The Maestro

I have that rod but haven't used it that much. It's good for lipless crankbaits and probably a good all around utility rod. Probably be good for jigs and Texas rigs if you like a bit of a slower action than what I prefer.

I use 50lb Power Pro Super Slick for my jig rod.

There might be something to that as the blank 'shuts off' closer to the tip where it's thinner in diameter making it more susceptible to breaking especially from high sticking as DVT mentioned.

I don't think you'd see a very big improvement unless you were to upgrade to higher models. For example I own a few of the Curado E's and I don't think it would be worth it to replace them with Curado K's while they still work fine for moving baits. However I have bought several Bantams and Metaniums mainly for short casting/vertical type fishing and they're a HUGE improvement over older reels.

Necro-bumping this thread. I know it's been beat to death but I'm still curious. Does anyone feel they've experienced anything that constitutes anything close to definitive proof that they've gotten more bites on flouro or mono vs. straight braid?

I'd say they're reels that will be reliable and get the job done without the added frills. Curados and Tatulas are what most people think of.

Agree. I don't have them anymore but I did have a few when I first started to get serious about fishing. The Extremes were pretty good bang for buck. I gotta figure the higher models would be good rods based on that.

The small trebles on crankbaits vs a big single hook on chatterbaits require different action rods. As well as the fact that I want more power to rip a chatterbait through weeds. I know some people like slower (even glass) rods for chatterbaits so I guess it works for them.

In on 10 page thread before thread lock due to grown men getting their feelings hurt over internet comments.

The original Super Slick Power Pro was a very light green. The updated V2 Super Slick is darker but still a bit lighter than original Power Pro.

A lot of the low profile Abu Garcias used to tout 20+lbs of drag. Dont know if they still do though.

Been running 50lb Power Pro V2 this season.

Literally nobody has said anything resembling this. Also in before thread shut down because reasons.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm saying.

I have that rod. It does have a nice action for topwaters and keeping the fish pinned. That's all I really used it for. You can get away with using braid since it's quite soft and forgiving.

The sensitivity aspect has been beaten to death in this thread but higher end rods also tend to make accurate casting MUCH easier. There's also something about them (that I've never been able to put my finger on exactly what it is) that makes them feel much more 'lively' in your hands.

I'm trying to get more into drop shotting just not sure if there's much advantage over lead.

I've seen the videos. You do pretty good when it comes to big smallies. I on the other hand....

I'm not sure but smallmouth are notorious for being "here today gone tomorrow". Staying on those fish is challenging to say the least. Even top tournament guys who really know how to use their electronics struggle with it on multi-day tournaments.

Rarely. What happens more often is the line will get overlapped and buried when I fish for a while without dumping the spool and repacking it. I try to do it after every 2nd or 3rd spot I've fished but sometimes forget.

Frogs for sure. Texas rigs etc... a lot of people seem to prefer flouro but it probably depends on how thick we're talking.

My topwater rod which also pulls double duty for the odd time I want to chuck a squarebill has mono. Everything else is straight braid. I'll run a flouro leader if I'm drop shotting but that's almost never.

Not sure but I'd say if you're fishing that spot at any point in the future and you see them coming back you should pull up and leave since you only know about it because of them and you should be trying to attract minimal attention to it. The unwritten rules of fishing etiquette aren't always black and white but safe to say that if you feel like you're doing something slimy or that you wouldn't want done to you than you shouldn't do to someone else.

I think the general consensus so far is that anglers who look for shortcuts in fishing by pigging backing off the hard work and dedication of others are most likely scummy characters who approach all facets of life the same way. I don't see any of that in what you posted.

They completely disregard the skillset required to catch fish and think they can just fast track literally 1000's of hours on the water by poaching spots. The good news is these people don't typically last long in fishing. Also imagine getting mad at SOMEONE ELSE because you can't catch fish. Shows the mentally of the type of people who do this stuff.