21farms

kwr73, i'd go for the symetre FJ...it's a great reel and better than the FI version with the addition of the "propulsion" spool lip and machined aluminum handle (versus cast). the only drawback is the $20 price increase and you no longer get a free spare spool included in the box.

skunked_again and bass-brat, the FI was the previous-generation symetre. kwr73, i only see the FJs now but i'm sure if you posted in the flea market board here, you'll be able to find one as they were extremely popular. just out of curiosity, why do you want the FI instead of the newer FJ?

i use 30lb. yellow power pro and 65lb. neon fire sufix. when i fish clear water, i always tie on a 15lb. fluoro leader of about 6-10 feet. in less-than clear water, i tie direct for reaction baits and use a short fluoro leader (4-6 feet, 15lb. test) for everything else. a lot of the local guys take a sharpie to their line and color the first 4-5 feet of line black...seems to work for them.

sure it matters to know why the OP is choosing the viento. if it is specifically to take advantage of the twitchin' bar, then i'd suggest a rod with a extra-fast tip. if it's for the nice blue color, then i'd suggest a rod with complementary colors ;D all kidding aside, i don't recommend to the OP to get a light action rod if you're fishing for bass. otherwise, cabela's XMLti rods are on sale right now for between $90-$100 (normally $180) and are available in a variety of lengths and actions, including a few 2-piece models.http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0030280119418a&navCount=1&podId=0030280&parentId=cat20372&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20166-cat20372_TGP&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20372&hasJS=true consider a 7 footer in M or MH action.

welcome. anyway, if you tell us why you chose the viento, it might help us figure out an appropriate rod.

sounds like the g.loomis CBR 845C to me! i have one and use it for tossing 1/2 oz. red eye shads on the delta. the rod itself is a relatively light 4.6 oz. and balance feels great to me with a variety of my reels mounted. i understand your dilemma though...i think i'd rather have the 843 for this application only but the 845 is more versatile for bigger baits. i like the natural's suggestion for a 906...i wish i had one of those too.

i bought 3 or 4 to start with and liked 'em so much, i picked up 6 more. i'm now thinking of getting another dozen, enough for all my rods. they work especially well in rod lockers. plus, you can hang your rods on the wall or ceiling by them too. i have my different rod types color-coded.

i had some Ds and, other than the 100D, i never really cared much for them because of their heft. the E-series are so much lighter and smaller and they cast great.

jcman, i feel your pain...i've been there dozens of times in the past. the problem is not the braided line but your rod. i'm guessing that you're not using a dedicated crankin' rod? when i'd use a regular bass rod with crankbaits and rattlebaits, i was constantly losing fish. after switching over to a crankin' rod, gone were short strikes and lost fish. btw, i use braid exclusively with rattlebaits and it's great. my advice: get yourself a crankin' rod (one with a moderate to moderate-fast action).

sam, i'm pretty darn sure the symetre 2500 and 3000 are the same reel but with different sized spools. the 3000's slightly deeper spool has less aluminum and so is actually 0.2 ounces lighter than the 2500's spool. bassinsoldier, congrats...the symetres are awesome.

boy! does this bring back memories! when i read your heading, i thought i was misreading it because i didn't think anyone still had those anymore. my friend/fishing partner back in the 80s was a distributor for bumblebee so, naturally, we had quite a few to fish with. unfortunately, we never did as well with them as with the regular ol' colorado and willow-leafed spinnerbaits and i gave up on them. you should try selling them on ebay to see if there's any interest.

excellent crankbait. designed by the same guy as the luhr-jensen speedtrap crankbait but with improvements. about the only "negative" i can think of that they kinda run large for their weight. i get all mine from fishermanswarehouse.com.

the easiest way to tell is the logo on the rod blank itself. on the gen 1 rods, the word 'dobyns' is in an oval and overlaid onto top of a carbon weave pattern. on the gen 2 rods, the word 'dobyns' is larger and not within an oval.

i think the g.loomis CBR and SBRs are practically unbeatable although the powell 765CB for a crankin' rod comes close. for the jig/t-rig rod, i'd be more inclined toward the mossyback 852 or 853 for the added length but here, i'd be sorely tempted for a dobyns 733 or 734 (gen 2). i had a gen 1 and it's a great rod but the gen 2 is even lighter and more crisp.

***.com has the stradicMG FB on liquidation for $60 off: http://www.***.com/descpage-SSMGFB.html

i bought a few spools of the stuff 1.5 years ago and have never had such a bad experience with any fishing line...i lost fish after fish with it snapping on the hookset, it was ridiculous. after switching lines, life was good again.

yes, shimano expanded their spinning lineup by introducing the new sonora reel and moving the sedona and sahara upmarket with the FD-series.

the shimano citica E or ABU garcia revo S would be your best choices. i totally disagree with recommendations for revo SXs and STXs for beginners...that's likely a recipe for disaster and frustration.

with my eyes closed, i'd be hard-pressed to differentiate between them. the extra $20 gets you one extra ball bearing, a one-piece bail wire and a cool deep green paint job so it's up to you if it's worth the extra bucks.

paul, there is the shimano sedona FD for $60 and the shimano sahara FD for $80, both of which are nice reels (i have symetre FJs and a sahara FD). all that being said, my wife hates spinning gear but she liked the quick fire trigger because it is so convenient and easy to use. i'm actually considering picking up a spirex FG for my 9 year old and my wife to use.

slightly on the heavy side because of the spiral core construction but that also makes them very strong. i agree with dink_whisperer somewhat in that i think their ratings for their general purpose rods are on the high side...their heavy/fast feels more like a medium/moderate to me. i think their technique-specific ratings are pretty much right on though. i think they're a terrific buy at this price.

i had the previous version of the spirex. they're nice reels but really aimed at newer or more casual anglers. the quick fire triggers are really convenient and a great way for beginners to learn how to cast with. however, because of the quick fire feature, the reel cannot incorporate an instant anti-reverse bearing resulting in a significant amount of backplay when trying to set the hook. i think the design is more prone to line twisting too. if you already know how to cast well, i'd recommend a more-traditional design. it won't be as easy to cast nor as convenient but you'll get better performance. i'd also recommend you consider getting a reel with the drag in the front, not the rear. reels with front drags have a smoother and more consistent drag.

the only complaints i've heard are that they're noisy with braided line and some rare instances of grooving with braided line. i've never noticed the noise and i've checked mine for grooving and see no sign of it (i use braid the majority of the time). i really like the recoils...light, corrosion proof and--most importantly--they flex naturally with the rod and are near indestructible. bend a regular guide too far and the inserts pop out. close your rod locker lid on a regular guide and it's bent to heck. i also like how low recoil guides sit on the blank.

just keep in mind that BPS rods only have a one-year warranty. their rods are date coded. i recently tried to exchange a BPS prolite finesse rod because the trigger had broken off in my hand while fishing. it was 14 months old. not only can you not return a rod you bought online to a retail store, they also would not budge on the warranty although obviously it was a manufacturing defect. i will never buy a BPS rod again. with the st. croix, you get a much better warranty and it'll be lighter and more sensitive to boot.

there are three main types of fishing line: 1) monofilament pros: inexpensive, widely available cons: stretches a lot, floats best uses: general purpose 2) braid pros: zero stretch, lasts a long time, small diameter, strong, cuts through grass and weeds cons: high visibility, floats, expensive, easily cut on rocks, susceptible to wind knots and wrapping around line guides best uses: topwater, ripping lipless cranks through grass, fishing in heavy timber 3) fluorocarbon pros: sinks, low visibility, high abrasion resistance, low stretch cons: line memory, not as limp as mono, expensive, kinks and knicks really weaken line best uses: anything except topwater.