Silas

I used to manage a Sporting Goods store and sold all sorts of combos. We usually priced them fairly cheap and almost always were targeted to new fishermen. Our usual fishing customers almost never purchased them no matter the price or quality. Their comments were that one of the items, usually the rod, was not really the best value as presented in the combo. ( and they were right) perhaps they would get a combo for a kid as his first outfit. House reels and rods sold cheapest. If it were me, I'd buy separate. Better chance of getting what you want, instead of falling for the promise of a "great deal!"

Having both the Avid and the IMX in several lengths. I really like the Avid 7' MM Moderate for all around versatile casting. However, in my experience, my IMXs are more sensitive and more pleasurable to fish with. IMX is the beginning of the greatness of Loomis rods. I have had and sold the Gl2 and GL3 rods and the E6. They feel "lifeless" and "generic" to me.

Check Tackle Warehouse. Loomis GLX 781C. CBR FOR $199!! A savings of $195! i have my ALDEBARAN on it. You won't find a a better buy OR better rod for it. Mitch

That would be the St Croix 7' AVID M/M. Perfect for shallow cranks

Letting it all hang out because at 74 , time is running out: DAIWA J-Dream 7.9 on a Loomis GLX 781C. Dream is incoming from Japan and just bought the GLX from TW on sale for $199. Savings of $195 for the rod and J Dream was $285. My last HURRAH!! Mitch.

Like Imbfisherman, I'd put money on the MGL and you will love it. I have the GLX with the MGL mounted and it is perfect in all ways! mitch

Yep, I ordered mine today in the office while waiting for my Tax man. Problem is, after he figured out I owed $2,000 I was rethinking if I had jumped the gun! NAAWW! I got a good deal. Be perfect for small and medium crank baits. Gotta decide if new Aldebaran or Curado 70 should go on it. $195 saved? How could I pass that up??

I like the 7' MM Avid for spinnerbaits. I have a Curado 100D on it and it SLINGS the bits effortlessly. Best all around rod I have. I had the LTB and used it for plastics and it was an excellent worm rod, it would be wasted on spinnerbait. I sold the LTB because I did not have enough purchase for my hand on the short grip. What I DID find was an LTB built with a custom one piece grip: that ones a winner!

I have to agree! I have a lot of high end reels. My conclusion is the MGL IS THE BEST ALL AROUND REEL. Also I feel its soulmate is the LOOmis GLX 843CBR.

I'm 73 and retired about 5 years from 3 jobs I had at once. I moved in the swamp so close to the water I can see my boat sitting in the water. Don't use my boat trailer any more except to bring to dealer for a tune. I can go miles and miles in the water from my door and never spend time preparing to go, traveling for hours, launching boat, motoring far away and finally the whole trip home in traffic. My boat never leaves the water and I just plug in the on board charger when I get out of boat. I only bring 5 outfits at a time and different ones at that. Sometimes I'll bring one outfit and limit myself to that as I try to get better at a technique. I never bring fish home unless I hurt one . I love to play with great gear, and get pleasure casting and enjoying nature. I've got a few alligator "friends" that I feed when at certain spots They recognize me and swim alongside the boat. Very peaceful and idyllic. Never fish on weekends or holidays I actually am fishing in about 5 minutes from entering the boat. . Now I fish only when water, tide, and wind are favorable. This is now about twice a week. Fish only half a day, then back to house for lunch, coffee and snooze in recliner. If not fishing, I'm riding my motorcycle. Usually thru twisty swamp roads to great little known eateries. Or I'm across the road from my house practicing my combat pistol shooting key is to have several interests so you never tire of any. If I wake up early and weather is bad, I simply roll over and grab that young chick beside me! LOL! TIP:. Don't keep putting off retirement waiting for when things are "better." You are playing a risky game and before long, a casual visit to the doctor for your yearly checkup will reveal that you may have put it off too long and now you have some health issue that will curtail your favorite activities. You will be "all dressed up" and can't go.

Just received my first 2 piece casting Rod: Majorcraft 6'2" M/L CORKISH! A discontinued model that I preferred over the new one out now Put an Orange Pixy with Tatsu (6or8) # and am super pleased with it for 1/16-1/8 oz Shakey heads and 3-4 inch wacky worms. A beautiful Rod that I got on sale. Such quality for the price. And I can't tell it is 2 piece. Nice travel case too. Couldnt be happier!

Exactly what hook are y'all using? I fished them a few times and like them but it seems to take a special hook to have room to go through and yet still have enough gap to hook the fish.

How about a Shimano Antares AR? I got one waiting on me at home. My first one.

Didn't mean to offend anyone. Just in general we spend lots of money on equipment so we should use what we know will catch fish. Took me 73 years to acquire this stuff. Retired and on SS. I have watched the forums for a few years gathering stuff at bargain prices. with serious health issues, and figuring I'll kick off any minute, I decided to splurge and go out with a bang. Hopefully, before then, I'll put the stuff up here so others can do the same. Now, back to the $.20 savings.

Only if it works better.

I'm going to predict that the Keitech will be a better bait because it's softer and move better at slow speeds. We all know that Fat Impacts catch fish. Lets see, I've got $13,000 in a bass boat , fish with a $500 reel and $500 rod spooled with $50 braid and I'm going to worry about $.20? youve got to be kidding. I think the new bait is avoiding a patent fight like Zman Chatterbait scenario. Give me a break!

Did a lot of fishing in the Louisiana Atchfalaya Basin Swamp. One can get lost in the myriad canals and bayous easily. When I was young my wizened uncle said every time I go out to explore and find one new spot I never tried before. Perhaps as my last stop. That way I would learn the spot. That helped me learn the area and kept things fresh and exciting. So my game plan always included one new spot. Didn't have waypoints then; had to commit to memory. I must have 500 "waypoints" in my head.

With my tiny 16 foot Tracker I can only do 4 rods in boat without stepping on them. No Rod locker. I like to rotate my stuff each trip: all round reels one time , all Daiwa, just to have fun. I'm limited to one waterway so I'm pretty sure how to fish them. I usually have them all rigged but I may start leaving them with baits off. Won't tangle as much. Once I brushed my leg up against a rigged Vision 110 and had a rough time removing hooks!

Have to agree with Logan on the Extreme Mission being the Swiss Army Knife ! Well put! I have the Avid 7 MM and have used it for weightless 3,4,5 inch senkos. Did very well. Had an old Curado 100D and 10# Silver Thread spooled. Great Combo. Also as New2BC suggests, the Hammer rods look very promising and I'm looking forward to his comments on its performance. Price on those is sweet, too

The only inline spinner we use down in the swamps is a SNAGLESS SALLY! Caught hundreds of bass on the yellow/black plastic skirt. Those Rooster tails, Panther Martins, Mepps you guys are using are what we call a "One Cast Lure" in the swamp: if it ever gets near the bottom it hangs up and you lose the bait.

In these bayous: Cane pole 8#mono bobber blue/white tube jig fished 3 feet under bobber. Drop next to Cypress tree and twitch the bobber sideways Sacalait come runnin!

I would go with my Conquests also. Chatterbait is a kind of a "brutish tool" of a lure. Needs a powerful slow crank. Either my CQ50 or cQ100DC. Wouldn't waste a NRX on a Chatterbait either. I ALSO HAVE 2 Metaniums. I prefer them for the "finer" lures. Makes my NRX shine also my Megabass rods Strange I know but just me.

Just bought a pack of Menace today. What shaky head are you using them on?

Bluebasser, I bought my first pack of Rage Menace today. What are the different ways that you have had success ? I bought the Sapphire blue since the bite here is on a Black/Blue jig with a Sapphire zoom chunk. I saw some of your custom chatterbaits and really like the color combos. Pm me if you have any for sale

Lots of wood here too. Sure way to hang up quickly with lipless . Perhaps over a long point out in the open I might use one.