rcg703

That’s exactly what I use. Hasn’t failed me yet.

Walmart has a Lews IM8 Speed Stick for $40. They are Hank Parker series and are technique specific. I have 3 of them, 2 bait casting and 1 spinning. Light and sensitive. Great rods for the price.

I’m not a fan of flouro on spinning reels. Manageability issues galore.

I switched to high vis this year as well. Going to test it out this weekend.

The Lightning Rod Shocks are nice rods but I recently found a diamond in the rough. I found that Walmart has a Lew's Hank Parker Signature Series Speed Stick for $40. It's a graphite IM8 blank and is very light and very sensitive. They have technique specific ones and I ended up buying a jig/worm rod, crankbait rod, and a shaky head/finesse spinning rod. Definitely worth the money and rival some of the $100 rods I've felt. I'd compare them to a Veritas but not quite as stiff.

I think I’m going to do the 30lb braid for bottom contact baits and use the 14lb Ultimate Mono for leader in the unlikely event I’m fishing clear water. For the spinnerbaits/chatterbaits I’ll use the 15 lb Big Game. The 15 is only .001” bigger than the 12lb so I may as well get th extra 3lb of breaking strength.

Is there anything wrong with straight braid for jigs and t-rigs? The 30lb is low vis so visibility shouldn’t be much of an issue.

I very rarely fish clear water in my area so that’s no worry.

What’s your budget? You don’t want t go too cheap on your first baitcaster. All the backlashes will have you wanting to throw it out in a hurry. Ask me how I know..... hahaha

Don’t let the price fool you, but Walmart has a Lew’s Hank Parker signature series IM8 crankbait rod for $40. The rod feels amazing for the price and has good backbone.

On both set ups?

I need some help figuring out the best choice for a couple of my set ups. I’ve got my spinning and cranking setups all set but need to figure out the best line for my MH rods. One is a setup for bottom contact baits (t-rigs, jigs, etc) and the other for chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and ploppers). I’ve got 30 and 40# lo-vis Gray braid, 14lb spiderwire ultimate mono, and 12 and 15# big game. What line should I use on each combo? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the info so far guys! Trying to understand rod blanks makes my brain hurt lol

I know the higher the IM or tonnage rating the more lighter and sensitive the rod is, but is one any better than the other? I'm looking at 2 budget rods, an Abu Veritas 2.0 (30ton graphite) and a Lew's Speed Stick (IM8) and can't find any real distinguishing characteristics. Aside from the Veritas appearing to be a bit more stiff, they're both light and feel good in the hand. I can get both for just under $60 but it's tough picking one without feeling the sensitivity while on the water.

I definitely use the offseason to revise my current setups, take advantage of sales, and daydream about the first time my line hits the water for the year. I used to have an SUV but got a new super crew pickup a few months ago so I'm in the process of upgrading all my 2 piece rods to some better 1 piece sticks. I went shopping at Cabela's last weekend and found a $170 Lews baitcasting combo for $100 so I grabbed it. Ordered some line yesterday and going to Dicks tomorrow. Can't wait to hit the water.......