michael68w

As far as brands go all the rods mentioned above are a great choice IMO. I think a good all purpose rod would be 7ft MH power and a fast action. Keep in mind there isnt really an industry standard on power ratings so they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and the same can be said for the action.

Well nothing to big this season (biggest was a 18inch smallie) but numbers wise it was great! the best thing is i got to majorly improve my tube and jig fishing to the point were i'm now very confident with either bait. The big one for the year was actually caught fishing new waters for me on part of the huzzah river not far from where i live. I really cant believe i had not fished there sooner but lesson learned and now i have a new area.

It really is up to you. I've used both and honestly haven't noticed really big differences between regular guides and micro.

Ive used INVIZX and i liked it a lot but honestly i stick with good old red label. I find i always go back to red label. As far as being a manageable line i have never really had any issues on my spinning gear with either one and ive used both in #8 and #10.

Well some of the supposed advantages are greater casting distance but i personally feel there's more to it then just small guides when it comes to distance. Another is reduced weight which i could see. Some say that micro guide rods are a tad more sensitive but i think that has more to do with the blank and its construction then simple micro guides.

I recently bought the new diawa tatula hs and i think that would do you well for the spinnerbait and buzzbaits but its a little over that price range. if you are set on 130 for the reel id say lews will give you the best bang for your buck overall and you would probably be happy with it. I have zero time with and A rig or swimbaits so i cant say how those reels would hold up. I do however use my tatula for 1/2-1oz jigs and it works well. When it comes to rods in the 130.00 range it gets tricky. lots of choices there st.croix premier or mojo but i also recommend you look at falcon. A lot of people really enjoy the *** rods as well around 99.00. Good luck! and i hope that helped some.

I've used bass tackle depot and of course bass pro. The one like the best though is tackle warehouse. They carry a lot that bass pro doesn't so if you like to fish a brand that's maybe a little more obscure then they are a good place to check. Prices seem pretty fair and I usually wind up spending enough to get free shipping (if you're reading this honey i'm sorry lol)

Some good options posted so far. ill second the powell 714c but also have a look at the shimano crucial line up. Another good option though maybe a little over the budget would be the falcon cara AOY rod Right now it looks like the powell endurance rods are on sale at tackle wharehouse.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the welcomes! and sorry for the late reply work has been hectic!

Hello! im a huge fan of this site and ive always creeped it but decided to give in tonight! I fish mostly small streams and rivers for smallmouth but im wanting to try larger lakes (especially table rock). Im about 1.5hrs south of STL,MO and i hope to get some new fishing partners soon!

yeah i rarely use a spoon but those exact conditions have happened to me once before and its what worked well for me.

I noticed you said it looks like bass are holding tight to schools of baitfish? Have you considered using a jigging spoon?