mjseverson24

if you hold that tuning fork by anything other than then end it will change the characteristic vibrations of the fork. a rod doesn't quite work this way but it is some-what similar. there are still vibrations in the rod after your hand, otherwise how could guides be on a rod before your hand, and how could the cork or eva be in front of you hand on the fore-grip using your argument these would leave nothing for your hand to feel. your hand will dampen the vibrations but a wave will reach the and of the rod then reflect back. I do agree though that further weight reduction is also a big player in increasing or maximizing the sensitivity of a blank... Mitch

its the cork or whatever else the full handle is made out of that comes in contact with the blank that dampens the vibrations, you do not have to agree with it for it to be true. A rod that has minimum objects touching it will transmit vibrations most effectively. I believe one of the rod makers already said the sensitivity is increased, however most manufacturers will not take the time to maximize these gain potentials. I am not a rod maker however I do understand the physics involved. Mitch

definately get the president it is a very nice reel for 80, it is a good reel for its MSRP. I am not saying the lews is a bad reel its just comparing it to a reel that is 1.5 times its suggested retail price. Mitch

if you can still return it i would and get a 6'8" at a minimum. a rod that sensitive though I would use for bottom contact so I would go a 7'-7'3". Mitch

I definately like the split grip rods for any technique where sensetivity is paramount. The split grip design allows for better vibrations to better travel down the blank with less dampening as compared to full grip. the difference may not be a ton but it is enough for me to prefer them. the only downside is the balance of the rod usually suffers a little more with them. Mitch

after a winter like this thats not such a bad idea... Mitch

no specific order, KVD, Skeet, Martens, Scott Martin, Dudley, Kenedy... so many great anglers out there its hard to choose... Mitch

My fishing gear was paid for by the US Navy (4 years active), I am currently a 4th year student majoring in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Nuclear Engineering and particle physics. I also work part time at Mills Fleet Farm as a forklift operator. Mitch

if you are planning on casting for distance get the bb1 but if you are doing bottom contact get the MG at least that what I would do. Mitch

for a 150.00 combo I would get a 7' M/F abu garcia verdict (for $60.00 from FFO) and a quantum kinetic (<70 on auction sites) or a skeet reese reel for <60 on many places I would go with the 7:1 ratio. Mitch

I love to junk fish, almost everyday I fish there is 20+ rods on deck and I like it that way. in my opinion no one lure will work best in every situation so having many different options available seems to produce the best results. if I had to pick just 1 or 2 i would say dropshots and frogs. Mitch

i guess that depends on what other rods you have. it has a great blank with the scIII graphite, good micro guides. if it is one of your most sensitive rods I would use it for bottom contact jigs/trigs, if its middle of the pack I would go spinnerbait/c-rig/football jig. if its one of your lowest end rods use it for frogs and buzzbaits in light to moderate cover. Mitch

The other guys did a good job of describing what power and action, so I will just give some advice on the rods for each technique. crankbaits) a 7' Medium/Moderate to moderate fast preferably a glass and graphite mix like the shimano TC4 or quantum kvd and so on spinnerbaits) a 7' Medium Heavy/ Moderate fast I like either the shimano compre/clarus or abu rods vendetta/veritas or you can find some great deals on verdict rods. Jigs and t-rigs) I like a 7'2" MH/F to XF with a decently sensitive to very sensitive blank depending on your budget. abu/st. croix/13/shimano they all have great offerings at a good price. Mitch

you are probabily not going to want a crankbait rod to fish jigs with JMO,I would get a 7' M/F or MH/F. for the money look on some sites for like a quantum kinetic pt for around 60.00 decent reel for 120.00 great reel for 60.00. Mitch

I have two of the skeet reese cranking rods one of them is the 7'10" mag crank and it is a beast, plenty of power, great action, and pretty rugged. You can find these on sale places for around 50-60 that is a great rod for the price. other options are the veritas winch, and mojo's which are very nice. never used the kvd rods, but i would not hesitate to pick one up. Mitch

personally I would go with the fenwick, they make a fantastic spinning rod. the *** casting rod is nice i have not used the spinning, but i am sure it is also pretty good, its really a toss up. Mitch

I use both snaps and snap swivels when fishing cranks, I actually have gone recently to very light spro snap swivels i never tie direct because of pike and musky, i typically use either mono or co poly with a 30 lb floro leader of bout 2-3 ft to help with abrasion resistance, but if i didnt have to worry about being cut off i would probably just direct tie. Mitch

flip and pitch i use floro or a hybrid like yozuri, for punching is mainly 50 lb braid, but i have used 20 lb mono and it worked well. Mitch

from shore distance is key, the tws on the tatula should be able to cast further than the comparable lews. from a boat its a toss up but from shore i go with tatula. Mitch

I like the 8:1 for jigs and t-rigs, but for frogs I like the little bit more power of the 7:1. Mitch

I do get bothered by the sound of braid rubbing up against heavy weed cover like milfoil and others like it, but if I notice the line on the weeds that usually means i am not having a very successful day and am getting annoyed or blaming the day on the line noise. I honestly only use braid when I have to ie frogs, punching, and heavy jigs. Ceramic bearings do not bother me at all, most of the moving baits I use like spinnerbaits and crankbaits make quite a bit of noise and distraction in the water that the bearing noise would most likely not have an effect in performance of the lure. lures like swimbaits and swim jigs I typically either put light oil on the bearing or use a a different more quiet bearing as it may make a difference. Maybe... Mitch

I personally like the crucial 7'2" M/XF for texas rigs it is a lighter more balanced rod than the MH version, it is nice and crisp with the XF tip and IM10 graphite, if you are using weights over about 3/8 to 1/2 oz i would go with the MH but if it is 3/8 and less the M will do great. The veracity also looks like a good rod, I have had no issues with poor quality rods with abu they have all been light and sensitive and they can take a beating. Mitch

it will work ok it is a nice rod I would put mono on it though, sensitivity wont be an issue with that rod so giving a little and switching to mono would probably be a good idea. good luck... Mitch

OP do not listen to this person they are 100% incorrect. Your statement saying your balance point is forward of the hook keeper makes the location of the keeper important to know wether the reel should weigh more or less. since the keeper is forward of the reel seat you need more weight on the reel or a balancer on the butt to make the rods balance point closer to the reel seat. Mitch

you are correct you do want a heavier reel, the tatula at 7.9 oz would be a good match, Lews superduty at 7.8 is a beast. the lews tournament MG is another good option at 7.9. probably the best balance you will get with that rod would be with one of the ardent flipping reels they are over 10 oz. Mitch