LionHeart

Brandon, honestly I've never fished a fury, but have whipped them around a few times at Cabelas. They get quite a bit of praise so I don't think you'd go wrong with one. They just didn't really win me over and I don't have a good reason to offer. The Diawa Tatula on the other hand, I have a bit of experience with. The original models IMO were in a class of their own. They retail for about $150 but can be had on Ebay for $100 if you get lucky. I actually found one at Tractor Supply's website believe it or not. Best $100 rod I have used and I've used a few. Light, crisp, and very sensitive for the price. The 7'2" Med Heavy "Regular" (basically a fast side of moderate- fast, ah heck, it's a fast action) is phenomenal. I owned the new version with full cork handle, and while I only fished it for 5 hours, I was impressed. The only, and I mean only reason I didn't keep it was the micro guides. If you use braid to leader, the newer version ain't for you. I actually considered going to flouro (which I do not care for) just so I could keep this rod. If you can get a Tatula for close to $100, I recommend you jump on it.

What do you mean by "clumsy."

Tatula rod (not XT) hands down.

If you could post a pic of the 'bumpy' spool it would help tons. The problem may not be the fishing line at all. If the line isn't laying evenly on the spool, the first thing that comes to mind would be that you have a mechanical problem with the level wind of the reel. You heard it here first.

I own the Bass X 7'4" medium heavy moderate fast. It is one of my favorite rods for moving baits and I have used it to throw many 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs and it handles both well. It has plenty of power for its rating and a moderate fast tip which makes it highly versatile. I use it currently for mid to large moving baits but there ain't much I haven't thrown on it. Again, I highly recommend the new Diawa Tatula (not Tatula XT) rods. Above I mentioned the 7'6' but if you plan on tossing many 1/2 jigs, the 7'3 may be best. It has a slightly, slightly stouter tip. Both are quite a bit more sensitive than the Bass X. They can be had for $120 or so if you shop around, and worth every penny. Only reason I don't still use it is because the guides don't play well with leader knots.

Best not to think of a Dobyns 3 power rod as medium heavy. It will screw up your perception of rod power. 3 power Dobyns is more of a medium power, moderate fast action. IMO too light for an all purpose rod. I own a Falcon Bucoo SR 7 foot med heavy, and it is on the lighter side of its rating also. Outstanding rod though. It is almost an all purpose-ish rod, but a tad light. If you want a dobyns, go 734 (what they call "heavy power") BTW mod fast is the most versatile action IMO.

I'm sorry but 2,000 bass per year? Leave some for me bro

Tough to tell from the pic, but looks normal from what I see. Reels and rods should fit universally. Have you tried the reel on a different rod and Visa versa?

The newer Diawa Tatula 7' 6" med heavy would be an excellent rod for what you want. I owned one for a while and loved it. Great tip for throwing lighter Texas rigs but could easily be a 1/2 jig rod. The only reason I returned it was because it has micro guides and doesn't play well with leader knots. Excellent rod and can be had on Ebay for $120.

You may not like my answer as much but unless you stumble on some obscure collector, I'd say $100 is fairly optimistic. 40ish bucks on craigslist maybe.

Really depends on who makes it. A Dobyns heavy will be more versatile than an Abu heavy. To me, a pool cue for a fishing rod is not needed for just about anything.

I was thinking about this exact thing earlier today. A lot of guys (and gals I suppose) have said this, and for all my faults on the water, I've never had this be a problem. Maybe it is because I skin hook a Texas rig but a large majority of the time, the fish will expose the hook just by striking the lure. At that point, the fish has an exposed hook in its mouth and it's game time. I like a slower than 'fast' (whatever that even means) tip, but a moderate action for bottom baits? No Sir.

Good for your parents. Nothing wrong with making you work for what you have. IMO opinion Leadhead nailed it. For bottom contact, the rod matters. Not saying to get a subpar reel, but rod matters more. $100 is a magical price point because all manufacturers know it is a common budget. Best $100 bottom contact rod is a tough one. What models of each did you have in mind?

You mean the line is bumpy and/or uneven after being spooled? Not normal. A problem? Meh, maybe not but I'd figure out why

Lol. You should see me organize my bullet weights.

For this reason (well , one of many) I use braid. A hook set at 40 yards carries almost the same authority as 5 yards.

I walk to the end of my driveway and tie the line to a gate post, then walk back to the garage with the spool. I spool my reel as I take the trip once again down the driveway so I can keep a nice tight spool. Funny thing is all that hard work means little after my first long cast, but I still do it anyway.

Cheap inflatable raft. Or build your own dolly out of bicycle wheels and muscle through it. Use the biggest wheels you can get your hands on. Or buy a cheap 10ft Jon boat and ask if you can leave it out there. The trolling motor thing won't work for many reasons.

The short answer: probably

One more and I'm done. The point that is being missed is that when you hold a fishing rod, the fulcrum can't be placed anywhere. The fulcrum is the point of the rod where you hold the rod and can't be negotiated. Adding weight to this location does nothing to the balance of the rod while you are holding it. Weight would have to be added to, or taken away either forward or aft of the fulcrum (where you hold the rod) to make any change. Adding weight to the location where you hold the rod (fulcrum) just adds more weight. The only way to change fulcrum location of a rod once you hold it would be to change where you place your hand. OP, if you really want to reduce the tip heaviness of a rod, and don't mind adding weight to do it, butt weights are the only way to actually do it. Then again, if you feel like it helps to add weight with a heavier reel, this is America, do it.

This

Look up definition of fulcrum. Let's say you have two kids on a see saw. One kid weighs 200 lb and the other kid weighs 100 lb. The fulcrum of the see saw is the teetering hinge in the middle. You can add all the weight you want to the teetering hinge, but unless you give the 100 lb kid a mechanical advantage like moving the fulcrum closer to the 200 lb kid(changing where you hold the rod), or adding weight to the 100 lb kid (putting weight disc in the butt of a rod), you haven't changed a thing. Maybe I hold a fishing rod differently than everyone else but when I am holding a rod, it pivots about the location where I am holding it. Adding a reel certainly makes the rig heavier over all, but it doesn't reduce the amount of downward force the tip of the rod imposes on your hand. Moving the reel seat forward, holding the rod further forward than normal, or adding weights to the butt are the only cures. If adding a heavy reel makes it seem better, then there is nothing wrong at all with doing it. You should do what suits you best. Just wanted the OP to know it won't make the rod less tip heavy.

Those numbers are just a loose reference for line capacity. No harm will come to your reel from using any line you wish.

From just looking at the picture: Dude that's nuth'n. Just bend it back and forget about it.

Something that is easy to break when you get snagged. ?