kickerfish1

Megabass Orichi XX EMTF and a Scorpion 1000XT Megabass Orichi XX Shakeyhead Stradic CI4

Not meant for this guy.

Please give us the run down on this setup when you get the chance plus pictures of the final product!

Nice! Winter time usually brings out the best in us that are snowed in for a few months. That is usually when I am bored enough to think about upgrades. Sounds like you have a good plan coming together for this one.

Yea that packaging looks sketchy. I think my Christmas tree box is in better shape and more sturdy! Luckly it wasn't damaged or broke. Good choice on the reel. Now you can get a few accent parts from Hedghog Studios and call it complete? Is that a ZPI handle and Daiwa knobs on that Shimano?

You will have to tell us or show us when they get finished up. The only drawbacks of customs regardless of what anyone will tell ya is resell value is low and generally you are paying $ for someone to build it and ship it. I have mixed emotions on custom rods so I can see both sides of the equation.

That's worth it!

Seem like you made a good choice with the standard Tatula. Outside of the weight and slightly larger frame there aren't any drawbacks really. Alot of performance for the money.

I may be one of the only members with experience with both lines of rods. My ALX is the Maestro spinning so I can't comment on their casting rods. Their tapers are sort of similar to Megabass so the rods should fee close. Your pairings are correct in terms of the ALX and Orichi XX rod to accomplish what you want. I think you will find the Megabass to be slightly better in terms of feel and balance though it won't be by much. The Orichi XX blanks are incredible and pretty neat looking as well. The difference in price is about $75+ so maybe not a fair fight. The ALX Zolo B rods have very clean builds and have an action and taper that is unique but does a great job of hooking fish and keeping them pinned. I can feel everything I would ever need to. On the flipside the EMTF is one of my favorite rods and is versatile from baits from 5/16 to close to 3/4 oz. Great for weightless plastics, standard jigs, swim jigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, small paddle tails swimbaits, and texas rigged baits. I would do Group B and part of that choice is that I enjoy trying new rod lines and that is the only way you will ever know what YOU prefer. If one of the rod lines/brands isn't for you they should fetch a good amt of money if you needed to sell one.

Sounds good! Can't wait to see a few pics as well as here your feedback. I always appreciate your simplistic and "cheap" mindset. What I mean by cheap is that you don't need expensive gear to catch fish. I have seen your arsenal go from $150 plus rods to essentially lightning rods and such. Not sure what these rods will cost you but regardless it will be interesting to see where they fit in with your needs/wants. I got my first custom rod earlier this year. Thinking about adding more in time as money allows. I too hate selecting all the component crap but most good builders can help fill in the gaps. Looking forward to Santa bringing your gifts!

Not trying to be rude but can I ask what the reason is for the longer rod? Typically jerk baits and topwaters are tossed on rods 7 feet and under. Some guys even like the older 6 foot rods/pistol grip style. If you fish a jerkbait or topwater with the rod tip downward it could cause a problem. For smaller jerkbait (baits 3/8 oz or less like the pointer 78) I like to use a medium light spinning rod. I will also use it for light cranks though I don't have a ton of these baits. For topwaters I like casting rods like the Dobyns Champion 705cb glass or Powell Endurance 695. As you can see they are probably 1-3 different rods for me but if I were to try to squeeze this into one rod I would look at: Dobyns 704 or another 4 powered cranking/reaction bait rod Powell Max 3D medium composite Phenix Recon 7'1 Med Light Shimano Crucial 7 foot Medium St. Croix Avid-X Medium Moderate If you could wait the Megabass Leviathan series should be the real deal and would be my pick knowing your taste in tackle. Not sure of the exact release date but their tapers would be perfect for what you want to do. I would consider the 5 rods I listed but personally I would wait for the Leviathan. I plan on trying one for sure for reaction baits. Add in that exotic MB look and you should have a winner!

Assuming your looking at rods under $200 with an emphasis on those you listed. Recons are light on weight however they can be a touch tip heavy. The sensitivity is good on these too plus the rods look good. Not sure I would ever buy another. Not sure how the Gen 2 rods compare but I have a Gen 1 rod.

The other options listed in your original post probably won't WOW you much over your Duckett. The Veritas will fish more powerfully or stiffer if you will then the other rods. It may be your best bet out of your options. If it were me, and like "KSchultz" noted you would better served ordering one online. Never had an issue with rods coming from about 5 different reputable dealers. 90% of the rods I fish I purchase sight unseen or blind. With the help of trusted individuals and enough research you can make the right decision. To help further it would be nice to know your max budget... but guessing around $150?

Sharp looking reel Ripp'n! Looks like the paint job is pretty similar to the original.

Not a big fan of the SK jigs. I can't tell you how many brands and styles of jigs I have fished over the years but would venture to guess that number may be well over 3 dozen. There are only about 5 brands I use any more and of those 4 are custom and one is big box company. One of the 4 is Sieberts and they account for a good percentage of what I use. His brush head styles and Premium Swim jigs are my favorites. Couldn't tell you how many jigs I currently have (guessing around 300-400) something like 19 3700 series Plano boxes but Mikes are as good of jig as I have used. Try sending him a PM on here and he will offer you up sound advice on jig heads, colors, and styles that would suit your fishing needs best. The guy is top notch and will go out of his way to help you out.

I guess I am somewhat baffled. You mention you hate the price of everything and more specifically lines. However you want a better rod that will likely cost more than you currently own. As the old saying goes you get what you pay for. Cheap line + a cheap rod will minimize what you can feel. Not really sure what level of line and rod would suffice for what you want. For example I have an old Daiwa Tony Bean smallmouth IM6 spinning rod paired with a 2500 Shimano with 8# Gama copoly. I can feel everything I need to catch fish and be happy.

Member "A-Jay" posted a custom lure painters website in a post a while back when someone asked for a similar suggestion. Granted it wasn't for a painted swimbait but the guy did outstanding work. If it is realism you are after it would be worth a look. Hopefully A-Jay sees this and chimes in...

Good deal! Sounds like both rods are similar in terms of ratings allowing a fair comparison.

Which model Helium and NRX did you do the comparison of?

Don't really have a favorite brand or exact bait. Typically I prefer something in chrome/blue and around a 1/2 oz. Mostly a spring and fall lure for me.

Jeff, What are your thoughts on the winn grip style knobs? How would you compare them to say Shimano's septon knobs or the knobs found on a Steeze/TDZ?

Stay with straight flourocarbon. I run this on 90% of my spinning rods and have no complaints. Just use a good quality line and treat it with line conditioner as needed. Also close the bail by hand if you aren't already doing so. Outside of a bit of extra casting distance I strongly dislike braid though many guys are the opposite.

I have caught fish with brush hogs but they dont seem to produce as consistent my for me. I do like the rage tail baits significantly more. Have friends that almost exclusively fish rage craws year round and do quite well. Give them a shot at your pond and see if the fish agree!

Great catch!

Raw, unfinished, or unpainted blanks will have the most feel. Nothing has been applied to the blank to add weight and dampen feel. They also do not weigh as much. There are lots of factors and variables that make certain blanks better than others...