TxBuddha

How about a Dobyns Fury 734? I've got Champion 734's but have been thinking about a Fury for just spook type baits. My Champions are on swim jig duty most of the time. I'm also a tackle ho' but that's a different story.....

I've been fishing 7'6" MLXF St Croix Avid Inshores for about 2 years now and before that 7' ML Avids. I primarily crappie fish but there is quite a bit of "by catch" such as LMB, white bass, and catfish. I've never had an issue with the rod handling anything I've hooked. This includes catfish up to around 20#. I'm using 20# Sufix 832 with 8# or 10# fluoro leaders and 1/8 oz jigs primarily.

+1 on this. I fish the Avid 7' MLF and an Avid Inshore 7'6" MLXF and they're spot on for this type of application.

Take a look at the Avid Inshore series if you're looking for a 7'6". I've got a couple of them I dearly love. A plus is the 7'6" is a MLXF and is rated for up to 1/2 oz on the top end making it a bit more powerful rod.

Haven't fished hair jigs (yet) but you're right about never knowing what you'll catch on small baits. My PB bass 6 lbs +- was caught shooting docks for crappie on a 1/16 jig head and a Panfish Assassin. Put up quite a fight on my 5.5' dock shooting rod and a Shimano 1000 size reel. Between my buddies and I there have been a fair amount of big catfish caught crappie fishing as well. I've never gotten a really big one in the boat but I fish with a couple of guys that have boated 40 lb +, they have more patience than I do with something big on the line.... My "go to" vertical jigging rods are either 7' or 7'6" MLF Avids using 20# Sufix 832 with 8# or 10# fluoro leaders. They fish the lighter jigs great but have plenty of backbone for the "trash" fish that happen by.

15# or 17# P Line CXX

Drop shot has been a consistent producer in my small, local pond. Zoom finesse worm in Sprayed Grass or Watermelon Red have been the most consistent producers as well as Tiny Fluke in Watermelon Red.

P Line CXX in 15 or 17. The 20 is pretty stout and gets a little curly for me but the 15 & 17 are as strong as most 20# fluoro.

One more set of pics on how to tie the Modified Albright / Alberto Knot: http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/fishing-tutorials-members/155715-spectra-mono-connection-modified-albright.html This is the page I learned to tie it from and I'm kinda' slooow on some things

Dobyns Champion 702 or if you've got a few more $$ the Champion Extreme.

+1 Cabelas in particular is ridiculous on shipping charges. Every other on-line place I buy tackle from offers reasonable flat rate shipping on smaller items/orders. I bought 8 XCalibur lipless cranks yesterday and paid less than $5 flat rate shippiong on the whole lot, I'd hate to see what shipping on the same order would have been from Cabelas or Bass Pro.

+1

I'm trying Ande Backcountry this year. 10# on my deep crank rod and 15# on the others. Inexpensive, low memory, decent abrasion resistance and I've had good luck with it fishing for white bass & hybrids so I decided "Why not". I did catch one 3# fish last fall on the 15# and Deep Little N and it worked (imagine that)...

Take a look at the Shimano Compre 7', MH cranking rod, CPC-C70MHB. The price is in your range and the warranty can't be beat

If the diagram confuses you then how about some pics: http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/fishing-tutorials-members/155715-spectra-mono-connection-modified-albright.html They're calling it a modified Albright but it's the same knot. If it works for off-shore tuna then it oughta' work for anything in freshwater! Knot Wars declared it the winner in braid to leader knots too: http://www.versuscountry.com/fishing/videos/knot-wars-modified-albright-vs-uni-to-uni/