Bronzefly

There are lots of good options for you, but congrats on a couple of stellar selections so far! Your BSR 852 GLX will cover you for most of your finesse tactics without any trouble. It's an amazing 1/4 oz jig rod and is sweet with senkos and other finesse plastics as well. The MBR 842 GLX is one of those very special rods in the Loomis lineup. I use mine for everything from crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters, smaller spinnerbaits, smaller jigs and worms, etc... I don't toss anything much larger than say a bandit 200 sized bait, RC 1.5's, or cranks of that sort, but it handles these duties very well.

I'll stick with an acetone bath in an ultrasonic machine followed by a light application of a quality oil designed for spool bearings. It's proven to be an effective system over the years for me.

Not sure what length a rod you prefer, but I'd get myself a couple of Shimano Cumaras. If you toss small spinnerbaits 1/4 to 3/8oz most often, I'd get the 6'9"Medium Reaction Series rod - if it's more often 3/8 to 5/8oz, i'd get the 6'9" Medium Heavy Reaction rod. Retails at $199 but can be found for less. Finesse plastics I always think 1/4oz or less, so I'd go with the original cumara series in a 6'8" Medium Extra Fast tip. It's soft enough to present finesse plastics well, but gives you a bit of backbone in the event you need to step up a little bit. They retail at $219, but can also be found for less - sometimes in the flea market here!

Good work! I haven't tested the drag differences via any sort of measuring instruments, but can clearly feel the improved smoothness and power over stock drag stacks in most reels. I'm a big fan of carbontex drag washers.

I'd look at application first and make your selection based on this factor. What Loomis rod are you pairing this reel with? It sounds like you need or want one baitcaster to be very all purpose. You said that you would T-rig 75% of the time, but may also opt for a spinnerbait or a crankbait. I'm not a fan of a 7:1 ratio reel for crankbaits in general, so you may want to consider getting an all purpose 6.3:1 (or close) ratio reel with not quite such a high IPT. You won't make major sacrifices when t-rigging and it's much easier to slow down when you break out the crankbaits. The issue of the weight of the baits you plan to use most often hasn't been addressed either, nor the line capacity you need for your line of choice. Some reels are better on the lighter end of the spectrum while others are better suited to heavier applications. It seems like with a bit more information, some of the choices you have will become more clear.

Absolutely! It'll make a fine jig and worm rod - especially for 10" worms in deeper water and 1/2 oz jigs...

July 14-16 in Las Vegas...

I'll agree that it's a little tip heavy, but I don't find it to be uncomfortable at all with a Core 51MG7. Actually I enjoy the rod and your application will work fantastic with this stick. It is super light and very sensitive, and does have surprising power with a fish on.

Kent pretty well nailed it... I'd go with the Curado E7 and one of a few GLX Loomis rods. If I wanted a rod to be more multi purpose, I'd go with the MBR 844 GLX. I do like the BCR series better for bottom contact, so I'd lean toward an 854 or 855 GLX there. Flea market pricing should be able to bring you in around your price target and you'll have an incredible combo! Good luck!

If I wanted to spool up ONE baitcaster for all those baits to be fished on the same rod, without heavy grass around, I'd likely go with something readily available, affordable, and strong. P-Line CXX in 10 or 12lb.

The Loomis CBR 845 is an outstanding general purpose cranking rod. It's in the zone with something like a DT-10, but does great with RC 1.5's and other mid sized square bills as well. It's obviously not the best for little bitty cranks or big deep divers, but it can handle most of what is in between.

Saw that too... the anticipation grows. 8-)

It makes a fine bandit 200 rod and works well with other smaller shallow running cranks in open water situations. It's pretty whippy and doesn't have much backbone, which is what some guys like in a cranking stick. A 1/4 oz trap is also fun in open water with that rod.

It retails at $150 and you got it for $100... you definitely got a good deal. You'll enjoy it, congrats!

I know of two and have used them both. The Loomis CBR 906 was designed specifically for this purpose and works great. The new Shimano Cumara CUCX711MH was also designed with this purpose in mind. I've used both on Guntersville in the grass with braided lines and have been very happy with the results. I would also shy away from glass or very moderate action rods for this technique. It requires a stick with some backbone in my opinion.

There are quite a few very good quality rods out there these days in the $140 to $160 range at new retail prices. I'd suggest that you watch the flea market and buy a nice used Powell 683CEF or maybe a Shimano Crucial 7'MH - both very nice all purpose sticks. You can find them from time to time for around $110 to $120. Take the other $80 or $90 and look for a nice used Citica 200E. For around $200 you'll have an outstanding combo that will last for a long time with proper care!

I'm a big fan of the way Loomis executes their extra fast tips on their 2 and 3 power BCR/BSR rods. I have become very comfortable with the feel and consider it an advantage when fishing jigs and plastics. I do think it allows lighter baits to load the tip with less effort, but regarding sensitivity, that is obviously subjective, but for me these rods are about as sensitve as they come.

Have a look at the one I have in the Flea Market! It's a phenomonal rod, I just don't need two of them! It will cover your range better than most other spinning rods out there - 5/8 oz is a pretty hefty bait for a spinning rod that can also handle a 1/8 oz. drop shot, but this rod has surprising backbone! Good luck in your search either way! 8-)

Yes - there is a big difference in sensitivity in my hands. Honestly, the GLX bronzeback rod is a bit too whippy for my tastes. The BSR 852 GLX is the ideal for your situation - it's an amazing 1/4 oz jig rod IMHO - and I'm not only saying that because I just posted one for sale ;D

You can try to give them a call, but the online expeiditor service will save you a good bit of time. Since their customer service transition to the Shimano HQ in Irvine, CA, the hold times have increased substantially.

You shouldn't have to take any second-class citizen stuff about using Abu products - they make some fine rods and reels, no doubt - and I expect the Veritas to be another fine product from Abu. My "all in good fun" comment was directed more toward the apparent dichotomy between your obvious affinity toward Abu and prejudice toward Shimano in light of your "single-mindedness" comment. Carry on... this thread is entertaining 8-)

"Unapologetically Abu!" This reminds me of the old saying about "the pot calling the kettle black" ;D I've fished a vendetta rod and it's a fine stick at its price point, but make no mistake, it's not in the same league as the Cumulus - nor should it be!

Very nice Steezy! Congrats! 8-)

I fish Guntersville quite a bit - I know for certain that without braided lines, I wouldn't have had a chance to land many a big fish in the heaviest slop that lake has to offer. I definitely don't consider it boring - I consider it leveling the playing field. I'm a big fan of light lines and big smallmouth in more open water situations, but I don't have a problem with braid in certain situations.

Unless someone is being paid to use or endorse a particular product, unequivocal brand loyalty is a mystery to me. There are quite a lot of quality fishing products out there these days and it's always fun to try out new gear. I'm as guilty as the next guy about having my favorites, but I try not to close the door on something about which I have an interest until i've had a chance to review it for myself.