Yudo1

Of those choices, I'd go with the nrx 894, but I'd also look into the kistler z bone 5 power.

To keep it simple, you could get 2 rods: a mh/f for jigs/plastics and a mh/moderate-fast for all of your reaction baits. As far as length, if you want longer casts from shore then go longer (7'+) If you are around trees then go shorter (6'6"). I like braid with leaders but to simplify things 12lb mono or copoly works.

Kistler KLX has some more moderate-fast tapers and the have a sale. I really like their clean and simple builds on nfc blanks. They are extremely versatile, light and sensitive. I've heard some good stuff about hammer rods too. I have no experience with them but I believe they are more moderate-fast too.

I use leaders on all of my braid combos. I've tried the fg and never have been good enough to make it work. It just unravels or slips every time. The Alberto has always been my go to. I've never had failure at the knot. It is easy to tie and just works.

A jig and worm rod. They are the ones I spend the most money because they need to be the most sensitive.

Honestly I'm relieved to hear they aren't the rod fallen from the heavens because I'd probably have been put under the spell of the monkey.

I have no experience with glx or nrx 853, but why not the nrx 893? To me it's the best of the bunch. 1/4 and 3/8 are in it's wheelhouse though 1/2 is pushing it. I use my 873 crr for 1/2. From what I've heard the 893 is more powerful than the 853, but has more tip.

Thanks for sharing.

I think you should get a heavy powered rod for sure. As far as specific rod, I'll let others comment.

I prefer Shimano/Daiwa, but my first bait casters were lews, abu and bps. They make some really fine reels and have a loyal following, but after I bought my first shimano (curado 51e) I sold everything and bought a scorpion xt, exsence dc, met, tdz, steez etc. Shimano/daiwa just have that IT feeling that to me was lacking in the other brands. They didn't necessarily cast any further, but they felt better casting and retrieving. You can feel the subtle differences in quality. In that price range you have too many good options to list. Some of the stand outs for an all-around reel are the metanium mgl, chronarch mgl, scorpion dc, sv 103 and zillion sv tw. If you are open to buying used you could get some truly special reels. About 75% of my reels were used. I've been fortunate to buy from good honest guys here and at other forums. Just my 2 cents.

I'm a big fan of kistler rods. I have klx, helium3 and z bone. In my hands, it's comparable to my nrx. As far as worth the money? I always take advantage of their sales. The current sale is worthwhile if you need another rod from the klx or helium3 line. The build quality of z bone beats nrx IMO. Sensitivity is excellent and comparable.

It doesn't get any better than that. Please give us a review when you get some time on the water, especially the conquest.

I would say get the 893 or 873crr depending on cover. The 895 is a beast of a rod and far too powerful for those weights. The 894 really shines with 1/2oz plus. My first choice would definitely be the 893. It's arguably the most sensitive rod in the nrx series (852 may give it a run).

I love my nrx 893, but your emtf will fish similar weights. If you want something for heavier jigs then you can't go wrong with the 873crr or 894jwr. The 894jwr is slightly more powerful.

The emtf is your 3/8 and under rod and now you need 1/2 and above. The emtf can also fish 1/2oz especially in open water. The perfect pitch is fully capable of 1/2 and up. It has the tip to not only pitch but cast as well. And if you fish in cover it has serious backbone.

Well I re-read all of the op's post and I see no mention 1/4 finesse jigs. He clearly asked about 3/8 and 1/2+. I own a stable of megabass, Loomis and kistler rods. The spinner bait special can do a lot of things but if I was throwing 3/8 jigs I would choose a different rod. As I stated earlier get the emtf and perfect pitch.

Amazing find. A no-brainer. Get the emtf and perfect pitch for under $450.

When I do the occasional inshore fishing with my bait casters, I rinse with warm water at the end of the day. When I get home I'll do a more extensive clean and lube job. One of the reels I take is an alphas sv which has similar line capacity as the Curado 70 so you should be fine.

I'm confused because you say kistler rods are too moderate for jigs but then suggest the spinner bait special? OP, the kistler helium3 is amazing for jigs IMO. If you go the orochi xx route, I'd get the emtf for 3/8-1/2. It will handle both. If you are looking for a rod for heavy cover get the perfect pitch. This rod has some tip and can cast as well as pitch 1/2oz+ and also can double as one of the most amazing frog rods too. When considering a jig rod, you have to consider weight of lure, line weight and amount of cover.

I'd say either the tatula sv, sv105 or sv103. The sv105 is on the alphas platform which is nice and compact. The sv103 uses the original zillion platform, but fits 34mm spools (tdz, steez) which can be pretty cool.

I don't have the met dc, but I do have the met mgl and exsence dc and I will say the dc is pretty cool. I would go with the DC. My exsence absolutely rockets a frog and it can be set up to be backlash proof in heavy winds and night fishing. I also like the DC "whine."

The orochi xx line is the best bang for the buck out of the megabass brand IMO and the Diablo fits your needs perfectly. If you wanted something a little shorter the spinner bait special would work well too. The emtf is also quite capable especially if your use leaned in favor of bottom contact. If you wanted to save some money, the kistler KLX and helium 3 lines have some excellent rods that would fit your needs. The north fork IM blanks are extremely light and sensitive. At that budget you have so many excellent choices.

As others have said, when you state "you're doing it wrong," it comes off as condescending. Personally I could care less what others think about my arsenal, but I constantly read people getting bent out of shape over fishing gear. The anonymity of the internet brings out some interesting stuff. In the end, you are correct about using cheaper gear. It all catches fish, but since I spend more time fishing than catching I prefer using higher end gear which IMO makes the act of fishing more enjoyable.

And you don't lose much if you sell.

I haven't tried them but I do like that feature in my exsence dc.