Curious as to what everyone's favorite combo is and why?

 

Did you catch your PB on it?  Is it your confidence presentation?  Did a family member pass it along to you?

 

Matt

I've got two. 

 

Dobyns Champion 765CB with a Daiwa Zillion 4.9:1 - I love deep cranking and this setup is perfect for me

Dobyns Champion 684CB with a Shimano Metanium HG - Such a light and well balanced setup, perfect for jerkbaits

For now mine is a Megabass Orochi xx EMTF with a Shimano Metanium HG. This is the perfect set up for Senko's IMO

They change so often though as I buy Different Rods & Reels

Dobyns champ dx 704 w/ megabass zonda 68.

Just a joy to fish with. The reel is very refined and the rod is light and sensitive. Plus it can handle multiple baits and weights. So it's not a one trick pony. However all my combos are my favorite. That's why I bought them.

LDC Production XH 8'6" / Daiwa Lexa 300 HSL with Hawgtech Handle

 

Perfect for throwing the Deps 250

Plueger president baitcaster on a 72 mh carrot stik, previous to that 73 mh, previous to that 610 mh.   I have had 3 carrot stiks since I purchased it in 2002 I believe.  610 broke when I picked it up and it was under a boat cleat. $30 to replace with a 7'3 which broke at the base while casting a series 10 big crank.  $40 to replace with a 7'2 mh which I am using now.   I wouldnt say it is my best combo but I learned to baitcast on it.  For as undurable as the stik is the pflueger has been.  Lots of cast,  in the water 2x,  sand ....    That is what happens when you are fishing with young kids.  They aren't young now.   I've caught a lot of 3 and 4 pounders on it, many different ways.  It is the only baitcaster which is sentimental to me.     

The one in my hand? 

 

Have many "Favorites"  None handed down.  PB not caught on a favorite combo.

 

Two (maybe more) favorites:

 

Zillion 50th Anniversary / 7' MHF Rainshadow

Curado 51E / 6'10" MF Fenwick Smallmouth

TD-Z 105H / 7' ML Fenwick HMG

Primmus / 7' ML Hurricane Redbone

Any rod with an Alphas. 

Currently my NRX 893 with alphas sv.  I don't know though cause I also love my megabass xx jerk bait special with steez.  I throw senkos on the nrx and the jerk bait special is perfect for jerk baits and shallow to mid depth cranks.

They are all my favorites!

G Loomis NRX 853c w/ Shimano Metanium 101XG

G Loomis MBR 783 GLX and a Shimano Core 101MG

G Loomis BCR 803 GLX  and a Shimano Chronarch 51e

All of my arsenal.

My Tatula Type-R & Powell max 705cb.

Spinning would be a Gen 1 black Cumara with a stradic 2500 FJ

Casting would be Blue NRX 873 with a custom TDZ 100M.

Big Bear 6'3" M/F, with a Ian Shields tuned Lew's Team Gold sitting on it spooled with 12lb. McCoy Extra Clear Copoly. I love fishing this setup, accurate, light, completely trouble free, a pure joy. Brian.

Can't really say there is 1 favorite, each combo has it's place.  Breaking it down by favorite fish caught, 6'6 ML clarus with a supreme 30 spinning reel for peacocks (my most used for LMB too), 8'MH Star with a cabo 40 for tarpon & permit.

Have a Abu Garcia 5500c that I got on my 8th birthday (21 years ago) that I have fished with since the day I got it. It's been in salt water, fresh water, laid at the bottom of Rodman Resevoir for a week after it fell out of the boat while fishing,...retrieved it the following weekend. Flushed it and oiled it...good to go. As far as rods go right now it uses a Duckett 7' MH...

 

I love these reels more then any others I fish. I believe I have somewhere around 30 5000-5500 Abu Garcia reels. Different ratio's and rods for different things but I haven't ever been out fishing and thought "I wish I had a different reel". I love them!

If I had to narrow it down to 1 combo, it would be a Conquest 50/Loomis MBR782C GLX. The reason is because I can do so much with it and it's a lot of fun to fish with.

Kistler Magnesium TS 7' Crank, Rattle, and Roll, paired with a Shimano Chronarch 200e5

Shimano Calcutta 200gtb with a G Loomis Gl2 spinnerbait rod, not my PB but a few very close to it.

Shimano Citica, 7' MH Diawa Aird.

Lews Speed Spool, 6 1/2' M Berkley Lightning Rod (the old style)!

These are my two favorite setups.

Gen 1 Cumara 7'2" mh f with tuned Revo mgx

Fenwick elite tech smallmouth w/ Daiwa Sol 2500

1. Dobyns Champion Extreme 744 with a chronarch ci4+

2. Shimano Aldebaren/ 7' mh fast Kistler KLX

3. 13 *** 7' Medium/ 2500 Shimano Stradic CI4+

Fenwick Techna AV with Curado E...All around plastics setup

Phenix M1 with Curado I...Spinner/Chatterbait

Mike

Daiwa Tatula 6' 10'' MH and CH50E, just feels like they were made for each other. Looks pretty bad ass too..