JGBassinAL

I haven't used the Citica but you can get the Curado for $135 many places online so I see no reason to consider a Citica.

That's funny, I find 16 lb. Sniper "stretchier" than 15 lb. Assassin.

Didn't know about their sale, thanks for letting me know!

If it is a bunch of laydowns one after another going down the bank then your chance of catching one decreases IMO. Now if there were just a few spread out all the way down the bank then I would think you could catch one off each tree. What I am trying to say is a bank with sparse cover will be easier to catch fish off of than a bank loaded with cover. Fish like stuff that is different so if there is one laydown on a 20 yard stretch of bank then you can bet theres a fish on it.

I had a Curado 300E and while it is an awesome reel, it was just way too big for my hands. I throw mine on a Curado G7 and Curado E7 and they do the job just as well as the Curado 300E.

I wholeheartedly believe that if you fished the Xcalibur XR50 and the Booyah in the 50 size side by side, the Xcalibur would outcatch the Booyah. These two baits are not exactly the same, the sound difference is enough to make a difference in getting bit. Everyone laughed at people for paying a little more for Xcalibur traps when they quit making them because all that was supposedly changing was the packaging. It's never that simple and I'm glad I bought a bunch of original Rayburn Reds when I did.

French Pearl, GP Sexy Shad, and Pro Blue are my go to's. The water I fish is 2-3 foot clarity and all three colors work great. French Pearl is my number one though.

The only Shooter I have used is 22 lb. and I have it on my flippin setup. It's definitely more sensitive than 20 lb. Sniper and handles amazingly for 22 lb. line. I just use 16 and 14 lb. Sniper for everything else except for topwater and squarebills which I use Defier Armilo. Oh and punching and frogs I use FX2. Pretty much Sunline is just better than any other brand hands down.

Lol what I had written was that I thought that it wasn't a new line and that Japan Lure Shop had been selling it for a long time. But then I clicked on the link you posted and it said it was a new line so I figured I was thinking of a different line. I've been thinking about ordering another JDM Shimano so I might have to pick up a spool.

Edit: disregard what I said, I was wrong lol. Have you seen a price on this line? I'd be interested in buying a spool to compare to Shooter, Sniper, and Assassin as I have used all three.

Pretty much all I throw is the 110+1. Like Logan S said, it is a true suspender. I wholeheartedly believe in these jerkbaits. This is one product where I have found that the extra $ spent is well worth it IMO. I do have a couple of 110's but most of the time I am throwing them on points or around bluff walls and the 110+1 fits the bill better than the regular 110.

30 Fish Acre Dirty Shad. If you haven't thrown one you should try it.

I know two pros on the elite series that have a custom in their boat. There is no label on the rod, just raw blank with all components needed to complete the build of the rod. So do I think there are some pros out there that have a custom in their boat? Of course. Do I think they have a custom in their boat that is made to look like their sponsors rods? Absolutely not. They don't try extremely hard to hide it, but they also don't flaunt it either.

FIFY

I have never heard of them but just looked them up. The Voodoo series is the only rod I saw pictures of on their website and they use Batson Enterprises components. I have the same reel seat and high grade foam/cork handles on a couple of my builds. Imo that reel seat is pretty uncomfortable, but I have smaller hands. If I had felt the seat before I wouldn't have had it put on my rods. But they are using very high grade components on their Voodoo series and the medicine man series is more expensive so I'm sure it has great components on it as well. If they are also using blanks supplied by Batson then they are using Rainshadow blanks. If that is the case then the blank used in the Voodoo series would be the Revelation which is a very good blank and I would think the medicine man series would have a better blank. IF my assumptions on the rod blanks are correct (but we all know what assumptions do) then you will be receiving a very impressive rod for the money. Also, the butt of the handle on the Voodoo series is the same size as the butt of a split grip Dobyns.

Boogerman

They don't sound the same, therefore they are not exactly the same. EDIT: They still work well though.

Yeah I have the Teckel Whacker frog and it is the same. Very easy to skip and walk as well.

Not So Sexy and Phantom are my two favorites. Idk how you are fishing them but my favorite way is to rig it on a weightless swimbait hook in 7/0 and swim it really fast on top of the water. There are some awesome strikes when fished this way.

Depending on how much you have saved up and are wanting to spend I would get a custom built on a Rainshadow blank. If I were going to buy a production rod though I would check out the Kistler Helium 3 M.A.D. Flippin rod. It's a 7'11" Heavy with a modfast tip. I haven't used this rod because it is pretty new but I have used other Kistlers and all of their rods are quality and the cleanest builds of any production rods out there. What I am trying to say is that I would go custom if that's an option but if I were to buy one off the shelf I would go Kistler. But I can get you a custom built cheaper than that Kistler if you are interested.

No one ever said you would rip a hook out on the hook set with a fast action rod. A stiffer rod will cause a bigger hole when the hook is set which makes it easier for the hook to pop out during the fight.

I have one of those glass rods built specifically for bladed jigs and it is exceptional I can get you one built for a great price as well. If you are interested shoot me a PM.

Another HUGE advantage for a glass rod that people who haven't used one don't usually realize is that the when the hook is set with the glass rod, it doesn't rip a huge hole in the mouth of the fish. With stiffer rods it will rip a big hole and the hook can pop out that way, with a glass rod you do not have to worry about that. That's why I throw my paddle tail swimbaits on a glass rod as well.

Lol same here Hatrix I was saying the same thing as you

Exactly why Shimano and Daiwa are at the top by themselves