Fall 2023
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The Daiwa Tatula Elite Series is great and uses its professional angler team to design techniques they are great at and known for in the fishing world. They have just been redesigned slightly, but the first and second generations are both excellent rods. Top anglers like Brent Ehrler, Cody Meyer, Ish Monroe, Takahiro Omori, and more have built some great rods for specific techniques.
THE DO-IT-ALL RODS
If you are looking for a rod that can do it all, you have several options. The first thing to consider is your budget and then you can dig into different features and components from the many rod brands.
For spinning rods, a good all- around rod would be something in the 7-foot range with medium power. This rod will do what you need; you can fish a drop-shot, Ned Rig, wacky-rig and more.
On the baitcasting side, there are plenty of do-it-all models, including a 7-foot to 7-foot, 4-inch medium- heavy that can fish worms, lighter jigs, as well as some reaction baits like topwater, buzzbaits, and more.
An excellent all-around that fits that category is the Phenix Feather 7-foot, 1-inch medium-heavy. There is also a rod in this line with the same length but a heavy power and it is a little bulkier and can handle jigs, light pitching, larger topwater baits, as well
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as paddle tail swimbaits. These rods are light, sensitive, and won’t break the bank as they retail for around $160.
If you are willing to spend a little more, the Dobyns Champion XP retail for around $260 and are very light and sensitive. The 7-foot, 3-inch medium-heavy and heavy models are good all-around rods that will perform well for you with several different lures.
Fishing rods have become ultra-specific over the years, with rod manufacturers dialing in just right for specific techniques. This is good for anglers, but you can keep it simple and look for rods that can do many things well. The choice is up to you and no matter how much you spend, modern bass rods have come a long way and will be light years better than what was available just a decade ago.
You can find these rods, the reels to pair them with and more at your local Fisherman’s Warehouse in or at FishermansWarehouse.com •