bass raider

haha. x2.when he said anything but shimano I thought to myself "well my suggestion just went down the toilet"

used to own the gen 1 blackmax.ran it hard for 5 years.only problem it had was the worm gear/line pawl had wore out.then i did a major (compared to the black max)upgrade to a lews speed spool,then an orra sx gen 2&now my (newest&favorite)shimano curado I.that things a beast compared to the black max&the orra.the lews feels surprisingly good even when compared to the curado

x3

like others have said it depends on what you plan to do with it.fenwick hmg.veritas 2.0,duckett ghost,powell inferno,falcon bucoo or Jason Christie sig. series(same rod as bucoo),shimano compre(really like that one) are all good rods in your range.i too am interested in seeing what the new phenix maxim will be like.as mentioned earlier wait till black Friday or closeout sales.i got a $200 rod for $140 thanks to a closeout sale.

my two personal favorite worms is the Berkley 7in power worm in junebug&the zoom mag 2 in plum apple.plum apple is definitely my favorite color for worms

I owned one &it was the best $100 reel I've ever had my hands on.the smoothness of that reel has only been matched by my curado I.its actually quieter than my curado.

sweet reel! that's a killer looking setup! i bet it fishes as good if not better than It looks.

MH or H with XF action.my jig rod is a 4 power powell endurance& it's labeled as hvy but I would call it a mh.as a side note &sorry if i'm hi-jacking the thread but does any one use braid with x-fast actions? I would think the no stretch braid&quick transition into the back bone of the rod would break it.

rods:berkley,lews,quantum,powell,halo reels:shimano lews,abu garcia,pflueger

as said in earlier posts you really cant go wrong in this price range.if you like magnetic brakes go for a daiwa tatula or type R tatula or a lews tournament pro MG.i believe the lews TP is hands down the smoothest reel I've ever used.if you like centrifugal brakes go for a shimano curado I or the chronarch E...a.k.a. white curado E.

I usually use 8-10 lb.mono or 20 lb braid for my "lighter" set ups.trilene xt is super strong using a palomar knot.using said knot 8lb xt broke right at 12lbs even.i used an electronic scale so I would think that was a fairly accurate measurement.

never fished a g.loomis but I've heard they're bang for the buck sucks.my buddy fishes them&he says you really pay for the name.whats the cheapest series in yalls opinion that the g.loomis brand really starts to shine? i'm happy with my powells but just wondering.

I like my homemade one I built.i took a $5 rod from Wal Mert cut the blank off at the reel seat fastened the seat to the table in the shop then drilled a hole in line with the reel seat stuck a bolt through the hole in the table tightened it down with a regular nut then put the spool of line on added a spring to keep tension on the spool so it doesn't twist out of control & put a lock nut on to keep the spool of line from coming off the bolt. P.S. it takes a fairly long bolt.

yeah.i'm talking about hi-vis mono.i usually just use green braid when I use braid.(which isn't often)

anyone here use hi-vis line like the bright flame green(I think its called solar collector)Berkley big game? if so do you tie direct to the lure or use a leader? the water I fish isn't clear its more murky/stained color.muddy in the summer(thanks cows )thinking about picking up some next time I head to academy.i prefer not to use a leader so if it would be too visible to the fish then i'll just get clear like i usually do.i think the bright green would look awesome on my curado/endurance but like i said if i would have to use a leader then i'd rather just get clear. thanks.

40-50# is what I use on my dedicated frog set up but i use 14lb mono sometimes!

of course i'm biased now having tried the endurance but I've never tried a diesel or inferno but have heard good things about them.(i know that really isn't helpful)Lol.diesel model: 705cb.inferno model:6104cb or 705cb.i HAVE tried cherrywoods&halos &they both have a nice parabolic bend for cranks. oh and cant forget about the browning silaflex. I've tried it too.

thanks guys.i throw pit bosses&10in power worms most of the time& didn't know if I would need to downsize for more of a "finesse" presentation.

what were they?

I know its that time of year to pull out the cranking rod but any one still throwing t-rigs? if so whats your soft plastic of choice & whats your favorite color for it? the fishing bug bit me bad this year because I usually hunt most of November so i'm fairly ignorant when it comes to late fall/early winter fishing. thanks.

thanks bootytrain now I have to clean up the drool on my computer desk! Lol.sweet reels man.

I've got a gen 2 &its ok.its had its issues(clutch bar mainly).for $100 my money would be going to lews>shimano>daiwa or BPS.

haha.i MAKE time to fish.Lol

hey guys got my endurance in the mail yesterday&i've gotten to fish it a couple times&thought i'd report back what I learned about it.heres my review(first ever)of the powell endurance. general specs:cork handles,10+tip Fuji alconite guides(on 7'1" model)first 4 are double foot,not the color I'd pick but still an amazing purple water spot finish(from but section to about 10in above reel seat)&standard ECS reel seat. action&power:i guess I've only fished mod to med fast tips before because i have never had as good a hookset as i did on that poor little 10in dink yesterday.i almost felt sorry for him.this extra fast tip is probably one of my favorite things about this rod.its a labeled as "heavy"but i feel like its a true med.hvy.its rated from 1/4-1oz.havent thrown anything in the upper end of the weights but it will sling a 10in power worm with a 3/8oz fine. craftsmanship:on a scale of 1-10(10 being best)the crok handles get about an 8.around the reel seat their are MINOR gaps(i'm extremely picky)between the reel seat&cork but on the plus side they are the most comfortable grips I've ever used. guides get a 8.5 one looks a little off center if it wasn't for that they'd get a 10.epoxy work:10.best epoxying I've seen. now what y'all have probably waiting for me to get to,sensitivity:when i got a bite i believe the words that came out of my mouth were GOOOOD GOSH.the only thing that comes close to the sensitivity of this rod is if you were using braid...but i wasn't.i using 14lb mono.i have never felt such a "crisp"& "lively" bite.i think i even felt a catfish fart on it.Lol.but all joking aside it is the most sensitive rod I've ever fished(I've fished cherrywoods,ugly stiks,W&M micro honey combs&halo daylight).this is going to sound rehearsed but i was wanting to try other rod brands but with performance like what the Endurance has i don't if i would now.Lol.those are my thoughts on the powell endurance. tight lines, bass raider

gamakatsu or VMC.if i'm NOT around cover i'll put a vmc sure set on the back of any hardbait i'm using.