MIbassangler30

As a current Michigander... You're killing me too ? Nice catches! And thank you for your service! ?? JC

Kind of a gimmick lure I know, but I've been absolutely obsessed with tracking down a 10FTU Babu Type 1 for months. It has been impossible to buy so I settled on the Jackall Dunkle. The rubber seems fairly durable, but I'm not too optimistic about it lasting more than a few fish. There's regular tackle purchases and there's the bait monkey on your back. This was the bait monkey calling and he still kind of is until 10FTU can manufacture some more baits. JC

1) 3/8 oz jig in green pumpkin with a Rage Craw trailer 2) Spro or Snagproof popping frog (black) 3) Texas rig - Zoom brush hog or GYCB senko 4) 1/2 oz War Eagle or Nichols spinnerbait; white and chartreuse, double willow 5) Swimbait; either a LFT Magic Shad boot tail (perch) or Keitech Swing Impact fat 4.8 (bluegill flash)

Abu Garcia has fantastic customer service. If you're the original owner of the rod and you have the receipt then they'll send you a brand new rod if it's been within 3 years. You can look the warranty requirement up online and shoot them an email with pictures of everything needed. Within a couple weeks you'll have a brand new rod at your door.

Very well said. I agree 100%, except for the fact that I own 1 Exsense DC. I would not hesitate to buy another if I needed another reel. I will add, buy from Digitaka. JC

Thanks man! The Exsense is beautiful. Pretty comparable to that Core you have but with X Ship and DC braking. The TackleTour review is spot on in my opinion. If you decide to get one, buy from Digitaka. Lowest price, fast/free shipping from Japan, they're legit. JC

I primarily fish from the bank. My new workhorse/all purpose set-up; 6' 10" MH Jackall Shimano Poison Adrena & Shimano Chronarch 150HG My new flipping/pitching/frogging set-up; 7' 2" XH Megabass Levante "Perfect Pitch" & Shimano Exsense DC Me: "Come on Spring, come on Spring, come on Spring!!!" I'm like a little kid on Christmas Eve. Thought I'd post on here where they could be appreciated... the wife doesn't get it. Which is okay. Hey man! I asked you a week or two ago how you liked your Zodias rods. Thought I would follow up and let you know I ended up finding a Poison Adrena used, in excellent condition, for half the retail price. Or a little more than what the Zodias retails for. Super stoked and posted pics in this thread. BTW: Your new reels look amazing on those new Zodias rods. Keep me updated when you start hauling in swamp donkeys with 'em. JC

If I had to use only one brand, it would be Zoom, for their wide array of baits, cost, and durability. I obviously enjoy buying and using many different baits by various companies, but if I had to settle on just one, I would be confident throwing Zoom exclusively.

I would definitely go with the 704. I use the 734 for those weight spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. 3/4 oz you're almost looking at a 705 or 735.

Flick Shake

I've owned many Veritas rods and I'm in the process of upgrading all of my setups. I have held on to my 7' MH 2.0 as a back up rod, and one I can let others borrow to help them learn a baitcaster. If you're stuck with the Veritas, I would suggest the MH Winch series. It's going to load up better for casting distance and give you more of a parabolic bend when fighting fish. The regular MH has virtually no tip. I would really suggest looking at the Dobyns Fury, it's in your price range, and it's a much more technique specific rod. The 734c or 704c would treat you well for those applications. Hope this helps. -JC

Thank you for the thorough reply and pics. You just made my decision harder, since I had almost checked the Zodias off my list. I bought a Levante Perfect Pitch to be my new flippin/froggin rod, the smoothest, most well balanced rod I've ever owned. I was going to check off the Adrena also, but I found that JLS has it for 280 bucks, so I've been moving back in that direction. Never a bad thing to have some options, either way I'll have an awesome new setup to pull in some hogs next season. Thanks again for the detailed reply! Try and stay warm up there in Canada! I'm in Michigan so I feel some of your pain. -JC

1/2 once Nichols spinnerbait, white and chartreuse, double silver willow blades. Slow rolled in front of a dam on a large pond. Still my PB at just over 7 lbs. I caught many 4+ pound largemouth this year which I feel is a strong showing for southern Michigan. Almost all the others came on hollow body frogs or jigs, one 5 lb 11 oz fish came on a One Knocker Spook (second pic). I am very pleased with the season I had and I'm eagerly awaiting gettin' at 'em this coming season.

I always use rod and reel covers. It's a small price to pay to protect my investment. The Rod Glove are the ones I use the most and for reels I just use the TW ones. I have a small aluminum boat I fish out of on occasion. When I do, I make sure to pack a few shop towels and lay them down on the front and middle seats. This keeps my gear from scratching and prevents me from having to take the covers off between each switch.

How do you like the Zodias? I've been debating getting the 6'10" MH or another Levante or shelling out for the Shimano Jackall Poison Adrena. Even if you haven't fished it I'm interested in how it feels and the action/taper. How's the balance with the Chronarch Ci4+? That's the reel I would be putting on also.

Practicality aside, the DC reels are just flat out cool in my opinion. I'm in the process of saving for a Met as well and it will absolutely be the DC model. Performance is certainly important and they are both top notch in that regard. Which one gets the vote, and is the DC worth the extra bucks is certainly debatable either way. Everyone is going to have their opinion. Call me superficial (I've accepted that I am about certain things), but I want something that's fun to use and cool to fish with. We could all go to our local sporting goods retailer and get a $30 combo and go out and catch fish on it. It's more about the knowledge of where the fish are and finding what we can present to them that will force them into feeding. Why do we spend our hard earned cash on something we don't really need to be successful? We're enthusiasts, kids at heart, that want the baddest toy on the playground. Obviously I'm not going to take this to the extreme where I'm willing to compromise performance just to have something I think is cool. We're not comparing apples to oranges in this thread. The Met DC is the baddest toy on the playground. Hope my opinion helps. JC

I bought the same rod (Levante Perfect Pitch) a few weeks ago and paired mine with a Shimano Exsense DC. It looks like they were made as a combo. It's right at your price range, $250 shipped on Digitaka. The reel was designed for braid, but has various other DC settings to accommodate other lines. It is also a little bit heavier of a reel which balances nicely with the beefier Perfect Pitch. Read Tackle Tours review of the Exsense, it's right on in my opinion. -JC

I would try 15-20 lb braid. Depending on preference, maybe a floro leader. Jigs: get some 3/8 ounce flipping or casting jigs in black and blue, and green pumpkin. Done.

Haha! I was hoping someone would catch that. That didn't take long.

Brand new frog setup: Megabass Levante 7' 2" H "Perfect Pitch" Shimano Exsense DC

I once owned a ProMax and kept 65 lb braid on it. Worked just fine.

Out of your list, I would go with Donyns. I would take advantage of the killer deal on TW and get the Champion Extreme 683 instead of the Savy. Other than that; I'd go Zodias 6'10" MH or the Megabass Levante Tour Versitale. As mainly a bank fisherman, I've been researching that "one rod" for the last 6 months. I settled on two; Zodias 6' 10" MH for my all around and the Levante Pefect Pitch for frogs and heavy cover. Covers all my bases for the way I like to fish. JC

They're great. I was skeptical too when I saw their prices and the quality of their web site, but they really are good. Totally legit. I'll definitely give them more of my business. You'll probably receive your reel in 10-14 days, which is pretty solid for free shipping from Japan. Let us know what you think.

I just purchased one from Digitaka, which has the lowest prices, excellent customer service, and fast shipping from Japan. It's a smooth and flawlessly engineered piece of equipment. I'll be pairing mine with a Megabass Levante Perfect Pitch for frogging and flipping, since Exsense was especially designed for use with braid. The Tackle Tour review is right on, you won't regret pulling the trigger on this beast. Admittedly, I wanted it for the same reasons you mentioned, and I'm so glad I chose a unique DC reel. It's just flat out cool. I own a Ci4+ and the Exsense has obviously more weight to it, which is one of the main complaints from most people. The other being the single gear ratio. Neither of these "drawbacks" deterred me; I like a reel with a little extra weight as long as the rod/reel combo is balanced. The Exsense doesn't feel like a toy reel. All of my reels are extra fast, since I don't do any deep cranking, and high speed is an advantage in every area for me. I had to reply to your post; if I would have sought advice on Bass Resourse before pulling the trigger on mine, I would have posted the exact same thing as you. If you get it, or should I say, when you get it (after reading these replies), let us know what you think. JC

I just ordered the Megabass Levante "Perfect Pitch" and it should be arriving Tuesday. I'm pumped that Megabass released an affordable offering. I'm pairing mine with a JDM Shimano Exsense DC that I just received. First impressions of the reel are; it's a smooth and flawlessly engineered piece of equipment. I'll post pictures of the combo on this thread sometime next week. By the way; if you're going to order that Levante off TW, get on it if you can, there was only 1 left in stock when I purchased mine. Just a heads up. Great combo man! JC