AvoidingYardWork

Restocked some soft plastics and bought a few 600y spools for floro. Picked up the refreshed Daiwa Tatula cork rod 7'3" MH/F for some bottom contact work.

I picked up a Zodias 7'2" Mh Glass rod that has been very nice for cranks. Loads up well and is light and durable.

I have never tried the truly high end so this may be more cope than opinion, but it seems that whatever amazing feature the top end rod has will trickle down to the $200-250 range the next year. So that's where I live. I also don't see much reason to go beyond a Curado or a Tatula SV. Please let me live in my affordable ignorance 🤣

Alberto is hard to argue with....if it fails I either botched the knot or whatever is on the line was going to break off anyway. I find that frayed line causes more break offs than the connector knot most times, or people who insist on setting the hook like they're angry at it.

Once yo get the feel for it its not that bad. Just have to have enough tension to keep the lines strait and do your over under wrap pattern. I have been moving away from line to leader lately through, point of failure and rod manufacturers insist on making small guides on everything.

Congrats! Also hello fellow PA fisher, located in Lititz here. Tight lines and hope to see you tearing it up out on the water once it warms up!

I find the profile and action is more important. I've caught them on white, chartreuse, purples, green pumpkin etc. I do find that at least in my lakes, gold blades work a little better, and yellow in general gets a little more attention. That's purely anecdotal though, and not based on any actual observed pattern since its really just a junk fishing crap shoot any day anyway.

I hope they can bounce back from this. That explains why the used section seemed like it was abandoned. ALF has been my go to for used gear for years. A good portion of my gear has been sourced through them. very sad to hear this.

Just recently decided to buckle down and get good at fishing a jig after largely avoiding it for 30 years. I'm kicking around getting a few jars of pork to really embrace it at its purest form.

oooh boy. Welcome to a new obsession. JB fishing as stated before, is a bottomless rabbit hole. It's one of the few techniques that gear and set up can truly make it or break it. There's so many videos on YT going over the gear, but your rod and line are critical to get that proper snap and pause out of the bait. You will need to let the fish tell you if they want floating, suspending or sinking, but suspending usually covers things well enough. Also don't be afraid to spend some money on the bait, one of the few times where the jdm stuff is legitimately better. The vision 110 junior plus one is the real deal. Tactical bassin and intuitive angling are great resources on youtube for jerkbait advice. They always push the expensive stuff, but their breakdowns of the mechanics of the technique are solid and helpful.

100% agree and then some. I use my gear hard, and I fish in pretty pressured waters so I'm going to put my gear in the sketchy places. I would rather sacrifice some high end sensitivity for durability and warranty. There is a threshold in every line where you're out of the bargain garbage, but not paying for the prestige, that's where I live. Luckily that's where the money is for most companies, and they keep making that slot better and better each year. If you keep on top of maintenance and use your head, that gear will serve you for a long time.

You're over thinking it. You need something sturdy enough to drive the larger single hook, but with a little bit of flex to load up since bass can use the blade as leverage to pop the hook. Grab a Dobyns 4 power rod in any of their rod lines with a fast action and you'll be golden. I personally don't like using glass rods for this because I want something snappy enough to rip the lure (and hopefully a bass) out of grass. I have a Dobyns Sierra 704 that is a great bladed jig rod. Spinner baits are easy, anything that is MH/fast will work.

I love my sv 70 for smaller top waters. I can pinpoint cast and skip a popper in places treble hooks have no business going. Been a Shimano guy my whole life, and it still shocks me how hard it is to make that SV reel backlash (I usually still find a way). I much prefer my mgl 70 for jerk baits. Can spool that reel if I'm not careful, and it palms very nice.

I've used that rod as my dedicated spinner bait/chatter bait rod for years. Love it and recently swapped out a Curado 200k for a 150 mgl which feels like a much better fit. I imagine going down the GLoomis route would be the next logical step, or the Zodias/Expride lines. My Zodias rods are sleepers, fantastic weight and sensitivity.

I think they're both basically the same reel minus the t-wing system, which honestly for a frog reel the less moving parts the better.