PBBrandon

I personally love the old Tatula LT more than the MQ. Both are great reels, the old LT was just lighter and looked better IMO. Never owned a Stradic. I have owned Vanfords and have a Sustain and I’d take the Tatula over the Vanford which is pretty much the newer version of the CI4 Stradic. You can still get the non MQ Tatula online. But if you can find a good deal on the old Stradic FL that would be a good pickup as well.

I have the 6’10” MLXF “dropshot finesse”, the 7’3” HXF “power finesse”, and the 7’2” MHM “carbon cranker” models. All 3 are phenomenal rods and priced well. They perform on par with my similarly priced Expride and Tatula Elite AGS rods. Really good cork, comfortable to hold, and the blue color looks fantastic on them

Walmart strikes again. Love the ol’ winter lure clearance 1-4 bucks for each lure. Whole haul cost me 70 bucks

6th sense SK all I need lol

Daiwa Tatula 7’0” MF St Croix Victory 7’1” MF both have cork handles, Victory is right at $200, Tatula a bit cheaper at $150. Haven’t fished these particular rods, but I’ve used various models within these lines and they are both great, I’d say on par with each-other quality wise. The victory is made in America and you get a killer warranty though. The Victory might be a bit slower in action than the Tatula as well.

50 is my go-to. Casts a lot better than 65 imo. I do spool 65 occasionally for frogging or flipping really thick weeds but 50 gets the job done for me

Dang this was a toughie lol Largemouth: SK Rage Bugs 6th Sense Crush 50X MB Vision 110jr+1 6th Sense Divine umbrella rig (SK 3.25 rage swimmers) SK 1/2oz Pro Model rattlin jig Smallmouth: Ned rigged ZMan TRD MB Sleeper Craw MB 3” Spark Shad dropshot SK 1/4oz Bitsy flip jig MB Dark Sleeper

Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS 7’6” HF flippin stick I don’t flip a lot but when I do, this does a good job. The alconite guide version of this rod is alright too but a little tip heavy. The AGS guides really lighten the rod up and balance it out

I’d go 30-40lb braid. Fishin weeds? Keep it straight braid. Open water or brush? Tie on a 12-15lb fluoro leader. Topwater? Tie on a mono leader. you got options with braid, and it lasts forever on the spool. No TLC needed. I’ve had the same 50lb braid on one of my reels for probably over a year now and the color is faded, but it still casts great

The aluminum handle plate is a nice bonus. Eliminates any flex in the reel if you are crankin into a big bass. I used to have a KVD and wasn’t a huge fan of it. Maybe it was a bad apple, I typically like most Lews reels. I handled the Platinum Signature in store a few times and it definitely feels more refined and higher quality

Yeah I was kidding, but Shimano could definitely do something like that and some folks would buy it lol. Until Daiwa puts a hole in the butt of a Steez rod and calls it Super Hyper Balance

It’s Shimano’s new Balance-X technology. You can stuff weights in there to balance your rods. Too bad their rods are already balanced well. Would maybe be better on their Loomis rods lol.

Went ahead and ordered a new PA through the express program. Was gonna hold out for the 2024 model but saw that the butt of the rod was hollow which I don’t necessarily like. The thought of mud getting in there is a little unsettling lol

I only fish them from the bank along riprap. They deflect off of the rocks well, and more importantly, get bit the heck out of there too. Other than that I only use them from a kayak where I can retrieve em if they snag

Shimano Expride, Tatula Elite AGS, and St. Croix Legend Tournament are the top dogs at the 300 dollar price point when it comes to sensitivity IMO. Orochis are nice but are a bit on the heavy side for me. Of those I own 7’2” MHF Expride (great all round 3/8oz jig and T-rig rod) usually have a Sleeper Craw tied on it and it handles it great. Very light and balanced as well. 7’3” HXF Legend Tournament. Not a heavy, and not an extra fast. It’s more like a medium heavy, fast. It has a soft tip that gets into a stiff backbone. It’s sort of my Texas rig special if the cover isn’t too heavy. As with most St. Croix rods, it is a bit tip heavy so if balance matters to you a bunch, this isn’t your rod, but if you don’t mind that, it is light, and it is sensitive. 7’4” HF and 7’6” HF Tatula Elite AGS. The 7’4” is great for 1/2oz jigs. The 7’6” is a flippin stick but can also huck a football jig if you are fishing deeper water or heavy cover. Balance is good for the length of these rods. Not as good as the Expride, but better than the Legend Tournament. The AGS guides give the rods that “electric” sensitivity a lot of people like. Only thing you gotta worry about with them is breaking the guides. They aren’t fine china fragile, but they don’t bend, they break. And you gotta send the whole rod back to Daiwa to get it replaced. They make a 7ft M/MHXF and a 7’3” MHF as well for lighter stuff. a lot of good options at the $300 price point but those are the ones I own and my experience with them.

Maybe I should hold off on using the program until the 2024 Adrenas come out. Another thing is you can only use it once per rod. Which honestly is probably a good thing so it doesn’t get abused the heck out of and then ruined like a lot of great warranty/replacement programs do

Their lures are pretty good but the rods feel cheap to me. Better options for the price IMO

I live 30 minutes from scheels but they have slim pickings until their spring shipment. Can’t wait til I can handle rods in person again

Yeah the seller has been helpful. Said he’s gonna talk to the post office and send me a refund. He didn’t have to and I appreciate it. if anything, whatever happens if I get my money back, I can use Shimano’s express program and get half off a new PA. (About what I had paid for the rod)

Nah was a private seller and it was packed in a proper tube. The postal service just manhandled it during transit and tried to Jerry rig something on the snapped tube. TW always does an excellent job with rods.

Last week I ordered a used 7’3” MH Poison Adrena. And this is what showed up on my doorstep. not gonna say which delivery service it was (they’re gonna hear about it tomorrow lol) but wow. Nothin like pulling up in the driveway and seeing a tube looking like that. sorry just needed to vent somewhere. It’s got insurance on it which helps but I got a great deal on it and was really looking forward to using it once the darn cold snap ended

This is mainly for open water at Texoma. Ain’t no way I’m tossin line that light in the sloppy ponds around here lol

Just bought another Alphas SV 800s to put on my Daiwa Tatula 7ft ML/R for Crush 50X, Curve 55, X-80 trick darters, and 110 Jrs. I currently have a Curado 150 MGL with 8lb Seaguar Basix FC on it, and have had trouble with backlashing on casts unless I set the brakes really high, which costs me casting distance. I’m hoping the lighter lure friendly Alphas will help. Also maybe changing lines wouldn’t hurt either. I’m thinking either 6 or 8lb invizX. Any suggestions? As for the MGL 150, I’m probably gonna stick it on my 7’2” MH Expride or 7’3” MH Poison Adrena for heavier lures. I used to have another 150 MGL and it was great. Im kind of concerned that it was having trouble with 3/8oz lures. I’m hoping it’s just the stiffer line I was using and not something with the reel.

The 6’10” MLXF St Croix is a special rod. I have the Legend Tournament version and it’s a great dropshot/Ned stick. You should love that Victory for smallies.

Alphas SV is the best reel I’ve ever used besides the Zillion SV. If I could start all over on reels, I’d only get a mix of those 2. They are perfection.