PatrickKnight

That is exactly how my FK sits on my Sierra 703. However my Daiwa BG sits perfectly flush.

I keep a 90 in perch color in my river bag and when the smallies start hitting on top I will throw it on a medium power spinning rod with 15 lb direct braid.

I have said it before if I could only have one lure for smallmouth it would be a 4 inch green pumpkin grub. I often get weird looks when people look into my river bag and find nothing but jigheads and various tubes, grubs, and swim baits.

I was having the same issues last season on a ML with fairly sturdy hooks while fishing tubes, grubs, and swim baits. Went to a medium power and it helped a good bit, however I cant make the same casts as I could with the ML on those 1/16th oz jigs. I am going to be adding a ML back over the winter and will pour jigs with wide gap but lighter wire hooks. This whole process has taught me to really pay attention to wire diameter of the hooks when trying to figure out the power of the rod to use. I tend to favor a heavier wire on tubes so I will use my M for tubes and lighter wire for grubs and swim baits so my ML will handle those. You really don't see the hook size or wire diameter mentioned to often when people talk spinning rods but from my experience it has been one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing the correct power rod for what you are fishing.

I run braid to leader on all my rods and for DS and ned rig I use 10 lb 832 to a 6-8 lb leader of what ever fluro I can get on sale or 6 lb Hybrid. For a reel my Daiwa BG 2500 is so good at $100 bucks if I could do it all over again I would buy two more of them instead of my Stradic FK. This coming from a Shimano guy.

The Carbonlite rods are nice in that price range.

I would go with the FK (I did on my last Stradic purchase). Even this reel was to light to balance the rod it was on (Doybns Sierra 703) so I could not imagine trying to balance a Ci4. I went with a 3000 size.

I MUCH prefer up locking reel seats. Then again I also prefer to have a for grip on my spinning rods.

These can be had for about $90 and are a solid rod with moderate actions. http://www.falconrods.com/coastal-xg.html

I fish the Great Miami year round. I don't visit the Little often but I am certain it is a year round fishery. That river is going to be on fire in the next week or so all the way into mid Nov. The fall is when I always catch my largest fish of the year in the Great Miami.

FINS is huge among the inshore anglers on the Texas coast as well. I LOVE Windtamer and I am really surprised it hasn't caught on more in the bass fishing arena then again they don't spend as much on marketing as other companies do I guess.

Personally I will always go with a full cork handle if the option is there. The Avid line is one if my favorite rods ever and alot of the reason is I just find that handle so comfortable, same with the Elites.

Blue label is purpose built as leader material with no concern given to cast ability.

Good point on the baseline. I suppose we can use my Dobyns Sierra 703 SF as the baseline since I am really looking for a ML rod with a slightly slower action than this one has on it.

I know, sadly this is my dilemma. I am trying to get a general idea of which companies tend to be on the slower side of fast since I didn't hit the Powerball and cant afford to try them all out.

3rd one from the top because imo it will do more than any of the others listed. It can pitch, flip, light punching, frogs, small swim baits, and most importantly it will do them all pretty darn well.

Do most Dobyns run on the slower side? My Sierra 703 sf seems to have a fairly fast tip imo. I should have put this in the original post but I am asking about spinning rods more so than casting if you guys think that it matters at all.

I know its pretty common knowledge that certain companies like St Croix and Abu Garcia tend to run heavier in power, but is there a general rule of which companies tend to be on the slower side of fast?

That is a remarkable fish sir!!

Depending on how deep you are fishing on Erie I know a lot of guys that use medium power fast action rods vs the mlxf due to a more powerful butt section but a softer tip to help keep them pinned. My last trip up there I used a Dobyns 703 and got by just fine.

That St Croix is a class above that Phenix. No question go with the Croix.

Exactly! Post here and see what you can get with $400, I would be willing to bet you can get better stuff for less money here on the forum.

Just get a Curado imo. The I is on sale for about 120 right now then you can spool it up with the line of your choosing.

How do those two rods compare?

I fish them on a Sierra 703 with a 2500 Daiwa BG and to me its about perfect. Oh I use 10 lb 832 to a 8 lb mono leader. I am fishing for river smallies.