5by3

Dobyns champion line is really nice but a bit above your price range at about $230-250. Have seen lots of outstanding reviews on ALX rods but have not tried one myself. shimano zodias gets mentioned a lot too

I personally love them. One of the best balanced rods on the market in my opinion and very comfortable to fish. As far as sensitivity, it depends on the model you choose. The champion extreme and champion series are going to be your most sensitive models and should handle most of your bottom contact presentations. The sierra, saavy, and fury are a tier below in sensitivity, but by no means bad rods. I mostly fish the champion line of rods since I unfortunately cannot afford an arsenal of $350 rods. They have been plenty sensitive for my needs and I do not feel that I am missing out on any bites. I also really enjoy the rod actions/tapers and I truly believe I lose less fish on these rods than any other I’ve owned. Great warranty as well.

I’m curious as to what the hype for full grip vs split grip is on the 735? Is it just user preference or is there actually a subtle different in these models?

I use 10-12lb for jerkbaits and crankbaits, 15-20 lb for pitching, jigs, and t-rigs. Have had zero issues with this line and actually find it to be quite manageable for the price. I do add one spray of kvd line and lure before use. Is it as nice as invisx or sniper? No, but the price is right ($10-12 at Walmart). edit: I use it mainly on baitcasters. I’d probably bite the bullet and buy sniper for a spinning reel

+1 This rod is an absolute dream to fish chatterbaits

+1 i have also noticed around me that some lakes are “wp lakes” and others are not. Some lakes I just can’t seem to get a bite on one, others it’s an absolute slugfest. Haven’t quite figured out why...

I’m 6’5, so I prefer to use longer rods. I throw poppers and small topwater on a dobyns 704cb with light braid or sometimes mono. Spooks on a dobyns 705cb glass tied to straight braid. buzzbaits/WP 110 on a dobyns 734 tied to straight braid.

1-minus

To me, a jig and worm rod typically is meant for single hook presentations and has a fast or extra fast tip that transitions quickly to the rod’s backbone. This is important so that you have more leverage to drive that single hook home. These should be some of the most sensitive rods in your arsenal since these techniques require more feel as opposed to moving bait rods where sensitivity does not matter as much. But as others have said, the words on a rod are only suggestions by the manufacturer. A lighter “jig and worm rod” may make a good spinnerbait rod to one person but not another. It’s up to you to decide which baits you feel comfortable throwing on a particular rod.

Don’t be discouraged! The water temps here in Ohio are hovering just above freezing and the lakes were frozen just last week. It can be a very tough time to fish until spring comes around. I fish blade baits and jerkbaits pretty much exclusively this time of the year. Blade baits tend to work better for me when the water becomes frigid. I fish them vertically from a boat or cast them with short hops along the bottom. Less is more with these baits. A lot of people tend to jerk them too aggressively, but I’ve often found that raising the rod tip about 6” or just enough to feel the bait’s intial vibration and letting it fall back to the bottom can be deadly. Don’t be afraid to let the bait sit on the bottom for a few seconds or more. Bass will often pick it up while it’s just sitting there. The fish are going to be slow and lethargic, so we have to adjust our presentations accordingly. Good luck out there!

I love the Curado 70 and currently own 4 of them. Don’t let the size of the reel fool you. They are a workhorse reel for me and have plenty of power. I like to upgrade to a 90mm handle for more leverage and also because I have large hands. I mostly pitch, flip, and worm with mine although I’ve thrown jerkbaits, squarebills, buzzbaits, and other topwater as well. Line size varies depending on presentation, but usually it’s 15-17lb flouro or 30-40 lb braid. That being said, I don’t usually reach for these reels when I need to bomb long casts with large crankbaits or swimbaits. I use a regular Curado k for that with more line capacity. For general purposes, the 70 has plenty of line capacity to make a reasonably long cast + some extra line still on spool.

Does it help? It certain situations, yes. Do you need it? Absolutely not. I mostly fish 6.3:1 reels so that I can easily swap them out on any of my combos. Personally, I’ve never really felt like I was at a disadvantage in catching up to a fish with a 6.3:1. I think the higher speed reels tend to shine more when flipping/punching as you can get more flips per hour with a faster gear ratio.

If you decide to go Dobyns, you might also want to consider the 766 flip (the 765s big brother!) for the 1-2oz weights. The 765 can handle those weights too, but the sweet spot imo seems to be around the 3/4-1 oz mark.

Can’t speak on the ALX rods, but they seem to get great reviews. i have the dobyns champ 765 flip paired with a Curado k and absolutely love that combo.

Vibe-e!

+1 While I do like the popmax, I like the rico more ?

Dobyns 734 can do it all

I have a 6’10 Powell inferno rod that I love and it does not break the bank

Champion 734 can do pretty much anything you want. I use mine for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits mostly.

GLX 894 (or NRX if you can afford it)

Usually owner st-36 or regular gamakatsu round bend treble hooks work just fine. i agree that the hooks on the megabass and lucky craft baits are less than ideal (I heard the lucky craft hooks are vmc, but can’t confirm)

I’m throwing my WP 110s on a dobyns 736cb Glass and so far I can say it’s been the perfect rod. The backbone is plenty heavy to handle these baits (rated 3/8 to ***/8 oz) and the softer tip allows you to accurately cast around cover. The glass component of the rod really shines when you are fighting a fish. I feel that I lose far less fish on this rod than any others that I’ve tried.

Haven’t fished the toad runner but have fished the teckel sprinker frog. I too have had lots of blowups with a subpar landing ratio. As others have said, fish seem to swipe at mine a lot and often bite the tail but don’t engulf the entire bait. You can’t hook them if they aren’t sucking the whole thing down! Fun to fish, but much more productive baits out there imo.

Sunline sniper is my favorite, but it runs about $23/spool here. I’ve also had great luck with seaguar red label for $10/spool from Walmart.

I think you’re about as sensitive as you can get for sub $200. Maybe the avid x would be an upgrade? i also suggest looking for deals on used rods. I’ve scored a few used GLX for $250 recently.