LAO162

I'm getting itchy, might pull the trigger (on the spinning combo ) tomorrow. Who am I to doubt the collective wisdom of BassResource? For $20 I can live with the one piece or buy a new rod if it doesn't travel well ;D Thanks Hope they don't change the special while I'm sleeping on it (and making a list of accessories ) Leon

Just got done chatting with BPS. They only have the combo package price for 1 piece models... More challenges

The nearest BPS is more than a 500 mile round trip for me... I'd prefer to keep my business local, especially if I will be getting advice on local condition and locations, etc. For a newbie how much should the local relationship be worth? Would that change the equation at all? Naturally, if I go BPS it will have to be through a BR link

Got me thinking I (instead of working) I have a decent light power outfit Shimano 5'6" Sensalite and Stradic 1000 (with quick fire) circa 1994. Well suited for lazy panfishing. I should probably go Medium power so that I have at least on rod with decent backbone. If I know I'm just sitting with a bobber I can use the little Shimano. If the need arises later, I'll have the excuse to add a medium light power BTW, speaking of a noodle, I found my late 60's 6'6" light power fiberglass rod in the basement the other day. When I was 4 to 6 years old I used it with what was probably about a 4000 size spinning reel. That rod has had more flex than Indiana Jones's bull whip

Thanks RW, I thought you would prefer the Stradic. So, I figured I should have at least one Stradic combo in the line-up

Which of these combinations would you eliminate as all purpose setups? Are there any obvious combinations that are missing? A. Cabela Tourney Trail TT663 / Cabela Tournament ZX $90 6-12 / 1/4-5/8 B. Shimano Clarus CSS-66M-2 / Daiwa Exceler $120 6-12 / 1/8-1/2 C. Daiwa Tierra TD-TR 662MFS / Daiwa Exceler 2500 $120 6-14 / 1/8-3/4 D. Cabela XML XCLS664-2 / Cabela Tournament ZX $150 6-12 / 1/4-5/8 E. BPS Extreme XPS XTR66MS / Shimano Stradic 2500 $140 4-12 / 1/8-1/2 F. St. Croix Premier PS66MF-2 / Daiwa Exceler 2500 $160 6-12 / 1/4-5/8 G. Shimano Compre CPSM2B / Daiwa Exceler 2500 $160 6-12 / 3/16-5/8 H. Daiwa Tierra TD-TR 662MFS / Daiwa Tierra 2500 $175 6-14 / 1/8-3/4 I. Fenwick HMG GS66M-2 / Daiwa Exceler 2500 $180 6-15 / 1/4-3/4 J. St. Croix Avid MF662 / Daiwa Exceler 2500 $230 6-12 / 3/16-5/8 I'm fairly comfortable approaching $150, but stretching quite a bit to go beyond that point. Over $200 and I might not be able to put any tackle on the line I'm not set on 6'6 or MF, but it seems like a good place to start my new rod collection . I'm biased towards the Daiwa Exceler since it felt better to me than the Shimano Sahara. From the comments I've read on different forums it also appears that the Exceler may have an edge in casting, line twist and smoothness. Since I don't expect to fish it extensively (this year), I'm not sure there is a lot of benefit jumping up to the Symetre or Stradic. However, the Daiwa Tierra looks pretty cool Just so the Shimano posse doesn't get me, I do have both a Symetre and a Stradic in the 1000 size from circa 1994. I still think they are great. I've outgrown the quick fire, though. Currently, I'm considering the Premier / Exceler combo to be my safe choice. And, I can get them locally. Thank you!! Leon

Raul, I think you hit upon my concern. While I may not be able to spend a lot of time going after big ones, I'd like to be able to set the hook should I connect with a 2-4 (or larger ) bass. I do have decent ultra light and light spinning setups, but I've had difficulty setting the hook on larger bass. It could be me, but I used to be able to set the hook with my now 25yo bass rod. Thus, I'm in a grey area. I think the ML would be more fun, but I might have buyer's remorse if I have trouble setting the hook. I know, many other issues with setting the hook, I'm sure I'll have even more questions then. ;D Leon

Oops, and I do know the difference between action & power... That's the danger of typing before coffee I edited the subject line... Does it make sense to step down a level & get 2 rods, such as Shimano Clarus or Cabelas Tourney Trail... one 6' medium and one 7' ML? Another question I was thinking about asking was the logic of having 2 rods & one reel. Since I won't be using a boat this year I wouldn't be carrying 2 setups anyhow. Thanks everyone for the great advice. Leon

Another day, another newbie question Assuming that the line is limited to 6 lb test and much of my fishing will in fairly open water, what are the tradeoffs between MediumLight and Medium Power (spinning)? I'm assuming that the MediumLight will be more fun with smaller fish, but Medium might be friendly to a greater number of techniques. My two examples would be: St. Croix Premier PS66MLF 4-10# 1/8-1/2oz St. Croix Premier PS66MF 6-12# 1/4-5/8oz I don't know has experience with pond & lake where I will be fishing and this year I will be expecting with different techniques so I can't be specific about lure size and style of fishing, yet. I do know that I will be spending some time with a slip bobber catching panfish with my daughter. Thanks for all of your help Leon

ReelMech, the only tournament action I will see are competitions against my 9yo daughter as we sit by the town pond with slip bobbers ;D Most of the areas I will fish are faily open. However, my in-laws have new cabin by a small lake, but I don't know what the conditions are for shore fishing there. We may occassioanly use a canoe. However, my excuse for buying a new combo is that my other setups don't have enough backbone for a bass... I've had trouble setting the hook when using my trout poles. I'm hoping that I have the opportunity to fish some T-rigs and experient with other techniques like Crankbaits, C-Rigs and Spinner baits. While I expect to catch mostly panfish, I'd like to think that I'm taking a lazy casual approach to finesse bass fishing If I can get the family hooked on fishing, then I hope we will get more serious next year.

Thanks ReelMech, You might be helping my budget Since I have not develped a favorite style yet and I'm just looking for one general purpose rod (for this year), maybe I should stay will more reasonable priced rods that are more forgiving. i.e. stick with a St. Croix Premium rather than the Avid. Or, even something in the Fenwick Eagle GT/HMX or Shimano Clarus range. Next year I can always go high tech ;D

Newbie Question - How does Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft work with crankbaits?

For the Daiwa Exceler or Tierra's that I've been considering, the difference between the sizes is about an ounce. The other difference is the amount of line retrieved per crank. I believe it's 28" vs 31"

I figured it had to do with the loading. Thanks for confirming my thoughts I also noticed that some of the more expensive rods have smaller ranges. Is that because the blanks are stiffer or because their design is more specific to a certain style of fishing? Leon

What is the "real life" importance of the manufacture's Lure Weight rating on a rod? Thanks!

Thanks for all your input. The Baitmonkey & I are getting anxious to go to the tackle shop ;D

Thanks, sounds like either size is a winner. Hopefully the tackle shop will have both sizes next time I go in. I'll see which feels best. Oh, would using 6# or sometime 4# make a difference? Eventually I will be trying Yo-Zuri Ultra Soft.

What size spinning reel would you recommend for general purpose use. Casting and less line twist are fairly high priorities. Most likely the rod will be a St. Croix Premier 6'6" MF. Currently looking at Daiwa Exceler, or possibly Tierra. (If I go Shimano it would be the Symetre 2500). Thanks! Leon EDIT: See new comment at the bottom

Thanks Everyone! I think you've talked me down from 7'0" to a compromise at 6'6" Since it will be my only rod (this year) I won't expect it to be perfect for every purpose. Leon

I think Cabelas & BPS can go lower on combos when they involve their own brands. These were some of the combo's I was first looking at before I increased by budget and found a local tackle shop. DISCLAIMER ;D - I do not have experience with any of these combos and you can get better information for the others on the board 8-) Hope these give you a frame of reference, though. Pflueger President BPS Extreme $109 http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=59170&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse BPS Extreme Combo $99 http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=90689&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse Shimano Sahara / BPS Bionic Blade $99 http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=59167&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse Cabelas Tournament ZX / Tourney Trail Combo $89 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20287&rid=&indexId=cat20287&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat20287&id=0030188 Cabelas Tournament ZX / Fish Eagle II Combo $109 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20287&rid=&indexId=cat20287&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=4&parentType=index&parentId=cat20287&id=0022922 Shimano Symetre / Cabelas Tourney Trail Combo $109 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20287&rid=&indexId=cat20287&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=4&parentType=index&parentId=cat20287&id=0030874 Warning - its easy to spend more Cheers! Leon

oops, I didn't catch that you already had the reel :-?

I'm pretty much in the same boat. BPS is a full day round trip. Cabelas even further (but were getting one soon . You might try going out to some manufacturer websites and look for dealers in your area. If you are going to buy a name like Shimano, you will pay full boat whether its online or from a dealer. Might as well support your local guy. If you really want a deal, it seems as though the BPS and Cabelas combos are a great deal. The BPS Extreme has gotten a lot of good reviews. If you have time, do a few searches on it. I've been looking at some of those combos & may buy online myself. The only thing stopping me is that I'd like to buy from my local dealer since I will be asking him for advice about gear and checking out his inventory. More importantly, though, I'll be asking him about locations and local conditions Maybe someone else can address the Cabelas & BPS combos in your $ range. Good Luck! Leon

Thanks Lard_Bass Do you find the MLF has enough backbone for decent sized bass? I've been thinking about the Exceler since my local dealer has them. What size Laguna are you using? Do you like the Triumph? Cheers! Leon

Thanks for your thoughts. Compromise is so hard Since I have a 5' Ultra Light and 5'6" light setup, my excuse has been the need for a real bass setup- a reel with anti-reverse and a rod with enough backbone to set the hook, should I be fortunate enough to find a lunker. I figure while my daughter is watching her bobble, I might have time to cast some lures. Back in the day (1985 or so) I did mostly T-Rigs. Now, I have lot's of new techniques to try. Guess I'm back at 6'6" for the dreaded general purpose compromise. Next year, when I have more experience, I'll have an excuse for the specialized setup ;D Of course, I'll probably change my mind many more times

Since I will spend a lot of time going for panfish with my daughter (9yo), I suspect I will be throwing baits on the light side. Also, a lot of time with slip bobber. Would 7' have much of an advantage with light baits? Thanks