fishindad

Fast action for me, as in Loomis or St Croix fast.

Agree that Daiwa spin reels (check out their BG or new Exceler) at the $100-$150 price point are better than what Shimano offers. FYI, In addition to Daiwas I have two Ci4 Stradics so if you spend $200 and up, then it gets more competitive.

I'd recommend going with Cabela's if there's one close to you. Or any other "house brand" to get the most bang for your buck. Just make sure to test the waders out for leaks as soon as possible. You already know that you get what you pay for with waders so I'd look for something at least $100-$150.

Agree with boomstick that a MH fast action rod is the best all around rod for throwing the widest variety of bass baits. The length depends on whether you fish close range (I like a 6'10" for this) or open water (I go with 7'2" +). I am sure the Daiwa rod will work just fine and you can switch out line (braid, fluoro, mono) accordingly until you get additional setups.

I would defnitely not rate their blanks as heavy. A custom builder can design and make the rod so it is perfectly balanced for you (with a reel of course). Thorne Bros will take care of you. St Croix's rod blanks are probably the best combination of technology, strength, and high grade materials of any rod out there. I've heard it said it before - if challenged to a duel beating someone over the head with a rod, I choose the Legend Elite/Extreme rod over any other high end rod out there. And I'm a Falcon rod fan.

I love Dobyns rods but if I lived closer to the Twin cities I'd visit Thorne Bros. and have them make a custom stick to my exact desires. Those guys have been building custom rods for at least 20 years. I think they build with St Croix blanks only but maybe they'll use whatever you want.

I fish 99% from boat but do have waders, pack and gear for fishing from shore. There's a great small river/stream that runs through town with excellent smallie fishing. Problem is from Memorial Day until October it's typically filled with college students floating/tubing. Lots of eye candy but makes the river un-fishable even on most weekdays during Summer. I do enjoy both equally though - I love the simplicity and minimalism of fishing on foot compared to all the tackle I cram into my boat lockers.

This!!

The OP's question is in a similar vein as the "specialist vs. generalist" thread. Here's my thoughts based on my experiences. 1. Most of us would probably quit bass fishing if we could only fish 4 (or less) lures every outing, as JFrancho pointed out. 2. If one only fishes the same body of water and same locations then it's easier to get dialed in to what typically works. I will bet that one can catch more smallmouth over the course of a season on a 4" tube rigged on a 3/8th oz head over any other one lure (except maybe a dropshot worm). But of course there are times and locations when the tube or dropshot is not the best lure to throw. 3. There's fishing for big fish (i.e., frog) vs. numbers (i.e., Ned rig) - in general. You probably won't catch much throwing a Ned rig on Okeechobee nor will you catch much throwing a frog in a 100 acre quarry pond with no weeds. 4. If you're happy with the numbers and size of bass you're catching then why change? But no angler weekend or pro is happy with their catch each and every time out. 5. One of the most fun things about bass fishing is buying and throwing new lures, buying new rods and reels, new line types, etc etc. Who doesn't love coming home to a TW box and opening it and trying out the new baits that weekend! 6. I think there have been statistics showing that the winning lures of all the BASS events for the past umpteen years and a jig, spinnerbait, or Texas rigged plastic has won like 80%+ of all tournaments. But those guys will fish 8 hours for only 6-7 bites but they are all bigguns. That's not how most of us fun fish or want to fun fish. I certainly don't want to catch less than one bass per hour! 7. I play some golf and would probably get almost the same score if I played a round with just my driver, pitching wedge, 7 iron and putter, as I would with a full set of 14 clubs. But it wouldn't be as fun and wouldn't be as easy using only 4 clubs. All that said, I have been refining my tackle such that 4 rods (not including duplicates) and 4-5 types of presentations will make me a better angler, both smallies and greenies. But, it still means I carry lots of soft plastics and hard baits. A 6'10"MH, 6'10"H, 7'3"H and 7'M spin rod (2 of each!) can do 99% of what I need/like to do on every body of water I fish here in Michigan. I found over the years that way too many rods on deck or in the locker are just too confusing and inefficient, for me. I used to waste so much time deciding what to change to and re-tying. KISS is what works for me.

Good catch Patrick! To the OP, if you fish bigger waters those longer rods would be even better and help get those lures out there. I have often thought about getting one of these (7'6" rods) just for the Great Lakes.

Falcon makes some spinning rods that have a moderate action. And they are right around $100 retail. http://www.falconrods.com/bucoo-sr.html http://www.falconrods.com/bucoo-micro.html They have a M and MH both designed for cranking, so it says. I've not used them (Bucoo) myself. but can vouch for Falcon Caras and Lowriders being a quality rod.

These days none of us have access to every rod company out there so we have to do what KTinman suggests and do our research. Best is to fish with some people who have different gear and fish it for an hour or so. That said, look at it this way. Loomis (now Shimano) and St Croix are two of the bigger US rod companies that make more than just "bass" rods - and not all lines are made in the US. ALX, Hammer and Falcon (just to name three) are US rod companies that make rods geared primarily towards bass (inshore and salt fish too). I love and use Dobyns rods and would throw them in your mix of rods to consider but they aren't made in the US. All companies mentioned have excellent customer service IME. You're going to have to just choose a company that has the rods you want at the price point you can afford and just order one or two and compare what feels best to you. Every one of us has our own preferences and experiences when it comes to bass rods and are glad to share them, but will just further confuse you in making a selection. Each rod company has their plusses and minuses. I am not sponsored by any tackle company but have fished for almost 50 years and acquired more rods (and reels) than anyone should. IMHO, the Falcon Jason Christie rods at $99, made here in the US, are all one needs for bass fishing. Of course a GLX or LTB is going to outperform them for jigs and feel baits but for moving baits, save your money and put it towards a higher end rod for bottom contact stuff. There are pros on tour fishing NRX and Legend Elite but you rarely see them in the winner's circle compared to the pros using sub-$200 rods. Now excuse me while I go fish with my LEX70MLF, best smallie rod ever, lol. GL

Got it. I see you live in MN where the winters are even longer than here in MI. If I were you, I'd not buy any rods over the winter since you won't be able to fish them until April. Trust me as I've made that goof because I was so impatient. Now if you're getting a smoking 50% off deal or something then go for it but I guarantee you'll most likely change your mind once you do get on the water and fish with whatever rod it is you choose. There's still 3 months of great bass fishing remaining so get out there and fish and don't worry about a new rod lineup until you have a chance to thoroughly field test the new rods and decide if they're the ones for you.

Based on your replies, I would assume your two main criteria are 1) rods made in the US and 2) cost under $200 per rod. Hammer, ALX and Falcon come to mind and are all great companies. But, for a cranking rod and a frog rod you don't need a $200 rod. No one does, lol. Don't get me wrong I've got GLX, Legend Extremes, Caras, Envys and other >$200 rods. If I were in your shoes wanting to buy 4 rods at the same time, all made in the US, and under $200 - I would definitely get Falcon's Jason Christie rods at $100 each. The 6'8"MH, 7'MH, 7'3"H and 7'M spin would cover everything in your tackle arsenal that you mentioned. There, I just saved your 4 bills that you can put towards a giant TW order, lol.

Based on how you framed your question, I'll assume you're somewhat of a crankbait noob. What you should do is buy their DT4, DT6, and DT10 in one color. The color depends on what the water clarity is in the lake/river you typically fish. Don't take any other tackle other than these and crank at the appropriate depths and you'll get bit. Don't be afraid to throw them into sparse weeds and give em a hard rip to trigger strikes. Then invest in one or two other colors when you gain confidence. Deep cranking (DT 14 and 16) is a whole 'nother beast that requires good electronics (and ability to read them) and a more specialized rod and reel, though I'm no expert.

Agree with others that there's no one best braid/line for all situations but - for all around, general use I vote for Sufix 832 as I feel it's only weakness is the color fading which to me, makes no difference to the fish. If you think it does keep a black Sharpie on hand.

I agree with t9. For a club tournament angler I'd say versatility is more important - bigger bass mentality. But for strictly numbers - i.e. recreational - Charlie Brewer and Ned Kehde are but two examples of "specialists" who catch as many if not more bass per hour than most do-it-all anglers. That said, it's way more fun to throw topwaters, jigs, worms, cranks, buzzbaits, etc. ???

Put me in the traditionalist category as well. I prefer full cork, then split grip cork. I have tried but don't like EVA foam. Never tried the Winn grips but have golfed since I was a teen and can envision myself liking them on my rod handles, certainly as much as cork but hopefully not so much more that I'd want to replace my entire arsenal with Winn grips.

I use a GLX MBR782 for smaller jerkbaits and it is nothing short of amazing. I have to believe the 843/783 would be perfect for 100's and 110's (three hook baits). Absolutely do not need a GLX or similar quality graphite rod for jerkbaits. For me, it just works perfect so I dedicate mine to throwing Pointer 78s and X-Rap 10s.

Being that you use a 2500 Shimano, definitely do not go above 8lb test mono/fluoro. I agree with the others that recommend braid main line and I would say based on your lure selection, go with 20lb 832 since those baits are on the heavy end of the spectrum for that rod. The next best thing to do is get yourself another setup, maybe ML, to throw either the treble hook stuff (jerkbaits, crankbaits) or the single hook baits (Texas Senkos, chatterbaits), a MH. I would use the Med for the former and get a MH for the latter.

Me too, only because 7 is a luckier number for me than 5 or 6 : )

portiabrat: I fixed your reply : ) At least for me, this is more accurate!

I agree with the folks replying to use a MH baitcaster and braid. If all you have are 1-2 lbers in the thick grass the Med power gear will be fine but as you experienced, hook a 4-5+ lber in heavy milfoil or coontail and you better be ready to winch that sucker up and out. I have lost my share of big Senko fish on spinning tackle that buried into the grass and by the time I tried to get to 'em they were gone. Heart broken too many times. You answered your own question with your last sentence.

I use similar to what JFrancho uses for tubes but usually fish a bit shallower (less than 20 ft) thus 3/8th and 1/2oz heads. I use a MH casting rod with 12 lb fluoro or copoly and either Bite Me heads or Poor Boy goby heads. Both have big hooks that require heavier gear to drill the hook home and not mess around. Have lost too many big smallies due to playing around with lighter lines and not getting good hooksets. Have not noticed any lack of bites going up in line size and it helps with the zeebs that litter the bottom of my lakes.

I don't know about the previous commenters but I haven't used a spincast reel since I was a kid, some 50 years ago. It always amazes me how negative people have become with a general attitude towards pessimism. Has anyone actually held one of these and put it on a rod and casted with it? Are you comparing this reel to your Steez/Aldebaran/Tatula/Curado? This thing comes with a spare spool, has all metal gearing, reversible handle, and looks better built than the Zebco 33 I grew up with. I would definitely give it a shot at $85, which is what it would cost through retailers offering 15% off. As the OP mentioned, it would be completely backlash-free. Where I fish on the open waters of the Great Lakes making bomber casts to cover water, I could definitely see flinging baits and not worrying about backlashes - which have to be the most frustrating thing about revolving spool reels. Sure it's heavy and probably can't be palmed but if given a chance maybe Zebco would manufacture and market a smaller version that is lighter and palm-able? I love fishing my GLX/Legend Extreme/Curados but I consider myself to be open-minded to trying anything once : ) I hope this reel does catch on and Zebco markets smaller, lighter versions. The one thing this sport desperately needs is to introduce more young people and new anglers and if this reel helps, then I am all for it. The only negative comment I have is the model name they chose - "Bullet". If in fact they are marketing towards children and female anglers they could/should have selected a much more appropriate name.