Yudo1

My first choice would be the BG, but if you wanted a lighter reel then go with the Fuego LT.

I don't think there is much of a difference in sensitivity. Most of my rods are one piece, but I do have a few two piece rods that I keep in the car.

I think it depends on how cheap of gear you're talking about. As long as the gear doesn't hinder your fishing due to malfunction, constant overruns and poor casting distance then you're fine. Higher end gear allows me to focus on fishing. My buddy goes the cheaper route and he spends more time picking out overruns and I consistently outcast him, but I'm not sure I catch more fish than him.

I use 12lb sniper. I believe the sinking quality of fluoro is optimal for weightless senko action.

I have a few ML casting rods that I use for ned rigs, grubs, trick worms, flick shakes etc. I prefer casting gear over spinning gear for everything except drop shots.

My exsence dc has this feature and I know there are a couple of other jdm reels that also have it. I like the feature and wish more had it too. I know you can purchase aftermarket washers that convert reels to click on the line coming out.

I have enough jig rods (nrx, z-bone, perfect pitch), but if I was looking for one I'd take a look at the FMJ. I hear nothing but rave reviews from guys who would know.

After owning a bunch of different brands, my line up has evolved into daiwa and shimano. IMO they are the best. I like that they design, engineer and manufacture their own reels. I'm not a fan of oem products although they have some quality products. I've owned some of these reels and they were fine, but they just don't feel like daiwa and shimano.

IMO, the 6.3 ratio is more versatile. I could use it for jigs, t-rigs, spinner baits, chatter baits, cranks, jerk baits, etc.

I have some bfs combos that target bass, but this year I'm looking forward to giving trout fishing a shot. I picked up a kuying teton super ultra-light that I plan to pair up with a pixy/diy spool. The teton is impressive for the price. As to why more don't use bfs casting reels for trout? I believe the expense is the biggest obstacle. You could pick up an ultra-light spinning combo for $20 vs hundreds just for a reel which will probably need super tuned with bearings and shallow bfs spool unless you want to spend more for a conquest bfs or aldebaran bfs. Trout casting rods are a little more work to source because the local field and stream and dicks usually don't carry them. I also believe casting ultra-light lures may be challenging or intimidating for some. As for me, I'm excited to give it a try. BTW you should check out the Enjoy Fishing channel on youtube. That guy's casting skills are magical.

This is a top ten topic which comes up every month or so. Try to think of it this way: reels aren't right or left-handed, they are right retrieve or left retrieve. Buying a right retrieve reel doesn't mean it is meant for right-handed people. It only designates which hand you are using to turn the handle. Do what feels comfortable. I'm right-handed and it's more natural for me to use left retrieve reels. IMO it's more efficient.

I've always used heavy/fast rods for frogging. I like the rod to have some tip though.

For small mouth in the rivers I throw the same baits (senkos, ned, grubs) on either an NRX 852C or KLX finesse jig, worm rod. The Kistler Helium 3 in medium power would be a great choice in your price range. If you want a 2 piece you could look at major craft. I used to have the loomis imx cr721 which is a 6' rod and that was fun with those baits as well. You can't go wrong with a conquest bfs or aldebaran bfs. I use a pixy and steez with bfs spools.

Check out the kistler klx feel n reel.

I like it a lot. It's on my orochi perfect pitch which I use for frogging primarily and occasional punching. It's built like a tank and bombs a frog.

It will work, but if I was buying a new reel for those techniques I'd get a faster reel.

I have the ss tatula lt and so far really think you've made a great choice. As far as the NRX, if you are strictly going to drop shot then the 822dsr is the way to go. If you plan to use the rod for other applications, consider the 872s because it still has a nice tip for ds as well as things like shaky head, tubes, etc. The 852s is an amazing rod, but some people don't like it for ds.

I have the older exsence dc and I don't have to feather the spool at all. Just thumb it on the landing.

I use it on all of my cork handles too.

I prefer a slightly shorter rod for jerk baits and top water because I work the tip downwards. I also fish from the bank, kayak, and back of buddies boat. The shorter rod is a more maneuverable on the yak and boat. In the end, it's personal preference and either will work.

I hope everyone is OK now. As far as the line, it will be fine with a little squirt of kvd line and lure.

I use casting gear 99% of the time, but wanted to pick up one good spinning reel this year. I went a little crazy and bought a jdm exsence which was amazing, but way too much reel for what I really needed so I came to my senses and sold it. Ultimately I ended up getting the sterling version of the tatula for less than half of what the exsence was and to be honest I can't really tell much of a difference in performance. It's smooth, most spinning reels cast the same distance depending on size of arbor, it feels solid, the drag is nice and it's light. It's paired with 7' a helium3 ML which is also really light. I hold the reel with all of my fingers in front of the stem so balance is good, but if I didn't it would be tip heavy.

It's always quality vs quantity for me. That's why I stick with daiwa/shimano. Some cheap reels tout crazy amounts of bearings as a selling point, but I'd rather have a daiwa/shimano with half the amount. However, within those two brands if there are more bearings in one particular reel it usually means it is of higher quality.

It won't effect performance, but it may bug you. If it does, exchange it while you still can.

I have the major craft volkey bfs ul and teton sul. My teton as stated above is a trout rod while the volkey is a bfs bass rod so there is quite a difference in power and taper. I bought the teton specifically to try my hand at some trout in local streams. It took a long time to get the rod from china, but I'm really impressed with the quality for a $60 rod. I'm looking forward to spring. I was inspired by the youtube channel "enjoy fishing." Check out that guys casting skills because it's truly amazing.