Jason Penn

get them both on rods and see which you prefer in hand. neither company puts out junk

i picked up a couple of the 8:1, and they're really solid feeling reels. i haven't gotten a chance to use them, only cast in the back yard, but i really like them.

don't worry about breaking 12# yozuri hybrid, it's stout i'm a true fc fan. i use it for all bottom contact baits. seems like most folks here prefer braid/leader, but it just doesn't work well for me. i don't believe you need fc for moving baits though. i'm not saying it's not good for those, i just don't personally use it.

i don't think there's a bad rod or reel nowdays. it comes down more to ergonomics than performance anymore. if it's comfortable for you to fish with, then it's good. the internet has changed so much with these companies because they know if they put out junk, the whole world will know about it in about 10 minutes.

my opinion on mod action rods for moving baits, is the flex in the blanks hooks fish different than a fast action. if you can imagine the difference of pulling a hook into your hand and jerking it in, that is it. the hook basically pierces, making it almost impossible for the fish to throw the bait. you can accomplish something similar by stepping down a power in the rod also. a med power rod (depending on the company, abu you would need a med lt) vs a med hvy will have more flex. some folks don't really think that's a great idea, but i've had no problems with it for single hook baits.

i'm interested in this line also. my eyes seem to get worse with each passing year

i just ordered 1 of the new 8:1 carbonlites. i've got 1 of the original gold, 3 of the pro qualifier tournaments, and 3 of the black. i've never had a problem with any of them, other than the grinding noise the 7:1 blacks make. the 5:1 black is as smooth as can be though.

i recently seen a video of gerald swindle talking about jig colors, and he uses either black or brown. that's it. i have ventured off into some different colors at times, but really all i ever fish is black/blue & a green pumpkin. i did the same thing years ago with soft plastics. i got everything down to 2 colors, and they seemed to work on any lake i went to, in any condition. 1 dark color like black/blue or junebug, and then a green pumpkin or watermelon. it sure did lighten up my load, and it cut down on the impatience factor. instead of switching colors every 5 minutes, i just kept on fishing.

how's the hevi-core workin for u? i would love to find a good sinking braid for spinning tackle

sink rate is exactly the reason why i use fc for plastics & jigs.

wonder what tracker will change on the 17'?

looks like clunn had a hand in the design appearance of the new crankin stick

sorry for clarification, i was speaking about imported rods. i think most of them are built with 1 line doing sub-assembly on the handle section while the guides are being wrapped on another, then they just combine them to finish the rods

i was pretty sure the abu rods were assembled in this fashion but really had no proof. i think a lot of the rods nowdays are though.

i generally like a mh/mod for spinnerbaits, other than titanium wire baits. seems like with those the extra spring in the wire makes it hard to get a hook in with a moderate action rod. i do have a daiwa ballistic 6'9 mh/f worm rod that is a fantastic spinnerbait rod. it's a fast tip, but loads deep into the blank with a fish on.

nice lookin rods!

nice seeing reels that aren't black. not sure i dig the looks of the rods though.

the 7' & 7'3 hvy powers show a fast action. i've never used the rods, and really can't seem to find many reviews on them, so i don't quite how fast they are. i'm actually kind of interested in these rods now

i've got 3 of the reels, 2-7's & 1-5:1. the 7:1 have that grind every rotation of the handle, but since i use them for bottom baits it really doesn't bother me. the 5:1 doesn't have the grind

the seat on the pictured casting rod looks a lot like daiwas

i seen on fb swindle was headed to a mlf event after leaving arkansas. be nice to see some new guys on that show.

pretty much

i think power and action are still very misunderstood in rods, and that's why the tech spec rods have become more prominent. a heavy power, moderate action rod would be pretty good for the largest, deep diving cranks. instead of that they just label the rod the "deep crank" model and go with it!

i'm not sure in the fishing industry, but in the musical instrument industry, dealer cost is roughly half of what the list price is. if it's the same with tackle, you can figure a $300 reel might cost the dealer $150, and might cost the actual company $75. for some reason, i kinda think it might be different with rods & reels though. i think it might be the dealer pays more and the companies actually pay less. i have no inside information, just making a comparison to how the mi industry has generally always been.

i think pretty much any new reel will last a pretty good while with proper care. for years, it's been shimano vs daiwa, but i think pretty much all of them have reliable products now. with the internet, companies can't afford to really make junk anymore. back when i was a kid, it took forever for word of mouth to get around about a shoddy product. today, if something sucks, the whole world knows about it in 10 minutes!!