Micro

Thanks. I see they are available on high-end rods. But there is something about them that doesn't strike me as quite right - quite yet. I think I'll pass for now.

Thanks folks.

I'm confused. There isn't any ring on the inside of the frame. The guides are just a one piece nickel-titanium wire formed into a guide.

You don't become a billionaire by spending money unwisely.

We have some creeks here in Virginia where you can catch LM bass and speckled trout in the same water.

There's gar above the fall line ?

This is Stren's new superline: It looks white but is apparently fluorescent blue in light, and relatively clear (supposedly) in water. It looks interesting but is a more expensive then Stren Superbraid - with which I've had good luck. But I've always liked Stren Original in fluorescent blue and this stuff has peeked my interest. Has anyone tried it?

I probably could have fit this one in on the Fat Ika thread, but wasn't sure if anyone would see it. :-/ I bought a pack of GYCB Creatures. I've fished creatures (other brands) before, without much success, and always just t-rigged them. I suppose that's the best way to fish these? Does rigging them backwards like Fat Ikas make sense? Any tips on fishing these?

My opinion is that there is really good equipment available under $200 (both rods and reels) that makes me seriously question whether or not another $100 will really get me another $100 worth of advantage. I suppose some people are good enough, or need to be good enough (professionals), that any extra advantage is worth the extra cost - whatever it may be. For me, I'm an amatuer. I fish for fun. I don't tournament fish. I want nice equipment, but for me it doesn't make sense to spend $300+ on a rod when it won't give me any more advantage than my $150 rod. (That's not to say I'll never spend $300+ on a rod - I very well may). But I don't feel I'm at a disadvantage right now using my $150 Revo SX and $150 Team All Star.

I'm going to buy a new rod in the next month or so (don't know for what yet ). I've seen rods with the RECOIL guides on them (you really can push them down and they spring right back up) and I'm curious about them. Are these proving to be decent guides? Are they braid-safe? Are there applications where they are best suited (or even preferred)? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I didn't give much thought to what I would used them for when I bought them. I have one on a 6'10" Browning Medallion GT and the other on a 6'6" Browning Medallion GT, both medium heavy/fast. These aren't expensive rods ($50) but are very sensitive and I like them a lot. I'll probably use them for fishing worms.

Pinnacle supposedly makes BPS branded reels. BPS reels, are by and large, well regarded. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Pinnacle reel if I liked it and it fit my budget.

Mother Theresa came to me in a vision and said you were right and I was wrong (RE: The G Loomis thread). I continued to check into the guide issue. I never could get an answer from All Star. I was told by my local All Star dealer the the guides were Fuji (even said there was a Fuji tag ont he one he checked). I found the Outdoor Life article that said they were Fuji. And the AS ad itself just confused me further. But since checking, I've found several OLD articles on the All Star decision to use "Titanium coated Zirconia rings" on their rods. That would mean, as YOU said, American Tackle. So, I apologize for being a dick and arguing with you when you knew what you were talking about and I didn't.

A long length of coated steel cable and a masterlock. It ain't fool-proof, but unless the crook brought some heavy duty tools, it's not coming off. If he did, there isn't much to stop him.

Flechero, whether or not "your buttons are pushed" are the least of my concerns. I'm NOT talking about the black rings in the picture. I'm talking about the gold rings, the one in the AS ad, the one on the rod I posted, the ones AS hangs a Fuji tag on (on the rods I've seen) and the ones the OL writer described as gold cermet. The "blow out prices" are still retail, ad AS wopuldn't buy even at cheap retail prices. Your "too pricely" stuff is nonsense. And I don't give a rats a. if Mother Theresa (who I'm sure you've also consulted) came to you in a vision and told you something different. The guides are advertised as being Fuji, and if they are gold Fujis, they are gold cermet.

I went to Pony Pasture today - not to fish, but to swim with my two sons. My other intent was to scope out the waters for fishing. I saw 4 or 5 guys fishing. One guy was using a smallish spinner bait in chartreuse with a gold blade. He said that was productive. He was also using a Blakemore Blade Runner with a chartreuse twisty tail grub. One guy was fly fishing. I didn't see any big fish, but I saw a lot of small fish. There were a lot of small silver fish (2-3 inches) in groups in the calm areas. What were these? Herring or shad fingerlings? Looking forward to going up there smallie fishing.

I have. And I have some to give you if you want to come pick it up. I put 8# on a light spinning outfit, and 12# on a medium spinning outfit. I fished with it for a day then stripped it all off. I'll list my observations: 1) I doesn't sink - anymore than regular braid. 2) It appeared to me to be highly visible (it's white and green camo). It stood out like a sore thumb. 3) It's almost too limp. Knotting was horrible. I don't know what it is about this stuff, but it doesn't act like Stren SuperBraid - which I like very much. Stren Sinking Braid is junk. (And I'm a Stren fan.) I did find a good use for the stuff I pulled off my reels. I used it to stitch seams in a canvas tarp I use for gathering leaves.

What makes the guides expensive isn't necessarily the gold cermet rings, but rather titanium frames. SiC rings are even harder than Gold Cermet. Check the price differences on these. SiC rings are very inexpensive in stainless frames. Put them in titanium frames and they are much more expensive. Peruse the 2007 Fuji rod component and tackle catalog. It's in Japanese, but if you spend a wee bit of time you can figure it out. http://www.fujitackle.com/catalog/index02.html It does not appear that Fuji makes a gold ring that isn't gold cermet. I certainly don't see a gold aluminum oxide ring. Additionally, it appears they can be had in a variety of frames. If those are really Fuji rings on that BB rod, then they are gold cermet. But they are probably in stainless frames (possibly a discontinued type) which would significantly lower the price. It appears gold cerment rings in stainless frames aren't that terribly expensive after all. http://www.angelfire.com/ks/bingham/FUJICER.html The argument that they are "too expensive" on a $120 rod, or the Outdoor Life list has a typo just doesn't really hold water.

I've heard mixed reviews (mostly good though). I have used the AG Cardinal 500ABL and liked it very much. It's a little less expensive, it's got a conventional drag, and the guts of the reel appear to be substantially strong. The 800 seems to be the one to get though. Viva Abu Garcia!

You got me. : I find it interesting that you would rely on the "aluminum oxide" description while stating another part of the ad, the part that doesn't suit your argument, is inaccurate. Perhaps its the "aluminum oxide" part that hasn't been updated? As far as relying on a customer service rep - I'm suprised. Why would you rely on her when you are in so well with the production manager? She's probably reading the same ad you are. Hardly a "trump." When I called the customer service line some months ago, the service rep couldn't tell me the type of aluminum oxide guide on my Team All Star IM10 (hardloy, O), or whether or not the rods were recommended for use with braid. I had to wait for a tech to answer my question. I don't own a Big Boy rod. But the ad says the rod has Fuji guides, and if so, then that appears to be a Fuji Gold Cermet guide in that picture - unless there is a GOLD AO guide that I haven't seen, that's not in Fuji's line-up, and which YOU haven't shown me. Either its accurate, or the All Star ad is misleading. BTW, here's a nice pic of a Big Boys. Pretty gold rings. Looks just like the Big Boys I've seen. http://www.great-lakes.org/graphics-2/Shakespeare/All%20Star/all-star-team-as-big-boy.jpg I'm not sure why AS would go to a 'gold' AO guide when the rods the Big Boys subplanted had the gold cermet (again, see the Outdoor Life link).

I haven't heard it from a company that builds rods. I've heard it from you. The difference is hard to understate. There is a picture of a gold cermet ring on the web page. There isn't a gold aluminum oxide in the Fuji line-up as far as I know. If you can point out a Fuji branded GOLD aluminum oxide ring, then we have something to haggle over. You've been the factory, thus you are an expert. Well gee whiz, next time you want to know about beer chemistry, ask me - I've been on the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour. Touring a factory hardly makes you an expert. I already know your original assertion that All Star didn't use Fuji guide until last year is wrong, since I've had All Star rods longer than that, and they ALL have Fuji guides. And I'm hardly inclined to discount an ourtdoor magazine for the assertions of some guy on an internet fishing website. I didn't say they were plated, I said they were coated with titanium nitride- which is unlike saying that are not gold cermet thru and thru.

It's like this, Flechero. 1) AFAIK, Fuji doesn't currently make a guide with gold insert that ISN'T the gold cermet. There certainly isn't one in there current line-up. 2) Gold Cermet rings are aluminum oxide rings - with a titanium nitride finish. 3) I'm not the only one that believes AS puts gold cermet rings on rods - Outdoor Life does, too (#3). And at $109 at that. http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/gear/comparison/0,20341,casting_rods,00.html 4) Companies like All Star are going to pay a fraction of the retail price you and I will pay for guides. Forgive me if I don't just give in an agree with you. I know you "toured the factory" and all. I may be wrong, but the evidence thusfar says I'm right.

Revo STX.

That is incorrect info, All Star used (until last year) American Tackle guides with gold colored inserts. HUGE difference. About $100/set difference. http://www.allstarrods.com/as_teambigboys.html I'm not sure if you are issuing a blanket statement, or referring only to the Big Boys series. But all of my All Star roads have Fuji guides, even the ones I've owned for years. BTW, I'm sure rod builders like All Star get pretty good discounts on guides.

Not to shift focus from your topic. But I have the same sentiment (in part). I've owned a few Shimano baitcasters (Curado SF and Cardiffs) and never really grew to like them. I got better performance out of my AGs. That's not to say Shimano doesn't build fine bc reels. No doubt they do. But their prices are so high (for features available for less from other manufacturers) as to keep me from wanting to explore their line further. In my limited experience with Shimano baitcasters, I've found I can as good for less $, and better for the same $. Shimano spinning reels, now, I like. I have a couple and like them very much. But I'm really wanting a new AG Cardinal 800 spinning reel. Back on topic, I'm glad you like your new reel. I see the 2005 is still in AG's line-up. Their website doesn't have much to say about it, so I suspect its days are numbered (especially with the intro of the Revos). Remember, Cabelas has the Revo SC (basically a "red" S model with a mag brake) on sale for $79.99, and $10 rebate.