browne762

I would probably not try and match the carpet and just go with some DIY truck bed liner in black. Makes a nice textured non-slip surface to deal with. Black and red isn't a bad color combo either. Black carpet would work too if you wanted to stay with carpet. My boat is green and I will be adding some storage as well. I plan to just do the add-on in bed liner. Function over fashion if you know what I mean.

Most people would probably get the GLX. I personally am not a fan of used/demo stuff unless it is 50% or more off, so I would get a new Expride.

Sorry, I don't have any Megabass rods. I like getting deals and have been able to find other high end rods for 20%-40% off MSRP several times every year. Megabass never goes on sale so I pretty much ignore them.

I have more rods then I need on any given day so I understand that though process. I was meaning that if you were to get a NRX (or some other $500 rod), you will probably favor it more and end up retie-ing anyway. I have a couple Expride spinning rods and a NRX. Although the Expride rods are great, they are not to the same level as a NRX in my opinion when it come to maximum sensitivity. The Expride is about 40% less money though so it really shouldn't be. I like the reel seat on the Exprides more then other rods I have. Most people will be very happy with an Expride. If you use a St Croix Premier now, it will be more sensitive then that. I don't have any GLX rods. If you are getting the GLX for $300 new then that is a decent deal at about 30% off. Just keep in mind that as you chase for the ultimate in sensitivity you can start to spend lots of money...

If you are good up to $500, I would wait for a sale and get the NRX over the GLX. No reason you couldn't use a 852 for drop shot as well. Loomis actually has a 822 NRX specifically for drop shot fishing.

I have a St Croix 7'6" ML/XF in the Legend Tournament line and I like the rod quite a bit. I have been mostly using it for a Ned rig. I also use it for 2.8 inch Keitech swimbaits. I would normally use a 1/8oz and it will toss them really well. I don't think a 1/16 would be much trouble. The tip is pretty soft and that is why I have been liking it for a Ned rig rod. Moves quite a bit when a fish picks up the bait and has made bite detection by sight pretty easy. I couldn't tell you that will follow through on all of their rod series though. The Bass X line has seemed to be more stiff and the Eyecons seem to be more whippy. That is just my personal experience with those lines, but not a 7'6" ML/XF specifically.

Frog - I don't fish this too much so I didn't want a very high end rod but something still that I am familiar with. I have been happy with the Mojo line and they offered something in the price range I was looking. 7'4" St Croix Mojo Heavy Fast Shimano Curado DC 8:1 50lb Power Pro Crankbaits - I don't fish these too much either, but got the rod (two of them actually...) at a decent discount. 7' St Croix Avid X Medium Heavy Mod Shimano Curado DC 6:1 30lb Sufix 832 Jerkbait - Starting using this rod after watching bassresource videos on jerkbaits. I have really been liking it and the little shorter length has been making it easy to not slap the water. Same setup for both hard and soft. Would have gotten the Expride, but was never availble when I went to the store so I went down a level with the Zodias. 6'10" Shimano Zodias Medium Fast Shimano Curado 70 8:1 30lb Sufix 832 Buzzbait - This is the combo I will be using next season after having good luck with something similar this year. Pretty much just an upgraded rod. 7'2" G. Loomis IMX Pro Medium Heavy Extra Fast Shimano Bantam 8:1 30lb Sufix 832 T-Rig'ed Worm - I got back and forth between casting and spinning depending on the weight or how even just because I want to. I think I have more catches on a spinning set up. 7'6" G. Loomis Conquest Medium Fast Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 10lb Power Pro 7'6" G. Loomis Conquest Medium Heavy Fast Shimano Metanium 8:1 30lb Sufix 832 Dropshot - Main reason I got this rod was because it was on sale, otherwise I was using the rod listed below for my Ned rig. 6'10" G. Loomis NRX Medium Light Extra Fast Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 10lb Power Pro Ned - I use the Ned more then I drop-shot. I tend to like a longer rod and the tip on this thing shakes so much when there is a fish on it makes detection very easy. 7'6" St Croix Legend Tournament Medium Light Extra Fast Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 10lb Power Pro Spinnerbait - Use to use a HM fast, but got this rod just to try for spinnerbaits and have been very happy with it and wouldn't plan to use anything else. 7' St Croix Mojo Medium Heavy Mod-Fast Shimano SLX 7:1 30lb Sufix 832 Chatterbaits - I don't really know why, but this combo has been really great for Chatterbaits. I would previously use the same setup as for spinnerbaits, but for some reason this just "feels" better when I use Chatterbaits. Didn't have much luck with Chatterbaits before this season and now it was one of the higher producing lures I was throwing. 6'10" Shimano Zodias Medium Fast Shimano SLX 7:1 30lb Sufix 832 Whopper Plopper - I have this combo just for Whopper Ploppers because.... why not. I use them a lot when the bite is on and like how this setup works. 7'5" Shimano Zodias Medium Heavy Fast Shimano Bantam 6:1 30lb Sufix 832 Jig (football, swim, finesse) - I would use the same casting setups as for t-rig'ed plastics or buzzbaits as listed above. Crappie Fishing - Not really a "technique" but I would use these two combos for whatever the crappie (or bluegill) are biting on. Anything from small jigs to small spinnerbiats or even live bait with a float. Bass isn't open all year here and I still like to get out early season when the lakes start to open up. These have been the best I have found for fishing the light stuff. 7' St Croix Panfish Light Extra Fast Shimano Sahara 1000 10lb Power Pro 6'9" St Croix Panfish Ultra Light Fast Shimano Sahara 1000 10lb Power Pro

This is probably what I would take. My general purpose casting combos for jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, weighted T-rigs, Whopper Plopper and mid sized soft plastic swimbaits: G. Loomis IMX Pro 7’2” MH/XF – Shimano Bantam XG G. Loomis Conquest 7’6” MH/F – Shimano Metanium XG General purpose spinning combos for Ned rigs, weightless plastics, drop shot, shakey head and small soft plastic swimbaits: G. Loomis NRX 6’10” M/XF – Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 G. Loomis Conquest 7’6” M/F – Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 Then I would pick one of these casting combos for the fifth depending on the time of year or lake I was planning to go to: Shimano Zodias 6’10” M/F – Shimano Curado 70 XG - Soft and hard jerkbaits St Croix Avid-X 7’ MH/MF – Shimano Curado DC HG - Squarebills and lipless cranks St Croix Mojo Bass 7’4” H/F – Shimano Curado DC XG - Frogs and swimjigs

Colors of reels don't mean too much, there seem to be several black/dark gray with gold Shimano and Daiwa spinning reels. I think the Revros is closer to the Sedona in the Shimano line. You would want to compare the spec sheets and even then a in-hand side by side comparison might be the best when making a personal choice.

I would recommend the Shimano Sahara or if you wanted Core Protect (might help with dunking/sand IDK?) then the Nasci. I also am not a fan of the Mojo purple. I ended up getting one and after a short while grew to like the rod enough to get over the color. Now have 4 or 5 of them in my fleet. I don't notice the color at all when using them, just when in the store picking them out. Mine are all casting, but would think the spinning would be just as nice.

Curado 70 is $130 right now at Tackle Warehouse.

Last year I purchased a couple rods from Kingfisher through Amazon and they were shipped in super oversized boxes with no packaging inside, just the rod flopping around inside. One was even two boxes actually taped together to make a new longer box. I do see lots of bad reviews on Amazon about the condition of how the rods arrive and that has lead me to believe it is mostly on Amazon. I totally assume it is the people at Amazon not giving a care in the world and not knowing anything about what they are shipping. I have also had other items (not fishing related) shipped from Amazon in some real dumb ways. I don't know how the rods are shipped to Amazon (the might even be drop shipped from the manufacture on the sellers behalf) but they might be shipped in a tube with a few rods at a time which would mean they don't have one rod per tube and then need to "figure it out" when they ship them to a customer. What is funny is Amazon probably has tubes that they sell on their own website that would work... Regardless, I have decided to no longer order any rods ever from Amazon after having one come busted, then the replacement come busted even worse then the first. The replacement was actually the one shipped in the "build a box" with them putting two boxes together. It was in the shape of a "L" when the USPS driver pulled it from the back of his truck. I did just receive in a rod shipped in a tube from a reputable online seller known for having good shipping tubes. The tube was smashed and then ripped all the way around. Was just held together with about a half inch of cardboard. Rod totally exposed in the middle. The end of the tube was also hit so hard it was caved in and a 1/3 of the plastic cap was missing. That I blame on the shipping service not giving a crap about what they are transporting.

Aird-X are not listed as one of the selected rods. You can click the image and it shows you what will be on sale. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-SEASONSALE.html?from=basres

I have had much better/consistent distances with light lures on the Curado 70 over the Curado DC. I use 30lb Power Pro or Sufix most of the time though. If your budget is far greater then there are other Shimano options as well, but the Curado 70 doesn't seem to break the bank. ETA: The Curado 70 will be 30%-60% off in a couple days a Tackle Warehouse.

I have a handful of the Shimano Sahara reels and I like and recommend them. They are normally $80 when not on sale. I think they only or at least the main difference between the Sahara and Nasci is that the Nasci has "core protect" and the Sahara does not.

If you wanted to stick with St Croix, they make the Bass X in fast action as well. The SLX rods are also $100.

Which rod did you get? Mostly wondering if they are Fast action or Mod action? I know St Croix was getting rid of some Avid cranking rods which are Mod actions and I am curious if these are more of them. Kind of annoying they are not up front and say they only come with a 1 year warranty and not the 15 year like normal.

I own two of the 7' light and two 6'9" ultra light St Croix Panfish series rods. All are paired with Shimano Sahara 1000s using 10 pound hi-viz yellow Power Pro and a lighter leader line case by case. They are some of my favorite setups I own and they get used a lot real early spring. Mostly we are getting bluegill and crappie. Largest fish we hooked were about 3 pounds on both the UL and L. They handled them fine as long as we were being careful and didn't try to boat flip them. It is actually pretty fun fighting them in on the lighter tackle. I never have seen an Avid UL rod in person or used one so I couldn't compare them side by side with the Panfish series, but I do have other Avid rods. I like the guides, handle and reel seat better on the Panfish rods for the type of fishing then what is on the other series they offer. With the blend of graphite used in the Panfish series (SC2/SV6) I don't know if the Avid (SC3) is more sensitive then the Panfish rods. I think the price difference is probably made up in the Avid being made in USA and having a 15 year warranty more then the cost of materials. I have a UL Permier 5' rod from them as well that I really like. It is a mod action though so much more "noodle" like. I like that rod for places that the longer rods cant cast into very well or when I am planning to not cast far and use a float.

With the TW discount, if you pay with PayPal it will show the adjusted total before submitting the payment on the actual PayPal website.

I have started to notice that. I did get one of their "Reign" rods (which will also be on "sale") just to see how it was. It is the heaviest rod I have and will probably never use it just for that reason.

Here is more info: https://stcroixrods.com/blogs/news/st-croixs-holiday-events The 40% discount is for discontinued Mojo Bass Glass and Premier Crankbait rods. Unfortunately most Mojo rods will not be on sale.

No, it is the standard SLX reel. The combo is 35% less then what the normal price would be to buy a normal SLX reel and SLX rod. Hard to find a better deal and this isn't even a Black Friday deal for them, they often (maybe even always) have it for this price.

It was when I ordered during the TW 4th of July sale.

He said he doesn't like the way it feels when it casts or how it adjusts. I remember the thread:

I have a Lowe 1546 with a 25HP Merc tiller. With 2 people, 6ish gallons of fuel, 2 batteries, two Humminbirds, bow mounted trolling motor, 10-12 rods and a few tackle boxes/bag I get a max speed of about 23 MPH. Getting on plane takes a bit and I have to be at WOT to even get on plane. Without the person up front it takes even longer due to weight distribution. Once I am on plane, I can back it off and generally run around at 10-15 MPH which is totally fine by me. I was originally thinking about a 9.9HP or 15HP to save some money thinking the same thing, spend the money on other things. Boy am I happy I didn't do that! I would have been pretty disappointed with the performance. I cant even imagine how long it would take to get on plane with a 9.9 or if it would even be possible. All in all I am very happy with my boat even though I spent more then I was really wanting to after the TM and electronics. Had I gone with the smaller motor, I would probably be looking for a new one right now.