LionHeart

Regardless of reel I use all three. Fluorocarbon for backing, braid for main line, and mono for leader. I do feel like braid is more susceptible to catching wind but throwing a spinner bait or light worm on windy days will increase your backlashes regardless of the line you use.

If you already have a MH, then I say definitely get a medium for those lighter crank baits. After struggling to toss 1.5 accurately with an over powered rod (just sharing my experience), dropping down to a medium is a dream. The rod does all the work for you and it is noticeable

Nah man. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how well the mag force system works and how easy it is to get dialed. Diawa has really won me over as a Lews fan. All I'm saying is, don't clear a whole afternoon for practice, or you'll have a lot of spare time on yer' hands.

I set the spool tension to where the spool has the tiniest bit of side-to-side, then set the brakes to 6-8. I do this with all my reels. I want the brakes and my thumb to slow the spool, not the spool tension. If I did the whole 'let the lure drop to the ground' thing, I'd definitely get an overrun.

Regarding the Deputy: it would be great for 3/16 and 3/8, and totally capable for 1/2, but that may begin to feel like its upper limit. The Zolo Dragger is great for 3/8 and 1/2, and while I can toss a 1/4 oz trig fine, a 3/16 may feel like you're pushing the low end. For this reason I use the Dragger for 3/8 and up (occasionally 1/4), and a different rod for 3/8 and below (occasionally up to 1/2) No experience with Kistler but not a fan of extra fast rods for anything. I guess the short answer would be that the Deputy would be a solid choice for what you want to do, provided you aren't pitching into timber or nasty cover. I have often thought about getting one to replace my OG Tatula (which I absolutely love)

Gonna wager they are not low profile bait casting reels

The toadface is pretty soft in the tip. It is designed to walk a frog. I'd go with the deputy or dragger personally. Not to say the toadface couldn't set a jig hook, just wouldn't be my choice.

This alot

I almost never buy a rod without handling it in person. If it means I have to drive an hour or two, that's what I do. The Sierra 735 imo would be good for jigs, and the 734 would be good for jigs 1/2 oz and below. Dobyns version of fast is going to have more bend in the tip than alot of other manufacturers. If you can work it out, I'd try to go handle one in person. The Sierra is a really good rod though. Got a friend who has one. I'll check and see if it is a 734 or 735

Gonna have to disagree here. What you call action is actually power. In my mind, action and taper are interchangeable. I prefer rods with a bit more bend for every technique and see no need for extra fast, ever. It's purely a preference thing as I find that I tend to lose less fish on a rod with more flex. My favorite action is Mod-Fast and it can do most things. A spinner bait rod and a jig rod to me are often the same. I definitely wouldn't want to throw jigs on a true moderate action rod though. Hook sets would be very difficult. If you get a chance, check out some of Dobyns casting rods. Something like a 735. Dobyns are known for having a more limber tip than many other rods. ALX Ikos Promise would be a good one also. Or even the ALX Ikos Hammer if you want to throw >1/2 oz jigs. It is the heavy power version of the Promise but does have a bit faster of a tip unfortunately.

Alot of rods and reels are just plain ugly, there is no getting around it. I mean lime green? Bright orange? Can a rod or reel be so ugly that I wouldn't buy it? Admittedly yes. Unless the price was right. I'm more of a sucker for getting a good deal than a judge of fishing gear style. If I found a St. Croix LTB that was hot pink at half price, the first paragraph goes straight out the window.

I've had fishing gear stolen out of the back of my truck. It's a sick feeling. Sorry man

Dude it totally depends on what lures you are throwing with it. Having said that, if it is a Dobyns go med-heavy

Have also heard good things about the winch. Diawa Tatula 100 in 6 speed is my big crank bait reel and I love it. Could not be happier. Have you ever owned a 5 speed? It seems to be the rage for cranks but to me a 6 speed is a bit better. 5 speed really has to be cranked like crazy to get a 5xd moving at the end of a long cast.

Or fix it till it is

A little stouter than their rating, and tip heavy imo. Love the handles though.

I must have been thinking about their 7'4" med-heavy. It looks like their 7'5" pitching rod does have a fairly long handle (which I prefer for pitching). I have never found myself wishing the dragger was more stout. In fact I'd be fine if it were a smidge less so. It's got plenty of power for pitching into timber and such. I've never fished the Brawler but have handled them many times. This may sound a little nuts but to me the Brawler seems to have a bit more give than the Dragger, and if memory serves the Brawler is rated as extra heavy. Go figure. Anyway, the Dragger acts as the heavier of my two rods that I mainly pitch jigs and plastics with and to me it's pretty dialed for the purpose. It's not a pool cue, but feels plenty beefy and is about as stout as I could imagine needing. If you could go and handle them both it'd be a good idea, even if it means making a drive. P.S. I don't even pay attention to handle length listing on tacke warehouse. They include the length of the fore grip which makes it kind of tough to tell.

I use a slightly custom ALX Dragger for pitching. Love it. Brawler would be excellent as well. I use 50lb braid to 20 lb mono leader with an FG knot and guides are cleared no problem at all. About half the time you will notice a slight, slight tick, but only if you are trying to notice it. I'm pretty obsessive about trivial stuff like this and it is so slight that it doesn't bother me at all. To me, the St. Croix handle is a tad short but that's totally a preference kind of thing.

Very much this. Daiwa Fuego or Lews Tournament MB are high value reels. Id go with at least a 7 speed

Ikos is a well respected rod model from a solid manufacturer. I'd get either the Hammer or Promise (tough choice) Hammer is quite a bit more stout, and even though they are both rated as fast, the Hammer feels a bit faster also. Half oz. Jig plus beefy trailer (think Rage Craw), may want to go with Hammer.

Just say you're 6'5" in the picture. That'll make the fish 7 lb. easy. Seriously though, 4-4.5 lber for sure

I share the same mentality, and rarely would a sub $100 reel get my attention, but the Fuego is a lot of reel for the money. I've only put a few trips on it so far, so we'll see how durability goes. Out of the box though, it is a major win in my opinion.

That's a tough one to answer, and may be truly your preference. Personally I feel if it ain't broke, it don't need fix'n. I never got into the whole 'upgraded bearings' thing. If the reel is smooth (and the Fuego is to my hands), no need to change them. I've heard that some people change bearings in Hope's of increased casting distance, which makes absolutely no sense at all unless you have brakes and spool tension wide open and don't apply any thumb pressure whatsoever and the only thing slowing the spools rotation is bearing friction(fairly rare I'm willing to bet). If you're doing it for durability, who knows. Any well taken care of baitcaster that isn't a cheap piece of junk should last a very long time to begin with. If you want to upgrade anything, maybe the drag washers? Again, totally up to you though.

I used to shy away from Diawa reels due to a bad experience with one of their lower priced reels. To spite all the hoopla about the mag force breaking I just couldn't bring myself to buy one. After finding a great deal I bought my first Tatula. Loved it, and bought another. I realized that everyone wasn't wrong and that Diawa makes very good reels in the mid price range. Before that I used only Lews, and Abu reels. Next I think I'll have to try a Shimano Curado. They get a lot of positive reviews from just about everyone. Brand loyal, sure. Brand exclusive? Naw.

Duckett rods have a fairly long handle. Also, check out Falcon Bucoo SR. Very decent rod for 100-110 bucks, and most are 10.5 inch handle (back of reel seat to rod butt). How longa' handle you looking for? and whatsyer budget?