Gazz

I always pay for the 2 day at least. I think it was $11 and I got my Stradic in about 3 days. It shipped the next day. But I am also incredibly impatient.

I can certainly attest to Lew's customer service. When I had an issue with a Custom XP combo and the rod was absolute junk, they sent me a TP1 Black as a replacement rod when the original rod was worth maybe $40 and a brand new reel even though I didn't really ask for one and had fished the other for a whole season.

Thanks. The reel stood up to a ton of a abuse it probably just needed some care that I didn't bother to give it. I did clean it and fix it up so it is running fine enough and I'll be giving it to a buddy as a starter since I have now added I believe 5 new reels to my arsenal this season. ?

I got this reel last season for $60. It felt great and did really well for me throughout the season but I abused the hell out of it. Frogged through sludge and never even wiped it down so it was Pretty much toast when I went to do some reel maintenance over the winter. It was seized up but after cleaning and greasing it worked again. It just never felt the same. I learned my lesson for all future reels. Don't be like me. Take care of it.

I have the Lew's Custom XP reel that I actually got as a gift as a combo with the Custon XP rod. The rod crapped out and was junk so Lew's sent me a TP1 Black to replace it which was VERY generous. They also sent me a new reel to replace the other one that I had used for a season to "Get me a whole new setup." Great customer service. The reel has actually really surprised me with its performance but I can feel the durability being an issue especially when held next to my Curados and Chronarch. At $165, you can get a Curado for just a few bucks more. I'd suggest checking that out next time.

I think I’ve realized that I would likely use the setup for pretty much t rig and wacky rig stick baits as well as shakeyheads. I almost never drop shot and rarely ned rig but I would like to mix it in a bit more once I have better spinning gear. It seems like Medium Light may be too weak for most wacky and shakeyheads but Medium might be too stout for drop shots and ned rigs. Am I better off going Medium/Fast to cover it all fairly well or would a Medium Light handle wacky and shakey okay?

That's a pretty nice setup to start with. I would suggest maybe getting something with a moderate or mod fast action and pairing it with a 6:2:1 reel to sort of cover all your bases. MH or M power and you can use it for a bunch of different things like cranking etc. I'm not familiar with kayak fishing all that much but adding a rod like that will certainly round off your setup pretty well.

I actually just got my new Stradic in the mail and it feels really nice. I’m in the process of deciding on a rod for it as well. Still lost.

Legend has it that if you put a Tatula on an Expride it will burst into flames and you will suffer the curse of the Ci4 for the rest of your days.

When I got my full combo from them it came in a big, thick and solid tube. It was also wrapped in bubble wrap inside.

Thanks! I was looking at the mojo bass as well. I might just step it up to $200-$300 and just get a really nice rod for my only spinning setup. I was also considering an Orochi but I’m still not sure. I have 15 lb powerpro on the way with 8lb Sunline sniper for leader. I’m sure I’ll try some different things out and find what I like. The G Loomis E6X really is catching my eye too though.

No I haven’t really considered that. I’m not worried about how much line it will take to fill. I can always just use some mono backing if it really bothers me but I have a big spool of power pro on its way and I have no problem filling it almost entirely with braid. I was more concerned with it getting caught somewhere like the line guide on the bail but I think I’m only worried about that because I’ve only had lower end spinning reels. From what I’ve heard, that’s not an issue with higher end reels.

Thanks for all the input so far. I also meant to ask if anyone thinks that 15lb power pro will work fine with the stradic or if it might be too thin and get caught in some areas.

I did not think a ML rod could have too stiff of a tip lol I also don’t have much experience with ML rods.

Hello, I would like to start by saying that I did in fact use the search bar to research quite a bit but I wasn't really able to find anything that could answer my questions. I know I tend to overthink some of these things but I am getting pretty particular as I grow my collection. I recently finally caved and bought my first Stradic Ci4+ 2500 and now I need to figure out what stick to slap it onto. I'm also not entirely sure if I should go Medium/Fast or Medium Light/Fast. I currently have a decent lower end spinning combo that is a Medium but I only plan to ever carry one spinning combo with me at any given time. This new setup is meant to replace the old one and not to compliment it. I love the idea of a lighter setup for finesse applications as I am mostly getting this setup to encourage myself to use finesse a bit more. I sort of got bored with my old spinning combo and I have wanted a Ci4+ for a few years now. Anyways, I am leaning toward Medium Light but I want to be sure that it will still be effective for some all around spinning gear fishing. I'll be using braid to leader. I have been checking out the Avid-X so I would likely be in the $150-$250 price range. I also like the idea of the Expride ML+or the ALX Maestro ML+. Any experience with the ML+ type power? Any advice on what power I should focus on as well as any rods you think might be worth consideration would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I just ordered a stratic last night and I’ve been considering an Avid-X to pair with it. I’m also thinking ML/F. Do you think that setup is still strong enough for some weightless t rigs and really small cranks like Shad raps? I only carry one spinning combo when I go out and I want it to cover most of my bases.

I had a Lew's TP1 Black sent to me by Lew's as a warranty replacement for a much lesser rod. They were kind enough to send me the TP1 to replace a junk rod from the Custom XP combo. The rod was probably worth about $40 and the Black is $130. The TP1 Black has really blown me away. I only have experience with the MH/F model but the sensitivity is really nice at $130. It is the only Lew's rod I use and I use it alongside my Expride and others seamlessly. It is apparently tough to find the medium model online but it looks like Academy has it and you could always call Lew's directly. It's a few bucks over your price point but would say worth it. Also, I have the new model Daiwa Tatula rod paired with the new Tatula 150 reel and I have benched that combo in favor of the Lew's. It's all personal preference but that's where I stand.

You may have missed your chance. I got 2 at $140 each from Joe's Sporting Goods a few weeks ago but it looks like all their sales have ended.

How did you get the $5 off code?

I'm pretty sure G.Loomis takes cash...

I’ve been absolutely crushing them on a z man jackhammer with a yamamoto zako trailer. I got my 6 lb new PB as well as several 3-4 lbers when I’ve gone out. I have fished a ton of different baits each time and it seems like I hook up every time I pick up the jackhammer again. This is the specific one that’s working best for me.

Loves and prefers Daiwas but name is Shimano_1 and "Shimano4life" ? And I thought my old lady was confusing.

You've just awoken my unbearable urge to upgrade to a stradic ci4+ that I finally put to rest for the season. Luckily I can't make up my mind as to what rod I would want for it so I'm using that to keeps the wolves at bay.

I recently purchased a Chronarch/ Expride 7’2 MH/F as my new jig rod. It feels unbelievable. All of yours potential choices are great pieces but I would definitely suggest the Met/Expride. I also agree eith what others are saying. I did a lot of research and almost landed on an Orochi for the rod and the Braillist is definitely the rod to choose if you want an Orochi. I am sure there are a ton of rods that do, but it’s hard for me to imagine a rod feeling better than the Expride. Maybe I need an NRX for comparison.

If you think that’s bad, I caught this little guy on a 5-1/2 inch 360GT searchbait last season which has a gaff of a hook on it. ?