I am looking at some new rod and reel setups and have a few different questions.

 

1.) I have had a 6'9" MH Abu Garcia Vengeance in my garage that has never been fished but am looking to change that. I love Abu Garcia reels and have a black max on the setup I use the most. So I was looking at that or a silver max to put on the vengeance. I like the idea of the flipping switch on the silver max, but would like to hear so real world feedback from people that have used them. How does it compare to the black max? how is the flipping switch feature? durability? is it worth the extra $10?

 

2.) I have an old shimano spinning reel that I have used forever and still get plenty of use out of it. I was thinking about finding a new rod to place that on. This will primarily be used for drop shots, shakey heads, small spinnerbaits, etc. I was thinking about a rod in the neighborhood of 6'6"-7" either medium or medium heavy. What rods/brands would yall recommend? I would like to stay in the $40-60 range.

 

Any feedback is greatly appreciated

I have 2 Black Max reels and 1 Silver Max. I love the easy of use. The flipping switch took me some time to get use to. You have to be careful to not switch it accidently. It will cause a big bird nest. But practicing helps with that.

As far as rods, I had a Veritas 7' spinning rod that worked pretty well. But since I have become a Denali prostaff member, I have switched to the Denali Rods. I have a Denali Jadewood Shakey Head rod that has a wonderful feel. You might want to check them out at www.denalirods.com.

They seem like wonderful rods but just a but more than I want to spend.

 

As far as the silvermax how does that compare to the black in your opinion?

They are about the same. It just depends on the application. If you are going to use it to flip or pitch, I would say get the Silver Max. Like I said, once you get use to the switch, it is a good reel to have. If you are just going to throw anything else, I would go with the Black Max.

In my experience flipping/ insta-gage switches are a gimmicky feature with no real advantage to catching fish. On top of that they are a weak link mechanically and a hassle to service. If you can stretch the budget just a little the BPS Pro Qualifier is a lot more reel for the money (especially at sale prices)and is built on the same platform so it will feel similar.

Flipping switches have been around for a long time, my old XLT PLUS series Abus have them, so my Black Max Abu, it´s been more than a couple of decades I´ve owned them and in my everyday lake I flip a lot, to make the story short, flipping switches serve no real purpose at all, I´ve activated the switch on those reels maybe 5 or 6 times in all these years, actually, if you don´t operate the reel properly when you have the flipping switch on you are going to end up with teethless gears in an eyeblink.

Although I have a few Abu reels, none are the Silver or Black Max.  No experience with the Mettle either, but from reviews I have read I would go for the Mettle if I had to go new at that proce range.  Otherwise I would be looking for a nice used reel in the classifieds.  Some good deals come up quite often.

I think I am going to go with an abu orra that I found on sale. now how about the spinning rod question? im thinking MH vengeance or shimano sellus. does anyone have any experience with these?