onion man

Take your pick... what reel is a better all arounder and particularly good for spinnerbaits, jigs, and things of that nature?

Hey guys, I just sent back a 7'0" M St. Croix Avid series spinning rod that was a two piece that I got as a gift. I now have the option to go ahead and buy the one piece Avid in the same model, or I could go for a different rod. The main rod I was thinking about was a Falcon Cara T7 7'0" Jeff Kriet Squirrel Tail rod. Have any of you guys had experience with these rods? What would you recommend to get? I like them both because they are made in the U.S. ;D

Man guys.... SHHHHHH!!!! Keep quiet! You guys are exactly right, the fishing in the Cape area for Largemouth and Smallmouth is as good as you'll find in MA. Lots of good natural lakes around the area. Some are deep, others are shallow... Great fishing and a secret to several. There are pressured waters, but if you own a canoe, kayak, or cartop boat, you are in luck. Lots of good ponds without the big hype or pressure.

No, its just Bass Pro. They only carry a couple of models for almost all of the rod series they carry. St. Croix wouldn't do that. Go to their website.

I have the discontinued Falcon FTO V6 tackle bag. You cannot find it anymore, but it works better than any other bag I have used before. It stores all of my crankbait boxes and terminal tackle great. I also have two of the FTO worm speedbags that work great for all of my plastics ;D

Okay, that helps. I thought the AJ cranking rod looked good, but I will avoid getting that. I have mainly been looking at Kistler because I can get the older Mags for $70, and they are almost the exact same thing as this year's model. I have looked at the MGCBSAGM70 and the MgCRR70. I don't know the difference, but I am leaning towards the MGCBSAGM70 because it can handle 1/8-3/4 oz. lures, while the CRR can only handle 1/8-1/2 oz. lures. I am also looking to get another one of these rods because they are cheap, and I am debating whether to get the 6'9" MH trigger rod or the 6'9" MH spinning rod. I have looked at the Carrot Stix micros, too. Are they worth the money and not getting an extra rod? And I can get the Loomis crankbait sticks for $180, as stated earlier. Should I go for that rod? Thanks guys.

Log into the Kistler site and post a question and I'm sure you will get a prompt response from one of the kistler staff will get back to you on the forum. I have the Kistler Mag TS MgCBSAGM70 Crankbait rod which is a 09 Model and the 2010 Model is the Mag/Mag TS CRR which is essentially the same rod per the kistler staff. Is your Mag TS MgCBSAGM70 the Alton Jones Model? How much was the retail price? Do you like it? Thanks. Yeah Dobyns is great I threw one once.... I don't know if it is worth it.

I have been looking at Kistler a lot. What is the difference between the Magnesium and the Magnesium ts? I am really confused about Kistlers whole lineup although I love their rods. I just don't know which model is which!

Man, those G-Loomis cranking series rods are nice. I just don't know if I can afford them at that price. Really like them though, they sound and look great. I have kind of picked up on the Kistler Magnesium series of rods. There is this site that has them on sale for a price that is cheap as dirt. I am a bit confused between the crankbait special and the crank rattle n' roll. Is there a difference? Is the crankbait special a good choice for medium depth cranks? I like the look of the rod and they have a retail that is close to the higher end of the spectrum. If I am happy with what people have to say about their experiences with Kistler, than I will be able to not only get the cranking rod for a cheap price, but also get a magnesium spinnerbait rod! And the price of the two combined will still be less than one Carrot stick micro or a Cumara reaction..... So how do you guys like the Magnesiums? Is their a difference between the 09' magnesiums and the 10' magnesiums? Also, are the Helium rods any better? I can get the Heliums for a low price too, but they are still a bit higher. Is it worth it?

I would beg to differ. This is just my personal preference. I would feel better and more comfortable fishing with a one piece rod because I will be rested assured that it won't unsnap or come apart. I will have direct contact throughout the entire blank hence even more sensitivity. You can think what you want, that's fine, but that is how I see it.... The two piece is more expensive and when you see the two piece rod compared to the one piece rod, the first guide on the two piece is MUCH closer to the second guide and further up. That causes line flutter off the reel and that is one cause of wind knots

I already have a nice two piece spinning rod for travel, so I think I would want the spinning rod that I fish most with to be a one piece.... I would just have more confidence...

Well, with crankbaits, it is good to feel exactly where that bait is and know whether it is in the strike zone or not. Throwing cranks is my best/favorite technique, so I guess I would spend more money on a cranking rod and less on the diamond dozen jig & worm rods out there. Also, micro guides are a big thing. I have never owned one personally but I am pretty sure that they increase casting distance. Normally, I wouldn't be able to buy something this nice, but I am selling something on ebay that is big bucks, plus I got some bass pro gift cards for Christmas. I still will buy my crankbaits, cannot forget those....

Do you know of anyone who can supertune reels? I could use one of those people...

Wow, how did you send it in? Where did you send it in? Maybe I can send in the newer Curado 201E7 and get them (whoever they are) to change the gears.... The reason I would get the newer Curado over the older on is that it has more bearings, no plastic, and it can cast lighter lures farther.... How can I send it in?

I know what you are talking about. Gone through it all too many times. I think I will make a small list of options and go to Bass Pro and see for myself. As for the reel, it doesn't really matter... I already have an idea of that. I just wanted to hear the opinions of cumara reaction owners, carrot stix micro guide owners, st. croix avid crankbait owners, loomis owners, or an owner of a rod that simply owns. I am sure at that price, that these rods better be d**n good and come with something to write home about or else it is back to the factory..... Also, I think another cool question to ask is what crankbait companies do you guys like? I love Rapala and Spro. I am also happy with strike king as long as the hooks are changed... I hate Normans Man there should be a forum solely devoted to reaction baits.....

Yeah it is easily one of the finest spinning rods that I have owned. I felt horrible to tell the person who got it for me that it was a two piece, but it was not that big of a deal. I think getting a one piece will give me a little more confidence and interestingly, a one piece rod is a tad lighter than the two piece. But when they are this nice, I really am not that picky! I just tuned in to see what other experienced fisherman had to say. I think this rod will improve my fishing... pretty dang sensitive. How do you think their crankbait trigger rods are like? I am looking to get a nice crankbait rod...

An all-star crankin' rod and an old school Curado 201dpv. Also got an avid spinning rod with a Shimano Saros on it ;D And what is Christmas without some bass pro gift cards in the stocking...

Hey Guys, So after a long thought process, I have decided to go ahead and get a nice crankbait rod. I have a deep cranking rod and a small crankbait/jerkbait rod. Now I need to fill that gap to be able to have a rod that is an all around cranker. I'm talking cranks that go from my dt 4's to my little john md's and my dt 10's, maybe even a little deeper. I have set myself a limit of $200, so that I can save some $$ for tackle. I have looked at the new micro guide carrot stix, the st. croix avid crankbait rod, and maybe the cumara reaction series if it is worth it. My birthday is in a month, so I figured why not go for a high end cranking stick and get a good reel later on....

I am most likely going to ship it back and just get the one piece rod of the same model with the next one-two weeks.

To tell you the truth, there isn't anything better about the new SX and STX reels than the previous generation. The older SX's and STX's were lighter and less bulky and there was nothing wring with them. I have to say though, there is a difference between the two. The STX has a free floating spool which means there is no friction of the axil rubbing against the gears. In the SX, there is an axil, but along with the STX, there are 11 bearings. That is a lot for a reel of that price and those aren't just bearings, they are very high quality bearings. If you want a more refined reel, the STX is worth the money. You'll cast farther and have more control. The SX is a very good reel though. Depends really on your budget and how much you fish. Curado is hard to beat too, but you cannot get it in 6:4.1 like the revos

Hey guys, I just got a brand new St. Croix avid 7'0" M power spinning rod for a Christmas gift. I really like the craftsmanship of the rod, BUT it is a two piece rod. I do have the option to send it back in for a one piece if I want to, but I don't know if there is any difference between a one piece and a two piece. Does a two piece rod effect the performance of the rod at all? What should I choose to do? Thanks.

Okay, that is probably what he meant. Hey does anybody know if the shimano calcutta 101B is good at casting light baits and crankbaits? Seems like a decent reel to me....

Okay, so the deal with having a high speed reel on ALL of your rods for ALL applications is an interesting subject. Rick Clunn, who one 4 bassmaster classics, preaches that it is good for an angler to fish with the same rod/reel all the time so that they don't have to get used to fishing a different reel, which will help their fishing because they will feel more comfortable. I love Rick Clunn and what he teaches, but I have to disagree. For crankbaits, having a low speed reel is key to controlling the eagerness in an angler and maintaining a steady rate for the lure to run. When you catch a fish and release it, you make another cast. You are so exited to catch another lunker and you reel faster and quicker, offering an unrealistic presentation to the fish. Different ratio reels will control and limit your fatigue and result in a more realistic presention most of the time. High speed reels are great for jigs and spinnerbaits, but when you want cranks, go slow. It is a fast moving lure.

Yeah that calcutta is NICE, but it will empty my wallet pretty bad unless I can find a deal off ebay.... The old citica 201's are nice, and right out of the box they have 25 IPT so I could just get that. The old curado 201B5 also seems good. Nothing fancy, just an old reliable reel. Either one would be good.... The curado B5 I can find for cheaper, but maybe the citica D's are a better reel.

Alphas are pricey >