Dave T.

Thanks Capt. Bob, Yea, I'm sure the rod will be fine. Being that Dwight has the exact one I want, and he uses it for smallies, I was looking for his input. I already have a 6'6" ML Tournament spin (previous version). I also have a Custom 6'9" MLXF Extreme spin (my fav ), and a 7' MF LE spin. I also have a Legend Ultra and an Imperial fly rod. I've never been disappointed in any of my Croix's. As far as balance goes, I've never really checked that close. I use several different reels of varying weights on the spinning rods. So, it might be difficult to perfectly balance an outfit. Plus, with a 3/8 oz or 1/2 lure hanging 12" off the end of a rod, I'm not sure how much the balancing helps. However, there could be more to it than I think?

Thanks guys. I noticed that Dwight mentioned that the rod was a little bit tip heavy, and the new reel seat was a bit uncomfortable at first. What's your take on these points? Not that being a little tip heavy bothers me much. I find that most off the shelf rods are a bit tip heavy, but it's really not noticeable when fishing, but I'm curious on just how tip heavy these rods are. Thanks again.

Some of this depends on the type of braid. Some braid just seems to slip no matter what the knot. We use a double improved clinch knot on everything. That's two passes through the hook eye, 6 turns of the line, pass the line back through the two loops by the eye, and then pass the line up through the loop created on the pass back through the two loops. When tied properly, we rarely have a break off at the knot. However, I admit, we are not fishing Carolina Rigs with big sinkers.

Dwight, I know this is an old thread, but I'm wondering if you can update your experience with this rod. I'm thinking of adding one to my collection. Thanks

Yep! My son and I are jerk-bait fishing fanatics. Not only have we found the obvious... that different types of lines (mono, fluoro, and braid) have an affect on the suspending properties, but even extreme differences in water temp can have an affect. A combination of extreme water temps and type of line can have a significant impact on a suspending lures ability to suspend.

RW, I'm sure you have the X-Rap confused with another lure. The X-Rap is a "suspending" lure. My son loves them, and fishes them in the river all the time. They do suspend petty nicely. I don't care for them as much because of how quickly the lips break. Hit a couple of rocks, and they are done. Cheaper in the long run for me to buy Pointers.

What action is the rod? Medium light, Medium, Medium Heavy? What is the weight of the lure you are trying to cast?

You started a good thread. We agree on some things, and disagree on others... I'll leave it at that.

silvercliff, Well, you have me beat... but only by 5 years. I also started Fly Fishing around 12 years old. Anyhow, way back, my affiliation with Trout Unlimited allowed me to meet, become friends with, and learn from the likes of Vince Marinaro, Charlie Fox, Barry Beck, Ed Koch, Ed Shenk, and several others. Were these guys purists? For the most part yes. Were they snobs? For the most part no. Mainly, they were guys just dedicated to the sport... just like a lot of guys are dedicated to bass fishing. In the end, most of them (notice I'm saying "most" a lot there were a couple of "snobs") were just regular guys like you and me. Some folks call me a gentleman... some folks don't. When it comes down to brass tacks, guys that are genuinely dedicated to "something", tend to do good things for whatever they are dedicated too.

You have to establish the type of forage the smallies in that lake focus on... at least during the time period you are fishing it. Is it mostly some specific minnow, bluegills, perch, or crayfish? Pick the colors accordingly. Anyhow, if it were me, and I were going to that lake without knowing it, and could only take two (yes two - gotta have at least two), I would take a Pointer 78 (SP, DD, or XD - depending on how deep I wanted to fish) in Bloody Chartreuse Shad and Aurora Ghost Craw if it is as rocky as you say. I bet I would catch my share.

Of the three mentioned, Dicks is about 10 minutes from work, so of the three, I check there first. However, overall, I check a local Mom & Pop shop first that we have close by. I can usually get a good deal there, and I feel good about it, but the selection is limited. Second choice is TW. The free shipping and no tax makes their "final" price very competitive. However, selections is somewhat limited. Next is Gander Mountain... about 30 minutes from my work. Next is Cabela's (online) for mainly clothes, and I usually wait for a sale to offset the shipping and tax. Their closest store is about 2 hours away. I only get there about once a year. Next are several other online stores that offer some sort of free shipping and no tax. BPS (online) is last, usually because I've found what I want in one of the above, and they have the same shipping and tax charges, and their store is over 2 hours away. Obviously, the Big Boys do have to pay for the multi million dollar stores, enormous stock, commercials, sponsorships, (like this site) advertising, TV shows and what have not. So, I do try and do some business with them... they do do a lot for the sport.

It was I who didn't read them all. Never saw your "Complainers" post. However, like that say... great minds think alike.

and people who don't read all the posts in a thread before they post.

The XCalibur xt3 Twitch bait is pretty decent, and a few dollars less that a Pointer. However, they are tough to find. Lurenet is about the only place that handles all of them.

Complainers.