thunderblack

I do not have time on the water with Lew's but do with Shimano and have held and owned at least one higher end Lew's. In my opinion the Chronarch MGL in the same price range was far superior in smoothness, weight, construction and comfort.

Not sure if they were black friday deals but a couple new Shimano steelheads rods and a 842S nrx inshore spinning rod for salt adventures.

I fish snaps on all hardbaits. I can tie all types of knots but it saves time and works. Never had an issue in 30 yrs.

I have read this too and think certain reels work better. I would go right to the nrx + 842C or one of the new Steez AGS compile rods and call it a day.

I would go after a 842 or 843 in the GLX or nrx line up. SC makes a nice rod too. Not a fan of SC's handle designs on legend x or elite.

Check out the Lamiglas X11 trout rods. Several places have these in stock and the 7' UL is really nice. I have the full cork previous model and fished it all summer and loved it.

AB, I have not personally fished this one but I know it fits more in the 7' M/ML category. I have fished the addermine which couldn't be too far off and was probably a bit more sensitive. It is geared more toward finesse and smaller plastics with a single hook. I thought it would work well for smaller jerkbaits too from what I have read and seen in specs. Maybe someone else can chime in who has fished this one.

I haven't had this on reels either. My two suggestions would be to cover the gap with some kind of clear tape. If it really bugged me I would be buying a Shimano nasci or sahara.

You bet man. Enjoy it! Its a fun rod for fighting fish too. Goes deep into the blank when you get a nice 3-4 lber.

You might be able to get away with small swimbaits on the newer version. The ronin is tough to explain. It fishes like a ML/M F rod and doesn't feel like a rod I would want to fish single hook baits on but I think it would handle small grubs and paddle tails in the 3/8 oz. range. I would be looking at the shakeyhead model if I was going after an orochi XX. The ronin will fish the vision jr. very nicely. At 6'-8" it won't bomb them like the shakeyhead will. I found the casting distance on the rod not my favorite either but the ronin is a cool rod its just limited. I really prefer the 6'-10"-7'-1" lengths for jerkbaits. The series 2 (newest model) is more powerful than the previous FYI. I keep thinking about the first series.

I have fished both the series one and two of the ronin. I know it well and its not a tube rod. Its marketed for jerkbaits and such but will not handle baits over 1/2 oz. very well. I found it great for small cranks (1/4 oz.) and medium to small jerkbaits. Also a good skipping rod for docks (I don't do this but have heard this). The rating to me is off at up to 3/4 oz. The best rod for the techniques you are looking to fish is the Megabass Valkyrie 6'11 M spinner. Its not a cheap stick but its one of the most unique rods I have ever fished.

Megabass for almost all reasons

Not sure which model TY was referring to but the light BLX 6-10 spinner I had was around that weight range. Super light rod. The light + expride is awesome too. I have fished both and they are similar in action and weight. I think the BLX has a slight edge. I wanted to fish DS with them and they will only handle lighter rigs. Super fun to catch any size fish on. Could be trout or panfish rods in a pinch too.

I like to stay around a 4-4.5" size. Smaller sizes in the jointed series are killer too though. 3"-4"

spinning a nrx 842S and twin tower casting nrx 843C and a bantam

I had issues with my adrena locking nut constantly coming loose. Let me know if you experience that. Sweet looking combo.

I have fished these for jerkbaits and they were all great but the MB Valkyrie was the best. Megabass valkyrie 6-11 M spinning Shimano crucial 6-10 M spinning GLX 842S spinning SC Xtreme 7' M spinning MB orochi XX ronin SC Legend Tourney 7-1 M

I fish these baits often. The hooks are mostly bent when I use a pliers. I'm just not a big fan of the outbarb design (so use pliers more often) but have used VMC barbarians as replacements and like them. The light wire does not bother me. Just don't crank down the drag. I fish these on a M F spinning rod.

Prayers for peace and comfort for his family. He will be very missed. Sounds like Aaron was one heck of a father!

Fish yr round in Michigan. Fish steelhead in the fall and ice in the winter after bass are done. Ice fishing is a blast but it can be a lot of work if you go by yourself. If you have a shanty, heater, and a flasher unit you can have blast and stay warm. Not a fan of tip ups. I fish rods only and walleye are the target. If you have not tried it I certainly recommend it. It's fairly cheap to get started. Most gear you can find second hand and cheap.

Anyone close to Aaron or his family with an update?

I think you will be happy with either. Both will work great for what you are doing. I prefer cork and also (6'-10) length for jerkbaits but both are minor preferences.

The tatula rods are really really nice for the $. Just bought another ML spinner.

When I was young all I ever caught and ate were bass. The last 25 yrs or so just catch and release 99% of what I catch. A couple weeks ago I caught a ton of nice crappie and some nice bass (14"-16") and after cooking with a little salt, butter, and rice I preferred the bass. I guess ditch pickles are back on the menu here and there. Walleye is the best though no doubt.

Just got back from FL and I skip bass altogether. Snook, redfish, shark, big jacks.....yes please Rods - 7'-7'-6" M to MH spinning with a array of jerkbaits, spoons, and plastics