5by3

Pline cxx

I agree with some of the others. I’ve also had issues with fluoroclear. The line casts far, but the fact that it’s so soft and supple sacrifices its overall strength imo. I mostly use it for panfishing now.

I throw the plopper 110 on a dobyns 736 cb glass. I keep fish hooked on this rod better than any others I’ve tried so far. I don’t throw the 130 much, but it will handle it as well. 130 is the largest bait is throw on it.

Jerkbaits and blade baits make up 99.9% of my ice-off bass fishing here in Ohio. In fact, both baits have caught me plenty of fish with skim ice still on the lake. Once water temps reach 45-50, I start to bring other baits into the mix too (flat-sided cranks, A-rig, spinnerbaits. Chatterbaits, lipless, jigs). You may need to fish slower than normal if water temps are still in the upper 30s, however I don’t necessarily agree when people say you need to pause for up to 20-30 seconds between jerks. I usually fish the same cadence year round and it catches fish equally well in 40 degree or 80 degree water. Experiment with your retrieve until you find something that works on your lake. Sometimes they want a single jerk, sometimes multiple jerks, other times just drag the rod tip about 6 inches to the side and don’t jerk at all. When the ice first comes off, many of my best early spring spots are shallow (6-8ft), protected coves with mucky bottoms and vegetation, which help hold heat. If you can find bait in these areas, you can bet there are bass nearby too. Good luck and let let us know how you do on the next trip out!

I use mine for frogs, toads, and heavy pitching. I bet that it would work well for football jigs, but have not tried it since that rod usually has 50 lb braid.

You only need > 11 lbs drag if you’re trying to boatflip the car at the bottom of the lake. Just my 2 cents!

The tried and true 50lb original power pro. Not the quietest line, but have NEVER broke this line unless it was my fault.

dobyns is the best balanced rod on the market imo. For what it’s worth, I own a few of the current GLX model and find them to be much more tip heavy than my champions. Recently bought a few ALX Zolos after reading all of the great reviews online. I am very happy with them so far, but do not have much time on the water with them yet this year. I have the Toadface, deputy, dragger, and brawler.

Oh I misread the original post. Didn’t realize it was an older Imx mbr.

If you’re going Loomis, just get the GLX. Imx pro is a decent rod, but not worth the money imo. There are $200-250 that outcompete it. Have not fished an Expride but they get great reviews and are always sold out at my local tackle store.

I vote Loomis 894. Haven’t fished it, but heard the 895 is a beast. 894 handles 1/2oz + trailer perfectly.

I have a clear, bowl-shaped lake near me like what you described. I do well on bottom baits fished out deep (15-25 fow). Drop shots and shaky heads also work well. During the spring, jerkbaits dominate. Keep an eye out for bass feeding on the surface during the warmer months. Some of my best days on this lake have been throwing spooks to schooling bass over 30fow.

Jig. Allows you to fish any type of cover effectively. Works in freezing cold or warm water. Can mimic crawfish, baitsfish, etc.

Anyone know when the next tackle warehouse sale is and what discount might be offered? Looking to buy a few rods and even a 10–15% discount would help.

My suggestion is go for the absolute best you can afford. Over the years I’ve climbed the ladder of fishing rods and reels gradually buying more expensive gear, when in reality, I would have saved myself more money in the long run if I had just bought the best I could afford right at the start. The GLX series is awesome and wicked sensitive. NRX is supposed to be a slight upgrade in sensitivity, weight, and balance (some will say GLX and NRX are close in sensitivity). I have not fished the Conquest rods. There’s a reason high-end Loomis rods are still the market standard for sensitivity. check out the glx/nrx 893 and 894!

Looks good to me! Only thing I might change is I might bump up to 15lb test for the plastics rod if you plan on throwing creature baits, craws, worms, etc. near cover. That 12lb line might not be strong enough to wrestle them out of the thick stuff. edit: oops just realized that rod was a M and not a MH. I think you’re good man!

Might help if you tell us your budget and if you plan to flip or drag ledges with this rod. What’s your ideal action and length? As far as balance, Dobyns are some of the best I’ve handled. There are some great offerings in the champion extreme model that would fit your needs.

Thanks guys, seems like there is a general consensus to keep the Loomis rods

734 is a great spinnerbait rod and more

Hey guys, I’ve been thinking about checking out a few of the ALX rods recently after all the great reviews on here and other websites. Are they worth the hype? How is the sensitivity? What are your favorite models? I currently have an arsenal of mid-range Loomis rods (mossyback, imx pro) for pitching/ bottom contact and dobyns champs for my moving baits. I am very happy with the Dobyns rods, so probably will hold onto them. Would the ALX be any more sensitive than the mossybacks? Specifically I’m interested in the deputy, toadface, and dragger rods.

I think that rod will handle your jerkbaits just fine. I personally prefer 10lb co-polymer or fluoro rather than braid, but if your rod has enough flex to keep the treble hooks pinned with the braid, I say go for it.

Dobyns 736 cb Glass. Hands down the best Chatterbait rod I’ve ever used. Daiwa tatula 7’2 Glass gets good reviews on here too.

What’s the best reel out there in the $200-300 range for skipping jigs under docks and bushes? I’m not great at the technique currently, so I’d like to get something that will minimize my backlashes. Is the curado dc worth it or any of the Daiwa reels?

It’s a rod that truly can throw just about anything. I’d rate it as a medium heavy even though the rod technically says heavy on it. I mostly use mine for moving baits (spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, spooks, traps, etc.), but only because I already have some higher end Loomis rods for my bottom contact presentations. Haven’t used an avid, so I can’t compare the sensitivities. I like full handle rods more than split grips, but mostly due to personal preference.

As a former e6x owner, these rods are by no means junk. I caught hundreds of fish on mine over the few years I owned them. I’ve heard the 2018 model is greatly improved compared to the original model I owned. I think the typical argument against them is that there are better rods on the market at or slightly above the e6x price tag. ALX zolo, dobyns champion, shimano zodias, just to name a few. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that the rods you choose feel comfortable for YOU.