PatrickKnight

I had always read the Recon had the slower action. I guess this means I might need to fish and M1 and find out!!

To me the handle on the original Avid is the most comfortable I have ever used. That is reason enough for me to go that route, oh and I don't care for micro guides at all.

There is not a bass on the planet you cant catch with that combo.

As a general rule the longer the rod the more moderate the tip section. Most rods are a percentage of backbone to tip. So lets take my Dobyns Sierra 703 for example this rod will flex about 40% of the way down the blank so about 3 feet of flex. Now take that exact same blank but make it 6 foot long now its bending only about 2 feet into the blank. I hope this explains why longer rods have a more forgiving tip even while still being "fast" action rods.

All I use is spinning gear and the only one that doesn't have backing is my set up that is running mono.

I have not had a chance to use the M1 series but I used a 7'6" medium Recon 2 last year and I can not think of a technique that rod would not excel at. It was probably the most versatile spinning rod I have ever fished, I was very impressed with it and will likely add one to the arsenal this year. Also as a general rule I use the lightest rod I can get away with at any given time.

That is a relief knowing I can service them the same way I do my Shimanos without issue.

Windtamer is a 4 carrier and while it might not be to popular in these parts if you go to the Texas coast its one of the most popular lines on the pro redfish trail.

I am looking at adding a Ballistic EX to my arsenal this year but I am happy about this feature and a little worried as well. For you guys who own the Magsealed reels are you able to service them at all on your own, do you have to send them into Daiwa for servicing, or are there any authorized service centers like could I send it to DVT?

The 3000 is the same size as a 4000 Stradic but still for that price I might be able to find a use for one.

I have fished or owned a ton of rods in the 150-200 dollar range the the three that I think are the best are: Dobyns Sierra, St. Croix Avid, and the Phenix Recon II. All three are great companies and are about the best in the industry when it comes to customer service.

How does it do on spinning reels as that is all I use? I have read the memory can be pretty bad with it, but it seems that is only with the heavier lb tests and I will be using 6lb line.

You guys are terrible now I feel like I might need to get the Ballistic sooner rather than later. What about the Procyon model?

The Champion is noticeably more sensitive in my hands than the Avid.

How do you like those M1s?

The Sustain is simply outdated at this point. If you want a light weight reel go with a Ci4+ FB if you want a bullet proof machine go with the FK. If you want a high end reel go high end and look at a Stella, Twinpower, or a Daiwa Exist other wise the current Stradic lines are the best bang for the buck currently on the market imo (plan to give a Daiwa Ballistic EX a run soon to see how it compares to my FK).

Tightened down all the way on a 3000 FK. It looks strange in this pic but there is no noticeable gap between the reel seat hood and the blank of the rod. Its actually pretty comfy to fish with (I still prefer a for grip but I know most people don't). Plus I would MUCH rather have it like this than have extra threads left over like my buddies Falcon Bucco that's just annoying!

Picked up a slightly longer and slower action rod! I am going to stay with braid on this set up to see if just the rod change helps but still want to try a nylon line on another set up with a faster action to see the difference.

Good insight here sir!

I was looking at lines with a diameter of around .010 to .011, I learned a while ago its more important to look at diameter than lb test.

Perfect timing for this thread to show up as I am looking at trying something other than braid on one of my set ups this year!

I fish curly tail grubs about 50% of the time I am on the water. I really like the Yamamoto (GYCB are by far my favorite and if they made a smoke metal flake they would be the only ones I would use) and Vic Coomer brand ones(a local guy from my area). As far as color goes smoke metal flake (Coomers as GYCB doesn't make this color) and green pumpkin are by far my favorites in a 3-4 (4 inch in GYCB and 3 in the Coomer) inch size based on baitfish in the area (I will on rare occasions go up to a 5 inch normally when fishing at night in a black with blue tail color). Also I always fish them on jig heads so for c-rigs I might choose something slightly longer and with a bulkier body due to the type of hook you would be using. I really don't think brand matters nearly as much as action and profile. Find a profile that imitates the bait fish and a tail that moves even when retrieved extremely slow and you will be good to go. It should also be noted I fish a fairly shallow, fast moving, and clear water river where I am trying to imitate darters and shiners so I don't use the bulkier baits that one might use for imitating shad.

Honestly just want to try something new. I lost a fair amount of fish last year between hook up and landing so I am going to put something other than braid on one set up to see if it makes any kind of a difference.

Daiwa Certate. As much as I love the high end Shimanos, the really high end Daiwas are just magical.

Elite is one of the ones I was looking at. Lost a fair amount of fish last year so I am trying new things from rod to line to see if I can get it where I can keep hooked fish pinned. 90% of what I do is jig heads tipped with some kind of plastic, such as grubs, paddletails, and tubes. Fishing on the bottom but drifting with the current. However a deep hole on this river is 8 feet deep.