FishTank

And it works with special sunglasses that talk to you while you fish.

https://www.omniafishing.com/p/woo-tungsten-painted-flipping-weight/color*black--weight*1__8~oz Just get the membership and that $50 shipping limit is a thing of the past.

https://kastking.com/pages/ireel-one-ifc

This is always debatable but to me, the Curado B was the reel that set the standard for baitcasters going forward. As far as durability goes, the Calcutta line seems to be indestructible. My favorite is the Shimano Core 100. It is the perfection of simplicity.

Same as @Catt, my main lake is filled with timber and rocks that eat jigs. I might loose 2 or 3 each time.

To add to the confusion.... I like the Metanium for jigs and the Zillion for Texas rigged soft plastic. For jigs, I like the way the Metanium feels in the 8.x:1 gear ratio plus I like the larger stock handle. With the Zillion, it just a great all around reel. I do have the older Bantam and I like it. I have it on the P5 Super Destroyer. I also added a larger Gomexus handle. It's my sort of do all setup.

What are you going to use it for?

Nice fish. Ya, be careful with those P5 rods. They get addictive. I have 4 know.... Super Destroyer, Kasumi Six Eleven, Criffhanger Thrilling, and the Siglett. I will probably add the OneTen Special next year. The only reason I have not picked up the X-bites is because I have been happy with my NRX JWR rods. Also, I do have the Super Destroyer and the new FMJ is interesting. One other thing, I am all about getting good sun protection but are those leggings? ?. Just joking...

I have broke more than a few over the years and I believe maybe two of those were because of rod failures. All the rest were my fault. I definitely would not be the one to tell what happened to your rod. Maybe you could post a pic of the rod break and I am sure a member here could help diagnose it.

I use the San Diego Jam knot. I just got back from a trip this week and fished 4 different set ups all with FC. I caught around 100+ smallmouth and other various fish. One setup had 5lb, one had 6lb, another had braid with 6lb FC leader and the last had 12lb. All used the San Diego Jam and not one break off all weak. The lines all head up well. I fished in and around cover and grass as well.

I have been saving this. Enjoy if you have not seen it already. https://tforods.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/tom-kirkman-rod-failure-rodmaker-magazine.pdf

Over the years I have had Oakley, Smiths, Serengetis, and Costa. I didn't care for the Oakleys. The lenses scratched easily and they didn't give the best on the water experience. The Serengetis were great for driving but not so much for fishing. The Smiths have been fantastic except for the black pair I had with the gloss coated frames. The coating came off after a year. Smith sent me a new pair. Their service was great. The Costas have also been great. I purchased a pair of the Blackfin Pros and so far, they have been the best yet.

Sieberts Dredge G2 1/2oz for a full size. For a compact jig, I like the OSP Hunts.

Not sure what the budget is but the Megabass Valkyrie 7'6" XXH would do it. I have the 7'4" H+ and use it for A-rigs, frogs, swimbaits, and some heavy jigs. The XXH will go upto 4oz but these rods have a nice soft tip and the XXH has spiral wrapped guides. They also have adjustable grips so if you need to adjust the balance or want to shorten it, these rods are capable of it. I would check a few of the JDM sites for the best price.

Sort of.. . .it went something like this.

A little over the budget at full retail.... Shimano SLX and St. Croix Mojo Yak 7' M. You can throw just about anything on this rod. It's not ideal for jigs or crankbaits but it's a really good in-between that is capable of both. Its great for a kayak and can take beating. If you search around the internet you should be able to find one on sale.

The first thing I did was clean and lube this reel when I ran out ideas. I have an ultrasonic cleaner that I used for the bearings and I used Shimano's BFS oil. It made the bearings faster and smoother. It also may have increased my problems. I can set the brakes almost all the way with an 1/8oz lure, cast it well for a bit (maybe 9 casts), and then for no reason, it backlashes multiple times. It has been this way since I got it. I have also changed the line a few times, thinking it's slipping on the spool. I am using #0.8 Varivas Dead or Alive Ultra Finesse.

I hate to say but this has been the opposite of my experience with this reel. I have had nothing but inconsistent casting. With that said, I love the platform. I have the Zillion SV and the HD. They both have been fantastic. I have been unable to cast anything less than 3/16oz without it backlashing. Even with heavier baits around 1/4oz, I still get a blow up in about 1 in 10 casts no matter where the brakes are set. It's like they just stop working. I have tried multiple BFS/light rods with the same result. I can then in turn put my Aldebaran BFS or the Conquest BFS on the same rod with the same lure and have no issues. Its been a head scratcher for me. Strange thing is the Millionaire CT I have, is the same way. On the other hand, the Steez CT I have is great at casting light lures. It leads me to believe that I am either spoiled by my Aldebaran or Daiwa hasn't figured the BFS thing out yet with these two reels. I have been thinking of getting the BFS bearings and spools from Roro but it seems an extreme thing to do.

If you can find it, a JDM Megabass P5 X-bites.

Geecrack Spiron Twin.

I had a few but one that comes to mind that always hurt my hands and raised my blood pressure was a St.Croix rod with the power hump and a Quantum Tour PT with shinny blue finish. The rod killed my hand and reel would backlash at will plus the coating came off after some light use.

Like others have mentioned... Digitaka or Japan Lure Shop would be my choice. I have had great luck with both. JLS is a few bucks more but they send a free gift which is usually a Megabass lure of some kind. Digitaka is cheaper and ships pretty quickly.

The newer JDM version is the way to go. Based on price, braking, casting and all around smoothness, it's pretty much perfect.

Since I added my comment on this back in January 2021, I have added 843, 904, 802, 895, and 873 CCR to my NRX casting rod collection. The 904C has become my favorite 1/2 jig rod. The 843 has been great Texas rigged soft plastic with a 1/8 bullet weight or stuff on free rig. Both of these rods are great at pretty much everything except crankbaits. The 802 is pretty much a finnese rod for me. The 895 is a beast of a jig/punching rod. It has become a questionable purchase for me but for what it is, it's fantastic. Then finally, the 873 is sort of the unicorn of the bunch. It fits well between the 904 and the 853. It's not as stout as the 904 but its got a fuzz more power than the 853 and 843. The tip is similar to the 904 but not as fast as 853. I use it for spinnerbaits, topwater, soft plastic and jigs. I actually didn't care for it much as a Carolina Rig rod. Not 100%, but I think this maybe the right rod for @Eddie101.

I either put in the middle or just slightly closer to the node. I don't think it really matters a lot. I have caught fish in either position.