Casting ,Combos

[Scott McKee]

I'm interested in what casting reels and rods you are casting this season. It might be helpful for our new members if you could also provide a small (or large) review.

I'm not a cheap person (just ask any servers at any restaurant I frequent), but I've never blown a ton of cash on musky rods and reels. I need to replace my light casting rod, a St. Croix Musky Mojo rod rated to 6 ounces, that is one of the least sensitive rods I've ever owned. I have a Daiwa Lexa on this rod. My heavy casting rod is another cheapy, a Muskie Innovations Bull Dawg rod rated to 10 ounces (I think). Compared to the Mojo, this $100 rod is an Orvis Helios. I have a Lexa 400 that is comparable to a smaller, less smoother Shimano Tranx (at about half the price) on this rod. It pulls in 37-inches per turn. It is a winch. I love it. What are you using? I need to apologize to Jojo in advance because it will take him an hour or two to reply. He carries about as many rods golfers do clubs.

[Mike "the facilities" Fortunate]

Ive been using a 8' 6 st croix legend tournament slingblade for a few years and also a lexa 300....... i love the reel cant beat it for the money....the slingblade has seen better days lol

[jojo wilczewski]

Good day
The main reason a carry so many rods is that my time on the water
(Totw) is limited and precious. I don't like to have to retie if a have s break off or technical difficulties.
The reasons I love Loomis are they light weight, my BBR and Calcutta 400 weight a pound and a half, a fifty lb ultra light! The other is that they are extremely sensitive, with 50- 80 Cortland Spectron I can feel if I pick up a Zebra mussel? REALLY.
Here we go:
Heavy weights all 8's,
Loomis BBR 966, Penn TRQ 12
St Croix Avid AM80HF, Penn 975
ROB rods
Loomis BBR 966, Saltist 40
Burning Spinners rod
Loomis 964, Calcutta 400
SHMO blade always locked n loaded
Twitches
Loomis MUR 786, Penn 975 Big twitch
Loomis PBR 785 Calcutta 200 little twitches
Spare
Loomis MUR 843, Calcutta 400
Fly Guy
Diamond Back 8, Harris reel
Go get m boys and girls!
Ala bala bala
Jojoout

[carl schenk]

9 ft Shimano 2 piece xheavy with a daiwa saltist 30.  All I change is leaders.  

[3r18sb1ehgc6k]

Love the tackle industries rods that cullen and john turned me onto. best rods for the price i think. Light weight and great taper, used the 9'xh last year with a 400 lexa and have switched that out to a curado this year, got a smokin deal on a tranx so i put that on a brand new tackle industries 9' xxh that i just got. love em.

[Scott McKee]

Riley, I've heard the TI rods are a bit soft in the tip. I'd like to pick up a rod for topwater and hair. A soft tip would be preferable for these applications. Any suggestions?

[3r18sb1ehgc6k]

I dont know if soft in the tip would be the right way to explain them, i would say they have a slow action overall and tend to load up more, i throw nearly everything on my 9' xh, everything from small 6" jakes and glider for pike to mag dawgs and have even thrown pounders on it although not ideal. ive found ive lost far less fish after switching from my st criox premier 8' hvy

[Scott McKee]

Sounds good, Riley. I hate buying rods if I can't hold them, but your word is good enough for me. I posted this a few weeks ago: Has anyone fished the musky rods made by 13?

[John Pensyl]

Musky innovations rods are amazing for the $$. Cullen has absolutely put the xh model through the wringer the last few seasons throwing everything from 6" phantoms to pounders. Probably a bit light for pounders but it's got plenty of ass to whip giant fish. (I think he's got 9 over 50 to 56" on the xh rods). Personally I'm running all croix lt's. 2- 9' big nasties both with revo beasts. By far my favorite rod. It's a light weight do all with the perfect tip for jigging and enough ass to whoop a 14' tinner or jet skii if need be. The beasts are new this season but the pg cranks 27" per turn and makes 10s feel like toys and the hg cranks 36ish and both are very smooth. Definitely upgrades when compared to the old revo toros and nacls. I also keep a 8'6" sling blade in the boat which is very similar in action to the nasty. It's 6" shorter but 3" of that are in the handle and st. Croix changed the rating this year from 2-6oz to 3-8oz so now it's the same as the nasty which honestly is closer to the truth. I use this rod sparingly or for pike for the most part but it's been great for gliders on conesus and chautauqua. My last set up is an 8'6" big dawg with a saltist lcw20. I use this set up for giant rubber. Has enough ass to throw those plastics all day without destroying your body and the rod and is stiff enough to dislodge the bait from their teeth if u can give it enough hookset. Don't expect it to bend on a mid 30s fish tho. It's built for giants and handles them well.