Teal

Man I just love your profile pic, makes me laugh everytime I see it.

My little 6'3 tatula is my new favorite bank rod.

I've had decent success considering weather changes on a LC Staysee 90. It's a good cold water bait. On 8 lb line it gets down to about 9 to foot. ( seen it at 10 foot on my buddy's livescope while using 8 Lb yozuri hybrid) The staysee also comes in an 80 size. The KVD deep diver gets deep too. I used to use them alot before I got in the megabass and Lc train Love the bevy shad, hard to find now but gets about 7 foot. I picked up alit of them this year

Sphynx and tom are spot on, tell us more about where you fish. Are you on the bank, boat, and do you have electronics.? Google pro can be your friend any time of year but especially this time of year and if you are a bank angler. You can look at images of the body of water over different times of year through the last decade or so and sometimes you can spot depth changes, rocks, rock piles, sometimes you can see dark spots in shallow water that indicate stumps, brush or other hard cover. Right now I'm prepping for tournaments next season and I'm doing this for several lakes and I'm marking it. For fishing right now first off I'm finding the bait, either visually or on my graph. From there I want to find ambush points, depth changes back away from it, particularly I look for current breaks on the inside of points and secondary points. You mentioned bridges, I have a couolenspots I have fished over the past few weeks that happen to be right near a bridge lined with RIP rap. I've caught bass up off the corners at the first significant drop away from the entry way. I was using a small paddle tail on a regular jig head on light line.

I put more time and money in looking st rods. But like @WRB stated you have to pay attention to what line you are using. @PhishLI said it perfectly, the 3 components work together

Reel doesnt make it better, the right pairing will compliment the rod.

Those are really productive for me. I throw them on a spinning rod.

My last name.and spending a decade on law enforcement, I just got used to everyone calling me by my last name.

I have the zillion sv tw, great reel. I dont think you can go wrong there. They say the tatula Elite is a long casting reel. I almost bought one myself, I still may

If you plan to use a band. I would buy the tube tool. I have one on my boat, and I have some skirts I put to gather just in case.. but in the shop, I wire tie mine. Craft wire, side cutters and a vice...and get some sharp scissors.

You can go to 1000 size, but I use 2500 sizes. Its just more versatile and will allow to to use that set up for more things. Dont over think it

I love this post man. Sounds like you already have the set up dialed in in your mind. I actually have a DX 744 it's my primary jig rod. I use it mostly for skipping and flipping jigs, but this time of year, I like the heavy football on it too. Pretty sensitive rod. I like your line choice too. Just be careful if you throw a hair jig or any jig with a light wire hook. If you plan on using light wire hooks, go down a power. Or just use a spinning rod or a medium power casting rod. 14 or 15 lb FC would be my choice as well. Excellent C rig rod as well. When I went fishing yesterday, I use same rod for carolina rigging and caught a couple decent fish on a c rigged senko. Dx744 would be and excellent rod choice sir.

I dont correlate color with depth. However, I do try to match the hatch which is what we do. Typically I want the jerkbait above or at level with the fish. Not below.

SportsmansOutfitters almost always has the Lews TP for 139.00.

I haven't bought any of the "new gen" powells. I have about 10 of the Endurance old ones where the Endurance was a step above the max. Now the max is the flagship rod. You can always call powell directly and ask. They have knowledge people. Both of them are good values in terms of what you get. The powell 723 is the best rods I have owened. I have 2 of them. Its rated as MH, but it's like a mag medium compared to MH daiwa rods and most mainstream. The 714 is the perfect jig rod also. The rods are not whippy, but just tippy enough to sling anything. The actions say extra Fast, but I would call them fast. The fact that the power of the rod is less that what it is rated at is perfect for moving baits and still strong enough to drive a heavy hook home. But there again this is based on last gen rods.

Mine are matte... not the carbon texture u see online. They arent slick, but not grippy. Feels like a hard plastic. On my next rod, will probably go with something more texture. I fished with it this morning... feels fine to fish with even wet.

Keep a check on megabass leviathan rods. When they are released again which should be soon would be ideal for what you want. But you can get buy with much less if like.

Are you gonna build it? If not call Mike @Delaware Valley Tackle. He just did a gorgeous rod for me and was right at your price range. I used a judge CB blank and sic-ti guides.

I love rods like that when no matter what else is on deck, you always reach for it because it just feels right. For that reason, my2 powell 723 rods will be hard to replace. In another note, what did you think of your powell 725 frog rod this season? Mine out some work in and landed 2 of my 5 biggest of the year.

That's right. It's really slick.

I have 2 Powell 723 rods. I typically throw one on the one with braid to floro leader. Its rated as MH but really more like a mag medium with fast to extra fast action. Works great. It's a do all rod. I hear alot about guys using CRANKING rods or Mod Fast rods, I think the lighter power being a M to mag medium is what evens it out for me. No issues, good hook up ratio. Gonna try the new Judge rod and see how it does but really gonna stick with big sqaurevills and traps for it. I dont see the hype of going to specific mid fast action for chatter baits, but dont hear the hype of not doing same for spinnerbaits, underpins, or plain paddle tails. Most MH fast is gonna be fine.

American tackle g2 carbon. It's real slick. Like a matte finish. Full handle.

Custom 7'MH Cranking rod. On Rainshadow Judge blank, Sic Ti guides, Gt 2 Carbon handle. @Delaware Valley Tackle

HERE IT IS. BEAUTIFUL ROD! mike @Delaware Valley Tackle did a wonderful job. I suck at both taking and resizing photos. Best I can do for now. I'll get more in here.. gonna do some on the water tests soon. First impression on the blank... its composite blank and is not thick and bulking like straight glass, this MH version is stout and is feels rigid, until u bend it...then you see the give in it. So no wet noodle here.i like the small Fugi Sic Ti guides. Keigan keeper was a nice touch.

Washington's defense are showing off today