Some background info:  I have been fishing for about 18 years now, starting out with trout when I was like 4 years old.  Currently living in College Station, Texas where bass and catfish are my main gamefish.  I started out with the little-kid closed faced spincast reels, then graduated to the baitcaster described below and now also use spinning reels.   I got out of the Army last year, now trying to make up for 4 years of almost no fishing....also want to catch big catfish and carp in addition to bass and have a big spinning combo for that.        

I bought a 6' medium Quantum Lite baitcasting combo about 7 years ago.  I recently replaced the cheap reel with a BPS ProLite Finesse, and so far that reel has worked great with lures in the 1/4-oz range.  I use spinnerbaits, sassy shads (swimbait right?), rattle traps, topwater, buzzbait, and will try some Texas-rigged worms next time.  I don't have a boat and not a whole lot of bass experience...my biggest was maybe 3# back in high school.  Does anyone else have a ProLite Finesse or a Quantum Lite rod?  

Any other recommendations?  I'm one of those people who end up doing things crazy...have a 32" HDTV in my apt living room and bought a $1000 .30-06 and scope combo last year.  I'm not rich but behave that way sometimes lol.  My other rods are a 5' ultralight trout weapon and a 7' H spinning with a Shimano Spirex for the big blues and flatheads and old bugle lips (still haven't gone on a lunker trip in freshwater though).  Lots of people on here seem to have like 10 rods just for bass!  Do I need more than one baitcast rod for bank fishing?      

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I was more curious about the rod, don't know if it is graphite or composite.

hey 30lb, i dont know anything about the qauntum lite, but i do own a bps prolite finesse and i absolutely adore the reel.  lately it's been acting a little weird but i think it just needs to be cleaned.  i've owned it now for 2 years.  it casts light lures real nice and has a decent drag system.  i currently have mine on a 6'6"m bps pro qaulifier.

It's largely a matter of personal choice, but a 6-ft, 6-in rod is close to ideal for most sitations.

For several reasons, I prefer a 6-foot rod for nearly every situation, but again, it's a personal choice.

Roger