HookRz

Casting? Gamma, gamma, and gamma. Low stretch low memory. But in short pitch situations CXX. The 15# is as strong as you need up north and the abrasion resistance is ridiculous IMHO.

Pickeral have that Alice Cooper eye make-up!

Seriously? The plopper has a way of finding weeds I didn't go NK were there! The 90 is a great creek Smallie bait, and the 130 i s a hog caller... But don't take away my buzzers!

Table Rock Chompers! Surprisingly durable.

Caught a 5.5 Smallie on an inland lake on a ten inch power Worm once but that was a surprise. Most of the hundreds...thousand maybe...4 pound plus Erie Smallmouth I've taken on 2.5 to 4" plastic baits. And with the increased pressure I'm leaning toward smaller all the time.

Tube, but smaller than most have recommended. 2.5 to 3 inch. I don't think many smallies think to themselves "I'd eat that if it were an inch longer", and more importantly less drag from the bait makes grad level finesse jigging easier.

I set my drag at a "disaster" setting. Very high. A lot of guys don't realize that the angle you hold the rod affects the drag...lower the rod the drag slips more easily. So when I hear drag I lower the rod tip to allow the drag to slip while I flip the AR switch. From then on I'm in control, not the fish. Just as an aside you would be surprised how many fish up to 3# you can land with 8# leader on a med-light rod without ever giving an inch of line. Sometimes I think we worry about breakoffs too much, especially when it comes to Largemouth. In bass fishing its usually the cover that breaks the line, not the fish.

I feel I land bass more quickly by backreeling. Being in control of the fish is a good thing. The fish only goes where you let it. Nobody ever really "got it" in the Southern states where most bassin' was done with baitcasters that left you no choice. Don't try backreeling Salmon or Steelhead though. You just can't keep up with the silver rockets. Learned the hard way....

Avid or Avid X 6'8" MXF.

I'm only being partly facetious when I say its the video game generation. With GPS, side imaging and 3D sonar, spot lock and such Summertime Smallmouth fishing on lake Erie more resembles a video game than....well, fishing. Toss your dropshot down in the sonar cone and watch on your screen as the fish come up and eat. I'm sure being an electronics wiz loads the boat elsewhere. Look at who wins the summer tournaments. Say what you want about the old "bank beaters" but that's where the ability to handle your tackle well, being physically skilled, seperates the men from the boys

In the Shimanos the weights of the 2500 and 3000 are the same. Buy you bring up a good point. In my opinions the Ci4 is too light to balance longer rods with short and split rear grips. In some cases you are better off with a "regular" Stradic. Or add weight to the very rear of the handle. That way you achieve balance with less overall weight. I have a 6'9" Avid X mlxf with a Ci4 2500 with a chair leg rubber tip added that's just perfect, and still weighs an ounce less than the same rod with the regular Stradic. The chair is a bit wobbly however.

When it comes to craftsmanship and components no comparison to the Legends. Torzite guides vs twisted metal springs? And the build quality?

My peeve involves posts on rods. Some one asks a question about brand A vs. brand B and inevitably a fanboy (or prostaffer) of brand C jumps in to tell them their favorite is what they really need.

The spool diameter on the 2500 and 3000 is the same. The only difference is depth and line capacity.

I didn't say abrasion, I said fraying. Random fraying Since its neither braided nor fused you will see frays of microfilement up to two inches long up and down the spool if you have good eyes. This contributes to the parachute effect the line already has. If it doesn't bother you there are good buys to be had, as many retailers are dumping it.