Jeff H

What I use is a pair of Tatula's (5.4 and 6.3) on a couple of old Team Daiwa cranking rods. The rods are the old Powermesh IM6 graphite. One is Med/fast and the other is MH/fast. They both have slighty softer tips than standard M and MH rods. The Tatula's are fantastic reels. Excellent performance that can be found for under $100. If I was to buy new crankin' rods I would get something cheap. I don't need expensive rods for throwing crankbaits and could easily find rods under $100 that would work great.

What's he calling them?

Nice work! Those look like money!

That stuff is fantastic for split grips! Great texture and it never looks filthy!

It's a standard bullet head, probably .040 wire so as some have already said....somewhat generic. Any good custom tackle shop could make you some. Start with Siebert Outdoors.

Home page comes up in a snap for me.

Oh man, I'd appreciate it. I guess now I'd have to try to figure out if additional height would be an advantage.

The guides are Ti framed Zirconium rings, correct. I've always wanted to see them compared to Fuji Alconite. Any chance you could shoot a picture of like sized guides sitting side by side?

If that was Crooked, that's a pretty good crappie for out there. Most of them I've caught in past were tater chips and you could just about see through them. That lake has long been known for it's bass and gators. Panfish have always been small. Always hoped they'd size up but I've never caught any worth keeping.

The 4" and 6" also make great spinnerbaits trailers when you don't want quite the bulk of a grub.

That's a good lookin' fish!

I'm with this. Throughout my years of fishing I've tried about every 5-6 yrs to work with a left hand retrieve. I have a lefty Tatula CT right now that I pitch with. My biggest problem is not turning the reel handle, that's not a big deal for me, but I'm not comfortable working rod with my right hand on retrieve or set. I always give up, sell the reel and then try again in another 5 yrs. I'll probably have a lightly used Tatula CT 7.3:1 for sale this winter.

My numero uno is Berkley XT...for everything. Caught a 3 1/2 lb gator today on 4lb XT on my ultra light rig. Had the line across his mouth and all. Lucky catch maybe but that line has proven tough to me many times over the 30 yrs I've been using it. It is a bad cold weather choice but most mono's are.. My alternate is Sufix Siege.

I've come to appreciate the T-Wing also. I have standard Tatula and CT and as of now have no preference of one or the other.

I like these too, have them on my customs and on dropshot rods where the keeper is in the split area (don't care for that).

yep

I like Fireline, have used it for years, mostly for some finesse situations. For many years the 10/4 was the lightest I used but last year I put the 6/2 on one of my BFS casting rigs. I just measured both with my ultra reliable, highly accurate micrometer... 6/2 = .006 10/4 = .008 as mentioned above. I am just going to stick to the 10/4 and 14/6 for bass. I may try the 6/2 for panfish but it is coming off my bfs caster (ABU LTX). It is stiff, it does soften up and it cuts through vegetation like a razor blade. I do use some of the 30lb on a worm rod also if I want extra light bite detection on those tough days when they burrow back into the weeds a bit.

Lots of times they do that for me, which does nothing towards making me appreciate them. The ones we do get to boat-side are unhooked without lifting them from the water.

Did yours sink?

I don't deny the "blast". Won't tolerate nor allow the stinky slime in my boat though.

That's a good thing, right? Dunno about anyone else but that would make me very happy and they would be extra special to me. I would send Rapala a thank you card!

By stupid money I just meant more than they're really worth...in general. I do understand that they would be worth exactly whatever somebody is willing to pay! I have a very nice, hardly used 5600AL in fantastic cosmetic and mechanical condition that I will trade you for a decent, used Tatula. That would seem to be a win/win for both of us.

Naw, they're not old yet and they won't hold much in terms of values...in general. It's a matter of finding the right person is all. There are guys out there who will have sentimental attachments to specific rods and they'll pay stupid money for them. I got past all that, rather have new gear than sentiments.

Looks like you had a little more sun later on too. Good job adapting!

That is a sweet rod for jerk baits! Really like how it loads up on fish.