Ycerides614

Hey everyone. I just received an Abu Garcia Vengeance rod from Abu from a warranty claim on another rod. I've read on these forums and others that Abu's power ratings lean a bit stiff. My 6'6 Medium/Fast Vengeance rod lists 1/4-5/8oz lure rating & 8-17 lb line. I'm wanting a Medium/Heavy set up moreso than a medium....would you say this rod is applicable for that application, or should I exchange it for an actual Med/Heavy rod, particularly a 7 footer? I like to throw 1/4-3/8 oz football jigs w/ Craw trailers (NetBait Baby Paca, Christie Craw, or Zoom Super Chunk) or those same Craws Texas rigged pegged with a 1/8-1/4oz bullet sinker. (I fish in relatively shallow ponds). I will also be purchasing either a Dobyns 704C or Powell Max3D Medium Heavy rod soon, too, and have a 6'6" Medium/Moderate-Fast Abu rod as well, so if it would be more helpful to keep this one for some reason, let me know what you think! I appreciate your help and replies! Thank you

I think I'll do just that. i don't have anyone around here to talk about fishing with or gear, so it'll be really nice to chat and I'm sure he could point out exactly what I'm looking for. Good idea. Thanks for the tip!

Hey again, I really appreciate your comments and help with this. You've convinced me on the Powell..after doing some more research today this is exactly what I'm looking for. I've seen your comments around here and your posts are always extremely informative, and I always learn a lot. I really appreciate you be willing to go put a Daiwa on it and see how it feels, I think it should be fine, however. I'm just being too meticulous and picky! Now it's just a debate between the Max 3d 683 CEF and the 723 CEF. I'll make sure to report back in a month for a review on it. I might even try to run up to a better tackle shop soon and get my hands on a few, including the iRod options. Again, thanks, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for the input. Your posts are where I've gotten a lot of information from, actually. I remember many posts where other commentators said to listen to your advice. I'm taking a look at the two rods you mentioned, and have some questions, if you have time to answer them later. For the iRod; -Is the ratings system similiar to Dobyn's. I'm seeing the 7ft, med/hvy listed as a 703C, the same as the Fury series being a "3 power," while the heavy is listed as 704C. From what I've read about the Dobyn's, I'd definitely want the 704C. I've added both the Genesis II and Fiber series to my list to consider. The only thing that has my hesitating is the reel seat. Im not sure how much I like a totally exposed blank, but will go to a local store, hold some rods with minimalist seats and see how it feels. For the Powell, which I actually like quite a bit and the link you provided really makes it shine. I read the entire review and I'm very impressed. Again, the so-called "skeletal Reel Seats" may be problematic, but I'll give em a try! The picture in the review of the seat is different from ones I'm finding on tacklewarehouse and such. My first question involves the taper-the "extra fast" taper. Does it preform well enough for my 1/4 & 3/8 jigs and t-rigged plastics? What about the rod's '3-power rating?' Sufficient? This rod has definitely entered my 'top 3,' along with the Dobyn's Fury and Fenwick HMG. Really like it. Just hope the $119 price on powell's site stays until the end of August! I appreciate your input on this. I know I'm overthinking it all, but have a lot of time before graduate classes start in a month, and can't make this purchase for another month, so I'm left with plenty of time to make sure I find the rod most suitable. Thanks!

I see, thanks for the heads up! I have read the FAQ, just looking for specifics for what they did.

That's been my top choice for the last few days. Thanks for the input! I noticed the name being censored on this site and have wondered why. Do you know what's up? (Or can't talk about it on here?) I definitely don't want to support a bad company, regardless of the quality of the rods. I found very little information about this rod & others from the brand on this site, so this makes sense. Thanks for the input, as well! Thanks for the input! Thanks for the input, I appreciate it! I only wish I could get my hands on them to see what they feel like. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any shops near me (besides Columbus, OH which is about an hour away). Perhaps I will make a trip up soon. Thanks for the input!

Hey everyone. Looking for some opinion on the following rods, which after countless hours researching on the forums and reading reviews, I've narrowed it down to. I'll be putting on either a Tatula CT or a Shimano Citica I (if I can find one on-sale or on an auction site for cheap(er)) I plan on using the set-up for; Jigs (1/4 & 3/8 oz are my favorite)+ craw or chunk trailer T-Rigged Plastics Perhaps chatterbaits + fluke or other plastic trailers Rod Choices; Dobyns Fury 704C (Which is heavy fast, but you know Dobyns, which is roughly 1/2 step down in power) Fenwick HMG 7ft Med/Heavy Fast St Croix Bass X Med/Heavy Fast St Criox Mojo Bass Med/Heavy Fast *** *** Black II Med/Heavy Fast I'd prefer to stay in the $100-$110 range, but if the SCIII Mojo is worth it for the extra $20-30, I could consider it. I know a lot of people will recommend the Diawa Tatula rod, but I'm not sure if I'm interested in that. This will be my first 'good' rod that I'll be purchasing. Right now I'm using the Abu Garcia Pro Max Rod & Reel combo, as well as old 80's/90's 5 & 1/2' Fenwick HMG/Boron X with Shimano Stradic 1000RH and Symetre 2000. I much prefer the baitcaster now, though. I've looked at all the rods in this price point; Diawa's, ***, Abu, Falcon, etc, and through reading on this site and reviews, these ones seem the best for my usage. If you think of one worth mentioning, though, I'd love to hear about it! I'd appreciate any and all advice you could give! Thanks! PS- I've done extensive research on this site and in the "best rod" thread, reading every link. Just want some up-to-date opinions and info that I might not of heard + opinions on these specific rods. Thanks!

Hey again, I think you definitely have the right idea, that's a great plan. Many people say to use the same diameter of braid as you do fluorocarbon, but I'm not too much of a stickler on that. I'm assuming you're using spinning gear, and 10lb equivalent braid would be rather thick for spinning (I think it would be like 40-50lb braid)! You can't go wrong with either Suffix or Power Pro, really comes down to which you prefer. The tungsten weights will help, too, as they offer greater sensitivity. Don't worry, as you fish more you'll recognize the bites more and look back on this as part of learning. It's apart of the fun! I still have a problem with the sight fishing, and typically just pull a little, with the rod, and "feel" if there's a fish on. I know that's what you're trying to avoid and it certainly makes me loose some fish. Good luck though! You'll get it!

Hey there. I would suggest using a line & line color you can watch easily, like either a hi-vis monofilament (I like Trilene XT, Big Game, Stren, Sufix Elite or Seige, etc in Solar, Green, Orange) or hi-vis braid (like Sufix 832 or Power Pro in Yellow, Neon Green, and many others) with your Vanish fluorocarbon line as a leader. A leader is line tied to the end of your mainline to reduce visibility, abrasion resistance, etc. In reference to your diagram, it would be the line that starts at the top of the water down to your hook & senko. It's easily tied on. With this Hi-Vis line, you'd be able to watch the line more rather than completely relying on "feeling" it with your rod. I'm guilty of not line watching, as well. But being able to see the line move will certainly help with your problem, as you won't need the line to be tight, and the slack can work to your benefit. The line test # will depend on if you're using spinning or baitcasting reels. If you have any other questions feel free to ask!

Definitely going to be picking the medium heavy. Thanks! I'll take a look at the BPS rod, haven't done that yet. Thanks! In response to the Fuego, I've heard great things about them, and Daiwa as a whole. Prior to finding the BPS PQ2 reel I mentioned, it was between Daiwa and Shimano. However, the BPS reel uses both centrifugal and magnetic breaking, so I figured that may be better? I'm primarily looking for a reel that's going to last a few years, I like to purchase good quality gear that I won't have to worry about breaking after one season, as I fish a lot (multiple times per week). The Pro Max combo I have was a gift and first baitcaster, and before that I was using early 80's and 90's Fenwick HMG's, HMX's, and a Boron X with early 2000's Shimano Reels (Stradic 1000 and Symetre 2000). The durability of the Shimano reels and Fenwick rods really stood out to me and I'm looking for a baitcasting reel and rod that I can easily use 5-10 years down the line when treated with care, as I'm meticulous with rod & reel care. I appreciate the reply! Keep hearing good thing about these Tatula rods. Definitely taking a look! I only wish it used cork on the handle, for which I'm a big fan of and is a deciding factor. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply! As I've done more research on a good jig rod on the forums, the Daiwa Tatula consistently comes up and is mentioned. I'll start checking those out, as well. Previously never heard of them. Thanks for the heads up, I appreciate it.

Hey everyone, I want to gather your opinions about something. I'm currently searching for a rod to fish jigs, weighted plastics, etc with. I'm going to pair it with an Abu Garcia 7.1:1 Pro Max reel. I'm going to purchase a BPS Pro Qualifier 2 5.6:1 for Squarebills, medium crankbaits, chatterbaits, etc and pair it with the Medium-Heavy/Moderate rod that came with the Pro Max reel as a combo. But for the jigging rod, I've narrowed it down to 3 possibilities; which do you think is best? -Fenwick HMG Med-Heavy Fast Action -St. Croix Bass X Medium-Heavy Fast Action -*** Fate Green Medium-Heavy Fast Action (not exactly sure whether I should go with around the 6'6" I'm used to or go for 7' I'd appreciate any advice you could provide. Also, If you think there's a better option for around ~ $100, please mention it! I'm not dead set on these just yet. I'm also aware the St Croix Mojo's retail for about $130, but unless they are significantly better, I'd like to stick to around the $100 price point, as I've given myself a $200 budget for a rod and reel for this purpose and the BPS PQ2 is $100, itself. I forgot to mention that I do the majority of my fishing from shore. Thanks!

Thanks for the help! Will definitely. try out the braid Hey there. The leader for big game is because I like the Solar Green color and am worried about the visibility of the line. You're right, I primarily fish soft plastics & jig w/ craw trailer or Zoom super chunk. I wish I felt more confident in not using one, as I'm not a fan of fluoro line at all. Do you think it's unnecessary, even with what's essentially a neon green line? I suppose I could give it a try. Thanks for the response, definitely looking at the KVD conditioner, really want it. Again, thanks!

Definetely would consider it. I've read a lot of conflicting reports on it for beginners, though. It backlashes/digs in easy on snags/etc. I would worry about having to replace it or re-spool and the waste of money as a beginner with the baitcasting. You say it's easier, however? 50lbs, to match the line diameter of the thicker mono? EDIT-Also looking at the Suffix 832-any opinions?

Hey everyone. I haven't seen too much info about this so please excuse me if this topic has already been discussed. I'm new to baitcasters and am using Berkley Big Game 15lbs without any issue. I understand that fluorocarbon is quite difficult to use, especially for beginners, on baitcasters, but would a copolymer behave better? I'm looking at P-Line CXX Fluorescent Green (will tie a couple feet of fluoro on as a leader). Would this line behave much like my standard Big Game mono line? I'm worried about backlashes and such. I'd appreciate any advice you could give!