Stasher1

Have you tried swapping on of your Stradic handles over to your Symetre? If they'll fit, you could just order another from Shimano.

I live pretty close to the Atlanta BPS (about 15 miles) and still wind up ordering stuff online. If what I'm looking for is less than $30, it's actually cheaper for me to have it shipped than to pay for the 2+ gallons of gas it would take to drive there and back in Atl. traffic.

If it's a rod or brand I'm familiar with, I don't have a problem ordering online. As a matter of fact, I ordered the same Kistler Mag TS crankbait rod that Raul hated so much, and I absolutely love it. ;D

That would be nice. For some strange reason, there's no Academy in the Atlanta area. :-?

Drywall can/will plug a hollowpoint round, basically turning it into ball ammo. If you're worried about over-penetration, stick with frangible ammo or shotgun shells with lots of tiny pellets.

You do realize that the 20 lb would not help your bait get deeper but rather keep it shallower? Ive read that the lighter lb test the line, the deeper it will go. So a 10 lb test would get you deeper than a say 16 lb test would. That may be true for mono, but bmadd is talking about 20# Power Pro braid, which has the same diameter as 6# mono.

Yep, they have the spinning set ups on sale at sports authority already The ones at Sports Authority are a low-end rod/reel combo with his name plastered on them. He actually has a higher-end rod series that may actually be worth looking at when they hit the clearance rack. http://www.daiwa.com/Rod/detail.aspx?ID=453 http://www.***.com/descpageRDSDAIWA-DMISR.html

It's a 7:1, but only 28" IPT.

I agree with the 6 and above for lipless cranks, but I prefer a faster reel for shallow cranks and wakebaits as well.

I checked them out about a week ago at the Atlanta BPS and wasn't overly impressed. They are light, but the guides are very flimsy. Some of the guides on two of the three rods I looked at were already bent, and not at the foot. The rings themselves were tweaked which gave them a shape similar to a Pringle or wave washer. They may turn out to be great rods, but personally, I'd hold off for a year or so and wait for the real reviews. I'm talking about the reviews from people who have used them for a full season, at least.

x2 The President looks like a good choice in your price range, but check your local sporting goods stores for deals on older Shimano models as well. My local Sports Authority still has several Sahara FB and Symetre FI models in stock, and the Symetres are often marked down to $59.

Getting home in time to get your BPS/Ebay/*** package off the front steps before the wife sees it.

Can't help with the rod, but I have some lightly used left-handed fishing line I'd be willing to part with...for the right price.

These have been very productive for me, in the Green Sunfish color. http://www.cabelas.com/p-0037389120976a.shtml 1/8 oz bullet weight and a 2/0 fine wire offset hook, bounced off the bottom very slowly.

I handled the new RCX reel last week and had the exact same thought. It appears to be the same reel in a funky new color. It still has the rubbery coating as well. I didn't think to check out the rods, but I really like the idea of the ground cork/rubber grips. I did see a BUNCH of last year's RC rods on the clearance racks for about $60, but they don't come in 7' ML so I wasn't interested.

This is exactly what I do, but I'd also recommend using lures that are a bit out of the ordinary, or more difficult to find. If it's available at Walmart, I'm much less likely to throw it on highly pressured public waters.

I haven't held the Lami, but I have handled the Mojo and the Compre and neither have impressed me. I'm also not a big fan of split-grip rods, so of the rods listed, I'd have to say Compre...but I think you could find a much better rod in the Flea Market in the same price range. For example, I picked up a lightly used Avid a few months ago for $90 shipped.

x2 BPS has made some changes to their rods and reels for 2010, and last year's gear can be a great buy...if it's something that you actually need. Don't buy it just because it's on clearance. It doesn't matter how good of a deal it is, it's a waste of money if you don't have a use for it. I've noticed several of their rods are now sporting PacBay guides, like the new CarbonLite, Extreme, and Micro Lite rods. I picked up last year's 7' ML Micro Lite spinning rod for about $28 last week, because it has the older aluminum oxide guides instead of the flimsy all metal PacBay guides like the new Micro Lite. I needed a new floating worm rod anyway, so I jumped on it.

I got 4 of them. Nice rods but my baits keep bouncing off the surface now! I'll have to wait for softer water conditions to continue my research. Sounds like you need to add more weight.

Personally, I prefer spinning reels to baitcasters for most applications. The only exceptions are jigs, spinnerbaits, and cranks. Actually, I'd probably toss cranks on a spinning rig if I could find a decent crank spinning rod.

I frequent four fishing-related forums, but this is the only one I check everyday.

Buy them all for $2 a pack, sell them here for $3 a pack, and take the profits and buy "fresh" plastics if you're that worried about it.

The Crucial is another Shimano product that really needs to be seen outside to fully appreciate the finish. The ultra fine green glitter is beautiful in the sun, but you'd never know it was there if you've only held them in the store.

Casting distance has very little to do with overall reel quality. I have a little South Bend baitcaster downstairs that's built on a plastic frame with one bearing, and it'll outcast my Curado, Patriarch, and any other baitcaster I've ever owned as long as I keep the bushings oiled. There isn't a single "quality" part in this little piece of junk, but it'll sling a lure quite a ways.

You really need to get them out in the sun to fully appreciate the paint job on the newer Curados. That metallic green/bronze flip-flop thing they have going on is pretty d**n sweet.