need some opinions

[weezymagic]

hello all,
long time no read.
im finally more stable life wise and its that time of year (when isn't).
im getting back into fishing. and after the tax return, i have a little extra cash and a will to get this damn bait monkey off of my back.

im looking to get three new setups that will cover most of my bases. i know i know, but im looking for opinions.

my first setup will be a MH 7'0" (approx.) rod (unknown at this time) paired with a revo stx (6.2:1 if im not mistaken) this will mostly be used for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and random others.

my second setup will be the same for the most part but used for crankbaits. medium to shallow divers atm. also a baitcaster (probably a revo stx) and an undetermined MH 7'0" (approx.) rod.

my third and final setup is unknown. i would like possibly a jig setup. i havent used them as much as the spinners or cranks but would like to develop my skills with flippin jigs. any help here is appreciated. i was thinkin a baitcaster of some kind with a 6'6" (approx.) rod

so the few things that i would like opinions on are what rods are good ($100-$150) for my first two setups and what type of combo would you use for the third combo.

i know all about line thanks to google and kevins line guide (Thanks again, you dont know how many people i show that to)

thanks again guys, as always
-weezy

MOST LIKELY SETUPS

1. Spinnerbait
ROD - Powell Casting Rod 7'3" Med Hvy XF 733
REEL - Abu Garcia REVO STX HS Casting Reel
LINE -


2. Crankbait
ROD - Powell Crank Cast Rod 7' Hvy 706CB or Powell Crank Cast Rod 7' Med 704CB
REEL - Abu Garcia REVO Winch or Abu Garcia REVO STX Casting Reel
LINE -


3. Jig
ROD - Powell Casting Rod 7' Heavy EF 704C
REEL - Abu Garcia REVO STX HS Casting Reel
LINE -

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by weezymagic

my first setup will be a MH 7'0" (approx.) rod (unknown at this time) paired with a revo stx (6.2:1 if im not mistaken) this will mostly be used for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and random others.

While not an important fact ATM, the STX is 6.4:1. Spinnerbaits are tough to give rod recommendations for. People use anything from 6' rods up to 7'6" rods and anything from M to H power and M to XF action.

Personally, I like something 7' to 7'3" MH MF or F and a high speed (7:1) reel for long casting spinnerbaits, but a 6'3"-6'6" M XF with a 6:1 reel for pinpoint casting to structure. At the price point you're looking in, the Powell Max rods will be tough to beat. For a little more, I'd recommend the Dobyns Savvy.

Originally Posted by weezymagic

my second setup will be the same for the most part but used for crankbaits. medium to shallow divers atm. also a baitcaster (probably a revo stx) and an undetermined MH 7'0" (approx.) rod.

First off, I'd change the STX to a Revo Winch. It's built for crankbaits. You've got 2 choices for rod material, graphite or fiberglass. Everyone has their own preference, I prefer graphite for shallow cranks, glass for heavy and deep diving cranks.

Again, the Powell Max crankbait rods will be tough to beat. Check out the Shimano Crucial CB rods too. I love my Dobyns Champion CB rod, but it's a little more than you wanted to spend.

Originally Posted by weezymagic

my third and final setup is unknown. i would like possibly a jig setup. i havent used them as much as the spinners or cranks but would like to develop my skills with flippin jigs. any help here is appreciated. i was thinkin a baitcaster of some kind with a 6'6" (approx.) rod

so the few things that i would like opinions on are what rods are good ($100-$150) for my first two setups and what type of combo would you use for the third combo.

If you'll be pitching, I'd go with a 7' H rod. If you'll be flipping most of the time, I'd go 7'6" H. If you'll be casting a lot, anything from 7' to 7'8" (my jig rod is 7'8") will work fine. I like the fastest reel I can get (7.1:1 or 7.3:1), but if I'm pitching, I'd rather have a reel that's good at it (not all of them are).

Again, the Powell Max, Powell Endurance, Dobyns Savvy, and Shimano Crucial are all good choices. The Powell and Dobyns rods will probably balance better than the Crucial in a 7'6" rod, with the Dobyns probably being slightly better balanced than the Powell.

Like I said, I use a 7'8" H F rod for flipping and casting jigs, and a 7' H F for pitching them (and pitching t-rigged plastics like Craws, Beavers, etc.).

Hope this helps!

BB

[weezymagic]

thank you bigbassin. ill look into those rods and i meant revo stx hs (7.1:1) for spinning.


i do like the winch for a crank reel. looks very solid.

which would be the best for a beginner? casting/flipping/pitching jigs?

[weezymagic]

i see a trend with my setups. lol.

im less concerned with line atm and i do have line picked out for all three setups written down somewhere around my room.

what makes a reel good or bad at pitching?

[MIbasser]

Weezy, I've turned into a Powell fan. They have 3 rods that would fit what you need to a "T" (and I have them/will be getting them).

1) For spinner baits I have the 683C. Works Great. I have it paired with a curado 200e7.

2) For crankbaits - because you said medium/shallow I don't think you need a winch. I would go with that 6.4:1 revo and the rod would be a Powell 704CB (mine will be here next week). I am going to again put a Curado 200e7 on it and use it mainly for traps and some shallow cranks.

3) Jigs/t-rigs - I have again, a Powell 703C and a 704C (coming this week). The 704C will be mainly for jigs and loaded with 20lb FC. The 703C will be mainly for t-rigs with 12lb FC. Again, both of these rods will have Curado 200e7's. You could also look at the Powell 684C as well.


I also have 4 other CB setups and one does have a winch on it but that is mainly for DD22's and Series 6's from Strike King. Others would be for jerkbait and topwater.

[keithdog]

my first setup will be a MH 7'0" (approx.) rod (unknown at this time) paired with a revo stx (6.2:1 if im not mistaken) this will mostly be used for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and random others.

I like your choice here. I'd stick with a 6 1/2 to 7' MH Fast rod. Thats what I've used for many years and I've been happy with it. The STX has a 27" IPT in the 6.4:1 and that will get the job done nicely. I use 17 pound mono line for my spinnerbaits.

my second setup will be the same for the most part but used for crankbaits. medium to shallow divers atm. also a baitcaster (probably a revo stx) and an undetermined MH 7'0" (approx.) rod.

I would make a different choice here. I'd be looking at a 6 1/2-7' M/F with a slower ratio for my reel than what the STX offers. BigBassin makes a good choice in the Revo Winch with a line IPT of 20.6". Thats a good ratio for shallow to medium cranks. Now myself, being budget minded, I'd consider the BPS Pro Qualifier with a 5.2:1 ratio for $99.99 or the BPS Carbon Black with a 5.4:1 ratio for $129.99. I own and use both and I couldn't be happier with both reels performances. The Carbon Black has a higher drag rating, but both would work well. I use the Pro Qualifier for my shallow cranking with 15 pound line. I like the heavier line for shallow cranking because I'm working around wood and other cover.

my third and final setup is unknown. i would like possibly a jig setup. i havent used them as much as the spinners or cranks but would like to develop my skills with flippin jigs. any help here is appreciated. i was thinkin a baitcaster of some kind with a 6'6" (approx.) rod

Well, the only thing I'm not sure about here is what your planning to do with your jigs. Are you casting, pitchin or flippin? A good all purpose setup would be a Revo STX 7.0:1 paired with a Shimano 7'0" MH-F rod. Another rod I would recommend would be a Garcia Vendetta 7'3" H-XF. I recently purchased one to use as my froggin rod and I discovered it would make an excellent jig pitchin rod as well! Although it is listed as an XF action, it is actually more of a fast action rod with plenty of tip flex to allow easy pitchin. I actually use two outfits for jig depending on whether I'm pitchin or casting. My pitchin rod is a Shimano Crucial 6'10" H-XF with an STX 7.0:1 Reel. My casting jig rod is a Cabelas XML 7'0" MH-F. Thats my take.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by weezymagic

thank you bigbassin...

...which would be the best for a beginner? casting/flipping/pitching jigs?

No problem! I tend to cast and pitch more than flip. I find flipping the hardest to do and tend not to because I'm better at pitching.

Originally Posted by weezymagic

what makes a reel good or bad at pitching?

This is where it gets complicated... Let me begin by telling you that I'm a Daiwa reel fan. Most of my reels are Daiwa. Daiwa fan or not, I believe Daiwa has perfected reels designed for pitching.

So what exactly does make a good pitching reel? Well, it's all in the spool and brakes. When pitching, the spool tension and brakes are usually set on the loose side. Because of this, a trained thumb is very important as well.

The spool is probably the most important part, IMO. You want a light spool because, having less mass, it will start up quicker. Usually, lighter spools have a much lower line capacity; that isn't a big deal in hand to hand combat of pitching. Not many reels made for the USDM (US Domestic Market) feature very light spools like this. Two that come to mind are the Daiwa Steez 103H, but this will run you close to $500 new. More affordable, but harder to find since it was discontinued is the Daiwa Sol.

You have a much wider selection if you look to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market). The Daiwa TDZ-105 is touted as one of the best pitching reels to ever hit the market. TDZ-103s are also good choices. While usually chosen for it's ability to cast light lures with ease, the Daiwa Pixy will also pitch wonderfully. Finally, anything in the Alphas family (103, Type F, R-edition, Ito) will work, as these are just the JDM counterpart of the U.S. Sol. Now, most of these reels will cost you big bucks.

The other thing I mentioned was the braking system. Centrifugal brakes are basically useless whilst pitching. Mag brakes, or more specifically Daiwa's Magforce-V or -Z brakes, are the way to go. The Magforce brakes really are the best system out there (Even better than standard mag brakes) for pitching.

A little testimony to the pitching glory that is Daiwa reels: I was using Shimano Citica to pitch with and it was OK. When I upgraded to a 2010 Revo STX, I saw an improvement with the option of having Magnetic brakes. Finally, I obtained a Daiwa Sol. It will pitch heavier lures farther and more accurately than either the Citica or STX, and will pitch light lures that the Citica and STX just can't. Unfortunately, the Sol was destined for other duties, so I'll have to muddle through with the STX until one day, I can acquire a TDZ-105.

BB

[Lvitch]

I would go 2 7' med heavy rods (i love the vendetta's, and not that pricy either) and a 6'6" med hevy (for spinnerbaits). For reels get a 7:1 burner, and either 2 6.4's. Or one 6.4 and one 5.4. If you keep it priced right, you could get 4 setups for the money your looking to spend. I don't care for the brakes on the revo, and actually prefer the bps stuff my self (clunn series). For a 4 th combo I would get a 6.4 or 7:1 burner with a 7'2" med hevy rod for froggin, braid, n flip & pitch. But that's me......I think I'm up to 13 combos now, and I'm pretty much set to go out n use 1 of them all day lol

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Lvitch

I would go 2 7' med heavy rods (i love the vendetta's, and not that pricy either) and a 6'6" med hevy (for spinnerbaits). For reels get a 7:1 burner, and either 2 6.4's. Or one 6.4 and one 5.4. If you keep it priced right, you could get 4 setups for the money your looking to spend. I don't care for the brakes on the revo, and actually prefer the bps stuff my self (clunn series). For a 4 th combo I would get a 6.4 or 7:1 burner with a 7'2" med hevy rod for froggin, braid, n flip & pitch. But that's me......I think I'm up to 13 combos now, and I'm pretty much set to go out n use 1 of them all day lol

Sometimes Quality is better than Quantity!

And aside from Abu's new PITCH Centrifugal brakes, Abu and BPS reels are exactly the same...

BB