Ern

You are not comparing apples to apples. How would a fast action avid (same length and set up) compare? Or How would another float rod of a different manufacturer compare? You cant compare the bass rod to a float rod. Lots of difference in construction and content. The float rod is thinner wall graphite. It has more graphite scrim vs resin. It is built to finesse trout and salmon on light line. The bass rod is made for abuse. More resin. Cheaper grades of graphite and/or less of it. ( what I meant by the designation on "modulus" and IM-? not being consistent.) You are right about the "total package". I believe that 100 %. If the float rod is better than the other sticks, why use the other sticks?

I think the sensitivity of the rod is more based on its construction rather than the type of rod. Rod action rather than type is what you should be asking about. There are several articles on line that explain the graphite in a rod. Designation such as Modulus# and IM # do more to confuse than to specify how a rod will behave on water. What we are seeing now in fishing is a weight race again. LIGHTER, LIGHTER, LIGHTER. Comparing two Balanced rigs the lighter of the two will be more sensitive. Weight reduction has the benefit of increasing sensitivity, but it also reduces strength in the rod. Higher end rods generally are a much better balanced blank in terms of weight vs strength. They can be both light and strong. Contact to the lure is a factor. It is effected by the line in its stretch and diameter as friction on the line its self is felt. (Don't believe the line friction. Tale out Half a spool and watch your rod tip bend.) Contact points on the rod (guides and reel seat) are also factors. Better components on the rod reduce more weight and help sensitivity. Spinning rods are usually designed for lighter use. Not too many spinning swim bait rods or frog rods. Not saying a correctly set up spinning rod will not handle those. They will. Just the weight of the reel ,and until braid, the size of the reel would put the balance and comfort off. We now have bait cast reels in and under 7 oz that will cast 20 mono. I don't know of spinning reels that light that will handle 20 mono. That said a spinning rod balances better for me in application where contact is critical. All my light tackle fishing is using spinning. I love fishing worms/jigs on a spinning rod. The rod balances better to me. Most often the reel weight keeps the rod tipped up somewhat. I can also keep a finger on the line as it come to the line roller. Personal taste is a factor. The rod action has a lot to do with how sensitive it will be. A Moderate action rod will flex more than a fast action. The Flexing of the rod will absorb some of the vibration you are trying to feel. Here too there is no standard I have seen in Action in rods. Some fasts feel moderate, and visa versa. Either way. Maximum Sensitivity. Lightest Rod in a given power with the fastest action with the lightest reel and thinnest diameter line will be what you want.

100% on mine. His should say what they are on the tag. Berkley made some good rods once upon a time. The latest Bionix had the stainless things.

Few thoughts on this: 1) I have never owned a reel that line capacity from the manufature was right. (Shimano, Diawa, Quantum, Abu, and Mitchell.) 2) Only time I really need the spool filled with the main line is if I am fishing salt or where a striper might hit. So I dumby up my reels. 100yrd is a LONG CAST!! 3) JDM reels have shallow spools. : While we are on it. 6lb braid dia. WILL NEVER spool to 6lb mono dia.

I have a Bionix in a second generation I got when I worked at Walmart. Meaning the blank is outsourced IM-7 and cork handle. Mine is a 6' Med. I use it for small topwaters. Truth is that is a very good rod. Not junk at all. That 6' Med heavy would be excellent for either close range spinnerbaits or larger topwaters. The rod should have SIC guides, so braid will work their too.

Looking at putting a Symetre 2500 on a 6'3" 21 Carrot Gold. I want to use Power Pro on this rod too. Anyone got an opinion on these rods?

$160 range. Shimano Caenan and St Croix Triumph.

Looks great. But the size difference isn't what I thought it would be. A good thing. I think for me and my oversided hands the 200E7 is a better fit. And I like the high speed. Just me. I think it's great though that the option is available now.

In the day that was Mr. Bad Reel. Lots of guys used them for Crankbaits.

If you are talking knee deep wade fishing creeks then I would look at the Ultralight Pradco stuff (Rebels and Bombers) The 200 Bandits will stay on the bottom a little too much. Bandit makes an UL size but I have never seen one. My favorite UL crank for creeks is a Rebel Tenny Wee Craw. Generally do better quartering a cast too. Casting into current allows the current to push the bait. You may never get some cranks wobbling in certain flows. The flow and the bouancy of the bait will keep you reeling with no dive time. Fishing down stream in a shallow setting around rock can be very effective. You can "hot shot" a crank into the fish. Drop it back behind a rock and hang on.

There is option B. Instead of learning to reel left and trying to get left handled reels, Learn to throw left hand with the rod. Too Easy I guess. :

I'd look at a Abu Revo S or a Shimano Citica. Shame the Abu Orra doesnt come left for ya.

It is hard to stop throwing a tiny when you are catching 5lb river smallies on it. I actually got 4 cases of one color earlier this year. That said. I also got several Baby's to try.

Yep.

Norman's have VMC's I beleive.

I got introduced to jitterbuggin many years back by a couple of guys that were fishing the larger ones on heavy spinning gear spooled with 15-20 lb mono. I laughed at the tackle as I thought smallmouth fishing in streams was a ultralight tackle game. There result proved me wrong.

Would depend on the size of the fish available as to the size of the equipment needed. I have a small creek behind my house that I use an ultralight St Croix and Shimano Symetre 500FJ on. Small fish. I have a blast with little ultralight lures. Then there are sections of streams where I feel underguned with a baitcaster spooled with 12lb mono.

John, try that same thing with the current and jitterbugs. I love a buzzbait over the grass mats in summer. Remember. You are fishing for quality not quantity. I leave the spinning gear in the truck and grab my baitcaster spooled with at least 10lb mono. It is currently spooled with 40lb Power Pro.

I would do some topwater early. The old Rapala floater is hard to beat. In line spinners are great. I like the ones that combined the curly tail. Just keep in mind smaller lures will catch numbers. Bigger lures will get bigger fish. Smallmouth does not mean small fish.

Not that hard. Answer: Tie on buzzbait. Use trailer hook. Throw. Reel fast enough to make bait stay on top. Not being smart here. This just is NOT rocket science. You will not catch fish on a lure in the tackle box. Let you in on another trick: The fast sections where you can just cast down stream and just hold the bait in place on top are awsome after dark in hot weather.

No. Buzzbaits dont work for river smallies. Especially 1/8 oz black at about dusk dark in the hottest part of the summer. They just dont work. :

I think It would depend on the general size of the fish you are going for. If you are going for a huge stripes then both the rod and reel are too small. For average fish in moderate surf I think you would be fine with the 4000 and that rod. I would spool a braid on and definitely use a shock leader. I personally like my love my Symetre 2000 FH and a 6'6" for surf. But then I get to fish the Coast around Charleston on our family vacations. Lots of sand shark, drums, flounder, and trout. I used the 2000 for earlier morning fishing throwing into the breakers. I used a Sedona 4000 and 7' rod for 3oz and bait and we caught sharks all night. Both reels were spooled with 20lb PowerPro.

If not mistaken the 2500 and 3000 Shimanos are the same size reels. The 3000 has a deeper spool and different handle. The 3000 was set up for a compact reel with a higher capacity for the redfish guys. The 2500 is the bass reel setup. Either will do nice for bass. And I like the 3000 handle more.

St Croix Truimph 6'6" or 7' Med. Same blank material as in the Premier and Mojo Line for much less money. I even used the 6'6" for light surf fishing last year and had a ball on small sharks and sea trout.

Get the Avid.