GetFishorDieTryin

I know what you mean. Phenix uses the build as a selling point, but they try to say they're 100% US built. Most of their blanks are custom made for Phenix so they aren't clone blanks like some other companies. You can actually the blanks through Phenix for custom builds which a lot of people do. Unfortunately the cost of US sourced materials and labor is considerably higher. A $200 rod made in china can be equal to a $350 U.S. made rod in some cases. You gotta give credit to SC for finding a way to put a rod like the Victory on the market at its price point, I'm really happy to see that.

The bass should relate to the best cover they have. In a dishpan pond without trees the only cover the fish may have to relate to is a bare bank. At the very least it offers them some shade if only for a short time every day. I think its the other way around because the bass is the predator chasing or waiting in certain spot ambush food. There are times when bluegill and bass spend a lot of time around each other in smaller water and you can tell by the body language of the bluegill aren't nervous. When a bluegill is all alone and there's a bass then its a different story.

Yes I am sure about that. The blanks aren't spun here, but rods are built here in the U.S. by people who know how to build them. Thats why the fit and finish on them is so good.

In the winter the deepest spot of the pond usually holds fish especially if there's a branch or something for the fish to relate to. The rest of the time its the cover, shade and forage along the bank that draw the bass in.

Hes not faking that retro deal either, everything Ive seen him use is old school.

13 is a good company, but Phenix is a great one. I don't think Phenix has a rod line that isn't one of the best at its particular price point. Phenix rods are also built in the US. 13 is a younger company and it shows a little bit. The 13s are good rods they just arent as refined. Nope, just the good ole 10% Johnny Morris mark up. In fact the black hoods they use on the split grip are cheaper then the frosted hoods on the standard premier.

It must be a blast for the kids to fish with you. Not only do they get to fish they get to learn how to drive home.

Decoy and Hayabusa are awesome hooks for the price. For light or med wire you get 7-9 hooks in a pack. I like them a whole lot more then the VMCs.

When a fish is following the bait in your close, so changing baits isn't the best thing to do IMO. Usually by adding reel twitches or pauses you can get that to fish to commit before he sees you and spooks. Sometimes changing the color slightly will make enough difference as well.

They arent the best rods out there especially for what they charge for them now. My biggest issue is that SC just took a full handle premier and slapped a split grip on it which makes the rods really tip heavy. The 13 Omen Blacks are lighter, more sensitive and the Phenix Feather will blow the Premier away.

I feel like I get more feedback from a CB bill compared to standard plastic.

Yep, you can get smaller circles from just about any company. #6 or #8 Gami Octo circles would work great for perch or any panfish really. Owner makes quite a few different circle hook styles as well, I like the mutu circles for floating bloods. Wal Mart usually carries smaller size pre rigged Matzuo circles. Theyre pretty cheap so you can just cut the leader off and rig them any way you want.

If there was one rod budget rod that can do just about anything that I could suggest it would be the 7'2 MH Mod-Fast 13 Omen black. I bought it for chatterbaits which it does really well and found it has enough tip to fish trebles but its still crisp enough to throw weightless plastics, T rigs even jigs. Like I said teh tip is soft but as long as you dont mono or really heavy wire hooks you wont have a any issues. I use 12-17lb fluro on mine and it does really well, you just have to get used to reeling that slack out before you set the hook.

See if your local Dicks has any 13 Defys or Fate V3s. Dobyns Fury is another one to look at too. If you looking for a spinning reel checkout Daiwa. If casting check out SLX XT or Tatula CT. I got an order from TW last week in 5 days including a weekend. I think they have managed to catch up somewhat with the processing lag. Hopefully this delta variant wont cause another shutdown.

I guess its kind more of a do it all reel. Not sure what the handle length on the 70 is but the 150 is probably 100mm which is what I would prefer most of the time. The cheapest USDM 150MGL Shimano offers is the Chronarch and thats almost $100 more, so I don't think its a redundant reel for its price point.

If anyone here has both of these rods or has some experience with both how do they compare to each other and which do you prefer? Thanks.

I thought the Curado was essentially the USDM Scorpion. Im sure there are the typical JDM differences like spool size, handle length and AL gear.

3/16 will work for pitching or swimming as long as you arent trying to get through grass or cover. Once you put a trailer you should have enough weight to be able to toss it easy enough.

I think NRXs are somewhat rash prone. As long as there aren't any cracks in the blank you should be fine.

Lighter flipping jigs work really well. One of my favorite jigs to throw in the summer is Riots Minima Jig in 1/4oz.

The demand never went away. Hopefully they bring back the strips and sea rinds, they're excellent on bucktails.

Prove it? Whether its screw lock or thread on its not that hard, you just have to use the right angle.

You can rig a worm perfectly with a straight shank

noice

DCs are nice, but they aren't the end all be all that some people make them out to be. In normal conditions I wouldn't consider using one if I didn't have too. Unfortunately weather doesn't always cooperate and the wind blows. Its the windy days where the DC reels really make a difference, especially with flat cranks. I can only speak for the lower end DC system found in the SLX and Curado, but they don't have good performance with lighter weight baits. The heavier spool can make pitching and flipping a little more labored where an MGL or SV spool would do a better job.