smb

I have used all of the Avids you mention a lot. I would agree that the As68MXF is a good rod for soft plastics as long as the cover is not too heavy. The AS69MLXF is intended primarily as a drop shot rod, due to its very soft tip. I have also used mine quite a bit with light crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

The lakes I generally fish the most for smallmouth are deep, down to 360 feet in the main lake basin, and gin clear. I have never found that fluorocarbon was really necessary. In theory, it should work better due to less visibility. It is somewhat more sensitive, due its denser material than mono. In practice, I have not noticed much difference. Should sesitivity be a big requirement, I have found a light braid, say 10-15 pounds with a mono or fluoro leader joined to the standing line via the Albright knot to be the very best. This set-up is tailor made for use on spinning reels, and lends itself nicely for use with light to medium light spinning rods.

There is an article or two in TackleTour.com about all popular fluorocarbon lines. In thatose articles. the Seaguar lines are among the most stretchy of those tested.

Modulus numbers are deceiving. The real questions is is how much graphite content is actually in the blank. When BPS says their rods have a certain modulus, they no doubt are correct to a degree. But what is the actual percent of graphite content and what is the percent of the epoxy scrim? But the modulus level of 85 cannot have a great amount of actual graphite in it at that level. The result would be a very brittle rod. The best of the Loomis line, which are supposed to have a great graphite blank, have modulus numbers nowhere near 85. I do not think anyone could seriously say that any BPS rod could compete with with a GLX Loomis in the sensitivity department. I have used several BPS rods - Extremes, Pro Qualifiers and J. Morris Signatures. There is no comparison to any true high end type rods. Unfortunately, although all high rods are considerable overpriced compared to their production costs, you still tend to get what you pay for.

Given equal quality/pricing levels both reel brands are simply the best. It is like a pretty blonde vs. a pretty brunette vs. a pretty redhead. All of them are great, although each would have their own preferences. I have some of each, from top to bottom pricing wise. For me my PREFERENCE would be Shimano, Shimano, Shimano. This is true especially in the quality, durability and consistency departments.

Just to add my 2 cents. There is no comparison between the Falcon rods, especially the Cara and Expert series, and the Pflueger/BPS rods. Having said that, your comparison was not valid. Any braid is much more sensitive, given the same rod, as are any mono or fluorocarbon line. This is due to less stretch. Fluorocarbon lines have been shown to have as much stretch as mono type lines. Fluoros are more sensitive than monos due to the denser material they are made out of, not because they stretch less. But sensitivity-wise, none can compare to braid type lines. I think any rod would be amply sensitive with braid. There are many other considerations when choosing a rod. Use a Falcon with braid and the others with a braid and the Falcon wins hands down, whether you consider weight, sensitivity, quality, hook setting power, etc.

Another possiblity is that damage can occur to any line - mono, flurocarbon or braid - through use. How often do you check your line and re-tie? This must be done regularly for all lines. Knots must also be tied with much care. A Palomar with crossed line on the hook eye is considerable weakened, especially with mono. I can honestly say that I have had no problems with any line snapping, subject of course to me doing my part.

I, too, favor Sufix braid. I think the problem with braid snapping off is due to undetected wear/abrasion on the line. Though very strong, braid is very subject to wear and tear, especially around rock structure. This wear is much harder to see and feel on braid than on other line types. Knots can be another problem. I use only Palomar knots with braid and always add a drop of "fishing glue". You can buy this glue at BPS. As far as the sensitivity issue goes, there are two ways to skin this cat. One would be high end rods, in which case all lines are plenty sensitive enough. An added bonus for high end rods is there laqck of weight in comparison to lesser rods. With less sensitive rods, braid becomes a viable option as the line will more than make up for any lack in the rod itself.

Great rod. Have used mine both on Smallies and Largemouth. I have used T-rigged soft plastics and jigs up to 3/8 oz in weight. Sensitivity is scary and there is more than ample strength for the hookset. Also great to know that if it breaks, no matter what the reason with no haggling, for $50 I get a new rod, period.

I have heard folks who play golf (I don't as my fishing takes up all my spare time - I will think about chasing white balls when I am too old to chase anything else) that you could play the game with just a putter. But things would go much better, not to mention more fun to have a full bag of clubs. Same thing applies to fishing. The only circumstance where one rod would trump several or more rods would be for someone to buy one good rod/reel than to try to buy numerous lesser rods/reels.

I have had great luck using Falcon Cara series rod to throw unweighted soft plastic of all different stripes. It is their model number CC-5-167MH. This rod features a soft tip with a strong mid to butt section. I have caught LMB up to 9 pounds and smb up to 7 pounds on this rod. I have used Shimano Chronarch and Curado reels and 12 to 17 pound test line.

I am new here and don't wish to stir up anything. I guess you might say that I am a member of the "posse". The Shimano Posse that is. I can't divulge the number of Shimanos that I have. To do so would probably lead towards the divorce court. Better to insure domestic tranquility. I have never had a problem with any of them that was not my fault. In fact, they have stood up well in the face of my rough treatment of them. Some of the problems encountered seem to be in the shipment and handling. The fact that one person has several or many problems in a cluster type ocurence suggests that some other factor, be it shipping, distributor, dealer or other thing could be the cause of the problem and not Shimano per se. I think the concept of zero defects is just that a concept. There is nothing perfect.

I have and have used both the Cardiff and the old and new style Citicas a good deal. In my opinion there is not much difference between the performance of a reel with a ratio of 5.8:1 and a reel with a ratio of 6.2:1. There is a good deal of difference between the new Citica with the super free feature and the Cardiff, which I don't think has the super free. The Citica casts and pitches much better IMPO. Backlash control with either free depends entirely on setting the reel up properly for you. Another issue would be whether you prefer round or low profile reels. This depends on your hand size among other things. As far as power goes, the gearing in the new Citica is both big and robust. This, in connection with the HEG features gives you a very strong and powerful reel. I use the new Citica for virtually every application. They offer great value - a great performing reel at a great price.