FishTank

IMHO, I don't think you will find a glass rod that will do everything. I think they are, to me, more technique specific. Like others have stated, I would use it for crank baits and topwater> Something you want a slow hook set on. I think you might want to look for a compromise. My suggestion is a St. Croix Avid 7' M Moderate. The Avid series tends to be a heavier and stiffer when it comes the Fast and X-fast rods but the Moderate may be a good go between. It will be a quality rod with a softer tip and a heavier feel at the grip. St. Croix has this rod on sale for $157.50. Another one to look at maybe the Shimano Zodias Glass rods. I don't know that much about them but I always read good things about the Zodias line of rods.

G. Loomis 803C and a Shimano Core. It has worked great for years.

I have been using it every week since I got it. It sort of found a permanent way into the rotation of rods I use. The tip I had on mine did break but it was user error on my part, not the rod's. I was able to get another one shipped from STP. As far as the how fast the tip is, compared to my other rods I would say its really not that stiff at all. I can actually load this rod quite easily and when I am bringing fish in you can notice the parabolic arc is greater than other rods of the same power. I would say its actually a true fast rod. I am comparing this to the following rods though..... St. Croix Avid 7' M Fast, St. Legend Elite 7' M Fast, G. Loomis 783C GLX, and a G. Loomis 843C GLX. I have been using a Abu Garcia AL-X with this rod and it balance perfectly. I like the reel but it has it's limitations. You can definitely tell it was made for this rod.

Other suggestions, if you want to stay with Abu..... I like the Revo Winch and the Revo Beast. Both solid and strong and will hold up to the abuse.

The bait monkey got me once again. The depth finder will be a great addition to my kayak, super excited about this one. I picked it up for $300. The Quantum Icon I got for $40 (sort of, I won a bet) and will be used for crank baits. I will do a full review later on this reel with a series of other Quantums I fished over this past year. I did try it out tonight and first impression.... it's not bad but not mind blowing. At $40, my exceptions were way over met. Casting distance and the breaking system were outstanding though.

I have the AL-X, the previous version of this reel. It is small reel, like half the size of a Curado. It is, in my opinion, a finesse reel. I use it for weightless soft plastic and Ned Rigs with 8lb mono but I don't see why it couldn't handle some larger stuff, up to maybe 3/4oz. It also does not hold a lot of line so heavier line above 12lb is not its strong suit. Casting with the lighter stuff I have been using has been fantastic. The drag is also stout, like most of the Revo line but it's not super smooth. The retrieve is smooth but not buttery smooth. It sort of feels cheap in hand though and the finish is not the best either. This is not to say I don't like it, I do. I have been catching tons of fish with it. With all that said, I would say at $250 there are better reels out there for the purpose you are talking about. I would suggest the Curado DC or especially the Curado Bantam.

I used it again tonight at my local honey hole with a Lucky Craft Fat CB SSR (Surface Crankbait). I caught 4 in 20 minutes. Nothing big, all of them were about 2-3lbs. I lost one on a hook set but otherwise it worked great. My only caution is that hook sets are soft enough that fish tend to inhale the baits.

Yes, it's graphite but it's oddly slow. It is different from most rods. I also have a St. Croix Legend Glass 7'2'' M and it's great for topwater baits (especially whopper ploppers). I am guessing the 6'10'' would be OK.

This is not the best advice but I when I run into the luck of hitting some big fish, I will put my thumb on the spool when I set the hook. On light line this can cause some break offs and some ripped lips but if you want to drive a hook home this will do it.

Great find. The 5001C brings back a few memories for me too. Solid old reel.

G. Loomis CBR783. It is an odd rod but it is designed specifically for the purpose you mention. I have had one for several years. I like it but hook sets are just different with this rod. Its sort of slow and works best for deep cranks but is just fine for 3-4 foot cranks.

I may have posted this before....... Since I was a I child..... White rods are just bad luck.... It's just a dump superstition> Nobody take it personal and I got nothing to back this up either.

If you can, i would return it and get a new one. My K has been super smooth so far.

If I don't add more scent, maybe 2-3 hours if I don't catch anything but if the fish are biting, senkos usually last 1-3 fish.

When I started bass fishing I had only one technique > Catch Fish ?. Probably the first technique or bait I learned was a spoon. I had two Red Devils and would catch just about everything on them.

I am 47, been fishing pretty much my whole life and have never listened to music when I fish. I can listen to music anytime but I can't fish anytime I want. I just don't put the two together. To me it sort takes away from being out in nature, away from work. It does drive me absolutely crazy though when I see a fisherman (see one almost every week fishing tournaments) playing country music at full blast on a lake. Sorry to say, I am not fan of country and I think if you want to listen to it, fine, at least respect the others fishing with you or near you. If you're pleasure boating, I say go for it. You are there to have a good time. I really have never had an issue with anyone doing this but oddly its just other fisherman.

I have been using a St. Croix Legend Glass M Mod. So far it's been a perfect match for the Whopper Plopper.

I only use leader if I need a wire leader for something big and toothy but never for LMB.

I have ordered 5 rods from DSG over the years and all arrived in one piece. One was in a flimsy box but it arrived ok. The others were packed in a ton of bubble wrap, two of those came from the manufacture. I did have one issue with a depth finder and they took it back after their policy expired and they sent me a new one. As long as I use my Score Card (not credit card), they look it up and will take whatever back as long as it is with in their policy.

I used to fish both but the Senko out performed the Fluke so much that it got pushed to the side. The Fluke is still great though. I only use it on occasion now.

I have one as well and would agree it is the best crankbait rod that I have ever used. I have tried several over the years and nothing I have used has fit it's purpose as well as this rod has. To me, it is crankbait perfection.

I have tried several brands over the years and for me it's a tie between G. Loomis and St. Croix.

Am superstitious when comes to fishing? ...... A little. When I was a kid (1970s) my dad and his fishing buddies had some weird ones..... they were convinced that when the fishing sucked that there was an Omen in the lake that kept them from catching fish, my dad had a lucky hat and a lucky rod and in general any rod that was white was just plain bad luck. The only thing that I still go with is the lucky hat and I sort of believe in the white rod theory.

Great deal and a really nice rod..... I too was lucky with Amazon awhile back. I picked up a Abu Garcia Winch Gen 4 for $144.00. It has been a great real so far.

I have the Bantam, the Curado K and the DC. The Bantam is the workhorse of the bunch> heavy baits/t rigged plastic, topwater, and jerk baits. The K is great but the DC, for me, has been fantastic at throwing crankbaits. I does seem to take a few cast to get it broke in and it does get better as time passes. I have been using 1/4oz to 3/4oz cranks with no issues. The K have I found to be better for soft plastics (senkos and tubes).