Looking for your feedback on this proposed spinning combo - used primarily for bass, walleye, stripers, etc -most gamefish,  not too much panfishing.

ROD -  St. Croix PS66MF2 .  (Premier 6' 6" Medium fast 2 piece)

REEL - Pflueger President 6735X

After all, I need something from Santa for fishing!

Sounds like a winner to me. Are you sure you don't want to go with a 6740 President??

the 6735 is perfect for that rod!

The Supreme 8030 is the perfect reel for it, but in the President line, I think I would go with the 6735 also. The 6730 is a little too small, more of a light reel, and the 6740 is close to a light SW size reel IMO. You get a lot more reel for the extra $30, IMO, going with the Supreme, but it's all up to you.

hEY PFLUEMIS HOW DO YOU  LIKE YOUR SUPREME, DID YOU EVER OWN A PRESIDENT, HOW DO YOU COMPARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH EACH? I HAVE FISHED THE PRESIDENT FOR A LONG TIME BUT I AM SAD TO SAY I HAVE NEVER FISHED THE SUPREME YET.

I think a 6'6" medium rod is an excellent general purpose rod. I don't think it matters much what brand of reel goes on a certain rod. What's important to me is that the reel is a quality one and that the combination of rod, reel and line constitute "balanced tackle."

Exactly Marty! The 40 is probablly gonna make that combo feel a little clunky, The difference between the 40 and the 35 seems to be much more than the difference between the 30 and the 35 Go Figure :-?

hEY PFLUEMIS HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR SUPREME, DID YOU EVER OWN A PRESIDENT, HOW DO YOU COMPARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH EACH? I HAVE FISHED THE PRESIDENT FOR A LONG TIME BUT I AM SAD TO SAY I HAVE NEVER FISHED THE SUPREME YET.

I have 1 President and 3 Supremes. The Supremes have a nice solid feel. Smooth. Light weight. Better all around gear ratio for general purpose fishing. The Supremes are not quite the same as the Presidents. The Supreme 30 is in between the 30 and 35 Presidents, size wise. The fact you get a magnesium body and rotor in the Supreme vs. the graphite parts in the Presidents helps with the solid feel of the reel. I have quite a few casts on the one reel since they came out this spring, it's been smooth and steady the whole time.

As for size-35 no question if you are using it primarily for LM

Thanks Pfluemis

drop the 2 piece rod.

It is never a good idea to get a 2 piece rod unless space limitations absolutely demand it.

the ferrule is the weak link.  

Sooner or later it will fail.

In the premiere line St. Croix makes a 6 foot medium one piece and a 5'6" medium one piece.

I so dislike 2 piece rods that I would get a much shorter one piece if I had to.

Just as an FYI.  A six foot one piece rod will fit in the cab of a compact pickup.