Flapjack

X2 X3

Very nice!! Love the Curado....

Thanks for posting this RW! Yesterday I ordered a Stradic CI4 and you saved me some big $$. :)

Thanks guys. I'm feeling really good about this choice. I'm going for it!

Thanks Guys! I really do appreciate the comments...very helpful. I could change my mind, but right now I'm leaning to: Spinning: AVS68MXF / Stradic 2500 CI4 Thanks again, Mark

The lake I do most of my fishing on is a clear deep lake in Canada. I fish a lot of topwater, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, etc., but very very little throwing of plastics, so I'm looking for thoughts and advice on a good rod/reel setup. This lake does not have a lot of cover, but this summer it has been a lot weedier than usual. Not thick heavy matting, but areas here and there with what I think is hydrilla and milfoil. My fishing partner and I found a few spots in about 10 15 feet of water that were weedy near drop-offs and anchored there and dropped wacky worms into the holes between weeds. We actually did quite well pulling in several largemouths in the 3 lb range. It was clear to me though that I need a setup geared for this type of fishing. My first thoughts were a spinning outfit. Something like a St. Croix AVS68MXF or Loomis BCR803 Mossyback paired with a Stradic 2500 reel. After researching and reading others' comments, I found a lot of people really like the Falcon Cara CC-5-167MH (or CC-5-167S with the split grip) weightless worm rod. I have a couple of Curados that I really like, so I would probably pair this rod with a new Curado. A Shimano 50mg would be nice, but way out of my budget range. I'm not sure if a baitcasting setup would be an OK way to go, or would that outfit with a Curado not be the best idea? Should I stick to spinning and are those good setups I listed? Or is spinning vs baitcasting for this particular technique just personal preference? I don't foresee any long casting. Just basically pitching while anchored or soft casting while going along the shoreline with the electric trolling motor. I'm thinking mostly wacky worms or Texas-rigged plastics. What do you think?? - Mark

I want to keep to around a 6' rod since I like to work walk the dog lures with the tip down, and sometimes I have to fish out of a small aluminum boat. I went to Gander Mountain today and they had the Avid AC62MXF rod that I had mentioned. The tip is definitely softer than the Premier I have and it seemed like a very nice rod, but I don't know that I'm too excited about that hump in the handle behind the rod seat that I see on the Avid casting rods. One thing I'm curious about with the Loomis 5' 10" Bronzeback Rod SMR702C-TW that was mentioned: the handle. Would that be considered a pistol grip? I'm just a little worried that it might be a little tiring on the wrist, and lacks the leverage for fighting bigger fish. I can't really tell from the picture just how long the handle is. Would you use two hands to cast with it? That Loomis Casting Rod CR722C - IMX ($198.00 at Reeds) that avid suggested sounds like a very good possibility too....

That sounds like it might be exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

Hmmm...what you're saying makes sense to me too. I sent an e-mail to St. Croix and this is what they said: "The AC62MXF would be an excellent choice for top water baits like the Zara Spook. It's still a medium power, but has an extra-fast tip, which is a little softer, but doesn't flex as far down the rod, for good walk-the-dog action." Now I'm confused....

Thanks for the suggestions. The Legend Tournament sounds like a great rod, but the 6'8" length is longer than what I want. The Avid seems like a good choice, but I was looking at this one: http://www.reedssports.com/Product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=665 It has a softer tip which seems like it would be great for topwater lures like the Spook. Any thoughts?

Hi guys, Topwater is my #1 technique for fishing for smallmouths, so I would really like to find the ideal setup for rod & reel. Before this year, I had been using a spinning outfit which did OK, but since I throw Zara Spooks more than anything else, I decided to get a baitcaster rig specifically for heavier topwaters such as the Spook. I ended up with a St. Croix Premier PC60MF (6' medium, fast tip) and paired it with a Curado 101D. Fishing line is 17 lb Suffix Elite mono. I'm happy with everything except the rod. It's a nice rod, but just a little disappointing. Maybe it's just my style of fishing, but the tip seems just a little too stiff when using walk the dog lures. I can live with it, but I would like to replace it if there is something out there that I might like better. I definitely don't want a rod longer than 6'. Can anyone recommend a good baitcaster rod for this specific application? Price range would be $100 - $200. Thanks!