J Francho

It's a very similar rod to the 6-6, but has a faster taper, and shorter rear grip. It's only a little more than an inch difference in length from the tip to the reel seat. It's like it was designed for tip down presentations, similar to a pistol grip, but not a pistol grip. I've had Saint Croix rebuild the rear cork twice, because I use it so much I wore it out.

I think that's about what I paid for the MB baits. Most I've paid is around $35 for a crank. I have some custom swimbaits that were MUCH more, anywhere from $75 to $200.

I have several custom painted baits. My favorites are some Rebel Craws painted by ITO for Megabass. Fish don't care who painted them though. I like them, and they weren't crazy expensive.

I use a 20 year old pre IPC SC Avid AC62MXF. You can get a very similar AVC62MXF that will have a similar action, but better guides new. This is the same rod I use for walk the dog, poppers, prop TW, and light, short target spinnerbaits. I've even used it for squarebills in a pinch.

My first decent bit of gear was an OG Stradic with a wood handle. I think it was around $100, which was an obscene amount for a reel in the early 90s. If I hadn’t dropped it in the drink, I’d probably still be using it now. I have a couple from different generations since, and they are a solid buy. That’s why they get recommended so often.

Those are good theories too. We’ve had bad weeds on the dump and other bays for 10 years now. High water, low water, cold, warm. The only thing that’s consistent is boat traffic. That’s why I blame that.

You should check out sugarpercussion on Insta. Jefferson makes some amazing drums, but his furniture is art.

It depends on what I’m fishing.

I would be more apt to to throw an under spin in clearer water. I’d also be using a bait with less thump. In dirty water, I’m looking for a thumper bait, not flash.

Not me. The four carrier line saws through the slop better.

I’ve always suspected boat traffic does that to weed lines. All the waves churn up the shallows, and contribute to the turbidity of the water, blocking the light for the weeds. In the past decade boat traffic is way up.

None of that matters if I have a $200 budget and buy a $200 reel, because that’s what I wanted. My three OG CI4 reels are at least half a decade old, work as new, are smooth like butter, required very little maintenance, are light, and I have caught hundreds of fish with them. Money well spent in my book. I don’t think it was a foolish purchase. The debate over what someone spends on their gear, or wants to spend, or whether it’s worth it is so tired. Stick to pros and cons of comparing reels to each other. That’s a much more valuable discussion. Oh yeah, it helps if you actually own one. You know, credibility and all. what was this thread about again? oh yeah, I still recommend you buy a new reel with a warranty. There’s great deals out there for used, but until you know what to look for, be careful.

It isn't that much better. That's the point, it's a pointless, materialistic asset. After working on several though, the construction is pretty amazing. As Mike said, don't try it if you are inexperienced. Most probably don't have the right tools to get it apart anyway. As far as the the original question goes, I'd buy a new reel, with a warranty.

I'm saying after you hit a certain point, something might be three times as expensive, but only better in certain areas by a little bit, and those areas might not be anything you care about.

The difference between a soda can and a Stella is gigantic, yet they both work. The difference between a President and a Stella and how each compares to a soda can is about the same.

Trout casting spoons. Like Cleos, Phoebe, and others.

10# YH is like 14# in many other lines. I could see using it for blades, spinnerbaits, and the like.

Can't tell you how many fish I've caught tossing the rig out to the deep side, and leaving the bail open as the captain sped down a shore line. Close the bail, and check it - many times there is a fish on. Running a 3/4 - 1 oz. gumball weight and dragging is another good technique. Be prepared to lose some weights, though.

Nice!

I think location plays a bigger part, but if you have that totally nailed down, and are on a big one, then live might be the key to get that monster to bite. You'll get harassed by many smaller fish using craws and crawlers. You might dig through some of @Fish Chris posts for any clues to using live bait. He did pretty well back in the day.

Mike does good work!

I have no idea. I've never rigged one without a weight. I can test it later, and report back. My experience with paddle tails is that they don't work without using weight. It sounds like you need to write a letter to the manufacturer with your suggestions.

No, salt is part of the formula. Those are all sinking baits. You need to find floating baits. They do not contain salt. Zoom might have some unsalted baits. Not sure about trailers. Here's a thread asking for the exact same thing. Found it using the search: Anything Elaztech floats. They make chunk trailers that float. I'm sure if you do some googlin', you'll come up with more results.

Do you want to fish floating baits? Get unsalted. They're out there. You want baits that sink? Get baits that have salt in the plastisol mix. The salt in the package just keeps baits from sticking. It rinses off in the water, and has no effect on the plastic.

Anything more than the length of the rod, and I tend to think of it as a top shot. Mostly, I use a leader that is 3-6' long. If I was going to use longer, I'd just use straight fluoro or mono.