SenkoGuru

I LOVE this statement. You have no idea how many times I've done this same thing just to hide the purchase from my wife, all the while kicking myself for paying to much for a rod I could have bought for way less.

The 7'0 MH-F is going to be the best all around rod you can get, meaning it will throw the most types of lures but it is simply not a good cranking rod, the fast action and MH power can throw crankbaits but it isn't going to do it as good as a more mod action rod would, I throw most of my cranks on a medium action moderate taper rod. The MH-F is more a jack of all trades and a master of none kind of rod.

I own the Orochi xx EMTF and I own the Kistler Z bone 3LE 7'3 MH and I can tell you the Z Bone IS the rod you are looking for. I also love my Megabass but the Z Bone is more sensitive. It is more of a plain Jane type rod, the Orochi looks a lot better and has better components but it isn't as sensitive. The Z bone is a 46 Ton NFC blank and those NFC blanks are no joke at all. You could go custom Z Bone but you're in for a long wait but the 2014 Z Bones have been phased out and the 2015 one's are coming in so if you do not have a place to buy local like I did then you may be in for a long wait on a Z Bone any way. If buying from Kistler, I would also call and make sure which NFC blank they are using on the rod I wanted. Good luck. Also, I would stay far away from Dobyn's I'm not sure if you have any Experience with Dobyn's but their DX is a joke if you compare it to a Z bone and laughable when compaired to the Megabass. It is not worth what they are asking for it IMO.

They had a Tatula 7'4" Heavy frog rod for $114 I was going to go back and buy it the next day when my wife got home with our credit card and the rod was no longer there. Now it said they do not carry it any more. I guess I missed out on it.

That would all be fine if they would have reviewed it as a Zillion and not an upgraded Tatula. They had already stated they didn't like it before that review started so in my mind it was a bad rap. " Cal(the enthusiast editor who has several of the old Zillions) has his personal preferances," Yes and this to me is where the problem is. I do not compare my new TWS Zillion to my older Zillions and then start knocking it down because it isn't an older Zillion, just seems to me like he should be a little more professional. Just review it on what it is now, not what it use to be or what "YOU" want it to be.

I think the CI4 and the Metanium are both great reels. I have a Metanium on my Orochi xx EMTF but I also think that the TWS Zillion got a very bad rap from tackletour, that place.......sometimes I just don't know what to think about their rod and reel reviews. I wish we had a better place to read reviews on things. They could not accept that the new Zillion was not the old Zillion and they knocked off on some things for that instead of judging the reel on it's own merits. I think the TWS Zillion is fantastic but I'm also a big fan of the Tatula.

Thanks JGBassinAL, I agree some rods have defects, I've seen many different rods,"not Ducketts but I'm sure they have some just like others do" that have problems that shouldn't have made it through QC. I own and fish a lot of different rods and they are all great, I've said in this thread that I think the Powell Endo is a little better than the Micro Magic but it isn't by a large amount. I am a big Duckett fan but I always tell what I believe to be right and try to help others, just as they have helped me. I've asked quite a few members here for advice on things and I'm always happy to get that advice. I own 13 White Ice, 7 Micro Magic, 2 Macro Magic, 5 Ghost, 1 Micro Magic Pro and 1 Terex. Out of those rods I have broken the 7'3 Heavy White Ice twice in all the years I've fished Duckett rods, both times was on hook sets on frog fish with 65# braided line and both times Duckett had the rod replaced with in four days turn around. I also had two Ghost rods replaced after the warranty was out because they had turned yellow and duckett did not want me fishing with the ugly rods. Duckett has been very good to me and I have been VERY happy with their product. I have a few rods that are better (They cost much more too) but I really have none that once everything is factored in that I like more. It all comes down to what we as the fisherman like and if you have a rod and reel you are happy with then that is the best one for you. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and good fishing.

Do not second guess yourself on them, they are fantastic rod's and some of the best you can buy. They carry a 20 year warranty and are very light and sensitive. you're always going to have some people bad mouthing some brand, if it wasn't duckett it would be one of the other brands. I would be willing to bet you money most that bad mouth have not even fished that brand and just decided they didn't like them because of something they read on the internet that wasn't true even when they read it. Duckett rods are the real deal and one of the best you can buy. The people saying that ducketts are carrot sticks are the funniest I have read and that is the exact same thing as saying dobyn's are Powell rod's.

Sea-Guar Red Label is the best "Cheap" line you will get. I think it is around $14. I understand money can be tight but you need to always remember that the only thing between you and maybe that fish of a life time IS the line. Do you want to have a great story to tell or the story of how you hooked a good bass and the line broke?

I'm a Daiwa guy, IMO they make the best reels. the Tatula can be had for $95.00 and you really can not beat that price for that reel. I liked the old Shimano curado E reels and LOVED the Curado D reels, the Chronarch E is a repainted Curado E and a very good reel too. I just did not like the Curado I reels, they finally started to catch up to some Daiwa tech but that reel just doesn't feel right to me, I like the older ones better. I have a bunch of Lew's reels too and really like them but I like the Daiwa reels the best and that is what I would recommend.

Every one has covered the micro guides very well. I know that several years back my Wife bought me a Duckett White Ice rod for Christmas and ever since then I am 100% hooked on them. The micro guides won me over. Best rod's I have ever owned from $200 Down. I do not use leaders so I really have nothing but good things to say about micros, if you use leaders though they will not be for you.

The two best rod's I own over $250 are a Megabass Orochi xx EMTF and a Kistler Z-Bone 7'3" Medium Heavy. They are both fantastic rod's but the Z-Bone is a good bit more sensitive, it just doesn't look as good. The Megabass is no slouch though, it is a very fine rod. For over $250 you really can't go wrong with Megabass, Kistler, St. Croix or G.Loomis. I would stay as far away from dobyn's as I could, I have never thought the DX was any where close to worth what it cost. IMO, that is a $200 to maybe $250 rod at best and you are not getting $350 worth of rod. I know a lot of people like them and feel they are great though so this is only my opinion on them but when you can buy a Z-Bone for $358 it really makes the DX look bad.

You are correct and those guides do not do very well with braided line. Also the Powell Inferno line is $129.99 Base price so no sale at that price.

Shelton's is sold out of the Micro Magic's but they still have some Macro Magic rods left. I have and fish both Powell and Duckett Rods and I can tell you 100% that Duckett Rods are NOT Carrot Sticks. Some people just like to bash and I can understand that because I still feel ripped off from Dobyn's DX which is in no way shape or form worth the price they ask for it. Any way, the Powell Endurance is one fine rod and you really can't go wrong with either. The Endo is going to be a little better than the Micro Magic but it is not a great deal. At the prices you listed I feel the Micro would be the way to go, they are very nice rods, lighter than the Powell Endo but not quite as sensitive but not lacking by much, you would be very happy with the micro magic too. I am surprised by some of the comment on the Duckett rods because they are fantastic sticks but that is just the way the internet goes. If you need any questions answered PM me and I'll see if I can help. EDIT....The new Micro Magic Pro won best fresh water bass rod at Icast and the blanks are the same as the older Micro Magic rods. For $119.00 they are well worth it.

I'm surprised to say it but I am interested in the new "Ike" Rod's. I like the color and the way they have the rod set up and the ACS reel seat is just awesome, it is my favorite reel seat and makes me like the rod much more just because of the ACS. I'll be ordering a couple tonight.

It amazes me sometimes how people have very different opinions about rods. This is not a post to put Halo rods down at all but more to just talk about how different people think different stuff. I had wondered about Halo Rods for a very long time myself and last year I was sitting up at night looking at TW and just decided I'm going to buy a Twilite rod. I ordered a 7'6 MH and the first one TW sent me was split down the blank. It looked like some one had stepped on it and split it right down the center of the blank. I contacted TW and returned the rod and exchanged it for another. The next one I got had Rod eye's that were so badly lined up you would think it was a spiral wraped rod and the finish had pitt's in it where it was just chipped every where. I contacted TW again and sent it back and once more got another Halo Twilite. This time the rod looked good and had nothing wrong with it. I thought the rod looked cheaply made and didn't balance very well but decided to keep it and see how it fished. On my first fishing trip out with it I found a problem with the rod. It had no feeling at all, the rod just felt dead, when a Bass would hit my 5" Senko it would just be a very dull thud and some times you could miss the hit all together never feeling it. I was very unhappy with the rod, to the point that I was 100% convinced something was wrong with this rod too. I contacted Halo this time and I swapped the rod out with them for the exact same 7'6 MH Twilite. Once I went fishing again I had the exact same problem, I was fishing 14# Sea-Guar invisiX Fluorocarbon and could not feel a Bass hit my bait, the rod was just dead. I traded it a few weeks later to a guy for a 7'6 X-Hvy Duckett Ghost and never looked back. I am glad that you like the Halo rods and I hope you catch a ton of big Bass on it. after my dealings with halo I expected the company to go under soon but it looks like a lot of people are starting to like them. I wonder what the odd's are of all the rods I got from them being a bad batch?

Both are good reels in their price range. You can't go wrong with either. I'm a Daiwa man but IMO the Citica E is simply a better reel than the Lexa. The Lexa grips have some slack in them, I'm not talking about back play in the handle which it does not have but the grips themselves will wobble on the Lexa. It also needs Magforce Z braking, the regular magforce braking is just not as good. I feel that the Citica E is a very solid reel with better braking and casting.

I really like the black and blue color but I agree 100% with rippin-lips. I'm just not going to be buying one when I can find the Tatula for $85.00 on line and the Type-r I've bought for as little as $115

I love the Duckett White Ice 7'3" MH but I can agree that the Powell 723 is one fantastic rod. I hate that they quit making those. I sold all of my Powell Rods to buy Duckett's except for a 703 Powell max and a 723 Endo, I just couldn't part with those two rod's. Back to the White Ice, that Rod just has the "It" factor for me in a 7'3, I know a bunch of the guys here do not agree with me but I am loving the Duckett Rod's. It is lighter than the Powell, has a nice soft tip and I can throw many different baits on that one rod. I never leave home with out it.

I do like the color green but I don't even like Dobyn's top of the line rod's so I might have to pass on this one.

I do not have that exact rod but I do own and fish the XX EMTF which from what I understand is the same rod only 3" longer. The rod is very sensitive and the only rod I have fished that is as good is the Kistler Z Bone. IMO, it is a little more sensitive than Dobyn's Dx and I've not fished with a G.Loomis GLX so I can not say on that one. The blank is crisp and I would not rate it a fast action, like megabass has, I would say it is more of a Mod-Fast. I can throw a 1/2 on mine but It doen't feel comfortable going over a 1/2 and I feel like 3/8 is the rods sweet spot and perfect for it. The rod looks fantastic but the cork handle has a lot of filler. I would also tell you to talk with Gary because he has a great deal of experience with this line of rods and can answer any question you may have about it. Good luck.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. IMO, the Duckett Ghost by far the better rod out of the ones listed but that is not to say the ZX is a bad rod because it isn't. It is nice but it doesn't compare very well to the Duckett. When it comes down to it though it is all just what each of us thinks about each rod, that's why their is so many to choose from. At $69 you will like the ZX but at $99 you should buy the Ghost. The *** is a good rod at the price but I can't fish it because I hate the handle and I agree 100% with the Mojo comment. I would label them as 1. Duckett Ghost 2. Tournament ZX 3. *** ***.................100 other rods and then 104. Mojo

I use a 7'3" Heavy Duckett White Ice and a Daiwa Tatula Type-R for jigs and a Megabass Orochi xx emtf with a Daiwa Zillion for pitching Senko's, which I do a lot of.

If you're going to be throwing into a lot of wood cover you need to go up to at least a 7'0" Medium heavy rod IMO. I would also use a fast speed baitcaster so I could get the fish turned and coming up and not letting them wrap me up into the wood cover.

I use a 6'10 Medium-Fast Duckett Ghost for top water. The Reel is a Team Lew's Pro with 14# Mono. Works great for me.