PGA Dropout

Dardevle 5 of Diamonds or Red/White depending on water clarity.

If the smoke had a fifth ACS setting, I would be loving it. My only gripe with the smoke 100 is that I can't go under 3/8 oz with it. It's either the third setting with too much brake or the second setting with backlash city. It's possible that I am spoiled by VBS and magforce but I just can't make it work. Nice light and smooth reel otherwise.

Lefty Sol with a couple modifications. Probably paid too much for it.

I throw frogs on a MH *** Black. If you're in serious grass I'd suggest the heavy but the MH is plenty rod for 1/2 oz froggin and topwater duty. 65 lb braid seems like overkill but it'll do.

Pay attention!

Throw some braid on it and make it a frog rod.

I'd put a little more money into the rod. Shimano rods are very good but at the lower price points you are paying a lot for the name/warranty. There are plenty of good rods around $100. Other posters have suggested the BPS pro q/carbonlite combo for $160 and I think it's a good way to go. It's also a good idea to contact Valley Sports via e-mail and or shop around for sales. No need to pay retail!

I am intrigued by the 6'9" MH Kistler with a bottom lure rating of 1/8 oz. If you're going to get a Denali, I'd look at the Kovert. I think Valley Sports has them.

Return it.

I would say jerkbaits, swimming jigs, and if you switched the line to mono or braid, topwater. You can do a lot with a 6'6" MH rod.

May I ask which exact rod you had the Tatula on? There could be a balance issue with the setup, which might make the reel feel unnecessarily heavy. I made some assumptions about the rod used and they may be unfair. The 300E probably feels awesome because it's well-balanced with the 7'8" glass rod. It's also perfectly acceptable to just plain not like certain reels.

Jesus, and I thought the 17 lb. cat I hooked yesterday was big! Off topic: Excited for weather in the low 30's for the next 3-4 days?

I am not surprised that a 7'8" glass rod with a high-capacity reel threw a crankbait a lot further than a shorter graphite rod threw a spinnerbait. I feel like you are comparing very different fruit here.

How's the swept handle on that Sol?

Slayer

A little oil in the bearings might fix it. Give em a good cleaning and a drop of oil and see. If not's not that, one of the more experienced reel guys will surely chime in.

I caught a lamp post. New Sol pitches a long way. I had a good size snowbank on but she threw the hook.

Depending on how tiny of a Rapala, M might be too stiff.

What sort of rod is this reel going to sit on? A MH general purpose type set-up?

If you're thinking Elite Tech for topwater, there's a 6'3" M-MF that you should consider. It has the shortest handle in that line of casting rods. I wouldn't choose a Mojo over a Denali, Fenwick, or 13. They're fine rods but I feel that they are a little dated and you get more value with other brands. I think pretty soon here you're going to have to try to get your hands on some rod handles. You have a very strong list of candidates.

Hungry Howie's pepperoni and pineapple with ranch crust. Gave it up for Lent. Regret it every day.

Welcome to the site. Go check out the Show Off Your Stuff thread and prepare to surrender your wallet. BPS Pro Qualifier is on sale online for $70. It's a good buy at that price. That said, I vote for buying the speed spool and establishing a rapport with the guy at the tackle shop. He seems like a good dude.

I might look into a 6'7" MF *** Black for your intended purposes. I have a 7'1" MHF that sees 1/2 oz walking bait duty from time to time and it handles it very well. I would imagine that the M could handle a 1/4 oz popper with the right reel and still be able to work a 1/2 oz bait. The M *** would double as a great jerkbait rod and it could do other things as well. Plus it would look sharp with a Lews reel. I've never used a Denali rod, but I pulled up the Kovert that you mentioned and the specs look about right so it has my vote if you're not going to go ***.

There are a lot of white dudes in midtown Detroit. They are just hipsters though.

St. Croix Premiers are $120-$130. I feel that St. Croix's don't start to get price-efficient until the Avid at $190. The *** is a crazy good rod for $100, though I think soon other companies will start to introduce quality rods at that price point to compete. I can also see *** prices going up a little. If you can find a Lightning Rod Shock with reasonably straight guides, it is a great buy at $40. Apparently the real bang for your buck is the 13 *** which goes $225 to $250, but I don't (yet) have firsthand experience with the rod. It's supposed to be the cat's meow, comparable with high end Dobyns, Loomis, Croix, etc. Like I said, just contributing to the rumor mill. I haven't used one.