This is for all you tackle-ho's. I've been spending the last year assembling what I feel is the "Ultimate" bass rod and reel arsenal, but I want to know what you guys feel are the best for:

All around best combo:

Light Worming/Finesse:

Senkos/Creatures:

Jigging:

Crankbaits:

Topwater/Popping:

Swimbaits:

Spinnerbaits:

Drop Shotting/Split Shotting:


My current "ultimate" setups include:
IMX MBR783 / Calais CL200
GL3 CR723 / Calais 100A
GL3 SJR783 / Capricorn 2000 (should probably upgrade to a stella =)
MBR 783 / CT200GT
GUSA 66ULXF / TD-Z 105H
GUSA 70MXF / TD-X 100HSF
GUSA 70HXF / CT300te
GUSA 80XF / CT400te

does "ultimate" refer to most expensive or best performing?

quite an impre$$ive arsenal there, yet i don't see any imports or even custom-built rods. megabass, evergreen, daiko rods, also the factory shimano shaula & lesath rods are pretty sick, very comparable to any factory loomis glx/imx. and don't forget the evola dropshot rods too.

fwiw, some of my combos include...

all around: v-rod vct66m & scorp 1500sf
worming: gusa dhx bac653mh & chronarch sf
jigs: gusa c703dhx & scorp 1000
cranks: flats v-rod vca70f & axis v2
blades: v-rod vct70m & conquest 200

but my ultimate combo is a super-lite 7'8" gusa pioneer series paired and balanced to a modded cu100b w/ 5:1 calais gearing & ceramics, custom-built specifically for LC jerkbaits. works perfect for that applications, plus rod was $105 out the door from hastings, cu100b picked up new for $45, with mods another $30. wouldn't upgrade anything in this setup even if i had the $$. regardless, what's "ultimate" if you don't include custom stuff?

my two pennies

My GUSA's over 7'9" are all custom, split-butt style. I'm contemplating having some made with the Heat-Shrink X-flock that is used on the Teramar series.


Question: When you say I'm missing a 2-power rod, what exactly do you mean?

Swimbait: Got a Calais CL-200 for sale if you're interested. $250 and it's yours (brand spankin new, no box, never seen the water) natelam@ucla.edu if you're interested.

Zenbass r: Why the GUSA (United) Pioneer series? They aren't Dual Helix and they are 2% glass, also the cheapest rods Hasting's makes. Just wondering?

Misc Questions:
-How does the Ito compare to the normal Millionaire, and does the pink bother you? :P
-If I were to add a 50gt and 100gt to my arsenal for 4-8#, what rods would you guys go with? MBR782?

Thank's for answering all my questions in advance, I'm just a 21 year old tackle-ho trying to get his gear together. -Nate

>Zenbass r: Why the GUSA (United) Pioneer series? They aren't
>Dual Helix and they are 2% glass, also the cheapest rods
>Hasting's makes. Just wondering?

nate

handled the pioneer blanks at the factory along w/ comparable dhx & united series and was impressed by the weight/price ratio.

plus, i liked the softer action of the glass mix, works well for throwing the smaller pointers, flashminnows, even small krocs & hopkins spoons



}(

That's a really nice price on the Calais and I appreciate the offer, but there's just no way I could swing it. The extent of my reel tweaking is to put the Calais washer in my Curados and Cardiffs and put a bigger handle on when I can get one.

If I value one thing in a reel, it's a strong but smooth drag with zero startup. I need reels that pay out line smoothly on 20 and 25lb test set near breaking strength. You guys have some sic finesse setups and stuff but to be honest I go a lot of trips without a rod lower than 16lb test in the boat. Sometimes I bring the Chronarch 100 with 10 or 12lb and in the spring I bring the 6 or 8lb and 12 or 14lb spinning rods with Stradic MG. Both get the job done nicely. I finessed an 11 and a half on the Stradic with 8lb Nitlon DFC florocarbon this spring and the drag was awesome :) But most of my bread and butter is just the Curado. A great reel for the price.

Rob, thanks for the insight. To be honest, I fish lighter (by lighter I mean <15#) most of the time because I can never get fish to nod at anything over that, even flourocarbon. Wether it's my presentation that sucks or really good water clarity or "good" fish vision, I can't seem to get consistent bites on heavy mono, and I don't like the action I get on plastics with braided line. I can get consistently bit on 10# and 12#, but when I switch to the heavier line, it's usually flipping or tossing big swimbaits. What's the trick =)

Out of curiousity, how much 16# line do you get on your Chronarch 100's? I'm guessing 90 yards or less?

Ah, sorry if that was confusing. Chronarch 100 gets 10 or 12lb test only. It's too small for 16. I probably only bring that reel one out of five trips. You're in So-Cal so fishing light line makes total sense. The water is typically much murkier up here and I get away with heavy line. I also believe very strongly that I can get away with heavier line with triple fish camo vs regular mono and even some florocarbons. All you have to do to prove line visibility between brands to yourself is look at it underwater. There's a huge variation in mono and florocarbon when it comes to line visibility. I'd take 30lb triple fish florocarbon over 20lb clear Trilene Big Game any day of the week. Don't believe me, just look at it in the water. I'd take 16lb triple fish camo over 12lb triple fish silicon any day too. When people say things like "florocarbon is invisible under water" they obviously haven't looked at all brands of florocarbon. Some are really good and some are not. My confidence is 100% shot if I look in the water and the line stands out like a rope. That's a big reason I don't like braided line, I just can't picture in my mind the fishing being dumb enough to eat it. Don't believe what people say, believe what you see for yourself in the water!!!

>The extent of my reel tweaking is to put the Calais washer in my >Curados and Cardiffs and put a bigger handle on when I can get one.

swimbait
caught the cardiff mods post a couple weeks back, ever check out the axis v2 handle? nice oversize paddles & prob a perfect fit...

I bet the 400TE handle would fit the Cardiff? I've never seen a Cardiff, but the 400TE handle fits on the Daiwa Millionaires as well. -Nate

I'm in the same boat as swimbait, the only thing holding me back from a skies the limit tackle collection is bunch of $$$$. This christmas I'm going to ask for the next best thing to a bunch of $$$. No not a good credit line, I don't want the ghost of christmas past comming back to haunt me. I like to keep hope alive so With a lot of luck maybe! just maybe!! Shimano will respond to my letter announcing my availability and decide to accept my request for full sponsership. It's hail marry attempt and my only hope!!..

JerryG

by 2 power i mean a medium butt fast action on the verge of being a rubber band rod. the mbr 782 is such a rod and it gives drop shot the noodly action it needs without moving the weight much. it also is good for skinny bears, small jerks and pop r's. if you want to fish 4 lb maybe the 1 power is the ticket. i fish 6 to 8 on the 782 and like it. if you want to tweak out some of your reels japantackle.com has cool handle and spool upgrades