fishraptor

One of my most favorite rods is my Temple Fork Outfitters rod. It is the: GTS SCS 862-2 8'6" 3/4 - 4oz 15-25 line 2pc rod It is my "go to" rod when at the Cape for Albies. Because of it's length it will EASILY outcast my St. Croix Avid Inshore 7' , 3/4 - 2oz, 10-20 line, Heavy. (AIS70HF) and it's baby brother the AIS70MF, 7', 1/2 to 1 1/4oz, 10-20# line. It is a known fact that the TFO is over rated regarding the weight it throws, rated at (3/4-4oz), EVERYONE knows it, even the manufacture has stated such. It's top end is more like 2 1/2, maybe 3oz. Since I love the rod and use it A LOT I was hoping of improving it by changing to high end guides and possible reconfigure the number of guides and obviously their placement. I believe they come through with the basic Aluminum Oxide guides. I have been reading online a lot lately about guides and the advantages and such and it just appears to me that an 8 1/2' foot rod should have more than 6 guides on it. What I am trying to do is to improve the longevity of the rod (use braid) but more importantly increase my casting distance, that is the main reason. It already will outcast my St. Croixs easily but I wish to gain ANYTHING I CAN. If you ever fished for Albies you know you need all the distance you can get, some of the time. To put it another way, I am wiling to spend whatever it takes to gain anything I can. If it's only 5 feet I gain then that's what I will have to settle for. I am hoping for more like 10' or better but I do not know what any potential gains are possible, hence this post. I talked to a gentlemen at Redtop tackle shop in Cape Cod and he has the exact same rod and replaced them with I believe Alconite. I don't understand why anyone would change guides from Aluminum Oxide and just move up to Alconite as they are extremely close regarding hardness. I am surprised that he did not go to the SIC guides or the top of the line Torzite. He "claims" he gained distance !!! but kept the same number of guides in their respective place. I don't know how many rod builders are on this site but I was hoping to see if anyone had some knowledge of what (if any) I could realistically gain casting wise by going with a higher end guides, thinking of Torzites. I am including a picture just for reference of the rod and guide size and placement. Since you cannot determine guide size from a picture I thought I would give you a coule of measurements just for reference if it would help any. The first guide size wise is just a tad small than a quarter and the next one up the size of a dime and slowly diminishing in size to the tip guide just under the size of a pencil. I use 30#Power Pro with a 7' floro leader using the FG knot. I am not really concerned about what it cost, just looking to improve/gain anything I can. I was thinking of adding more guides and going with Torzites, assuming somewhat of a smaller guide would be best but I am no rod builder and would need expertise from anyone who could advise options and benefits, if any. The Temple Fork rod is what you would call somewhat "whippy", not stiff at all BUT will land a 30" Striper no problem, lots of parabolic action. Rod is great for throwing those light 3/4 to 1 oz. lures. It bends like a SOB, very parabolic with a very even bend through out the entire rod. Would appreciate any advise I can get. I have not spoken to a rod builder yet, maybe that will be my next step depending on feedback here. Kind Regards..... wanted to load 2 pics but they are too big and wouldn't load

As much as I have always liked Calcutta's I think that the Tekota's might be the choice. Definitely level wind with line counters. Still looking into best overall Tekota size to get for all species of Salmon. (Hopefully I can get ones that will allow me just to buy one pair). I'm assuming that a conventional reel is an absolute must for trolling and all my freshwater is either spinning or baitcaster style reels which are too light. My salt water conventional reels are Talica 16II's (lever 2 spd) which I would assume are too big. They have like 500 yards of 65# braid on them. As mentioned before I use braid a LOT in both fresh & Salt and see you stated you use 50#braid for Lakers & Salmon. It appears that most of the "professionals" use some type of wire wether it lead core or copper, If I want to get serious about trolling for all species of Salmon should I forget about the braid and opt for wire or is it not necessarily.... and must I use some sore of device, ie. down riggers or Dipsies to get to the required depths. I am still investigating and researching pole choices for trolling as we speak. What rod lengths would be optimum..... or is that too broad of a question. Many here have asked what trolling rods to I currently have for inshore. I have 2 pairs. Shimano Terez, 7', Braided 30-65, Power-Heavy, Action- fast (I would guess these rods are way to stiff and would rip the hooks out of their mouths on hookset. The other pair are Tsunami Trophy Series, TSTBC842HW, 8'4", Wire line rods (sic guides), (meant for Bunker spoons). These rods are much more parabolic but I still would think to heavy for Salmon. For non-trolling applications, 2 of my salt water spinning rods if have are: St. Croix Avid Inshore, AIS70HF, 7', 15-30lb, 3/4-2oz St. Croix Avid Inshore, AIS70MHF, 7', 10-20lb, 1/2-1 1/4oz, but it appears that most of the spinning rods for Salmon I am currently looking at are considerably longer than my 7'ers....... so assume mine won't be the optimum choice. I do have another rod in my salt collection, a TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters), 8'6", 3/4-4oz (it has been confirmed this rod has been definitely overated on the lure weight with 2 to 3oz being max). This is my False Albacore, small/medium striper rod and I LOVE it. It casts a mile and I would be very comfortable using this on Salmon. The only problem is it currently has a Stradic CI4 on it with 30#braid but the spool is limited as for line capacity so I would switch reels for salmon applications. The rod is very very parabolic and has a gorgeous "light" feel to it, very springy... supposidly blanks were designed by G. Loomis. I really don't have a problem with buying more rods & reels I just want to make sure that what I'm getting will be quality gear that will get the job done. I wish there was a Fishing show coming up so I could go out and put my hands on some of the items we have been talking about as I really don't like to purchase anything with having it in my hands first. Thanks for everyone chiming in.....

I did some research on the Shimano Tekota's and all the reviews I read came back very very positive. Since I am a Shimano man ( one Stella 10000, 2 Talica 16's, 1 Metanium, 1 Stradic CI4, 1 Saragosa 6000 and 2 Terez rods) I know they can make great stuff). Since I have never trolled for Salmon or Lake Trout I am not sure what size Tekota to get. Since I DO NOT WISH to purchase any more trolling reels for large fresh water species I have to make sure that what I am getting here will cover all bases down the road. I see that people are using the 700 & 800 sizes for stripers and claim to have caught MUCH larger species on them. When I troll in saltwater I use 65# braid, no down riggers or planner boats and have never used lead core or copper so not sure if I need to determine NOW if I will be using that type of line down the road whereas it will change the reel size I am purchasing now. I see that the only difference in the 700 and 800 Tekota's is spool size, all other specs identical except 800 is 1 ounce heavier. Would this size reel be over kill for what I looking for ? At some point I might end up heading up to Lake Ontario to fish and would hate to find out that my gear is too small BUT sometimes you have to buy a few different sizes to be practical for targeted species. what size would you recommend for Salmon and Lake trout, Muskies, Northern's and such and would staying with braid be o.k. or am I peeing in the wind and should switch to copper or leadcore ?

I have quite a bit of gear, both saltwater and fresh. 1 year ago I bought a beautiful Basscat Cougar in mint condition. I absolutely love to buy high end gear. Since it was my first freshwater boat i needed everything so went out and canvased the next and lots here to find really good quality gear. Needed frog rods, deep diver rod, drop shot, jerkbait, all purpose rod and on and on. Ended up with some Dolbyns, Steez rods & reels, Kistler Zbone w/Daiwa Zillion, NRX w/Diawa Certate, some Stella's, and so on. I love the premium stuff. So I have my all my saltwater bases covered and freshwater Bass & such covered but now I wish to troll for lake trout and Salmon up at lake Geroge & Champlain but all my fresh water gear is either too light and my saltwater is way too heavy so need to purchase two trolling rods and conventional reels for trolling for Salmon, Lake Trout and anything big that I might attempt down the road. If you care to give tips on line, guides, presentations and techniques regarding trolling for salmon I would love to hear. I was leaning towards Shimano Calcuttas until I saw the youtube video by J&H tackle where owner claims they are great reels but their gears can be compromised if trying to haul in too big a fish. This surprised me as i thought Calcuttas were top shelf. So with that said am look for suggestions for high end reels and trolling rods. I know there are a million of them out there and thought it made sense to hear suggestions from the guys who use them this would eliminate the manufactures "sales" hype and get me to the gear I need. If you care to mention reel size if they come in different sizes and rod lengths that would be great. I read an article just the other day that stated trolling rods from 8'6" to 10'6".... and just like Jurrasic Park "We spare no expense"....... Look forward to hearing your comments. thank you

thanks East Tn Guy, I already checked that and can see where the black hose does connect to the gray hose. All connections are good and connection at the back of the gauge is secure. I am assuming their is a clog somewhere, just dont know how to clean (blow out) or whatever. Hope I get more posts on what to look for. P.S. if someone does give me info on fixing my problem they will be getting an envelope with some cash in it as I would have saved myself some money this time and any other time it happened. We will both make out good. Thank you in advance.

took out my 2014 Basscat only twice. Once with dealer and all gauges worked. I took it out myself and noticed the water pressure gauge no longer is registering yet water is peeing out tell tale and no alarms. Gauge is type with physical water hose connected to it. Is there something I can do to try to resolve problem before I go spend $$$ at the dealer. So far someone said take "light" air pressure back blow into small black hose connected to gauge to assure gauge works, which I would guess does. Can I "back blow" light air towards motor to try to relieve a clog ? I believe I traced the water pressure black hose back inside the motor cowl. It appears to connect to a small gray hose which "t"'s down the road and heads to two locations on the block. I would like be able to fix this type of problem myself because if it's a simple "clog" I do not wish to run to the dealer each time. Thanks. Should I try to find a "mobile" Merc tech in my area for issues or would it be a waist of time.

Well we started off comparing Gamma Edge to Sniper then ended up throwing Tatsu in the mix I believe because of the stretch of Gamma comparison ..... Tatsu came into the picture. So is everyone saying if I should consider Gamma then just go with Tatsu instead OR just use Tatsu over everything including Sniper. I do have a 1000 yard roll of Seaguar Invizx 12lb, how does that compare to Seaguars Tatsu. I see Tatsu is more $$$. I have 4 brand new setups to rig line on: This was my tentative line setup. If you feel I should make a change please advise. Steez SV TWS 7.1 reel on a Steez SVF XBD 7'4" frog rod - Straight braid (65#) Daiwa Zillion SV TWS 6.3 Reel on Kistler ZBone LEXF 4 Med/hvy fast 7'3" (my all purpose rod) - (try fluoro on this one, 14#) Abu Garcia Revo Winch 5.5 spd on Doblyns 806CB (my BIG deep rig) (either briad w/floro leader or straight floro 20#) Shimano Metanium 6.1 spd on Megabass Orochii Jerkbait rod (braid w/fluoro leader or straight fluoro 12# or 14#)

oops.... I superimposed the two specs. Good catch...... Yes Gamma is .014 and Sunline .0122. I should have picked up on that as all the reviews do state that the Gamma is pound for pound "thicker". I think I will give both a try and see for myself the characteristics of each. Mind you I am new to fluro so I will not be quite as savvy as I have no previous experience so I am just starting from scratch but on the flip side of the coin I also don't have any bias what so every from previous use so I guess that makes me an "unbiased" expert !!!

I have been reading lots of the threads on this fishing forum over the past few months and it appears that one of the favorite fluorocarbon lines is Sunline Super FC Sniper. It comes up pretty regularly. I also have read a fair amount of good reviews on the Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon. I am a braid man but since my new purchase of a Basscat boat and a LOT of new high end fishing poles, mostly baitcaster I know it's time for me to give fluorocarbon a try and in some instances an absolute necessity. So my initial plan was to order both of these and let them do the "talking" themselves to see which is superior. When I went to order I was VERY surprised that the Gamma was CONSIDERABLY more expensive compared to the Sunline which kind of puzzled me. Normally we assume higher price (in this case much higher) equated to better. I thought it made sense to poll this site to see who used either and hopefully see who used both and how they felt and how they compared. I do not have a problem with paying the higher price of the Gamma as I love to buy high end gear but if the feedback unanimously states that it is definately not worth it or that the Sunline comes back much more favorably then that will help in my decision. I did not place the order yet as I wish to hear from you guys first. I thought I would state the prices of each just so everyone knows where they stand to one another. Sunline Super FC Sniper 14lb for 200yds is $22 (specs: 14# is .014 inches / .36mm) Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon 14lb for 200yds is $49 (specs: 14# is .012 inches / .31mm) You would assume that since Gamma is OVER twice the price is must be better, that will make this topic very interesting. I see the Gamma is .002 thinner but do not know the breaking strength as that is what it is all about. Interestingly enought Gamma has a guarantee that if you are not 100% satisfied that it is the best they will refund your money..... hmmmm.... that's a new one. thanks,

I am in the process of ordering a Humminbird Helix 12 Mega SI GPS G2N unit. I had a Garmin 531s but wished to upgrade to something nice. I am TOTALLY unfamiliar with Navionics charts/chips. I just assumed they had ONE chip for the total North East and away you go. I was wrong. They have Navionics +, Platinum +, and Hotmaps Platnium. I spoke to the Navionics people yesterday but still walked away a little "muddy" with my thoughts. I fish all of Cape Cod with my 21' Mako, bay, sound & buzzards bay. I just bought a new Basscat 20' Cougar and plan to fish Hudson River, Lake George & Lake Champlain and some small lakes and such. I wish to have the best, most detailed chartogrophy I can get so I am not sure if I should buy the Navionics + at under $100 or the Platinum + for over $300. I wish Navionics has a video of the same area using both choices so I could get a "real" look at the difference as apposed to selecting from a "description" of each. I believe the Navionics rep said that the "water" info on both was identical (same detail and such) but only the land portion was different, whereas the Platinum had the 3D and the Satellite capabilities, plus a little more pics and such on Marina inlets. Does anyone have or know anyone who knows this product intimately to be able to advise me as to which one would be best for me.

I am no expert by any means, but I have been using braid at the Cape for years and I agree TOTALLY with Rolo's comments above and have been using that thought process in my selections that I use. Now if we can just get them to make invisible "clear" braid all of our problems will be solved. We can throw all our knot books away, except for the one that holds out lures on.

I'm still new to the game but things are slowing sinking in. The recommendations above I can understand but have a couple of q's about line selection. Regarding line for deep diving Cranks (DD-22 & SKT Mag 120) - I know floro is great as it sinks and thinner is better to get down but instead of going with the 12lb Sunline Sniper recommended above does it make any sense to go with 30#braid with a nice long floro leader. My thinking is you will get a farther cast with braid, better bite sensitivity and braid is thin enough so water resistance I don't think will be an issue for obtaining deep depths, but that is only a guess. Ditto that above philosophy on my Topwater rod. Use 30# braid w/mono leader. Braid for the distance and mono for the floatation as apposed to straight mono. My Megabass Jerkbait rod - I have #30 Suffix 832 with a 20#floro leader. Again the same philosophy, braid for distance and floro for stealth. I have 10# 832 Suffix on my Spinning NRX rig for finesse fishing but plan on putting floro leader on for stealth. I would guess 8lb leader ?? Suggesting using the 30# braid weight as I know lighter thinner braid will cut in spool so thinking of choosing 30# to alleviate this problem and still get great casts. Since I have VERY little baitcasting time not sure what the "cutoff" of "too thin a braid" is ? As you can see I am a big braid fan. This is still all new to me so look forward to your recommendations. If I am off base just tell me. Thanks. P.S. I do have a 1000 yard spool of Seaguar Inviszx so if that can be used in any of the equations above.....

Please help me clear up my confusion. The original question was for an all purpose rod that would be most versatile. I was told and was under the assumption that the specs for a best all purpose rod was 1/4 to 3/4 oz Med/heavy fast but we have three posts above all stating that the Dolbys 734 is a great choice but that rod is 1/4 to 1oz. Heavy Fast. Since I have yet to buy my all purpose rod should I change my specs to the 1/4 to 1oz heavy/fast ? I also notice that Dolbyns sells that 734 in more than one grade (CD 734C and the Fury FR734C). How much of a difference does that make. Is this like the IMX/GLX scenario ? In ending, It too and looking for an all purpose casting rod in a great to super quality rod so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Just like Jurassic park, we spare no expense.

Hey Lonnie, see you suggest me taking a look at a Revo as apposed to the Lews. Have you owned both or are you just happy with your Revo and if so what specific model. Looking for that 5 speed reel.....

I too need a left hand reel and was considering the BB1 for Deep cranking. I am new to this and don't really know the Lews line that well. Kicker about has a Lew's Super Duty and likes it. What's the difference between a BB1 and a Superduty ? Does Lews have anything "higher" in their line I should consider ? i know that it is recomended using as light, thin a line as possible to get depth. I am a braid fan..... can I use that with say a floro leader ? This way I'll get the best casting and the thinness of the braid should all depth.... right ? If braid/floro combo will work what test should I consider for both ? 20/10....... 15/10 ?

There was a LOT of info from the beginning of this thread that everyone thru at me and it took me several days to look things over and such, I did not leave you. After I started with this forum topic I realized I opened too many cans of worms and too much info on too many rods. I should have just started with one or two at a time. Hind sight is 20/20. This is what I am leaning toward regarding a frog rod. Frog Rod: After doing a fair amount of research my top choice fell into my lap at the very end and from it's reviews it "appears" it might be a good choice. This rod will also do double duty for flippin, pitchin, small swimbaits, Steez SVF XBD 7'4", 1/2 - 2oz, 55-80#, Ext/heavy / Fast $479 Its write ups were impressive to say the least and I don't think I read one bad report about it which is very very important in my opinion. Love the length, it's claims of sensitivity, and Titanium SIC guides (big fan). Will probably match is up with the Steez SV TWS 7.1. This way I can go broke really fast. Having a fast reel was pretty unanimous by most. others to look at at the shows prior to getting the above if that is the case are below. One reason I am looking into the Dolbyns is there is a lot of great write ups on these rods and it would appears they are real quality. Doblyns 735c (graphite), 7'3", 12-25#, 1/4 - 1 1/2 oz, med/Hvy ext fast tip. Like this rod also but it appears the general consensus considers it a rod for only "sparsely dense / open water". Not super thick which would be a problem for me. so...next rod is... Doblyns 736c (graphite) 7'3" 15-30#, 3/8 - 2oz, Heavy, Xfast. $260 Powell 735max (looked at the write ups and many stated too stiff a tip)..... If anyone has any other specific rods they think I should consider I would love to see what you suggest. Once I get one of the above (or something else) should it pop up I will need to choose line. I am a huge fan of braid and know anything from 50 to 65# is used. I do have a LOT of the bright Yellow Suffix 832 left over (new) from the surfcasting rig and was thinking of using that but all write ups state 50 to 65. They said the braid will cut through the grass and lily pads when horsing out the fish. So my question is I am assuming I would put a leader on this braid, was thinking floro but a fish friend stated no, mono as it floats but if that were the case then you would loose all the "cutting" ability of the braid as a leader would be on..... and you would most likely go with a pretty stout size leader to "match" strength of the braid and wouldn't that kill the action of a soft body frog ? The write up on the Steez frog reel had the guy color his bright yellow line with green marker as he felt "too bright & offensive" so this is what I would do for a good 20 or 30'. What leader style (mono, floro, copoly) , length and pound might I consider. I have lots of Seaguar floro from 10 to 80 if it will work but friend said "no", it sinks.

2 10' black Blade power poles, Minn Kota Fortrex 112 52" 36 volt, Humminbird 959c wGPS on bow, Humminbird 1199 SI w/GPS on console, sunbrella strapless cover with motor hood, Mercury smartcraft monitor gauge, 4 bank battery charger, hotfoot w/slider, Transducer savers bow and stern, lighted handrails, Hamby Bow protector, Mercury 250 Pro XS with 100 hours, w/warranty till 6/2021. It's my first Bass boat. Previous owner taking me out this spring to show me the rig and fish. Just have to fill it with all the new Bass rigging. Last pic is of my offshore Mako which I take to Cape Cod every three weeks for the weekend. Fishing in the ocean is such a rush as you never really know what your going to pull up . Got some nice rigging on her to fish with.... Stella's, Talica trolling reels, Saragosa spinning reels...... I am a big Shimano fan...

Hi Fishnkamp...... have a question or more of a "clarification".... twice you have stated you like my Megabass Orochi listed/stamped as a "jerkbait" rod and can use in on spnnerbaits, small cranks, wakebaits, Rattle traps. But they you further state "not the "perfect rod" for some of these baits. Since I am a newbie I can't understand why it work work these baits successfully. Even in it's own literature/write up it states can be used for medium-running crankbaits, top waters and light jigs and worms as well. So not sure what or where it lacks ? Next question: In 2nd paragraph above you state my next rod should be a 6'8" to 7'4" med heavy 1/4 to 3/4 baitcaster road as it will become your workhorse. The Megabass Orochi is a 6'8", medium, 1/4 to 3/4oz. (action is listed as your typical fast, or mod.... it is listed as "regular" what ever that means). Considering we all know a shorter rod can cast more accurately and this is my shortest rod at 6'8" rod it would be perfect for all my "close to shore" casting where accuracy is imperative. (ie. spooks, frogs, jitterbugs, poppers, square bills, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and so on. ) nothing here is too heavy for that rod not to handle so that was my thinking. The only thing about my last paragraph is lots of guys use big braid (ie. 65#) on frogs and lures cast into heavy cover to be able to "pull them out" so if that were the cast I would have to spool that rod up with that. Do you agree I should have a "heavy" setup for that application ? If so should I consider that rod or think something else. I read that you best not run braid on a "jerkbait" rod as you have a good chance on Hooksets with double & triple trebles. It that is the case then the above scenario falls apart. One other question while I got you on the phone... Once I get my long deep diving rod, (that Dolbyns 805cb looks awefully nice at 8', 10-20, 3/8 to 1 1/2oz., med/heavy, mod/fast) is there ANY other application that I could use this rod for other than big deep divers. Just trying to see if it can be multitasked. Other than being very long would that work as a flipping/pitching as you noted previously for heavy cover with big jigs. It would have the backbone. If I sound a bit confused I am but I know it will all come together eventually. Any high end recomendations on that 6'8 to 7'4" med/heavy 1/4 to 3/8 you wish me to pursue next ? Just so you know, on my offshore boat I use a Temple Fork (ie. G. Loomis designed) spinning rod that is 8' 6" to reach those lures out to False Albacore and Bonito so I am a bit fan of longer rods and use them well. I am sure any answers will just lead to more questions but that is a good thing, that means I am moving forward. Thank you.

Whoa, lots to digest there, thanks Fishnkamp. I will review all you wrote, a few times and look into the suggestions. I do have a St. Croix Avid Inshore 7', fast action, med-heavy, 10-20#, 1/2 to 1 1/4oz. with a Penn Spinfisher 4500 w/20# Suffix 832 Braid. I use it on the Mako offshore boat for sea bass, flounder, scup. Do you think that would be fit the bill or is it too heavy. I wasn't planning on using a spinning reel combo other than the two light finesse setups I initially mentioned but if the shoe fits..... It's just that I don't see and the the Tour/pro's using spinning gear other than finesse, but I am kinda new to this "bass" fishing so I may be in error.... Nothing real close..... so I investigate on line they hit the fishing expos where a lot of the dealers are there. I am doing the Sommerset show, The one at the Big E., the Rockford Suffren show and I believe their is big one on the East coast coming up too. (Rh. or Conn) ?? I live in upstate New York.

Hi, MWH33..... I have been researching for hours and hours each day for multiple days trying to put the "puzzle" together regarding rod/reel combo's needed. I did review the Dobyns 805CB for my deep diving rod and it sounds pretty sweeeeeet. It is one that I will definitely have to put in my hands to get an "up close and personal" on. I will also look at the GLX too, hopefully side by side. Seems like all my research for deep divers is recommending a "5" speed reel which I don't have. I like the idea of putting another Metanium on combo but they do not make it in a 5 speed only 6,7 & 8. The combo of 8' rod and the Metanium I think would spell nice long effortless casts. Wonder if I could get by with the 6.2 speed ?? I'm not at that level to know ..... just yet. Thanks again for the input.

Well I can't argue with you there Jimf as I also have a Mako offshore boat too and on it are two St. Croix Avid Inshore spinning rods. I purchased one and liked it sooooo much i purchased the exact same thing just one weight size up for my girl friend. They are my "go to" rods for casting off of the boat. Just love the feel. So with that said I will keep then in mind when I head out to 3 fishing expos over the next 6 weeks or so. They are always in contention. Thanks for the post.

Purchased a 2014 Basscat Cougar w/100 hours on her, mint. I am not a newbi to fishing but wish to become very proficient at Bass fishing. Will list gear I have and a few questions to keep it short as I have a million questions. Everything I have is essentially brand new. Have: Megbass Orochi XX F4.1/2-68xx Jerbait rod 6' 8", 1/4 to 3/4oz, 8 to 18lb, Power-medium with Metanium 6.2 (2015 vintage) 30#braid NRX 842S SJR 7' fast Medium 1/8-3/8oz, 6-12lb, with Plueger Presendential 6930 spinning w/10#braid Wright & McGill 7'2", 1/8-3/8oz, 6-15lb, fast action "Shakey Head" rod w/Plueger Presendential 6930 spinning w/10#braid The last two rod/reel spinining rigs listed above I would consider finesse so I would guess I am all set there. Was advised by tournament fisherman to add 2 more bait casting rigs. Question: Need rod & Reel for deep divers. Advised go long on rod 7'6" at minimum to get the lures out far enough to dive deep and probably 10 to 12 floro to help get down. Also advised not to go to a high speed reel on this setup as too tiring. So would it be best to take the new 6.2 Metanium off the Megabass Jerkbait rod above and use that reel for my deep diving rig or is that too fast a reel speed ? What rod brands would you recommend for my deep diving setup. Be as specific as you like. I like very high end equipment so please don't hold back, but there is gear out there that is not expensive at all and is very nice like the two Pluegers Presidential 6930's above. They were just too sweet for the price. If I did that then I would need another reel to put back on the Megabass Jerkbait rod so was thinking a new MGL Metanium in one of the high speed versions (7.4 or 8.5) be a good choice but again I don't know if that speed is appropriate on a jerkbait rod? I just know that a lot of top fisherman are now using very fast reels just not sure what their specific application is, what baits they would be best on. That would give me two finesse spinning rigs and two baitcasting rigs (1 Jerkbait and 1 deep diving). What other setups do I need. What rod/reel and specific line do I use for all those crankbaits, topwater(spooks,frogs,poppers), and of course the spinner baits ? I know at some point I will end up throwing some large glide/swimmers so need to know what I will need (or have) to get that job done. Regarding topwater baits in heavy cover (lily pads, grass and such) see lots of top fishermen are using baitcasters w/65# braid. Should I go this route? Seems like a great idea. If so what rod would I match up with that 65#. If I already have two Metanium's maybe I should try another high end brand, variety is the spice of life. On the 2 finesse combos I already have listed above w/10# braid what size & length floro should I be using ? PS. I don't know didely about copolymer. Will those 5 combos (2 spinning & 3 baitcaster) be enough ? As you can see I am not really familiar with what rod/reel combo's go with difference types of baits. Will appreciate any help you can give. I am sure your answered will most likely just lead to more questions but this is how I am going to get things right.

Well I sincerely wish to thank everyone for their input. I value your opinions and expertise. After reading all post and getting my hands on some gear I made the following purchases yesterday at tackledirect: Even though the Curado I got the unanimous vote I went with it's big brother the Shimano Mentanium. The rod that i selected for that was a Megabass Orochi xx F4.5 6' 8" (1/4 to 3/4oz) 8-18lb. for a rod to use with the knew (blue color) Plueger President spinning reel I got a: Gloomis NRX 842S SJR blue rod, 1/8 to 3/8, medium, fast (I hope she HATES it) ! One point.... the NRX does have Sic guides below and Recoil above and I am not real familiar with them, I know some do not like but ??? I am finding it super hard to believe that these "springy" guides will hold up to braid. I would assume that if they don't rod manufactures will stand behind as it has a lifetime guarantee ?? If I see they are going to be a problem I will just switch to sic guides down the road. Thoughts anyone ? They asked me what they needed to do to "close the deal" so I picked out 2 300yard spools of Suffix 832 camo braid (10 for the Plueger and 30# for the Mentanium) and 2 floating frogs of different manufactures (as I had only used jitterbugs and these seemed very versatile). Not sure if braid will work well on the Mentanium as apposed to floro but will give it a go. Thoughts anyone ? They said o.k. Free shipping to my house, no tax I was very disappointed that they did not have any phoenix rods or St. Croix Legends xtremes or Gloomis GLX's for me to look at. While there I looked at the Stradic C14 in the 3000 size, SUPER nice and definitely plan on getting one of those probably at a spring show where I can match it up on a nice Phoenix or ?? Thanks again everyone for your help. P.S. Now my collection consists of: 1 Stella 10000 on a 11' Century surf rod 2 Talica 16II (trolling reels for the boat) 1 Saragosa (for my girls St. Croix Avid) 1 Metanium on the new Megabass Orochi xx 1 Penn spinfisher 4500 on a St. Croix Avid) 1 Pluegger on the new NRX 1 Pluegger on a Wright & Mcgill (Skeet Reese) light spinning rod

After doing a lot of review I think these three are my choices for my first baitcaster: Shimano Curado I, 3 different rations, $180 range Duckett 360 series, 6.3 or 7.1 ratio, $250 range Abu Garcia Revo MGXtreme, 7.1 ratio, 4.9 oz, $500 These are the three that currently on the top of my list to consider. I have read great reviews regarding the Curado I and know they are very popular. I also know that the Duckett 360 series got great reviews and was selected "editors choice 2015". The Abu Garcia is also very nice but it is also twice the price of the others and I am not sure if it is that much better or just Abu's high price baitcaster. You would think that for that much more it would be a much better reel. Can anyone give me their opinions on these, either individually or by personal comparison. If I thought the more expensive reels were better than I would go with them but don't want to spend money if it is not going to give me something in return. Heading out tomorrow to tackledirect to shop. Really really looking forward to evaluating the products first hand and matching them with great rods.

it is easy to become inindated (spelling ?) with all the good choices out there. I have heard of Phenix but have not investigated. I think they will go on my check out list also for my visit to tackledirect. I would like to do a lot of research prior to my shopping visit so I am 80% knowledgable and can listen to the salesmen pitch. Im not sure if I would like the salesmen to choose my rod/reel, sometimes they can get in a "rut" if you know what I mean, but don't we all. I value their opinion but just use it in the final decision making. Thanks for the tip.