Grantman83

Glad you enjoyed the rod and reel. Dx's are worth every penny and can become quite the addiction. I have the 704 with a t3 and it is a match made in heaven since it weighs about the same is your Core.

Yes but they also have a non anti stop version if you don't want backplay. Model bb1z

Lots of guys use the 300e. You could also go the round reel route with a calcutta, cardiff, abu etc. Other people like low profile large reels like the lexa 300, abu toro (to compare with your 300e) to pull double duty. There are guys here who are much better with swimbaits and they have recommended okuma's big swimbait rod as a cheap but awesome stick. I'm sure the IROD would be fine as they have their fans as well.

Yes, you can. A heavy swimbait rod with a larger sized reel (200-400 sized) can more than handle those techniques together.

My experience with st croix ended at the premier level. Several guys swear by them from their warranty, customer service etc. The avids get special praise for around 160-180 if I remember correctly.

I had at one point had 4 mojos and 3 premiers. As has been stated, the mojos are usually heavier than their rating. The slop n frog 7ft heavy was an unbendable, heavy broom of a rod. Attempting to walk the dog with it was hard and tiring. It honestly could be used as a punch rod lol. My favorite rod in their lineup was the plastics rod since it was rated a medium but was more a mh. The premiers felt better to me because I prefer a full grip. The 7m was a great trap, small squarebill rod as it had a good flex to it and I found myself using this rod more than my mojos. To be fair, I did end up selling all of them lol

. I was going to say the Zayta at first but since they got pushed back I chose the NRX. I cannot wait for the Zayta

Can I just customize a rare reel ( actually in the process with pics to follow)? Otherwise, I would have to go the megabass way with a zonda reel and nrx rod. Already have a bunch of customized reels and dx's but no boat. That's probably where my money should go

I must be strange in that I use a C-rig a lot since I leaned to fish it before football jigs etc. When I first got into fishing I used a guide down in Virginia who fished crazy slow with a c rig and he was murdering them. Since then I am quick to go to a c rig as opposed to a deep water jig

Honestly I would pick up a lews tournament MG on eBay for that price. 14lb drag, deep spool for heavy line, long 95mn handle, external brake adjustment. It's a step up from the regular speed spool, orra or accurist

I use the DX ML jig rod. 7'8 H power. It was made for deep water jigs so I figured why not use it for c rigs and it has been excellent

I have braid as low as 10lb on baitcasting gear BUT these are designed for finesse baitcasting. 10lb on a tuned daiwa pixy 20lb on a tuned alphas type r 30lb on a TDZ Type R. Gear specialized for finesse can handle lighter braid. The lightest I've gone on a stock reel is 30lb and I never had a huge issue with it but it wasn't ideal as a strong wind could really mess things up. As others have said, 40lb is usually the benchmark. I would never go below 40lb on say a zillion because the spool is too deep and too heavy to effectively throw line that thin. There is a reason that line capacity on a box or description usually starts with 12lb or 14lb mono.

True Dat :-)

Skeet Aaron Tommy Biffle Randy Howell Brent Chapman Jeff Kriet (he likes MMA too so this is a personal one lol) Edwin Mike Mclelland

I tend to like faster reels for buzzbaits because it makes it easier to keep the lure on the surface. You can always slow down on your swim jig retrieve if need be

I feel like the savvy is only regarded as dead in the context of the champion and extreme lines. I have had a 703 and 735 savvy which with braid were plenty sensitive. However when you compare them to the other lines, they seem "dead". For moving baits, if you use braid or fluoro you will feel what's going on no problem. Other people have made excellent recommendations, but don't discount the savvy for what you are looking for.

Either 12lb suffix siege (because it is on my treble hook rod) for poppers or 30lb braid for spooks

I'm sure the blanks are great but the last thing I want to hold and cast when my hands are either wet or cold (something that happens a lot in the NE) is metal. It may be a balancer but aren't there other ways of getting the correct balance out of a rod? Again, one of the dobyns strong point is their balance. My new DX 746 is a beast but it balances right above the locked down seat nut

As a general rule, I would go with 1. 7ft-F spinning for finesse 2. 7ft MHM for all Treble hook baits 3. 7ft Mhxf - chatterbaits/spinnerbaits/soft swimbaits/t-rigs 4. 7ft HF w/braid for frogs, jigs, pads etc. Obviously it will be different based on what rods you own but this is the simplest way. All 4 rods are 7ft and it's an easy system to go by. The rods I own are abit longer so mine would be between 7 and 7'4

Flip and pitch you can use fluoro for sure...punching is braid

For most stuff, sniper or invizx For the thickest, heaviest, nastiest, need all the abrasion resistance and lack of stretch for a fluoro I can, Sunline Shooter. Since I have bulk spools, it will be awhile before I get a chance to buy tatsu which I do wanna try like whoa

I've owned a powell max and it was a solid rod for for the price no doubt. However at the upper end I do feel dobyns is a nicer stick. If you can get a deal on a champion 734 or 704, I would say start there as this is probably the most versatile rod

Zillions are great and I own several variations. Specifically te type r, hsa, hpa, two 50th anniversary. They cover all areas you could want except finesse stuff BUT you can customize them with different spools. They are tanks but smooth as butter. You won't be dissapointed

I was thinking about picking one up based on all the sweet reviews but the Tatula craze has pushed the price of Zillions down to some crazy lows so I am stuck lol.

Sometimes it is bittersweet. As someone mentioned, I love the EEratic shad from xcalibur but as soon as Edwin went to Megabass I kept an eye out at my local store. Sure enough, the went on clearance so I bought a bunch. Hopefully they will last lol