On a whim, I purchased a couple of Bass Pro's Megacast combination
rod/reel combinations. I wanted to have a couple of rods that I could
just keep in the truck for use and not worry about losing a lot of
money with one of my custom rigs.

Well, tell you what - they are worth the bucks. I loaded up with 10lb
test Ande blue and spend the last hour with different weight practice
plugs in the back yard.

The reels dial in quickly with minimal fuss and bother - espiecally
with the extra limp line I tend to favor. Didn't have a single
backlash and I could put the plugs exactly where I wanted which was a
real surprise. Normally, you have to work through the usual backlash
or two when dialing in, but these reels were perfect out of the box.

The rods are the usual Tiawanese low modulus graphite cheapies, but
the guides are Fuji - they say the guides are generic, but I know a
Fuji guide when I see one. The one thing I'm a big fan of is through
reel/handle rods - meaning that the rod butt is straight through the
reel seat and handle. These rods conform to that personal standard.
They are finished very nicely with solid wraps and a healthy amount of
Flexcoat which you don't normally see on inexpensive rods. The reel
seat is graphite and the handle is cork which is another favorite of
mine. I like cork handles.

$39.95 for the combo. You can't beat that for a precision cheapie
combo rod and reel.

Next up for this afternoon - the new Ugly Sticks and their reels will
be put through their paces. :)

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