Need Help Deciding On A New Rod And Reel

[nc bass slayer]

This is my first post to the forum, i have been a member for a couple of months and learned a lot of valuable information to help with my fishing and decided to get some personal help from you guys. I am looking at getting a new rod and reel for christmas and have it narrowed down to two rods and two reels and want to hear some personal experiences with each one to help guide me in the right direction. The two rod choices are the Duckett micro guide series and the Dobyns savvy micro guide series, and the two reel choices are the Shimano Curado E or the Lews Tournament Pro. Im looking for a good dependable combo because i am really starting to get into bass fishing hard and would like to start doing some tournaments. I already know about the search bar and trust me i have spend hours on end doing research and reading different forums and would like some help from people who own or fished any of these. I have only handled a Duckett rod and a Shimano Curado in bass pro so i have know clue what the Dobyns rod or Lews reels feel like. So any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Jig Man]

I am strictly a Shimano guy. I didn't go for the E series for a long time because I had supertuned Cs with ceramic bearings. When I finally bought one I found it to be great. Now I have 5 of them.

[Packard]

Shimano and Lew's are great! I haven't used a Duckett but Dobyns makes nice rods. I'd go with the Curado 200E7 and the Dobyns Savvy SS703C myself though.

[endless]

I know nothing about those rods but I have a Curado E5 I use for cranks and love it.

Lew's gain allot of followers here off their Tournament Pro. So far everything I read been good but I never fished one. Same with a Dobyns. so you probably can't go wrong with any of those you mention. Good luck and enjoy which ever gear you go with and welcome to the site!

[nc bass slayer]

Thanks for all the help i have heard nothing but good stuff about the shimano curado e series as it being very dependable. I definitely wanna get something thats gonna last a while because im in college so dont really have the money to buy new stuff every year.

[Bluebasser86]

I have several of last years curado and they are great reels. I've heard lots of good things about the Lew's also though. I haven't fished with either rod you mentioned but if I was getting one for myself I'd probably go with the Dobyn's.

[Canga]

i havent fished either of the reels, or the duckett, but if you are getting the rod for any kind of bottom contact, i wouldnt get a savvy, i had a 692 savvy spinning rod and it had very little sensitivity. after returning it i found a 2011 st croix legend tournament for like $50 off retail, which put it about 30 more than a savvy. if you can swing the extra thats the route i would suggest.

would look sweet with the lews on it (the green curado on a blue rod would be terrible!)

[Hi Salenity]

I have booth reels and they are booth great with the Curado being easier for a beginner to learn to use. As for the rod I haven't tried the Duckett because the guides look too small to me. I like my Micro guides just a bit larger.

Also look at the Rage line of rods I looked at one Today and was very impressed. I had a few concerns or I'd have bought one on the spot.

[endless]

I have booth reels and they are booth great with the Curado being easier for a beginner to learn to use. As for the rod I haven't tried the Duckett because the guides look too small to me. I like my Micro guides just a bit larger.

Also look at the Rage line of rods I looked at one Today and was very impressed. I had a few concerns or I'd have bought one on the spot.

Can I ask what you mean concerns? On the Rage line?

[Hi Salenity]

I knew that came out wrong. First off If I find a deal on one on Black Friday I will own one if not I'll buy one at full price. The things I questioned about the rods were the guides had no thread on them just the epoxy ? The other thing was the guide spacing seemed odd with the last guide unproportionally close to the tip? I am thinking this may be because the rod tip diameter is small and having the guides that close together may keep the strain off the tip?

After some checking they have a 5 year warranty so I really don't have any concerns and can't wait to get one.

[Bluebasser86]

Can I ask what you mean concerns? On the Rage line?

I've held several Rage rods and have yet to find one that all the guides are lined up straight, some of them are way off! I love the feel of the rods but for $150 the guides should at least be straight I believe Big O also broke one at the reel set but that may have just been due to the whales he's trying to horse through brushpiles on braid

[Hi Salenity]

If the Whales & trees weren't enough Don't forger the size 13 shoes .

The thing I didn't like about the rods was I picked up the 6'10'' mef and the grip felt PERFECT!!! Then I grabbed another one that was 7'+ and the grip diameter was a bit bigger and not as perfect as the other rod.

[flippin and pitchin]

If there was ever a catagory that was influenced by personal preference it's rods and reels.

There are so many good products to choose from. Both Shimano and Lews are good names. Duckett and Dobyns are both good sticks. What feels good to you might not for someone else. I can vouch for Dobyns and Lews because I own both but that shouldn't discount the viability of your other options. Dobyns provides the actions, powers, legths and handle configurations I like and the Lews cast and retrieve extremely well and feel great in the hand. Good luck.

[Hamby]

Sorry to steal your thread for a sec here...but general consensus on the lews entry level reel?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I knew that came out wrong. First off If I find a deal on one on Black Friday I will own one if not I'll buy one at full price. The things I questioned about the rods were the guides had no thread on them just the epoxy ? The other thing was the guide spacing seemed odd with the last guide unproportionally close to the tip? I am thinking this may be because the rod tip diameter is small and having the guides that close together may keep the strain off the tip?

After some checking they have a 5 year warranty so I really don't have any concerns and can't wait to get one.

Chances are they are using white thread without a color preserver. This causes the thread to turn opaque and let the guide foot show through. I've done this to give the illusion of no thread. As for gudes being misalligned, there's no excuse for that at any price level, but in reality probably won't affect the performance. Closer spacing of guides at the tip will help protect a light tip in some cases or it may be to keep the line off the blank with low framed micros. And then it could be a QC oversight like the crooked guides.

[endless]

I knew that came out wrong. First off If I find a deal on one on Black Friday I will own one if not I'll buy one at full price. The things I questioned about the rods were the guides had no thread on them just the epoxy ? The other thing was the guide spacing seemed odd with the last guide unproportionally close to the tip? I am thinking this may be because the rod tip diameter is small and having the guides that close together may keep the strain off the tip?

After some checking they have a 5 year warranty so I really don't have any concerns and can't wait to get one.

Thanks!! You too Bluebasser86. Maybe DVT is right. It made sense and good luck when get one!! Hopefully with the 5 year warranty Their back behind good costumer service!!

[Hi Salenity]

Sorry to steal your thread for a sec here...but general consensus on the lews entry level reel?

It's a great reel . It's only downside is it only has the magnetic break, but it works fine.