fathom

to me, this is like a pop-r/g-splash comparison. they're both good baits and both have their place and time. if you go sammy, the 100 & 128 sizes are better walkers than the smaller sizes, imo.

you know, as big a fan as i am of some loomis rods, would have to go with the avid here. nothing wrong with the gl series but, imo, the avid is the better choice here.

have used the 12# hybrid on casters for about a year...overall, it has become one of my favorites for tip-down. that said, have been using pure fluoro on casters for about three years now so, the hybrid actually seems kinda "soft" to me. it it not first line i would pick up for spinners, however.

the 1/8 terminator works well. just use a slow retrieve...tends to roll if you don't. the 3/16 kvd's are pretty good, as well.

cold.

i taught one of my much younger fishing buddies how to fish a jig two years ago. last year, he pulled a 13.3# from a local lake...even made the back of bassmasters a few months ago. it was the first fish he caught on a curado/falcon combo i had just sold him. > guess you know what my answer is.

cbr845 will handle 90% of anything with trebles. have heard good things about the skeet rod, as well.

pointer and live pointer are like night and day. pointer is money...live pointer looks good on paper but, lacks a lot when in the water.

you're gonna love it on that 844. 8-)

have been using the hybrid on tip-down baits a few months now...for allround use, it has been a tough line to beat. still use pure fluoro on tip-up baits, tho...just seem to get a slightly better feel.

X2 x3. brian's h&h still kicks, too.

great rod for pop-r's and pointers.

hope you're right but, somehow, see malaysia written all over this.

yea...at least the mbr, cbr and sjr models do.

you can also take the cast control cap off and, using your index finger, depress the spool shaft...it'll pop right out. you don't have to but, imo, it makes it easier.

the stella is the only us market shimano spinner presently made in japan. the new model sustain and stradic are the first of those models to be made elsewhere.

depends on just how accurate you wanna be. bogas rarely fail the igfa certification process...the failure rate for digital scales is often as high as 30% or more. (igfa website) as far as the 5# bag of sugar, the better option would be to take that 5# bag to the post office and weigh it against a certified scale and reconcile it against your own...very few household items hit their specified weight on the nose...even lifting weights, unless your using certified yorks or equiv., are horribly inaccurate. there are a number of good scales that will get you close...as i said, just depends on how accurate you wanna get.

keep your buddy in texas...otay? 8-)

flat mini sr, mr, dr...ghost sunfish.

have both. construction and quality are on par...as is casting ability. the 50mg is the better finesse reel...it's spool seems to start faster...i have them on the mbr782 and the mbr783. the core has the heg gearing and is the more powerful of the two...in my hands, better at the heavier resistance lures...also, the core has the much stouter drag...mine are on the mbr843 and mbr844. the 50mg does not have a 10# drag, no matter what it states in their specs...more like 5#...enough for bass but, nowhere near the core's. personally, like the feel of the core better but, if possible, strap each on that 843 and try them in your own hands. you really won't go wrong with either.

fwiw...couple years ago, caught the same 6# bass on the same bait off the same point three weeks in a row.

good luck to you, son...you have my respect. and i'll third the sjr783.

depends on the cranks you're throwing...don't believe it matters on the weight of the crank you're throwing as much as it does on the size of the lip of the crank you're throwing. bandit 200, dt6, cb200 can be done with a 6.1 easily. dt10, cb350, poe's 300, you're better off with a good 5.1. you can do a dt16 or a poe's 400 on a 5.1 but, a good 4.1 will do it better. i hear a lotta guys on a lotta boards say they use a 6.1 for all cranks and they just slow down. pull a poe's 400 all day long and they'll change their mind. imho.

yes.

it's the wife...trust me on this one.