favorite combo of 2022 has to be my t-rig combo. iRod Harold’s Lone Star Special with Curado MGL 150. So crisp, so accurate, so light, so responsive.

[BassSteve]

22 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

So crisp, so accurate, so light, so responsive.

So.....? ?

[LrgmouthShad]

4 minutes ago, BassSteve said:

So.....? ?

Good. So good

[BassSteve]

11 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Good. So good

Sorry had to 

[BrianMDTX]

Daiwa Tatula 100H

10 lb Berkley Big Game

Dobyns Fury FR 705CB

 

Shimano Sienna 2500

20 lb Seguar Smackdown; 6 lb leader

Daiwa Procyon PCYN661MXS

 

Daiwa Revros LT2500

20 lb Sufix 832; 6 lb leader

Fenwick HMX 66M-FS-2

 

Abu Garcia Black Max

10 lb. Berkley Big Game

Daiwa Aird X AIRX661MFB

 

Abu Garcia Black Max

12 lb YZH

Daiwa Aird X AIRX701MHFB

 

H2O Xpress Ethos HD 

50 lb Sufix 832; 12 lb leader

Fenwick HMX HMX76H-FC

 

Daiwa Revros LT2000

20 lb Sufix 832

St. Croix Bass X 

BXS610MLXF 

 

Daiwa Fuego FGCT100XS

10 lb Berkley Big Game

(switching to 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier when it arrives this week) 

Falcon Lowrider LFC-7MHF

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

So crisp, so accurate, so light, so responsive.

Get a room!

[Junk Fisherman]

Here's my general lineup without the specific application rods (A-rigs, deep cranks, frogs, ect.)

 

Spinning

Daiwa Steez 2nd Gen 761 + Tatula 3000- Neds, hairjigs

Daiwa Steez 1st Gen 761 + Procyon 2500- Nekos, shakey heads, tubes, blade baits

Dobyns Champion HP 741 + Ballistic 2500- finesse swimbaits

Dobyns Champion HP 742 + Ballistic 2500- 4" swimbaits on a ballhead jig, spybaits

 

Casting

GLoomis 843 + Zillion - pitching plastics, worming, finesse jigs, Sleepers

GLoomis 844 + TDX- jigs, C-rigs

St Croix 7' MH Tournament Bass Sweeper Spinnerbait rod + Tatula SVS- bladed baits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, buzzbaits

Dobyns Champion HP 742 + Curado 70- dropshots

Dobyns Champion XP 704 CB + Zillion SV TW- jerkbaits, shallow cranks, light topwater

Dobyns Champion 703c + Daiwa TD153- All purpose- worms, Senkos, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits

 

I'm slowly in the process of replacing my Dobyns rods which I feel are overrated. There are more sensitive options out there.   

 

[LrgmouthShad]

27 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Get a room!

Your jealousy is showing. It’s okay if you ain’t got it like we got it

[Bankbeater]

Currently this year the line up will be the same as last year, but it is subject to change at any moment.

 

Daiwa CT100H on a St. Croix Premier.  I have two rigs like this. One for jigs and one for Texas rigs.

Daiwa CT100H on an old BPS Bionic Blade rod. This is one of the old maroon colored rods.

Shimano SLX-150 on a newer BPS Bionic Blade.

Pflueger 6735 on a St. Croix Premier.

Pflueger 6735 on a BPS Carbonlite 2.0

Pflueger 6730 in search of a new UL rod.

[casts_by_fly]

13 hours ago, BassSteve said:

Hey,

 

So what rods and reels are you all using regularly? I don't mean the collection you have, but the combos you tend to regularly use. For me it's:

 

1. Curado 200k on a castaway crankin' rod.

2. Curado 70 on a gander mountain tournament series rod.

3. Bantam mgl on a shimano intenza rod.

4. Stradic 2500 FL on a defy black rod (looking for a better rod for this reel)

5. Scorpion bfs on a shimano clarus rod.

 

Thanks

i typically carry 5 rods in my kayak. I always have three of them.  From there I supplement with 2 more depending on the lake and season. I’m also a falcon guy so they are all that I carry basically. I always have:

 

• 6’10” head turner heavy fast.  Lighter side of heavy, almost mh. Does about anything well but is my primary chatterbait and swim jig rod.  If I throw a spinnerbait it’s probably on this rod. This rod has my metanium on it.
• 7’3” hudson special. Mh MF.  Does most of my heavy lifting with treble hook baits. Lipless, medium cranks, ploppers to a 105 size. Big buzzbaits.  This has a chronarch on it 
• 7’4” heavy cover jig. It’s a jig rod and that’s what I’m doing with it. I fished bigger swim jigs as well as pitching jigs last year. It’s a good bottom contact rod on the whole. I have a zillion on this rod.

past those three, I have some lighter and some heavier that I carry often.  Early season I grab a 7’ trapcaster for an added lipless or crankbait rod (later season we have too much grass to justify a second crankbait rod).  I pulled back out an older st croix 6’6” medium moderate for jerkbaits this spring.  I almost always have my 6’10” expert finesse jig with abu Garcia mgx as it’s amazing for the lightest baits but still fishes a big chatterbait well. I have a 7’3” amistad for mid to late season grass pitching.  I just picked up the 6’11” eye crosser for frogs and big spinnerbaits.  That one will do early season duty for big chatterbaits as well. These rods all have Abu Garcia on them, either an STX gen 4 or a revo SX (plus the mgx on the finesse jig rod). I have other rods that make an appearance now and then but these are the ones that get regular use. 

 

 

[Mastercaster]

I generally have 8 rods on the boat but these I use 90% of the time: 

 

Baitcaster	St. Croix AvidX	M	Fast	7'-0"	Diawa Tatula SV 103HF7.3.1	Invisx louro	12		Trig -BabyBrushhog
Baitcaster	St. Croix LTB	MH	Fast	7'-1"	Diawa Tatula 150 7.3.1	Invisx louro	12		Trig - Lizard
Baitcaster	Falcon	MH	Fast	7'-0"	Diawa Tatula 200 7.3.1	Invisx louro	15		Tube/Jig

[DitchPanda]

What have I been using lately?

23in ultralight 13 fishing tickle stick

500 size shimano sienna 

2lb suffix ice magic

[Jig Man]

Almost every trip I use a :

Curado X70 on my custom 7.5’ medium rod for shaky 

Curado X70 on a Gloomis bronzeback ml for Ned

Curado 150 DC on a Gloomis 7’ mh for jigs or spinner baits.

 

The other twenty some have a variety of jobs.

[RedRob]

Daiwa 22 Exist 2500 on St. Croix Legend Xtreme 7ft. Bass, Crappie, Catfish.

 

Daiwa 18 Exist 2000 on SC. Legend Elite Panfish 6ft UL. Crappie, Bass, Catfish

 

2 Daiwa Saltist MQ & non MQ 3000 on SC Mojo Cat. Catfish

 

Caught about a 4-5lb cat on that Panfish with 4lb line on my kayak. It was quite comical. I had a couple other Kayakers and and a few people on shore stopping and watching. That Cat drug me around for almost 15min. I think they might have been a little disappointed I didn't pull up a land locked sturgeon. but it sure was fun.

 

I changed the handle and knob on the exist with Gomexus carbon fiber one single handle and one twin handle and knob.

[softwateronly]

Currently, these are my favorite techniques and their combos.  3/4 of these rods were bought used, and I'm glad I went slightly out of my normal range.

 

Conquest 904, jdm 20 metanium w/ 30lb pp 8strand, 16lb fc leader, fg knot

  1/2-3/4oz cali swim jig w/ 4-5" paddle tail

 

Steez 7'2H power pitch, jdm 18 bantam w/ 65lb max cuatro, 25lb fc leader, fg 

  3/8-3/4oz SC flippin jig hematoma w/ beaver

 

Poison adrena 6'11M+, jdm 20 metanium w/ 30lb pp 8strand, 16lb fc leader, fg knot

  nishine erie darter 115sd in hologram smelt; 1/4-3/8oz punisher jig camo w/ beaver

 

MB Tequila Bacarrac 7'XH, jdm 21 Zillion HD w/ 65lb max cuatro, 20lb mono, fg knot

  6" bacca burrito Who Dat

 

Jigs, swimbaits, and jerkbaits are the way I wanna catch em, but I often junk fish and bring 8-10 combos on the boat. 

 

scott

[Wprich]

These are probably the 3 I use the most have other setups but these fish the baits I enjoy throwing the best to me.

Conquest 843C/Zillion 7.1:1 - Chatterbaits and Finesse Jigs

NRX+ 852S/Stella 3000 - Wacky, Neko, shaky head, and Light Texas Rigs

St. Croix Legend Elite 6’10”/Pflueger Patriarch XT35 - Wacky, Neko, shaky head, and Light Texas Rigs

[RichF]

I have more rods than reels so I constantly switch my stuff around depending on the season. I think this will be my spring lineup:

 

Jigs/Flipping/Soft Plastics:

1. 7'6 HF Kistler Helium LTA/Shimano Chronarch CI4 HG

2. 7'2 HF Okuma Psycho Stik/Daiwa Coastal SV 

3. 7'0 H Kistler Helium H3/Daiwa Coastal SV

4. 7'5 MH Megabass Levante/Shimano Scorpion MGL

5. 7'2 MHF Shimano Zodias/Shimano Chronarch CI4HG

6. 7'0 MHF St Croix Legend Xtreme/Shimano Bantam XG

 

Frog/Swimbait:

1. 7'3 HF Kistler Magnesium/Shimano Curado K HG

2. 7'2 HF Okuma Psycho Stik/Quantum Tour S3

 

Moving Baits:

1. 7'4 MHM St Croix Legend Glass/Shimano Curado PG

2. 7'2 HM St Croix Legend Glass/Shimano Curado

3. 7'2 MM St Croix Legend Glass/Shimano Metanium B

4. 6'10 ML Fenwick Elite Bass/Concept Z

5. 6'8 MXF St Croix Legend Tournament/Shimano Curado 70MGL

 

Spinning:

1. 7'4 M Megabass Levante/Daiwa Tatula 3000

2. 6'8 M St Croix Legend Tournament/Daiwa Luvias 2500

3. 7'0 ML Kistler Helium H3/Shimano Stradic FK 3000

 

 

[ska4fun]

1- Kastking Kestrel Elite BFS + Custom Carbon Rod (6lb/1.78m)

2- Calcutta Conquest 51S + Custom Fiberglass Trout Rod (5lb/1.45m)

3- Calcutta Conquest 51 + Acehawk Victory (8lb/1.5m)

4-Daiwa Tatula 100 + Brazilian OEM brand Rod (12lb/1.4m)

[Susky River Rat]

 Shimano Sahara 3000 on a ST. Croix 7ft med premier

 

Shimano Sahara 2500 on a ST. Croix 6’8” med-lite premier

 

I just picked this up and will be put into use as soon as I get back out on the water.

 

Shimano tranx 151 ST. Croix 7ft med-heavy premiers 

 

[leinad]

dobyns fury 6'6" L with daiwa regal 1000

dobyns fury7' ML with daiwa regal 1000

dobyns kaden 7' XL with daiwa regal 1000

dobyns sierra 6'2" UL with daiwa regal 1000

phenix m1 6'9" L with daiwa regal 1000

shimano curado 7" L with okuma cymer 1000

13 fishing black muse 6'11" ML with phluegar president+ 30x

daiwa rebellion 7' ML with daiwa tatula 1000

 

all 6# mono - my river go to setups

[Big Hands]

The Cal Ripken of my collection is the Daiwa Tatula 7'3" MH/F "All Around" casting rod which is currently paired with a Curado DC 150. It's the only rod that I consistently use throughout the year. It just has that "je ne sais quoi", but I love it.

 

The reel isn't necessarily the only one that would always see action with that rod, but that rod is the cornerstone of my quiver. Carolina rigs in the winter and either Carolina rigs or other bottom contact techniques throughout the year.

 

And as if that's not enough, if you happened to be using another rod and reared back to cast and snagged this rod and flung it 30' in front of your boat, the full cork handle will keep it floating long enough for you to retrieve it. Don't ask how I know. I just know. I took it as a sign that we should always be together.