Bent

Good answer! I haven't been fishing long enough to have that sort of confidence, someday I'll get there hopefully.

Just playing devil's advocate, how would you know what you're unable to detect?

For what it's worth, I really like my Champions - the balance, feel, actions, and aesthetics are great. However, there are more sensitive sticks at that price point. After quite a bit of research I picked up two He3s this winter for bottom contact techniques, but haven't had a chance to fish them yet. For me, sensitivity was a top priority and at 20% off the He3 was a clear winner.

Is this an upcoming change? Currently it looks the other way around, the blue Winn Grip is a custom option but the production models all have cork. I just bought a Helium 3 this month (labeled 2018) without any special requests and it showed up with cork.

The options you listed are pretty heavy, make sure you check the max roof weight rating on your car (and don't forget the weight of the rack system itself). Even if the roof rack is rated for more than enough weight, the roof of your car might top out at 100 lbs for example. To be honest I don't know how risky it is to exceed those ratings in terms of safety and/or liability, but I wouldn't do it without some research.

If you want to do it analytically instead of using a line counter (best option), it's a bit more complicated than that; increasing line radius by a factor of x increases the line volume by a factor of x2. Assuming line is perfectly uniform and lays well enough to fill a spool uniformly (for the record, not a very good assumption because line is not perfectly uniform, and braided line especially can compress given some tension) the line volume follows the same formula as the volume of a cylinder = pi * radius2 * length. From that equation, length = spool volume / (pi * radius2) So if I increase line radius by a factor of x, the length that fits on the spool should be divided by x2. For example, if my spool holds 100 yds of line and I increase line radius by 5%, only 90.7 yards will fit, in theory.

The beautiful thing about jigs is there are so many styles - you can pitch a 1/4 oz light wire finesse jig on a medium fast rod or a big heavy jig on a heavy rod. For now find a few jigs to match your rods, not the other way around. If you experiment a little bit and find that pitching a jig is really your thing, then start thinking about a dedicated setup.

These prizes are incredible, who do I fax my picks to?! In all seriousness this sounds like fun, I'm in.

No way dude, I need both of 'em

Dobyns Fury 735 would be perfect for the applications you listed, the Fury line is a good value at $110, even better if you buy it with a 10% off Tackle Warehouse gift card or find a gently used one.

This is just the thread I needed today, it is 17 below right now. If you're looking for action packed highlight reels BamaBass is worth a look for the topwater blow-up videos, the rest of their content hasn't really grabbed my attention like other channels so I can't speak to the quality of the information.

Awesome catch - is that the fish in your profile pic?

As far as the reel goes, within your budget I really like both the Curado 70 and Tatula SV TW - search around for a good deal, you can find the Tatula SV TW for about $120 brand new. If you want more spool capacity I've also seen good reviews for the Curado K so far, but haven't handled one myself.

x2! I picked up a 704CB this fall and really like it. Lots of guys prefer a shorter, faster rod for jerkbaits, but if you're interested in a softer action definitely check it out. I'm 6'1" and don't mind the longer rod, but if the length is a deal breaker call up Dobyns and ask about the DC684CB. As a bonus, the DC704CB is also a fantastic stick for shallow cranking with baits that are on the lighter side, e.g. 1.5 size squarebills or the Rapala DT4.

I saw a video (can't remember which one) where Brent Ehrler recommended the opposite - EWG in back and round bend in the front. He said that with round bends he lost too many fish that had the back treble only. Not saying he's right or wrong, just food for thought.

Check out Megabass of America on Instagram, running sales tomorrow through dealers up to 20% off "while supplies last". Not saying for sure they will be discontinued but it's an interesting development.

Big fan of the Black Diamond Spot, very easy to adjust intensity/mode, and has a red setting to preserve your night vision. It might be overkill if the only thing you will ever use it for is night fishing.

Thanks for sharing this, those jigs look tremendous!

I have the FR663C and really like it for short accurate casts with small spinnerbaits around docks or overhanging brush. It is also a pretty decent option for walking topwater baits. With that said, if you will be throwing 1/2 oz jigs or spinnerbaits on a Dobyns I'd step up to at least a 4 power.

Don't forget your trailer weight. For reference, a Zoom Ultra-Vibe Speed Craw is about 1/4 oz. I don't have hands-on experience with the EMTF but have done a fair amount of research, and for what it's worth most say a 1/2 oz jig + plastic trailer is pushing the upper limits of the EMTF.

The other thing to consider is your line (fluorocarbon especially) - if your first backlash damaged your line at all it might be more prone to backlashing again.

Any time I'm trying to get used to a new reel I focus on really smooth casting motions using a lure that casts easily and weighs near the sweet spot for the rod. Once I have a feel then I experiment with other lures and go for some distance. Assuming you're doing all of that, make sure the spool isn't overfilled and your brakes are at or near maximum. Sorry if that is all too obvious. If none of those things are the problem it might just be a feel thing that will work itself out with some practice.

I disagree, everyone agrees with all of your posts. Wait...

These trade-offs are ubiquitous in life - if a retailer/financial services company/your weird brother-in-law with a once in a lifetime investment opportunity is waving around cash in their right hand, assume their left hand is reaching for your wallet. Also, for the record I didn't mean that post to be disparaging of St. Croix or any other company with a replacement program, Megabass is getting theirs too. Nobody is making rods as a charitable endeavor. Buy whatever rods you like to fish with, and know that if they break you're on the hook for it in one way or another. It's really that simple.

From what I've gathered, the general consensus is that the XX series is more rod for the money just about any other option at that price point. --WARNING: MATH AHEAD-- Please don't take affront to this but I think you're dramatically overestimating the value of St. Croix's replacement program (or any replacement program/warranty for that matter). You replaced a $270 rod for $85, and it feels like you saved yourself almost $200 in doing so, but that is far from the truth. Let's assume the markup on the rod due to the replacement program is $70 - obviously I don't know for sure, but bear with me. The reality is, you purchased a $200 rod and a $70 insurance policy. When you pay $85 for a replacement rod, you've replaced a $200 rod for a grand total of $155. Now just for kicks, what if that insurance policy you purchased was actually $90? You're replacing a $180 rod for $175. This is probably closer to the truth - St. Croix really doesn't mind sending you a replacement because you've basically paid for it in full, but you feel like you fleeced them. Everyone is happy!