Matt 825

Last year I built a drop shot rod using REC recoil guides and went all the way down to single foot fly guides for the 3 guides near the tip. The rod is ultra sensitive due to using these guides, but casting distance is greatly reduced and they sing when I get a fish. If you want a rod that is super sensitive then these are your guides, but if you are interested in casting a mile then go with the Fuji SIC guides.

I dont care for mono much at all, but if I am using it I'll use Berkley. For Fluro I like Berkley 100%, but I just started using Seaguar InvizX on my jerkbait rods and the stuff is awesome!!!!

I just ordered a couple spools of Yozuri Hybrid from TW after reading about it for months on this board. I am going to spool up both of my topwater rods with it. I did use 20 lb mono on my heavier topwater rod, but I am going with 15 lb hybid and 12 lb hybrid for my lighter topwater rod.

That is a great combo you got there. I just picked up one of the new much smaller and lighter citica E's . What a great little reel and the Mojo is one of the best rods out there for the $. Enjoy your new combo

I used spinning gear when I was younger so I always reeled with my left hand. When I got into baitcasting gear I got a right hand reel and used this for a while. Now I use alomost all left hand reels. In fact I only have 1 right hand reel left which I use for spinnerbaits. Go with whatever feels more natural in your hands.

Someone caught a 5+ smallie at a T at Mashpee-Wakeby Saturday. I think it was like 5.6

Nice fish

The bait monkey is unstoppable. I already bought 6 rods and 8 reels that I "needed" so far this year. Any time there is a closeout sale all of a sudden I "need" something.

Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Watermelon Seed, and Smoke should cover you pretty well.

Hands down....Symetre

They should be just fine. Reels may need a little oil. They only got wet so its just like you fished in the rain.

Mono is best for walk the dog type baits. I also can not stand when the line starts to sink. It does impart on the action of the bait and sometimes that will make you catch less fish. I fish most topwaters on a 6'6" MH for the bigger baits like a Super Spook and a 6'6" M for smaller baits. Both rods are baitcasters but sometimes I will throw a very small topwater like a Zara Spook Puppy or a small popper on a spinning rod. 10IB Mono on a spinning rod should work just fine for topwater baits as long as they are somewhat small and you are not fishing it around heavy cover.

LOL You'll save some money but it will cost you more money :-? Let me explain.......... Lets talk Jigs: Say a premium jig costs $4. Now you buy 25 premium jigs and it costs you $100. So you have 25 great jigs to fish with. Now to make 25 premium jigs your costs will be as followed Mold $30-40 depending on what you want Premium Hooks per 50 $10 Lead Pouring pot $60 Lead Free to a few $ per pound Weed Guard $7 per 100 Skirts $3-5 per 10 Powder Paint $5 per color Fluid bed for Powder paint $60 Heat Gun & Toaster Over $50 So you are looking at a few hundred dollars to make 25 jigs. That is why it will cost you more, but if you make a few hundred jigs then you will save some $. However you will and I repeat you will, start buying more molds, more colors of skirts and paint, different styles of hooks and in the end you will have spent a small fortune to "save some money on jigs" LOL To sum it up your cost per jig will go way down eventually but your overall cost for your finished tackle will go way up. You will have some killer custom jigs that no one else has and only a few can replicate. Is it worth all the effort and costs.............Absolutley :-X 8-)

I'd go with the Citica also. Great reels!!!!

For $30 tell me who your friend is and I will buy it from him. LOL I have 2 of these reels that I bought last year when I was in a pinch for a few reels. I have not used them all that much, but I was impressed with them for a $50 reel.

Try this site for the motherload of some of the best custom rod builders in the country. www.rodbuilding.org

For all you Lefty Chronarch MG guys. *** just lowered the price on these sweet little reels to $164. Just grabbed two more and I dont even have rods to put them on yet. http://www.***.com/descpageRLCSHIMANO-SHCSF50.html

Sweet looking jigs!!!!

You are right I meant to write the Curado E. oops :'(

In summer I use a twin tail grub. In winter I use pork or a sweet beaver type of bait.

I just got some clear water craw last week. Cant wait to throw that color this year. Nice Jigs

I would get either a 6:2.1 Chronarch or a 7:0.1 Curado.

St. Croix Mojo hands down. I have one Mojo and it is impressive for a $100 rod. I also have a bunch of BPS extreme rods that I no longer use and they are duct collectors now. LOL

Since the Chronarch B's are discontinued and can be found for around $170 and the new Curado D's are retail $179 and can be found for about $150 they are basically the same price. My question to you guys is which one do you think is a better performing reel. I will use it for a little bit of everything, but mostly throwing a jig. I just cant decide which one to get. :-/ Thanks Guys

While these McSticks may have thier place in my jerkbait box (not exactly sure where yet) they are not replacing the pointers anytime soon. Just another option for me.