I am in love with the handle on the Sustain 2500FG, but if anything I like the one on the 4000FG a little bit more - and you can swap them around as well if that is any help
Like most fishing rods, those used for targeting spotties are technique-specific
I actually wish more manufactures of notched transom mounted outboards would come up with a better design to help reduce unwanted water entering the transom area
Following a cold front, or when water temps are generally cooler and bass are letharic, dragging a Texas rig with a 6-7 green pumpkin finesse worm often produces bites when nothing else is working
In dirty water, and in ponds with deep cover, try a heavier spinnerbait with a single large Indiana or Colorado blade that produces a lot of vibration
which ironically arises not from an abundance, but a shortage of smaller mullet at that time of year