BigGame0892

I agree. Looks like you're missing something in that 7 to 7'6" range for a Carolina Rig or for heavier flipping/pitching. MH or Heavy depending on the brand and the cover you're working.

I'd agree with this. I have a Saros (which I love), but wish I would have spent a little more for a Stradic. One thing to consider is that you need to step up to at least the Saros to get the extra spool included. Shimano changed that a couple years back. I like the 3000 size as well.

Used Suffix Performance Braid on 2 baitcasters and one spinning reel last weekend. Very nice stuff. I liked it better than PowerPro and Fireline.

I think you've missed my point, or I didn't explain very well. There have been numerous people just on this thread that said at least part of the reason they bought a Loomis was because of the Xpeditor warranty. Therefore, Loomis made additional sales based on Xpeditor. In addition, many members said they have only broken maybe one or no rods in the past. So, these people that hardly ever break rods, were still buying Loomis for the Xpeditor for "added insurance" in case something did happen. Hardly ever breaking a rod, means that Loomis did not have to replace many and lose money on those replacements as you said above (and I agree with). Of course, as was mentioned, there is no way to account for people that broke rods on purpose to get a replacement. Simply, the sales Loomis made based on the Xpeditor feature probably well outweigh their costs to replace rods under the Xpeditor. We'll see soon enough I suppose if they take a major hit in their sales because of all of this. Heck, its already taken up 5 pages on this board!!!

Flechero: Doesn't this quote from a one of your earlier posts in this thread mean that Shimano/G Loomis was making a pretty good profit from the Xpeditor? I mean, if there is a whole bunch of people buying the rods because of the Xpeditor warranty - and according to you and past threads very few people have ever broken a rod, that equals profit right? Just sayin...

This just in.....Dobyns, Powell and St. Croix have re-institued FACs (Friday Afternoon Cocktails) in anticipation of the huge increase in sales they expect to see. I heard they're hiring too! BTW, as a former G Loomis loyalist, I'm happy I decided to switch before all of this. However, I still went ahead and e-mailed them to give them my 2 cents.

It's "the package" that has changed. The service was a HUGE selling point. I agree. You may have paid a little more for a Loomis over some comparable rods. But, I always thought part of that cost was for the awesome warranty and service.

If I were you I would just return it and get yourself a Dobyns or a Powell. I fish all Powells and couldn't be happier, and I just got my first Dobyns (705CB Glass) and I'm loving it. Great warranty programs from both companies.

Shimano Curado 200e7 Powell 703C Suffix Siege 14 lb. test A lot of versatility with this setup. I can throw topwaters, square bill cranks, texas rigs, finesse jigs, Carolina rigs, and probably some other stuff I can't think of right now.

A 7ft medium rod is a good all around length for what you're looking to use it for. Good distance casting and enough length for hooksets in deeper water or at long distances. I might consider a little bit shorter rod if you'll be skipping docks or in need of really accurate casts in other similar situations. Maybe 6'8" to 6'10". Depends on your experience and skill level I guess.

Switching or not switching between which hand you reel with and which you hold the rod is a personal thing. However, as stated before most people can learn to do either. Personally, I would advise holding the rod with your left hand and reeling with your right (if you're right-handed) with a baitcaster. The only reason is there are still some reels only available in right hand retrieve (see Curado 200e5). The Curado is a great reel, and Shimano's breaking system is one of the easiest to learn with for baitcasters (I learned with a Citica 200D a few years back). As for rods, check out Powell rods for $139 - $169 a piece. They are great rods for the money and come with a great warranty too. I would make sure to buy a rod with a lifetime warranty - you can get several for under $175. Bass Pro Rods may be pretty nice (I've owned some including the Elite series), but the lack of a lifetime warranty is a problem for me. Recently, BPS has become a little bit more stringent about replacing rods and are selling an extra warranty at point of purchase - but not lifetime.

Gotta go with the Citica here, have a hard time believing someone would have to send 4 back. If that indeed was the case, why would you keep asking them to send you another vs. getting your money back and going with a different brand sooner? Having a hard time buying that story here. I fish only Shimano and have only had one break down ever, and Shimano was more than happy to fix and never had any problems since.

I've had the Powell Max 683 for about 2 yrs now. I would say the 683 is a little too lite for your desired applications. The tip is more suited to treble hook applications. Smaller cranks and topwaters. It is a great rod for what it was intended. A 684, 704 or a 734 might better be suited for you. I've got these as well. Nick O I don't have a 683, but I would agree with this post. I do have a 703, 704 and a 734. I find the 703 a little light for these applications (great for topwaters and square bill cranks). The 704 or 734 are perfect. 734 works well for frogs. I just used it this past weekend for froggin (first time - don't get to do much froggin) and it performed very well.

17 lb. XPS fluoro is very good stuff for the price. I pitch/flip light to medium cover with it all the time.

Personally, I prefer a heavy action for my jigs and and MH for my texas rigged baits. But, it also depends on which brand of rods you're looking at. Some heavy actions are more like a MH in another brand. For instance, my Powell 704C that I use for jigs feels like a lot of medium heavy rods. I would compare it to a MH St. Croix Avid. Either way, I go with fluorocarbon vs. braid for sensitivity and invisibility in more open and clear water, braid or braid with fluoro leader for stained or dirtier water. Also, I like extra fast tips for jigs with fluoro - just a "regular" fast action is fine and probably even better for braid. Just my .02!

This is an interesting thread, and I never really thought about the "digging in" issue before. I use XPS quite a bit - mainly because I find it very abrasion resistant and strong, and I get good knots with it. However, I do have to agree that I do have some dig in issues with the hooksets. Never really considered it that big a deal, just requires a little adjustment on my part when it comes to that first cast after setting the hook.

I use 17 lb. XPS Fluoro a good bit. I would say its a little stiffer than Seaguar Invizx which I have also used. As to whether its hard to see above water....that seems different for everyone. I don't have a lot of trouble seeing the XPS Fluoro, but obviously its not as easy as seeing a fluoroescent or other bright-colored line. Personally, I have a really hard time seeing the moss green tinted stuff.

Not a problem at all, just trying to make sure everyone gets as accurate as information as we can manage on here. We're all trying to learn something. 8-)

I throw my 5/16 oz. finesse jigs on a Powell 703 or 704 just depending on the length of cast required and the cover. Great rods for the money, $139 shipped from ***.

I agree Wayne, but if the drag is slipping you can't horse with the rod. That's why I recommend a reel with a high drag capability. Most Shimano low profile reels are only about 5 lbs, Revo winch about 25lb, not sure about Abu round reels or the salt water reels. The Ardent flipping reel has a great deal of drag also. Anyway you need a lot of drag and normally a low retrieve rate to horse with, as well as a very stiff rod. Not sure which Shimanos you're referring to, but the last 2 generations of Shimano low profiles have had significantly more drag power than 5 lbs. Check out TackleTour's review of the new Citica: [ftp]http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanocitica200epg4.html[/ftp] Now, I don't take their word for gospel, but I figure they probably know better than me. Obviously, I'm a little biased towards Shimano. But, my best fishing buddy fishes Daiwas and Shimanos, and he'll tell you without a doubt the Shimanos have more drag power. The Revos are a different matter - everything I've read says they have incredible stopping power.

I agree that its tough for any manufacturer, or for any retailer to inspect every product they ship out to consumers. Unfortunately, in this case, I was the unlucky recipient. Happens to everyone once in awhile I guess. I'm still looking forward to getting my 705CB glass tomorrow. Once I get it, and get a chance to look it over, I'll make sure to give Dobyns a call and just let them know my mistake experience with the 735 Savvy I received. Thanks all!!

if that was the case they could keep the rod and i would be looking for a full refund. unless a blind man packages and ships the rod they should know the rod is not saleable with a guide off center. thats just me though. LOL!! Yeah, I was kind of the same opinion. So, I mentioned that to TW - asking them if they inspect the rods when they receive from the manufacturer and before they ship to customers. They didn't have a really great answer for me. But, they're sending me shipping labels to return it to them. Draw your own conclusion I guess.

Hmmm...I'd never heard of such a thing until it happened to me. What are the odds of the exact same thing happening twice? Has to make you wonder some. But like I said, I'll wait to try out my 705CB Glass before I pass judgment on Dobyns. There are way too many guys on here that say they're great rods to not give it a second chance.

Thanks for the input guys. TW agreed to send me shipping labels for return shipping. Haven't contacted Dobyns as of yet. I think I'm going to wait until I get my 705CB Glass on Monday before I make a decision on whether to try to get another Savvy.

It depends to some extent on the diameter fluorocarbon I'm going to be using. Thinner diameter allows me to use more backing. But, in general somewhere around 1/3 to 1/2 the spool. I tend to use closer to 1/3 a lot because I'm making very long casts at times.