kickerfish1

Goose, any chance you would be able to comment on the PQs ability to fish resistance baits over an extended period of time. Thinking medium to large crank baits, 1/2 oz + spinnerbaits, and any other bait that would be classified as such. Thanks.

Would never get tied down to one rod brand or a favorite unless someone was paying me to use them. My top 4 would be shimano for warranty, dobyns for price to performance and the wide range of options within the rod lines, Loomis for sensitivity and performance, megabass for versatility, performance, and superb build quality and attention to detail. Too many "good" rods to limit yourself to one brand or line though I can't blame the guys that like their rods and reels to be one rod line and reel line.

Do some additional reading. Not ALL baitcasters are. There are a handful of current, discontinued, and limited production reels specifically produced for finesse fishing. Sure, they are more costly than a comparable spinning reel. For the individual looking for this option it exists as do finesse casting rods.

The weight and gear strength of a spinning reel needed to accomplish deep cranking and heavy punching of thick vegetation would be essentially a saltwater type of reel. The reel would be extremely heavy compared to a comparable casting outfit. I would like to see the internals of a spinning reel that has been used for deep cranking for just one season. Guessing if the reel lasted that long the insides would be in iffy shape at best. The name of this site is Bass Resource. Nobody would come to this site expecting to discuss the ins and outs of saltwater fishing, trout fishing, or walleye fishing for example. Just like nobody goes to stream trout fishing sites looking for an exchange of info on popular bass gear. Yes, this site offers a "sub" forum for other species and such applicable discussions should be held there. Advice should be given with "bass" fishing in mind unless the person is asking for some other species specifically. As others have noted the main objective of this site is to help people become better "bass" anglers. The layout of the forum allows all aspects of bass fishing to be dealt with in a specific manor to maximize angler success. The spinning vs casting debate comes down to personal preference to an extent, but for those capable of using both, "most" will agree spinning for lighter lines and finesse and casting for almost everything else bass related. Pick the right tool for the job. There is a reason the overwhelming majority on here pick one over the other in various situations.

Yep, great drop shot bait for sure. Slightly larger than the fx sculpin.

Incredible data and evaluation. Even digging that whopper pushing the 2 inch mark! Thanks for the update!

I would second this! I fished both of these lines ALOT this year and couldn't be happier. Tatsu is very good but for a budget minded floro sniper and invisix are some of my favorites. Shooter is another great line especially for jigs and bottom contact baits. I have fished alot of floro lines but the 4 I listed are my favorites.

Nice JDMs Trey! That AOI is a beauty and worth a pretty penny and extremely rare. If you get a moment I think most of us would like to see the lucky reels that are riding around with you in the boat sitting on all those dobyns rods!

All the time with the right reel, rod, and line.

I would say so. If you are at the 3/8 oz range on up, the 704 would likely be the rod you would want. For the Texas rigs as an example... if you start with a 1/4 or 3/8 oz weight and add the weight of larger worm or creature style bait like a brush hawg, it would be easy to get up to the 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz range in total weight. Take into account cover present and size of fish and I would lean more towards the 704 myself, though I don't own the 704 rod. Just going off of the 703 I have had for a few seasons. I have a 735 and 734 savy as well as a 742 champ extreme as well for reference... Hopefully a dx 704 user will be able to comment further. If not, I would email or call dobyns directly and ask which model. Just be as specific as possible so they can help you make the best choice for your needs.

Spot on... or try the good folks at Hawgtech. They just recently started carrying reel bearings.

May boil down to weights used with your jigs or Texas rigged weights/plastics. I am very familiar with 703dx rod. It is great up to about a 1/2 oz in total weight. Have had mine for 2.5 seasons. If you throw alot of 1/4 and 3/8 oz jigs plus trailer the 703 would be a good shorter alternative to the more popular 7'4 rods. I would guess that 3/8-1/2 oz jigs or heavier Texas rigs will be better on the 704.

Re-read your first sentence. Seaguar makes Tatsu as its flagship flourocarbon line. It is just one of many lines under the Seaguar brand. So by saying that Tatsu failed you are also saying that Seaguar failed you.

I wouldn't dump it quite yet. Best thing to do would buy the best line you can afford or justify. Simply put one or a few other floro lines up against vanish for a month or two and see if you can feel the difference. Some guys still use mono for about everything and are very successful. Personally I really only use seagar and sunline for 95% of my floro needs. Sniper and invisix on the mid range level are nice step ups to the $10-$15 budget floro options. Shooter and tatsu are great lines but the price jump is a bit steep for most.

Sounds good. The 50 series shimano reels are some of my favorite all purpose casting reels. I too have the curado 50 on a champ extreme. In the sunlight the two are a stunning pair. The scorpion 1000xt also looks good on a champ extreme. Thinking of adding a hawgtech swept handle with gold accents on the curado 50. Would really go well with it. I would love to hear how the new ci4 chronarch compares against a 50 series shimano that you have in terms of distance with the same bait keeping the amount of variables down.

They also have a handful of other rod lines as well all of which are above the orochi xx line. Would be interesting to see if they will be eligible for discounts during sales. Megabass has generally had a tight grasp on retailers and their pricing outside of the orochi xx line. Megabass makes some of the finest and most versatile rods out there. Will defidently be adding a few more over time to the rotation!

I agree with WRB in the fact that I like my outfits to be application specific so I pursue rods, reels, and lines that offer the greatest performance for what I am willing to spend on them. Most of what I own is very technique specific. My reels are all shimano, Daiwa, with some JDM shimano and Daiwa reels in the mix as well. Also have a few BPS, okuma, and Lews that are in the rotation. Rods are more varying... Loomis, Dobyns, BPS, Phenix, Megabass, Shimano, Powell, Fenwick and Daiwa.

Bluegill flash looks stellar. Keep the new colors coming!

Megabass x-pod. Simply the most versatile topwater bait I have used.

Nice looking outfits! That extreme is a nice rod, and should fit nicely with your other quality combos.

Enjoy yours. The reels are junk regardless of price.

You are on a roll! Keep it going!

WRB, Thanks for being kind of enough to share your thoughts on bigger bass. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keep it up, and hopefully that 20+ will come your way. Good luck my friend!

Have you used this reel? You can read countless reviews on the internet where folks were returning reels with the grindy gear feel, looking for a smoother reel. Some found one that was better and others didn't. I wouldn't put much stock in that award.

From 2013 the following: TW Tackletrap Thehookuptackle TheTackleCenter Northstar custom baits Siebert Outdoors Bass Team Tackle Cabelas BPS Scheels