J Francho

My understanding of the CCS is it's a tool to compare two different rods. Is that wrong? These are your words, so we agree. Maybe not to the same extent. OK, but what at what point is the rod either irreparable or not? Just curious about this, because I've been told by many builders that it isn't worth the effort or expense to attempt. Your best recourse is to re-tip and accept the possibly slower action. Your saying there's other possibilities. Any guess as to the claims about the expense?

Yes, but you won't get the pro staff discount.

I've seen that article many times. No way will the rod ever behave as before the break. Also: Those two statements should be written in bold face.

That's what it's all about!

For mag brakes, it depends on the system. These work through the entire cast. Centrifugal brakes increase as spool speeds increase, so basically at startup. Not all dual braking systems are equal. This one happens work quite well.

Agreed. To be clear, "steelhead" and "rainbow trout" are the same species. Steelhead venture out into the lake, and live a pelagic lifestyle, chasing alewife. This process is called smoltification, and the physical change is caused by a diet of fish, rather than bugs. True steelhead venture into the ocean, and return to rivers to spawn. The Great Lakes are a suitable ocean substitute for these transplants. As for "native" rainbows, I'm not sure there are any rivers or tribs that stay cold enough to support rainbows all year, but maybe. All spawning males end up taking on a darker color, and a kyped jaw due to the hormonal changes spawning brings. The changes are even more remarkable in salmon and brown trout. I know all the tribs around me, about an hour west, are barren or even dry in the summer months, but come to life in late summer/early fall when the kings, then browns and coho begin their spawning runs. @Will Wetline those are gorgeous, dime bright fish! I'm surprised you had as many salmon as did. They're pretty much done in all the creeks here, though I have seen a coho or three late into winter. Have you ever tried centrepinning? I know it's fly only on the DSR, but we clean house upstream in public areas - Altmar, Pines, Wires, etc. Pinning excels at targeting fish in deep holes. You can see my pin reel in the pic below. This is one of those creeks that is barren in summer months.

That's pretty much your only option.

Latest trend is that it's better to leave them. It's supposedly better for the soil. Pun intended.

I built a combobulator, but I lost it in my confusion.

Yep, it's generally a five minute affair. If you know how to install solitaire on your phone, then you can install a VPN.

Snowing here, as of lunch time.

Nice fish. Once you start whacking them over 3 regularly, you're doing better than most in the northeast.

It's not that they are rebranded, it's that they are all under Pure Fishing, and the reels are made by Doyo. You're right, there aren't exact models in Pflueger and Abu flavors. My only experience with recent offerings are from the Abu line. My Revo SX has the dual braking system, though, and it's really good stuff. I haven't done any light bait testing, but that's more about the spool and start up.

"Fra-jeel-ay. Must be Italian." Congrats on the boat!

Why not?

It's HUGELY important to me. There's no point in trying any boat out that I can't stand in. You can add a graph to ANY boat. We've been doing since before there were fishing kayaks. I said this too, but after a year of car topping an 85 lb. boat, my tune changed.

From: https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/guidelines/

Next to "I Think I'm Going Bald" and "Madrigal" possibly the worst Rush song ever, lol. Viewing results, turns out, Mothra is dead.

@clayton86 can probably give you some info. My short stint in a 140 says stability is same, and seat is better.

Their taxonomy has been in flux for years. Back in the 90s, they went by Tilapia, Herotilapia, Paratilapia, and a few other generic names. I think it's because many are newly described within the last 100 or so years, and genetic testing has changed the game. The Rift Lake Cichlids' names are even harder to keep up with, scientific and common. Anyway, cool fish, and interesting topic. I've often wondered how they fought. Many of my friends from Africa have said Cichlids of all types are good eating fish.

*and Quantums, lol. Just teasing, man. Nice review, and nice job down south.

Interesting, as this fish is familiar to me from my time in the aquarium trade. Back in those days, it was known by it's specific name, "Buttikoferi" I just didn't recognize it by the picture - it's a really dark one in full breeding colors.

Thanks @soflabasser , I was hoping you'd see this and know what it was.

Looks like some kind of Cichlid, perhaps a tilapia of some sort.

I've had some seat time in one. They're very heavy, at 95 lbs., but super stable and can carry a ton of gear. Not the nimblest boat to paddle, but tracks well. It's definitely a stand up boat, if that's what you're after. The cutting board up front is a bit weird. I think it was a design ask from their salt team's input. It's certainly a durable, well designed boat, not cheaply built. The wheel is a help with all the weight. Are you looking for a pedal drive? The Overdrive option is nice. I still prefer my Hobie Compass with Mirage drive. It's lighter, more nimble, and while lacking reverse, still my choice, especially when it comes time to launch or load. If you're just looking for a traditional paddling boat, it's a good option. Pedal drive muddies the waters a bit. Keep asking questions, and get some seat time if you can.