poisonokie

Daiwa Tatula 761HFB all the way. I can launch frogs across the pond, no problem, along with dragging jigs, punching mats, throwing c rigs, deep cranks, 6" soft swimbaits on weighted 5/0 hooks, heavy jika rigs, you name it. It's easily my most versatile rod and my go-to. If you must have the longest possible rod, the tat xt would probably be a solid choice, but the standard flippin stick can be had for under $150 shipped.

bad news for the imx or good news for the crucial

on a tackletour review of the gl2 heavy, they noted that while it was rated up to 3/4 oz, it still pitched and casted 1.5 ounces fine, so at least with Loomis it's just marketing b.s. with Daiwa, a heavy is a heavy and the lure ratings actually mean something. Pitching an ounce on a heavy rod is great, with 3/4 really being the sweet spot, but crossing that 1.5 oz threshold is pushing the limits of what is comfortable, even if it is within its capability.

I think you should think about a L-ML/F-XF rod with a 2000-2500 reel for shakey heads, weightless plastics, mojo rigs, and that ned rig, especially.

if you don't mind spending a little more, amazon has a Daiwa Lexa 6'7" m/xf spinning rod for 99.95 and it's prime. They have more comfortable Fuji grips and higher quality guides with zirconia inserts. They're still kinda loud with braid, but I think that sound is pretty cool, anyway. I have a Lexa 7'2" ML/F and it's a really nice rod. Very sensitive and comfortable, great action for single hooks on light line. Plenty of backbone. I landed an 11.5# blue cat while fishing weightless 4" worms on 8# line using that rod and it performed flawlessly. I was kind of at the mercy of the fish because it was pulling off so much line, but I was still able to steer it around enough to keep it out of a brush pile.

Yeah, the grip takes some getting used to, but it does put your hand in contact with a lot of blank, so I like them. The guides are kinda loud with new braid, because I think they're just alum oxide. You can get one on Amazon for 60-70 bucks shipped. I'm sure there are better rods out there for this application, that procyon is just what I use and have good results with, and the price is right. I'm not about to spend more than $100 for something just to skip baits with.

I like the livetarget frogs the best, and they are pretty good about not filling up. Most of the time it because a fish takes it under and squeezes it. Sometimes I leave a little water in it, anyway. Casts further and gives it a different action.

Just turn your brakes and spool tension both up higher than you're used to, higher than you think could possibly be necessary. You might be surprised how well it casts even then. After that s-l-o-w-l-y back them off. That lighter spool has to be tamed a little better.

I don't honestly know. You'd think it would be even better. I'd just have to try them side by side. I don't have a rod shorter than 6'6".

My Tatula flip rod rocks for frogs, so the frog rod must be stellar. I'm sure either would be great for the same techniques. Frogs, flippin, pitchin, punchin, C Rigs, deep cranks... They're a bit more than 100, but easy to find below the 170 msrp and totally worth it. Not just for their high quality, but for their versatility.

Tatula, definitely. I have two. One I use for frogs and flipping, the other for worms and jigs. I rarely get backlashes, even when casting down below a quarter, and can absolutely bomb frogs and c rigs. They have both gotten a lot of heavy use and still cast great and retrieve smoothly. The drags are also strong and smooth. They aren't the lightest reels in the world, but that's because they are built to last. They are absolutely the best reels out there for less than $200. And unlike that PQ, all brake adjustment is external. The centrifugal brake is automatic. A zillion is probably even better, but I never see those on sale.

I use a 6'6" MH/XF Daiwa Procyon. It's shorter, so it's more accurate and you don't whack the tip from a low casting angle. It has a lot of sensitivity to feel strikes on the drop and a lot of backbone to get fish away from structure. It's the only XF rod I have because fish control is paramount, but it's best to have a short rod. I use 20lb braid with a 15# leader and a nearly buttoned down drag on a 3000 size Daiwa Lexa reel.

well, for one thing, you said yourself that they put a cheap, riveted handle on that other reel. It stands to reason that there's something like that with this one.

been wanting to try a jackall flick shake worm, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

My 2nd favorite is the Megabass dot crawler, only because they fall apart even easier than senkos.

I did just buy a volkey bfs rod , but that's just because those type of rods are practically impossible to come by usdm.

if I were to spend that kind of cash on a rod, it would be a steez xt. At least if you have an issue, tackle warehouse will make it easy to sort out.

why wouldn't it have magforce z? The only one I know of that doesn't is the jdm HLC and that just because the spool doesn't have the moving rotor because it's made for heavy baits. If you put a normal spool in there, boom magforce z. I still say they cheaped out somewhere on that arachnid. More bearings, but lower quality, or something to that effect. It says engineered by Daiwa. That doesn't make it a Daiwa. They might've used cheap, low brass gears, who knows.

meh. That's more of a price correction. I still wouldn't pay 120 bucks for one.

excludes Daiwa. Again.

13 has some sick looking reels

Yeah, but it retails at cabelas for $20 less than a type r. They had to cut a corner somewhere.

You know, I wonder if guys in Japan are ruminating over whether they should buy that St. Croix they can't get their hands on...

I've always wanted to try a Lew's, but haven't had the chance. They seem like they'd be good quality to me.

I'd never heard of those arachnids before. There HAS to be something up with the bearings or drag or gearsets in those unless Cabelas is making like a 1% profit on them or something.