TxBuddha

Compre CPC70MB should do everything you need. I HAD 2 until I kicked one overboard last week at Texoma, as soon as the Dept of Treasury gives me the OK I'll be replacing it and maybe getting another one for good measure! Great rod for spinnerbaits, 'traps, and most anything else you want to throw in the 1/4-3/4 oz range.

See my post about the Falcon Weightless Worm Lowrider. I'm wanting to do sort of the same thing that you are and just purchased (today!) the Falcon. It's rated MH/XF for 1/4-3/4 oz baits. Love the action and it seems to have some bottom end as well. Glad to see someone besides me who prefers casting gear across the board! BTW, I'm putting a Citica 100DSV on it and the total will be a bit over your $200 target but not substantially so.

I'm just not a big fan of spinning gear but that may have something to do with learning to cast on reels with no freespool and braided dacron line at an early age! I realize it's not exactly the "poster child" drop shot rig but it should be a little bit more versatile! The other thing is most of the lakes here in Texas aren't for the most part what you would consider clear water so I think you might get by with using heavier than normal line for drop shotting.

I've been thinking about adding a Falcon Lowrider 5-167 to my arsenal to use as a drop shot / finesse worm rod. It's 6'7", MH/F and rated for 1/4-3/4 oz. It was designed as a weightless worm rod for Senko's and such but seems to have enough backbone to use for other applications as well. I'll probably set it up with a Shimano Citica or Curado 100DSV and 12# PLine CX. What do ya'll think?

Good stuff guys, I'm about to transition my 14 year old from spinning to casting and all this is food for thought. I've just printed out "Baitcasting 101" for him to read.

Best value IMHO is either the Shimano Compre or Crucial line mainly because of their lifetime, no questions asked warranty. The fact that they're great rods doesn't hurt a bit either! A little pricier than some of the others mentioned but money well spent in the long run.

I've got half a dozen Shimano Citicas ($120) and love 'em but I just fondled a Team Diawa Advantage SuperTune ($140) and it may be my next reel(s?).

JF, The GPX is a good line but may end up being a little light in the head to throw poppers and such. I used the GPX for my "default" line on every new rig I bought until last year when one of my buddies turned me on to the Scientific Anglers Head Start. The Head Start has a very aggressive taper and is designed to help beginning casters load the rod properly, it also has the AST coating that the Mastery series lines have but the best news is they can be had for $39.99 almost anywhere. So far I've fished them on a 4 weight and a 6 weight and for most warm water applications they work great. A buddy of mine (the same one who turned me on to them) even fishes them in salt water. As to rod weights I've got everything from a 2 weight to an 8 weight but the rods I fish the most are my 4, 5, and 6 weights. I've caught more bass on the 5 & 6 than everything else combined but that may be because I fish them the most. The only time I have bass fished with my 8 weight was at Fork a couple of years ago when we were night fishing topwaters in the fall and other than the size of the flies I was fishing I didn't need it there either but there's always hope right?

BassPro is usually pretty good about exchanges. I broke a Shimano Compre, didn't have a receipt, and they took it back with no questions asked. Normally if you don't have a receipt they will give you a store credit, if you have a receipt they will refund your money or issue store credit.

Shimano, either Compre or Crucial depending on the $$ you want to spend. Great rods with a great warranty.

I talked to customer service last Friday because I had placed an order on Thursday and hadn't received an order confirmation by Friday mid-day. They told me that they were in the process of updating the website and that alot of things weren't working as they should but didn't give any indication about when that might be cleared up. As for shipping I received the reels I ordered last Thursday today and my rods are scheduled to be here tomorrow according to FedEx. Can't complain about that

Thanks, glad to be here!

I looked at several of the combos at BassPro yesterday and out of the bunch the Revo and Citica combo seem to be the best "bang for the buck". In fact I may go back this weekend and get one or the other for my 14 year old son's first casting outfit. Of the pair the Revo impressed me with it's smoothness but since I'm a Shimano die hard it's hard to say at this point