kickerfish1

Pretty much 10# mono 100% of the time I fish jerkbaits. I would think 15# might kill the action. Floro would be my second choice.

Really it is going to depend. Here are a few examples...1. A crankbait combo- take a BPS crankbait rod for say $80 and a good crankbait reel like a curado E5 or revo winch which both are going to be over $130+. This is an example of where a higher priced rod does not to be purchased and higher priced reel may be the better choice. 2. Jig outfit- While a good reel will be something most anglers look for you can do plenty with $100-$200 reel. However since this technique requires optimal sensitivity a better build and more sensitive rod would be a better buy to help maximize the success of this technique. As an example I use a curado 50e which I paid $160 for new on a dobyns dx 703 rod for jigs under 3/8oz.

Custom rods are a good way to build you a VERY SPECIFIC rod to the exact specs you are looking for. I have priced custom rods but after getting some estimates of $350-525 I decided to pass. With the rod market full of many good choices for far less I decided to pass. Hopefully you can find what you want and at a reasonable price.

I have an okuma komodo I picked up last year for $145 new. I have it paired with a 7'2 mh cumara and it is a great looking setup. - a very lightweight reel for the price at 6.7 oz - the reel is tricked out with a cf handle and red accents - the reel has abec5 bearings - very easy to palm and a joy to fish - very fast gear ratio 7:3.1 - odd breaking system access Those are the main points that jump out about this reel. The break system is a bit of a hassle to get to IMO. If it wasn't so odd I would have bought another. However when you get it dialed in the reel is a great caster and smooth and fast on the retrieve. Overall it is a very feature packed reel for what you pay. I mostly fished 1/4- 1/2 oz jigs with it and thought it really launched them out there. The drag was smooth and the reel gave me no trouble in its first year of use. What other reels are you considering?

The recon, due to its action is a very versatile rod. In fact my 714 allows me to fish weightless soft plastics, jigs, t-rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits with zero issues. Sensitivity is good and the overall look of the rod is pretty sharp. I can't speak on the m1 but all accounts I have heard have been favorable. I really think phenix rods as a whole is a great buy for what you pay.

Probably reels although it depends on the outfit and intended application. I have alot of rods between $150-$330. My reels range from $100 to $500 for some pretty tricked out JDM Daiwa reels.

I doubt upgraded bearings will make enough difference to justify it for a brand new reel. I have nice Shimano and Daiwa reels with upgraded abec7 OS bearings and get a few extra yards over properly cleaned, flushed and lubed stock bearings. Before buying any bearings I would suggest taking your new reel and putting it up against another reel you own. Go to your backyard or neighborhood park and dial them in. Try to keep as many things constant while having the reel be the variable. Analize the distance of each then ask yourself if there is a need to cast further. Once the reel has been used for a while and you notice the bearings going bad then replace them.

Do a search on here and you will find plenty of good rod recommendations. Without a price range noted you will here anything from a Sellus, to a veritas, to dobyns or Loomis. For shallow to mid divers as you noted there are tons of rods that will work. Help us help you, by noting a price.

If this is a crappie specific reel I would go with the symetre if you are on the fence about spending the extra money. Crappie aren't exactly drag testing fish so I wouldn't worry about having a great reel for these fish. I feel the stradic FJ is a better buy for bass and larger game fish and still has more features than the symetre... just look on TW. I don't have the newest symetre but I have an older model and really like it for walleye and light bass finesse apps.

For your standard bass jigs and flipping style jigs I use an extra fast rod. For jigs under 3/8 oz it is my dx 703 xf rod. For jigs between 1/2 - 3/4 oz its a cumara 7'2 mh xf rod. When I throw swimjigs they are typically 1/4 to just shy of 1/2 oz and it is a phenix recon 714 with a fast tip. In summary normal jigs I use xf and for swimjigs I use a fast action rod.

Kat... that is a good find! The FJ is a reel that will last you forever and hold up to just about any fish or fishing conditions. What size did you decide on? Also is this the reel for your new shakey head outfit? Let us know your thoughts on the reel once you have some time with it on the water.

If you want a reel that is "feature packed" look at the stradic FJ. Personally you may find the 1000 size to be prefect if you are wanting to use 6-8 # line . Also I would say the 1000 size may also be a a better choice for walleye. The 2500 series will give you more line capacity and more lbs of drag. The main advantage of the 1000 series to me would be weight of the reel. The stradic CI4 is also a great reel and super lightweight. However it lacks "x-ship" and a few other features the FJ has. You can't go wrong with either...

The champion extreme is the "bees knees"! I would imagine a rod like the 702 would likely be a good selection for a drop shot rod.

I haven't but for cranking I would think it would be a decent choice for a less expensive floro. I was going to get this line but decided to stick with invisix instead due to a lack of reviews. If you try it be sure to give us some feedback.

Katmandew... you don't have to have two rods to accomplish these techniques. Most technique specific anglers will likely opt for two separate outfits. Since it seems like their is a budget in mind with the purchase I would likely get one good outfit. If you opt for a better drop shot rod and use the cheap lightning rod for shakey heads you will likely find yourself not wanting to use the cheaper outfit. Once you have tasted caviar it is hard to go back to frozen dinners. Point is without both rods being in the same ballpark it will be tough to pick the lighting rod up. Unless you can swing a new rig for both I would opt for a rod that can do both well. Keep your lightning rod as a back up outfit if room allows or else rig whatever bait you think you will be using less. This is what I would do. I have been in a similar situation with upgrading and decisions to make. I just had a hard time going back to lower grade rods once better rods were purchased as the cheaper rods felt heavier and more "dead in hand".

There alot of good budget reels out there around $100+/- that will last a very long time if maintained. Lately I have been moving towards lighter weight reels that still have very good components and performance. These reels don't come cheap but I find them to be more pleasant and refined to fish with plus they fit my style of fishing best. To me a lighter weight reel is one that is under 7 ounces. For long days on the water I tend to opt for my Alphas, core 50 mg7, curado 50e, Komodo, TDZ 100m etc. However for around $100 I prefer the Lews speed spool and shimano citica. The BPS PQ is a good buy and the BPS Johnny Morris carbonlite isn't bad if you get a good one.

First I would find out what species the creek has in it. Just because it looks "bassy" doesn't mean bass are present. Second I would probably do some exploring by foot or looking on Google earth to see what areas may have the best structure and have deeper pools. Generally the fish in smaller creeks wont be too big so try downsizing your baits. Smaller tubes, 4 inch senkos, shakey head worms, smaller finesse jigs, and even in-line spinners would be good choices. I might start with a small grub or tube as a starting point. Also winter is a tough time to fish. There may be fish present but will be very lethargic. You could try a slip bobber with live bait and see how that fairs...

The crucial vs cumara is no comparison in my mind. The cumara is far superior and more sensitive to help be able to pick up the light bites when using finesse presentations. They often show up on sale fore well under $200. I would say around $150+/- used would be about right depending on condition. Plus they have a lifetime warranty. If you break the rod they will replace it with newer red/maroon finished rods should the factory warehouse be out of stock of the older models. The fenwick elite tech 6'9 medium xf is a rod that would be another solid choice for $129 but can be found for far less. If you will be throwing rigs under 3/16 oz I would suggest the 6'9 ML fast rod. I have two of these and while not as sensitive as a cumara they both are outstanding value based rods. I picked up both brand new for $140 total and for what I paid I doubt I could find a better rod.

If you can track down a used or be lucky enough to find one brand new, the previous shimano cumara spinning rod in whatever length you prefer. They have a 7'2 and. 6'8 medium xf actions rods that would be great choices and look excellent with your new stradic. While I don't own either of the two mentioned above rods I do have the cumara 7'2 ML spinning rod with a stradic CI4 that I use for a dedicated drop shot rod. I would not suggest this particular rod for shakeyheads though. The two mentioned above rods may be found at the tackle center. They had a few left last I looked...

Since you noted for a swimjig mine would be: -Rage tail mennace -Keitech swing impact -Twist tail grub -Partial swimsenko body -Reaction innovations skinny dipper

I really think you will be happy with either. For comparison the recon is about $60 more but their blank is a 36 ton whereas the *** is 30 ton. Also the recon is a lighter weight rod but the *** is arguably a bit more balanced. Both have forable reviews on tackletour. I only have the recon so I can't make a fair comparison but I have zero complaints about the recon I have owned for a year.

I would say they "did you right"! Sorry to hear of the damage but it seems like in the end all will be fine.

First, your choice of reel would be excellent should you choose a stradic. Either the FJ or CI4 would be great reels for this. I would do as roadwarrior suggests and mess around with both the 1000 and 2500 sizes. For lighter finesse baits say 1/8 oz weight plus hook and soft plastic of your choice on medium light rod you may like that 1000 size better. Second, I question your rod selection to an extent. A 3 powered dobyns will be too much power for these baits and you will run into a similar problem you once faced with your 703/curado casting setup. For refernce i have 5 dobyns rods and alsohave the dx703 paired with a curado 50. I have zero issues fishing weightless super flukes, senkos and caffeine shads on it as well as Texas rigs and jigs between 1/4 and 1/2 oz. I once tried an 1/8 oz jackall flickshake on it and it was struggling to load this bait properly. If you want a do it all dobyns spinning rod the 702 would be what you want. It would be the most versatile rod in their line up to cover the items you noted above. Like others have noted a medium fast or xf rod in the legnth of your choice will work fine for what you are wanting to do with it. I would suggest 8# quality floro line to help with casting these light baits.

Very well written islandbass! I have nothing to add really except one small detail I have noticed on my end. This detail is the water temperature vs the perceived level of aggressiveness. Take early spring and late fall as an example. Water temps here can be mid 40s to high 40s. When water temps are colder I find the bite to be typically lighter due to fish being less aggressive and more lethargic. These fish are less willing to move to pursue a bait and have to be really "finessed" into biting. When water temps are mid 50s and above the bite seems to be much more aggressive and easier to detect. A fish may attack a bait and move off with it much faster when this is the case. I would say from my own experience this is the case 80% of the time although the opposite can happen from time to time as well. I believe the intensity of the bite on a drop shot to be partially correlated to the water temp and overall activity level of the fish present.

If you aren't in a hurry and don't need the reel right now I would take a look at what okuma has coming out in the near future. Do a Google search for Okuma RTX. They should be hitting the stores sometime soon. I have my eye on the smaller model that holds 150 yards of 8# line which for reference would be similar to a #2500 size shimano reel. The reel weighs 6.6 ounces and is right at $100 retail. I too, will be adding a few more spinning reels and this is one that has caught my eye. It has a carbon based frame and red/black looking finish. Okuma's website has the specs of the reel and a few photos.