I've pretty much narrowed this Japanese equipment down down to the Area rods for the fishing I do on Kentucky and Barkley. I primarily bottom fish with live bait under small balsa wood corks. I jig the bait constantly up and down off the bottom to entice a strike. These rods usually set the hook themselves when fishing this style. They give the ultimate experience when reeling in large redear...I'm VERY confident in that statement.

In March and early April I will use my Triplecross rod quite often. I can put a weighted float on and cast what seems like a football field! This is when the crappie are roaming and coming in and out of the shallows. It certainly doesn't give the best fight but its ability to get it out there trumps the fight factor.

The more you use the JDM equipment, the better you will understand each type of rod and when/where to use it. I have no reason to ever buy a stream rod and I've got one mebaru rod that I need to probably sell. The area rods are where it's at for what I'm doing.