skeletor6

First off, you scored on your rod. The Cumara CUSDX72M is an excellent rod. Obviously, it is great at dropshotting but also is one of the few rods that can dropshot so well and go out and fish other techniques.I personally have this rod and it is one of my favorites fishing alongside my Loomis NRX 822SYR. There is no reason to put 10lb line on it unless you are fishing some really heavy cover. Your best bet is to go with 8lb fluorocarbon. DO NOT buy the cheap stuff. Go with some quality line. In ascending prices I would choose Seaguar Invizx, Sunline FC Sniper, or Seaguar Tatsu. I just learned that 6lb seaguar Tatsu has a breaking strength slightly over 11 pounds. Not sure about the 8lb, but it lets you know what quality FC line can offer. Invizx and Tatsu have better handling than sniper does and if you are new to FC that is a good property to look for. Tatsu also has a great deal more longevity than the previously lines mentioned so the money comes back to you in that form. Also, KVD line conditioner is a must. Add it to your line and it makes a large difference. 10lb line to me just seems like an overkill for this rod, I would not go there unless necessary. As far as reels go I have put both a Stradic 2500ci4 (7.0 ounces) and a Stradic 2500FJ (9.2 ounces) on mine and I felt that the FJ balanced slightly better, but both did fine. Point is, you can probably slide with either of the Fuego's, but much of this is going to depend on how you hold the rod. If you hold it above the reel the lighter reel would be more suitable. For the DS technique I prefer to hold it similar to how Aaron Martens does (check his vid). So take that FWIW. If you can get a chance to mount reels that are similar in weight to the fuego's or the actual fuego's do so and choose the one that feels best for you. Both should be able to hold enough 8lb line. Good luck and enjoy, that is a nice rod.

Fenwick elite tech smallmouth 6'9" ML/F

Agreed, there are too many uncontrolled variables for there to be an accurate conclusion on casting distance. You would need the same reel in the same condition, with the same line and amount of line, casted the exact same way on the exact same rod with the only difference being the guides. Or you would need to at least get as close as possible to controlling all other variables... I am with DVT, biggest advantages to microguides are weight savings and resulting sensitivity from.

Thank you for the excellent information as always Hooligan. Problem Solved! I was unaware of how excellent the strength of Tatsu was with these smaller diameters. With the 6 breaking at around 12, I am rethinking about going with 8lb for my 2500 stradics.

No transportation = save up for transportation. Patience is a virtue, it'll pay off in the end

Hey all, I am considering putting one of these two on my spinning setups. It seems that both are reviewed fairly well. I was wondering if anyone has had the chance to use both and could explain to me the differences in properties between the two? Thanks ~Skel

Nice post.....the money speaks for itself on the fj. By the way Shimano added x-ship to many lower priced reels as well. The ci4 does not have this feafure, but its weight is very nice. Theres an even larger discrepancy on the 2500 sizes. Only thing I don't like about the ci4 is the handles. But that is preferential some may love them

<$200 = Recon or Cumara <$300 = Cumulus and Dobyns Extreme <$400 = GLX <$600 = NRX My prices are based off of sales that occur often and are not too difficult to find.

The sustain is going to have more features, but is priced considerably higher. If I were you I would check out the Stradic FJ and compare that against the Ci4. The stradic fj is loaded with features as well and I believe has a better price to performance ratio over the sustain. It can easily be had for $135 and it is ridiculously smooth and high performing. If you are stuck on the sustain and want to compare it against the ci4, the sustain is going to beat it in most aspects besides weight. The ci4's main advantage is how light it is. I would take the ci4 if you are looking for a very light reel, otherwise, go with the sustain. I do not personally own the Sustain I have just heard excellent reviews about it. Just when comparing feature to feature against the FJ it is hard to justify the price gap IMHO. Both reels will be extremely impressive. I have the FJ and the Ci4 and I could not see any reason once-so-ever to get a nicer reel. These reels are extremely high performing. The stradic fj actually performs better than the ci4 IMHO, but the weight of the ci4 works out extremely well in balancing out my NRX. Perhaps you should place each on your rod and see which one feels better....

I chose other.....Powell Diesel 765cef

Thank you very much for sharing that information with me. I may just pick this one up considering the price it is at. I really need a cranking stick and this seems to come at a convenient time.

Thank you! How does the 72MHM balance? And could it be used for some jerkbait/topwater duties in a pinch? I need a very versatile cranking stick. I appreciate the help.

St. Croix fans....there's a few Legend Xtreme casting rods (2012 models) that are priced half off. Great deal if you ask me. I also believe that this will fall under the buy 2 get 1 rage rod free program, but I will let you guys figure this one out. There are only three models and who knows how much longer until they are gone. These are probably the best rods you will find in the less than $200 price range. Does anybody have any comments on the XC72MHM/12 and how it compares against a Dobyns 705CBGlass? I need a cranking stick and this might be the ticket. http://www.stcroixrods.com/shop/catalog/Freshwater-23-1.html# Edited due to iabass8's comments. (thanks!)

If you had a 5.x. gear ratio I'd limit it to more deep cranking type activities but your ratio is very versatile. Name the techniques and weights of baits you will be using and the cover your throwing in and we'll find you a rod. Oh yeah price range too

Thank you....I feel the same way about the Cumulus rod. My curado 200e7 balances it well, but the Cumulus/core color combination is just ridiculous. I love that rod. Does anybody know offhand when the chronarch' mg's got discontinued. Their resale value is extremely high. It speaks to the quality of Shimano reels. Every Shimano reel I've obtained has been nothing short of exceptional (chronarch 50mg, curado 50e's, curado 200e7's, stradic fj, stradic ci4). I would like to add at least another Chronarch MG to that list but as hooligan said, they are not easy to find for a reasonable price. Does anybody konw what the stock bearings on this Chronarch 50mg would be equivalent to using Abec's as a reference point? Just for upgrade investigation purposes.

That is an excellent post referenced in the link....its worth a read to anyone wanting to learn more on the subject.

Good choice. Without a doubt that would be the decision I would make. It can handle a very wide range of jigs/t-rigs and even works well for spinnerbaits. Also, the rod is EXTREMELY light.....something I happen to be a fan of.

On TT everyone seems to be in love with the 715. It is a very versatile and sensitive rod and would be my choice. Search the review on it to lesrn some more info. Both are nice rods nonetheless.

Nice find! You will like the ergonomics of the reel and how it lays on the rod if your rod has a decent seat

Thanks to everyone for the comments and help. A drag upgrade, cleaning, and possibly a bearing upgrade is the route i am going to take. I worry about the irreversibility of a suoertune. Luckily there was a misspelling on the auction and I got it for a ridiculous price. It comes with everything a brand new one had. I hope I will enjoy this reel as much you giys have. Which rod to put it on now? Nrx 893 blue or green Nrx 803 Cumulus 7'1" mhxf A good friend if mine advised to go with the 803 and that is what I am going to do unless theres is s serious advantage on a different rod. Thank you all for the help and info. Nothing is better than first hand advice.

Glad to hear I got a nice reel, especially with it getting your respect. Sounds like I will go with some professional cleaning, C-tex drag upgrade, and go out and enjoy it. Just curious, what about the CH50 has made it your favorite reel? Also, is it strange that the reel came with extra reel magnets? Thank you for your help and comments!

Hey All, So I just acquired a nice Shimano Chronarch 50mg. The reel is in pretty good shape with just some minor boat rash. Mechanically it is sound. So I have heard many good things about this reel, but I was wondering if there is any beneficial upgrades that I could do to it. Are there members on here who have the Chronarch 50mg that decided to modify their reel? If so, I would like to hear your comments on how it effected its performance. Conversely, I am also interested in members who own a Chronarch 50mg that have not decided to modify and their reasons for doing so. Modifications I am considering are bearing upgrades, drag upgrades, and maybe supertuning. Probably do not want to supertune due to the effects being irreversible. Also, any comments on this reels performance would also be appreciated. I have some curado 50e's and I am interested in seeing how the 50mg compares. Thanks everyone! ~Skeletor

I'll also add that I use the 55lb for reference. It is a very nice size if you are going to put it on regular casting gear.

I'll help you out here Joe and also confuse you at the same time. First off, there are no absolutes when it comes to actions and what they actually mean. Manufacturer's assign ratings at will and they will vary from rod series to series and across brands. In general, here is what a rods action chart will look like.... So, as you see it is the degree of deflection from a line parallel to the rod blank. In general, a slower action rod will have more of a parabolic type of look to it when it is under load. The tip will flex further down into the rods backbone. An extra fast rod will get into the rods backbone much quicker. In a generic situation, you can think of it as an XF action as having a stiffer tip and the action will get into the backbone of the rod much more quickly. The tip will have less give to it in most situations. Contrarily, a slower action rod, such as a moderate, will bend much further down into the backbone and the tip section will be softer. This is good for crankbaits as it will not overpower and rip the bait from the fishes mouth. Now see these general statements do not hold true in all situations. A great example is in a designed dropshot rod. Manufacturers may make the tip section of the rod extremely soft and giving while having a stronger backbone, thus the action may look more like an XF or F or whatever someone decides it to be, but yet not have a stiff tip at all. My shimano cumara dropshot rod is good for that CUSDX72M. It is rated as having an XF action, but it is quite soft in the tip. Contrarily, you can pick up a St. Croix and there extra fast actions are usually very stiff. Another general feature I have noticed is that XF actions both get into the backbone quicker and get out of the backbone quicker. Sort of like a bungee effect, some users who are looking for some serious power will like to use a slower action tip because once that rod flexes down lower into the backbone it will stay pinned there and allow one to haul a fish out. I like to think that XF tips usually use involve the tip-section more as the power of the rod since it does not flex so deep into the blank. Whereas, the slower action rods involve more of the blank as its power source since it bends down further into it. What I am trying to do is just give you as many different examples or different ways to look at it so maybe you can get some kind of an idea about what is going on. What is tough is there is such a large variance among manufacturers and there interpretations. I like to thoroughly examine the tip section of my rod and add some weight and pull down and see how the rod bends and notice its properties and the degree of deflection that it has. Also, I like to see how much force it actually takes to get the tip of the rod to move to figure out the stiffness of the tip. Then I decide if the action of the rod is something that I find desirable for the technique that I am going to use. Others may have different interpretations about what these mean to them and have different properties they look for in a rod. I really feel the action of a rod is so crucial to how that rod is going to fish. Really it is an art-form in some aspect, some actions just feel right and are very responsive to what you are looking to do. Good example for me is the GLX BSR852 vs the NRX 852s....they are rated the same, but the action on the GLX version just feels "special".

, great post kickerfish Too often people overemphasize on the reel and feel thst its everything to casting. Your variables put reality into perspective. Also, when kickerfish means a trained thumb take it seriously. You can get crazy amounts of how freely the spool will spin with a nice reel with super tuning and bearing upgrades. BUT this could lead to constant backlash and uncontrollable casting to an average user