J Francho

I would, lol. Here's the funny thing: It's tied with an FG knot. I actually got one to stick!

I have a leader on my jig and worm rig I tied on early last fall. Hasn't given me any issues, though. Lazy enough?

Compared with some the NRX I've seen posted, the straight guides, tight wraps, clean epoxy on Avids definitely don't stand the test of time.

I have found the opposite is true with drag power, in almost every single Carbontex upgrade. Especially in the case where the washer material wasn't carbon fiber and/or multiple washers are used in a stack. Whether that increase is usable depends on the reel, the rod, and the user. The best reason to use Carbontex is the performance consistency and low maintenance. Run them dry, then set and forget about them.

T-H Marine makes a product called Troll Perfect that may help, though like Tom said it takes practice. More thrust doesn't always = more speed. I can't imagine anyone needing more than 80# on a small boat.

These (Shellcracker or Gill Wake?) fly as well as any other lipped crank bait. Sounds the rig may not be balanced with the bait as well as it could be. I use a Heavy/Mod-Fast rod rated up to 2 oz. for them.

My kayaks range from 350 to 600 lbs. capacity. I can pull way more than 9 lbs. The boat, my gear and myself probably weighs close to 300 lbs. Will it move? Yes, but not straight down. None of this has anything to do with needing more than 9 lbs. of drag for bass fishing or breaking rods on a hookset. I don't think it's totally unreasonable to go for 12 lbs. of drag with an aftermarket improvement, and operate around 65-75% of the the max. That would put you at 8-9 lbs., which probably not far off what I set my heavy cover gear. More than that is too much for any rod meant for bass fishing.

What do you mean by "more power"?? Do you mean greater speed? Longer battery life? Better pick up to speed?

I was gonna say a small twister tail grub and ball head.

I caught a 6-0 and 6-8 on almost back to back casts into the same laydown. I made at least a dozen casts previously, and three other guys in kayaks already hit that laydown before me. If you think it was thoroughly worked, it probably wasn't.

I have a couple dozen Avids and do not regret purchasing any of them. Some are 20 years old.

I upgrade any reel I can with Carbontex, usually a dry setup, no drag grease. I prefer the feel and consistency of it. It will inherently increase drag potential, sometimes by quite a bit. But why do you need more than 9 lbs.? Would you lift more than 9 lbs, with your rod? Tie a gallon of milk on, and yank. Let me know what happens!

I use a plug knocker for baits. I have a few Michigan Crickets for combos that go over.

The manufacturer can probably do the best job of authenticating your rods. https://www.gloomis.com/content/gloomis/northamerica/usfly/en/homepage/CONTACT_US.html

It's a tie. 15# and 6# Tatsu.

I could eat PB&J every day for the rest of my life before I could settle on one line.

Filters prevent me from expressing my true feelings. That really stinks.

Where's the purse? Seriously, that is pretty cool. There have been production lures in the past that had options, like multiple line ties, but for the most part, the customization has been left to plastics rigging. Nice Work!

i have three, and I want 5 more, lol.

They are fun bait to fish, especially from shore.

We're talking about the levelwind on baitcast reels. Modern spinning reels use a crown and pinion drive system. My dad has a very old (from the 70s) D.A.M. Quick reel with a true worm drive. Some higher end spinning reels use a worm gear to generate spool oscillation. I have a Shimano Stradic that is well over a decade old, never had anything replaced, and has 5 bearings total.

That deck extension looks really well done. I had a similar extension on my old Xpress h18.

Bring someone you trust, lol.

The procedure itself isn't bad at all. It's the prep.

By 50, I'm afraid everything will be broken. 2 years to go!