LCG

Are you wetting the knot before cinching down the knot?

Hello and welcome, from south west Ontario.

Had a Curado k 200, great reel for heavier baits. Sold it to fund the purchase of a Curado 70 MGL as I throw lighter to mid range more often. The Curado 150 MGL would be the do it all workhorse now.

I keep my soft plastics and hard baits in dollar store plastic bins. Cheap and easy, sits on a couple of rows of a book shelf.

Spinnerbait (in line spinner if only brining a spinning combo) Senko Ned rig

I use rod glove socks in the xl size which is 75". I use them on my 6'8" rod so that it covers all the way down to the reel handle and I secure it with the Velcro closure of a reel glove as well.

Spend a few bucks more and get a Shimano SLX or Daiwa Fuego. Aluminum frames will be much better and the reel will last. You can also save a few bucks by buying used. Good luck to you.

The 6'9 M-XF with the super short handle and a 6'10 M-F 2 piece, both casting. The 6'10 M-F I really like, have it paired with a Shimano SLX MGL. I have also owned the HMG 6'9 ML-F spinning a few generations ago, which I regret selling. The current models just don't have the same quality or feel, but that's just my opinion. The new rods looks nice, and should I see them in stores, I will certainly give them a few minutes of my time checking them out though.

I have an elite tech Smallmouth that's become one of my favorites. But, it seems to be Fenwick is not the brand it used to be from the rods I have handled in store lately.

I realize this may be simple, but did you ensure the lock switch is set to open, not closed? If yes, maybe flip the side plate to the top and ensure the spring mechanism isn't binding.

Fair enough. It's a black with orange highlights, I have mine paired with a Stradic FL. Very light, quite sensitive, with a nice action to it, and comfortable to hold. Only caught about 25 fish on it so far from bluegill, crappie, and a few largemouth (not in season yet in my area). So far I am quite impressed with it.

Take a look at the Daiwa Rebellion ML. It's a nice rod.

I had a sales associate do that throat vibration test as well recently, never seen or heard of that before. Anyways I felt it clear as day in the handle of the rod. Liked everything else so I went ahead and bought it. Fished with it a few times now and it equally sensitive to the throat test. Very pleased. It is a Daiwa Rebellion 6'8 ML-F 2 piece rod. I feel it fishes above it price point.

To me finesse fishing is targeting areas where fish are most likely to be. It's not a cover a lot of water technique. So a shorter rod makes more sense to me for accurate casting. I fish from the bank or kayak mainly, so a shorter rod is ideal. 6'8-6'10" with a shorter handle length (13"-14 ") is the sweet spot for me. I think it's personal preference along with where and how you fish.

I prefer ML for finesse fishing personally. But not whippy, still want some decent backbone with a soft tip.

I have come to the same conclusion. I had a total of 7 combos, which isn't much compared to some here. But I never take more than two out with me. Then my wife downsized her vehicle. I will also be downsizing my vehicle within the next year. So I searched for high quality two piece rods. Found exactly what I wanted with a ML spinning rod and M and MH casting rods. It's sort of back to basics and I like it a lot. ML and MH cover everything I need. The M covers a bit of both ends of the spectrum for when I want to bring just one combo.

#3 gold is tried and true, always have one in my box.

Very handy tool. Especially for Pike.

I have spent far more than I care to admit, and I don't have near the collection of gear that many members here have. That said, it's a passion for me and I very much enjoy the sport. I spend within my budget being an average middle class working family man. I remember when I first started, I bought a cheap Walmart combo for $15 about 8 or 9 years ago. I have since bought and sold dozens of combos, my latest combo cost $700 ish. Does this help me catch more fish...no it doesn't. What it does is increase the pleasure of fishing with lighter, higher quality equipment that is dialed into my style of fishing. The best thing I probably bought fishing related was a kayak. $500 investment that gets you to where the fish are located and you can't get on foot.

Have had good luck with power pro, suffix 832, even some cheaper off brands. Giving power pro super slick v2 a shot this season. 20lb to 6 lb leader in blue color. So far so good.

Welcome, from southwest Ontario

I made a list of line diameters used by Shimano as per Japan Tackle. Not sure how accurate it is, but I assume it's fairly accurate. FYI I also have both the Curado MGL 71 and SLX MGL 71, no issue with spool capacity with 10lb big game and 10lb yo Zuri, both equal diameter to 12lb line as per below. I think the braid the op is using may be larger diameter than advertised by whatever company makes the line. 6lb = .235mm 8lb = .26mm 10lb = .285mm 12lb = .31mm 14lb = .33mm

If your in the market for a ML spinning rod in the $200 range, I would check out the Daiwa Rebellion line. I picked up a 6'8" ML-F 2 piece spinning rod. Very light weight, nice tip action, with good backbone, comfortable, sensitive, excellent workmanship. They also have a 7ft ML-f in one piece. As for Fenwick, they used to be much better. I have an elite tech Smallmouth casting rod that I really enjoy. Had a HMG 2 generations ago that was also really nice. The new stuff is not the same quality.

May I ask what the correct action is for skipping for casting and spinning? I ask because I am exploring downsizing my set ups and focusing on maximum versatility. I can skip with spinning, still working on skipping with casting set ups.

Probably down to personal preference. I have noticed that most longer rods are also longer in the handle, which means a good chunk of the length gain is in the handle. I assume this is to help balance the rod.