Oklahoma Mike

I fish a lot of high end gear including rods over $500, and I have a lighting rod (spinning) that still gets regular use in my lineup. I've fished them since I was a teenager though so maybe I have a bias, but I do find them to be exceptional rods for the cost. There are a lot of $100 rods that I would pick that rod ahead of. Also, I dont necessarily buy "backup" rods but I do lend stuff out for use to some family and friends, and having one of them destroy a $40 rod would not be the end of the world for me. Even better if it only cost me $9.

What kind of water are you fishing? That Seiberts G2 that roadwarrior posted is a good choice (though I prefer the Gridiorn G2 because I am an Owner hooks guy). You might also look at grabbing a couple of brush jigs. Those two will cover most situations you're likely to fish. if you're fishing deeper water then you might want the 1/2 oz. For pond fishing 3/8 will be my preferred weight unless it is really deep or if I'm fishing through some thicker stuff where I might need more weight to get it to fall down through the cover. I'd skip the sniper for now unless you're fishing really clear water.

The word you're looking for is semi-slack. Too tight and you'll inhibit the action, too slack and you'll miss strikes. You need to allow the bait to fall at its natural rate while still maintaining contact with it. Probably easier to actually do than it is to articulate.

In that price range and for that purpose I'd get a 7'H from Hammer Rods.

They are great rods for the money even at the regular price. If I found them on sale for $9 I'd be buying a bunch of them.

Bottom fishing? T-rigged senkos and creature baits, jigs, slow rolled spinnerbaits and chatterbaits.

I like a 4/0 and can use the same for unweighted paddletails. Gary recommends the 3/0, as he believes it gives the senko the best fall rate.

I'm not a big fan of anything over 8'... but then again, there was a time when I wouldn't fish a rod longer than 6'-6" so maybe I will change my mind over time.

Seems like a cool idea. I use a Jackall Binsky - it does not have a lip so it doesn't dive very deep, but it has a blade on the bottom and a rear prop and I have caught fish while just cranking it back at the end of a retrieve like you described above.

Ditto - I have bought from these guys a few times and the quality was excellent. Shipping is a little slow since it is coming from China, but I suppose that's to be expected.

I have the regular 3700 box that I use for jigs, and the deep coffin that I use for cranks and some topwater baits (can get some smaller jerkbaits to stand up in there too but can just remove a few dividers and lay some down if needed for longer ones). I can fit a lot more in these than I can in the comparable size Plano boxes, so they are very efficient for when I'm bank fishing and trying to fit as much as I can into a backpack. Instead of buying the terminal coffin, I just bought the filler packs and will throw one for hooks and one for weights loose in my pack and this takes up very little room with minimal weight. I have not had any problem with the latches, knock on wood, and the boxes are very durable. They are a little heavy, but I consider it a fair trade off since I can get the same amount in one of these as I can in 3 to 4 3700 Plano boxes. They are pricey though.

Loon was the first color I ordered. If I were buying only one, that would be the color. After that I bought bone, and then bluegill. As an aside, I would also recommend getting the 130 instead of the 90, as the bigger bait seems to run more true and the smaller fish will nail it too.

This time of year I am mostly throwing jerkbaits, jigs, lipless cranks, and spinnerbaits. Senkos too, but I have those on year round.

The answer is Jackall Pompadour.

I have a GL2 853S JWR that I throw weightless and weighted senkos, paddletail swimbaits, and the occasional jig on. (It is the burgundy colored one - I think the older models were blue). I think they ran about $200, and I doubt I'd buy the rod at that price - I got mine on sale for about half that. It is a good rod and will cast the lures I mentioned a country mile, has pretty good sensitivity, and plenty of backbone. If you can get it cheap I would definitely go for it.

In for info... I too am contemplating picking up a Scorpion DC.

Tough one. It would be very close between the drop shot and wacky rig. I guess I'd go DS because I can still still throw something similar to the wacky in a weightless T-rigged senko, whereas I couldn't really fill the niche for the drop shot.

Looks like TW has Diawa Excellers for $50. I've got one I use on a topwater setup and really like it. Might have to grab another at that price.

I bought from them and had nothing but a positive experience. Communication was good, ship time was good (1 week), price was excellent, and quality of their product was excellent. I have zero affiliation with SA Fishing other than having bought from them last summer. OP has made 3 posts on this forum, all derogatory toward SA Fishing, and even accused them of being a "scam company" in another thread without anything to even remotely support such a claim. I would not be at all surprised to learn that he is affiliated with a competing business.

I also am done buying anymore lures... for today.

I will use a FC leader for certain types of presentations where I think braid might inhibit the action of my lure or if I think I need it for abrasion resistance. Or in very clear water, which I rarely ever fish. I will also use one in situations where I have a high chance of snagging so I can break it off without losing a bunch of line. In these situations I tie my leader with the Alberto knot. It works great for me and is fast and easy to tie, even on the water. Otherwise I am fine with going straight braid. I like a double Palomar for tying direct with braid.

Smackdown is my favorite braid and gets used on a lot of my reels in 30# and 40#. For me it is the gold standard of braided lines. I have had the same experience, and I also disliked it for being too limp and prone to breakoffs. I think I have found the solution, albeit at a higher price point. A few months back I picked up a spool of this: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/YGK_G-Soul_Upgrade_X-8_Braided_Line/descpage-YGKGUX8.html from TW. So far so good - I get the casting performance I was getting with Gliss, but it is not as limp and seems to have better knot strength. Looking at the line I think it will hold up better over time too, but I will see what kind of shape it's end at the end of this season.

Hammer was going to be my suggestion as well. They also offer 15% military discount.

Yes I do. They do not get torn up nearly as fast as when I rig them with a standard EWG.

I would get one but I spent all my money on Helicopter lures and Shishamo reels.