Boomstick

I basically have three setups I’d use for a Senko. Most of the time, I use a M-MH/XF rod with 12# fluoro. This setup has enough power to handle a decent amount of weeds and also throw them weightless decently. If I am in some real thick milfoil I will use a MH/F or MH-H/F rid with 16# fluoro. Occasionally I will throw them on my ML/Xf or M/F spinning rods with 12# braid and a 6-8# fluorocarbon leader. I don’t like braid for senkos though because I have to be sure to keep my line tight - which is easy to do with a drop shot. The lighter rod does help balance it out a little bit.

It sounds potentially promising.

If you go with a MH/fast rod and want to run braid on one, I would be more inclined to throw braid on that rod and use 12# or 15# mono or fluorcarbon with the ugly stick. Of course, a lot of it depends on your waters and preferences too. My personal preference would be 15# fluorocarbon on the MH/F and 12# mono on the ugly stick - since it's more likely you'll use that for topwaters too. Where I live, we have a lot of weeds but not a whole lot of super thick weeds so I only run braid on my frogging rod, flipping stick and spinning reels.

Maybe I should have added that as an option, but I was thinking more along the lines that the line is in good shape as mine is. In recent years, I've ran straight fluorocarbon whenever I can so the braid on my reel doesn't see use around rocks. I think this will be year 6 on this braid, but keep in mind the past two or three it's only been used when I bring out two rods with braid, which isn't all that often.

So I was oiling all my reels and changing out some line today and I realized that the braided line on one of my casting reels has really lost the majority of its color. Other than that, it's in decent shape. I haven't used that reel much, it was my second reel with braid and my go to was my Tatula 150 (which broke). Given this reel is largely for frogging and has 65# braid and I will downsize to 50# on the reel that's taking the place of the Tatula 150, I will probably leave it, but this got me thinking what most people would do in this case.

The M and ML Mojo Bass rods are great!

These are generally best in dirtier water, but I've caught some good bass on these as well by deflecting them off stumps and laydowns in clear water, actually using that Abalone shad color. If I could only have one, it might be these as well. The Indiana blade variant is great when you want to go slower, or for dirtier water too.

My general experience says that as soon as the water hits 55 is the perfect time to throw a square bill.

I think the Avid X sales were tanking near the end as well. I know stores that used to carry them stopped carrying them.

The Victory line is great, you won't be disappointed. As far as which power to get, it depends on what you will be throwing. You can throw a lot of lures on each. If you do want to save a little money and end up going with a medium rod, the Mojo Bass is still a pretty solid rod. I use the 6'8" M/XF "Topwater" rod for topwater and jerkbaits, but the 7'1" M/F plastics rod is a great all purpose rod for lighter lures. The Victory would be more sensitive and a hair lighter, but the Mojo Bass mediums are already fairly light and balance decently. If you go with a medium heavy, the Victory line is an upgrade in every way possible, from lighter weight, better balance, better action and of course better sensitivity. If you throw 1/2oz spinnerbaits , chatterbaits or jigs, The Marshall would be the one you want, but The Grunt falls somewhere between The Marshall and the Mojo Bass Plastics rod. Do you have a medium or medium heavy? I would be content to save money with the medium rods as the Mojo Bass mediums are the best rods in the lineup. They have the right power and action and are light and well balanced. But the medium heavy Victory rods are quite a bit lighter, better balanced, more sensitive and simply a better action.

A Shimano SLX or Daiwa Fuego will overall be a much better experience than an Abu Garcia Black Max if you can swing the extra money. It's not even close. However the Black Max might be a better learning experience. It will teach you to use your thumb. I learned on one as well, and I'm better off for it.

My best success with landing fish like that has been to put a bait in a dropshot in front of them and just let it dangle in their face a bit and sometimes they'll hit it. Also if you had a jerkbait, I wonder if you could have got that fish to bite

I usually 12-20# fluorocarbon for jigs with 16# being the all-purpose happy medium, although you can use braid too. 50# braid is getting into flipping and pitching territory - I would likely use 30 or 40# for most jig duty. And likely be using a different rod too (flipping rod for 50-65# braid)

My kid uses this rod for spinnerbaits an chatterbaits with 15lb mono or fluoro and hardly ever loses a fish. So I don't think a lack of power is the problem here. I cannot attest from experience how this rod behaves with braid, but I would think it would be a good choice with braid as it has a little bit of give to it, although with braid, thee rod will not be so forgiving if you set the hook too soon. As per the spoon, I am assuming that you were throwing smaller spoons that you might throw on a lighter rod with smaller sized hooks? If that's the case as I suspect, the rod plus braid probably has too much power for the treble hooks. The specific rod is moderate fast and has a solid amount of tip to it and works well with mono and fluoro. However, I don't think it's too stiff for braid.

They don't float, but they don't sink they just stand up straight. They're good on a shaky head or C-Rig, but they're my favorite to throw on a wacky rigged dropshot where they just dangle in the fish's face. That was my biggest fish catcher last year. They also hold up very well on a wacky rigged dropshot.

The side plate will not stay screwed in and just falls off as a result. I haven't looked at how that works or tried to fix it, it might be a nut back there I can replace but as I ordered a Tatula Elite for crankbaits and jerkbaits for this season which gives me an extra reel. Sometime when I have time, I'll look at fixing it, but with my total 7 baitcasters I usually have reels with the line I need available so no rush you know. I don't think this is a common problem though.

I have three, one 7 speed I use for soft plastics and finesse jigs mostly, a 6 speed for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits and the other 6 speed is going to replace my Tatula 150 that broke and get 50-65# braid and see use flipping, pitching and frogging.

It is possible to change the dial by palming it, but I've never gone more than 2 clicks and it's rare I even get one. It's not a super easy dial to turn and going from 8 to 3 makes me think yours might be defective.

If I am buying a rod just to throw frogs or to throw them in thick lily pads, I would want the 7'4" H/F which has a lot more power and a stiffer tip. The 7'3" has a soft but short tip. But if you want a rod to throw jigs, CRigs and TRigs that is capable of light duty frogging, the 7'3" H/XF is a fantastic rod. It's pretty ideal for open water frogging. My kid uses it for frogs, but most of our lily pads have not grown in as thick as normal the last couple of seasons. That is correct. The 7'3" is a MH+ in the St Croix lineup, or a MH++ because the MH is already a MH+ if that makes sense.

I have the 7' Ehrler drop shot rod and that rod has no problem and to my understanding that rod is slightly lighter in power than the Howell 7'3"

Or the M/F spinning rod. Basically both of the Tatula Elites I have...

The Tatula SV or SLX MGL 70 or possibly the DC comes to mind as a good reel for beginners. That used Chronarch MGL earlier in this thread is a great choice!

Not really, I didn't say I'd rule out based on looks. What is that btw?

That is pretty ugly.

A 3/8oz spinnerbait is kind of a gray area on this rod. The upper weight limit is 5/8oz, but other manufacturers might put 3/4oz on the same rod. It will work in a pinch, but it's not a rod I would get out with the intention of throwing one. Maybe if I'm on the kayak and not getting hits on whatever I have on it but the jig on the other rod is productive so maybe I'll try a spinnerbait kind of thing. It's pretty good with lighter spinnerbaits though. My kid has thrown 1/4oz poppers on his before. Had to crank up the brakes on the reel a bit but it did alright. I wouldn't try anything lighter than that.