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Rods within the same family and Power rating should be fairly consistent. What makes a crankbait rod softer as you call it is the Action. Crankbait rods typically have either a moderate or moderate fast action which allows them to bend much further down the blank before they reach the backbone of the rod. I have followed this thread from the beginning and it reads as if a little study and clarification on the difference between power and action would answer a lot of your questions and help you understand why certain rods are a better choice for certain techniques.

IMHO, you would be taking a step backwards, going from Dobyns Champion series to the Duckett rods.

A properly serviced drag and fresh line along with the proper rod selection will help prevent those break offs.

I would like to add that always use your most sensitive rod of proper power and action for your contact baits, less sensitive rods function well for moving baits but will not allow you to feel some of the very lightest bites that are often associated with contact type baits..

Good review, my experience is that if you backlash and get a very tight kink in the line, it will serve you well to pull enough line out and cut it off. I have had 12lb Tatsu break off at the spool twice on me when failing to do so. I do not see this a problem with the line, and more of a failure on my part to properly service the line after the backlash.

As other have already said, Tatsu is the best I have used,

I carry the Kershaw Blackout, it is a good everyday carry knife that is not expensive.

I own a few models very similar to the ones you listed. I think you have been given some very good advice, from Arv and KShultz. I own an Avid MH/F and find it tip heavy and too stiff to comfortably throw 1/4 oz baits. I also own a Dobyns 703C and a 734C. The Dobyns rods are among the best balanced rods in the business, sensitivity is as good as any other rod in this price range, their customer service and warranty are excellent, or so I have been told. I use the 703C for throwing T-rigged plastics most often with a 3/16 oz pegged tungsten weight on 12lb Tatsu. I switch between a Shimano Core 100 and an Abu Premier Gen 2 on this rod, both work equally well. I have no experience with the Mossyback rods. I believe a 3 or 4 power Dobyns Champion would be an excellent choice, and if you could find a gently used DX in your price range even better. I also own several Falcon Cara's, they would meet all your requirements and are worthy of a look.

Welcome, Wilson is such a nice lake.

Jimmy Paige, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Pete Townsend, and George Lynch to name a few that I really enjoy.

I agree with most that your post was insensitive and just plain ugly, you my friend should not own animals.

Unless they have changed the color recently, I thought the color was more of a smoke, gray or charcoal type color, at least the 4 that I owned were.

Both reels have the same bearing count and placement 4 ball bearings and 1 roller bearing, they both also have a clicking dragstar but the spool tension knob does not. Bearing placement is standard for Shimano reels that support the SF design, 1 forward spool support bearing, 1 pinion support bearing mounted in the frame, 1 bearing under the spool tension cap, and one bearing on the aft end of the drive shaft. 1 anti reverse bearing.

It does not. To my knowledge the Shimano reels the utilize the Super Free design do not use a bearing on the pin side of the spool.

D7 does not have a bearing on the spool

Between the two I would go with the D7, seems to be a reel in high demand so if you decided it was not to your liking it would have a good resale value. A couple of other reels that would be the equivalent of the D7 are the Daiwa Zillion in one of its many variants, or the Steez.

12 lb. / 120 yds. The IPT for the reel in the 6.4:1 ratio was 26"

Nice combo you are putting together. I use a Core 100 with an NRX 853 for jigs and bottom contact baits in the 3/8oz range, I have the reel spooled with 12# Tatsu and it fishes like a dream. For the heavier jigs I assume you are talking 3/4 -1oz range, I would look at the Chronarch B if you can find one in great shape or they have been clearing out the Calais 100 and 200 series reels for good prices. The Chronarch B and Calais are bigger reels and feel better when using heavier baits in my opinion.

No problem, the E and G are different reels in many ways with the G series having the better selection in gear ratio. My preference is still the E series.

Sorry,I assumed you were speaking of the 200 sized reels because you mentioned the 7.1 gear ratio which the 50e did not come in. The 50e was a 6.4:1 reel and the Curado 300e was a 6.2:1 reel. The 200 sized Curado E was made in the 5.1:1 and 7.1:1 and the Citica E was a 6.3:1 reel only. Hope it helps.

I prefer a Heavy power Fast Action rod, a reel with a 24-26 IPT and 50-60 lb braided line.

Very good reels for the money. Very capable of any bass fishing you would like to do.

The noise you are hearing is the pinion gear trying to engage the pin on the spool while it is still spinning, not a good thing.

Curado E came in two gear ratios 7.1:1 and 5.1:1, you will have to use the gears out of a Citica E to get a 6.3:1 gear ratio in the E series.

No problem, glad I was able to help