PGA Dropout

Hello from Oakland County!

I've purchased a 7" Slammer, Yo-Zuri Hybrid in 10lb. Smoke and 20lb. Camo, some Dry Creek tubes, a white Spro frog, and a bunch of hooks. I've also got some secret-weapon caliber Siebert jigs that I'll be posting about soon.

If it's your first Shimano, I'd recommend starting at the Chronarch E. VBS is user-friendly; the 200 series bombs lures and the 50 series is a great all-around choice. If this isn't your first Shimano and you're experienced in higher-end reels, get a Metanium.

Maybe nuts, maybe not. It's hard to diagnose why you're having those problems over the internet. I can definitely say that the Zillion is a fine reel and if you're looking to cast baits 3/8 oz and up, you'll be very happy.

Why don't you like the Curado?

MB X4 Destruction. Overboard is the only way to go.

I picked up the Frog/Swimbait in that series and I like it a lot. If they make more rods with F/XF tapers, I'll be a buyer again.

I have enjoyed reading this discussion and I hope it stays civil. There is a lot of good information in this thread.

Yeah, I would think so. Certainly no worse than dark green.

I like Sunline FX2 with the alternating blue/green pattern.

Them's fightin' words!

I dunno. You'd be leaving out some people like Tom Petty and Bob Seger. I'm not saying 50's and 60's music isn't very good (it is), but other decades have some strong stuff as well.

You can get a Shimano 50E for $150 or under if you shop around and don't mind buying gently used.

If you want to spoil yourself for Texas rigs, go NRX.

If you're running straight braid without backing, it could be the braid slipping on the spool. If you're not, then there could be an issue. When I had a Smoke, I did not experience any issues as you've described.

KVD Finesse Worm in Blue Fleck on a size 1 Gamakatsu with a Siebert 1/4 oz. tungsten weight. Drag + shake = Bass.

If you really want a Quantum, Smokes should be available on the bay for around $100. They are fine reels that don't need someone's name to sell them. Actually if you shop around you might be able to find an Exo for under $150.

Gunfish 115 for me. Maybe a Giant Dog-X if I feel brave. Pike love Megabass.

TD Fuego with a 100M spool. Zoom! I would say Conquest 51 but I'm not yet brave enough to fish mine. (Don't tell Matt!)

Why not the *** for a spinning rod? I think if there's a Winch model in the new Veritas line, I'd do that for deep cranks.

I had a BPS Extreme a few years back. Tough rod, felt good. The next summer I bought a ***. Night and day would be an appropriate description. Not that there's anything wrong with Extremes. Green is a good color. I sold it to my friend to beats the hell out of his equipment and he likes it a lot.

Congratulations! Did she outweigh your PB? Also, I like that shirt.

Okuma makes a 7'3" HF rod in their Scott Martin series that you should consider. I bought it to throw 1.5 ish oz. Swimbaits and it seems like it'll work well. However right now it's on frog duty and it feels very good for that too.

Certainly bluegill. Tough worm or not, they'll find a way to ruin it.

I have a 703 Savvy. Positivies: The build quality is very good. Straight guides, no excess epoxy, no gaps anywhere, etc. It's much nicer than I expect from a sub $200 factory rod. The action is also nice; the rod is fast enough to fish senkos and finesse jigs but also moderate enough to fish small lipless cranks and keep fish pinned while still making clean rips through grass. Finally, the rod looks nice. Dark blank, just a little red, cork handle. Cool. Negatives: The sensitivity is on the low end for a $170 rod. My $100 Omens and $159 Crucials blow the Savvy out of the water in this respect. The cork on the handle is full of filler, so the handle starts to look like hell in short order. Lastly, there is no foregrip and plenty of exposed thread above the locking nut. Depending on how you hold your rod or palm your reel, this could be a deal breaker. I'm not really a fan of it. Is the rod worth $170? No, probably not. However, if you can get one used or catch a deal, you could certainly do worse. PM Valley Sports and see what Ron can do for you price wise. You'll like his prices. Still, I would probably buy a Tatula before the thought of a second Savvy ever entered my mind.