fisherdrew

6'6" M or MH rod would be my pick. good tweener size that you can cast from the bank or flip worms under trees and tight spots. heck i'd even go with a 6 footer - my personal preference there though. for $50 your options are limited, but probably the berkeley lightening rod in that price range. IF this is your only rod though, check out a phenix recon or any loomis rod.

tri city is not bad. there are bass in there, you just have to work it. there are actually crappie in there as well that are decent sized. i've hit a few throwing swimbaits in there.

hey guys, i signed up as member today just so i can provide some feedback on this one. i've been a long time lurker, only fair to give back at some point especially because i was in the same position not long ago and ended up with all 3 of the rods in question. so between the 3, it really depends on what line class you pick up, but generally the m1 is going to be the fastest action of the 3 and i find it can be pretty stiff depending on what you are throwing. sensitivity and lightness are amazing. i have the m1 inshore in particular. the feather is also a fast action rod, and as the name insinuates this is a very light rod. very good sensitivity and a good all around rod. lastly, recon has a slightly more moderate tip compared to the feather, and i like this when throw lighter lures. i wouldn't classify it as parabolic by any means - still has a very stiff feel to it overall, but i think the perfect action as a freshwater rod. to summarize, i like the m1 (inshore) as a jig or iron stick. very strong backbone and you can wrestle just about any bass out of weeds, etc. with a ton of power. i like this as a heavier action rod with heavier lures in general. feather - it can be a saltwater or freshwater bass rod. it serves both functions well, great tweener rod. recon - bay/harbor rod, and handles the lighter baits better. to be clear, all of mine are baitcasters. my recon model is the c683 (paired with an abu alx), and my feather is a 77mh (paired with a 13 fishing c). the m1 inshore is a 7'11 MH (paired with a lexa 300 or tranx depending on what i feel like throwing that day).