Robert Riley

I use a lot of big baits for muskie, #80-#100 test with a swivel and a fluoro leader, it about #200 actually! (buddy makes them and sells them) I know its not exactly what would be used for bass, but i've had very little problems and i cant see there being more if you downsized.

I use #30 braid, i dont actually remember the brand, but it has roughly the same diameter as the 8lb Invizx I tie on as a leader.

I've just finished my undergrad at the University of Illinois and I'm looking at grad school at Maryland, any good fishing around there? I've never traveled past Ohio for fishing, tell me some more.

Anyone on here ever use a small plastic swimbait on a shakeyhead? I'm talking like a Keitech Shad Impact or Easy Shiner, nothing big that displaces water. Just had the idea while I should have been paying attention in physics...

Red Label is my go to line, great stuff and a great price, I tend to spool on Sniper or Sunline Reaction for tournaments though.

^^^Just gotta try it! Probly the best recommendation here haha. The real question is how Sunline's Model FC compares to Seaguar's Red Label.

For heavy jigs, assuming you are fishing them deep, I'd do braid with a FC leader. For topwaters, I use #30 braid, allows for a good hookset, but it's harder to keep the fish on the line. But if you are using poppers, then #10 Co-Poly (P-line) hands down. For cranks, i use #10 Co-Poly, It's pretty good, feels like mono but better hooksets. For spinners I use #12 Sunline Reaction FC, stuff is awesome. 2/12 of my set ups are spinning rods, both are meant for finesse presentations. One is #30 Sunline SX1 with #8 Invizx leader. I use that for shakeyheads, wacky rigs and T-rigs. Number 2 is purely #8 Invizx used for my girlfriend/buddy when they come with.

Anyone on here use some of the new FCs that have come out? I'm looking forward to checking out Sunlines Assassin and Model ("affordable" line), as well as Seaguar's Denny Brauer Flipping FC. He's also got flipping braid, but I have no use for that in these parts.

1) Sahara and HMG would be good for lighter reaction baits. MH is a stretch for soft plastics and trigs. 3) President and a M/F for trigs and shakeyheads 4) Abu 6.8 with a MH/F for spinnerbaits. 5) MH/XF with the Lews for jigs and plastics **i only use spinning tackle for finesse presentations, so that's my $0.02

I use a MH veritas Winch that I got for $50. For cranks and spinnerbaits I feel like you don't have to invest in a high priced rod, you can generally feel/see a bass whack a moving bait.

I throw, 3/8oz max, generally 1/4oz and 1/8oz. I've heard that the 742 is boss for these presentations, but I'm not ready to drop that much money on a rod.

I use a Fenwick EliteTech (older model) and it's awesome, 6'8MXF. I also have a GLoomis GL2 JWR that's good, not as good, but pretty good. TBH, anything that's around a 7' Medium is good, i'd shoot for lightness as a close second to most important trait next to sensitivity.

I currently use 14lb Abrazx, 8lb Invizx, 12lb Sniper and 10lb Reaction. I love them all. I really As far as braid goes, I've used Smackdown and I don't like it, FX2 is better IMO. I'd really like to try some Kanzen, but it's just another thing on my list.

Yep! Both of my spinning set ups, finesse and dropshot, are 1000 size reels.

Anyone use Dobyns Spinning rods? Looking for a light finesse rod for shakeyheads, t-rigs and wacky rigs. Thinking 702? I'm a huge fan of their casting rods, owning several and loving them all.

I just got a new spinning reel and I was about to put line on it, but I figured I'd see what you all do first. It's going on my dedicated finesse jig/shakeyhead rod, so I'd obviously want FC somewhere. I have braid on my dropshot set up with a FC leader, and i was thinking of doing that. Do you back with braid entirely and use a FC leader, OR Do you back with something else, put a large amount of braid and then an FC leader?

Yeah he is! That's a very versatile rod. The 704 is good as well, just a bit shorter, so it's nice for accurate casting and tight quarters ( for my bank angling brothers out there)

I second the Dobyn's Champions.

I've used both the Premier and the STX and I think the only difference is the carbon fiber handle, so you could save some cash and get the STX instead.

As some had said, look used, that's about the price range for used top-tier rods. Dobyns, my preference, are sold fairly frequently on the Flea Market page of this forum.

I prefer graphite for any role where sensitivity is required. It seems to me that glass rods are very good for keeping fish on the line (the parabolic bend). Jig&worm to me just signals that it's an extra-fast rod, you can use it in a pinch for spinnerbaits, but you'd be better off with a fast action. With the extra fast, I tend to pull the hook out of the fish's mouth.

If you want a light rod that's well balanced, check out Dobyns, I've got a rod from each of their levels, $100-$350 and they start light and just get lighter and lighter. You might want to check out their Savvy or Fury series.

I see a lot of those lightning rods around. I'm a pretty big advocated for Dobyn's Rods, those new furys are pretty nice.

I have a Lews superduty 8:1

Furys are pretty good. I personally love my Fenwick EliteTech, it was about $80 on sale.