J Francho

Sounds like you get a free cup of koolaid with that $750.

Thanks Gary. It doesn't make Celsius any more relevant. Lol.

Umm, that has ZERO influence on performance. All the pinion yoke does is move the pinion gear out of engagement with the main gear. Yoke springs put the pinion back into engagement with the main gear. All the while, the pinion is supported on the spool shaft, and in some reels (Daiwa, Shimano w/ X-Ship) a bearing on the frame and almost always supported by a bearing on the crank side plate. A little wear on the yoke actually IMPROVES performance, in both smoothness and speed of engagement. However, replacing the yoke isn't going to hurt anything, but it's much ado about nothing.

Are they hiring? Lol.

Both.

He's getting $750 for a build on a sub $200 blank? Wow.

Florida strain LMB are a different species of bass, and therefore should be treated so. I realize there are hybrids, but as it relates to the point of adding "monster bass" genes along to the next generation, and that somehow those progeny are bound to be monster bass as well because of genetics just doesn't add up. For the OP, and myself, any notion of Florida strain LMB is right out, since they cannot survive here. Simply mentioning different species of bass to support some point about genetics is way off topic. It's like saying genetics played a part in why a brontasaurus is bigger than a T-Rex. Uh, yes it is. It's a bigger species.

And you think its genetics? I don't follow. If there was a magic "monster bass gene," seems like The TPWD would have found it by now, after 22 years of collecting genetic material from the hundreds of donor fish. There isn't a single monster bass gene. There is a set of curcumstances - sometimes very unusual and not repeatable - behind every record fish. It isn't breeding alone. It's more about environment. Healthy water, plenty of food, and host of other reasons. If we knew, there'd be plenty of records set from private ponds.

So now your saying Erie is where the largest brown trout should come from? Puts the rest of it into perspective. Lake Erie churns out 10 to 14 lb. Browns at the top end. They haven't been there long enough to know how big they get. I suspect they won't approach any current records, due to temperature and depth. My PB Brown is 22 lbs., from Ontario, whose NY record is 34 lbs. the world record is from L. Michigan. You might want to do a little more research on record fish - while genetics certainly play some part in producing a record, it's not likely its in the passing of genes. If that's the case, there should be a few more Dottie Jr.s running around Dixon. There isn't, and by all accounts she spawned many times. There's other examples…like a triploid gene rainbow currently holding the record from Canada. I'll circle back and tell you how I've held and shipped large, delicate tropical fish, for those that are interested. You'd be surprised to know it isn't oxygen that is the primary issue with holding and shipping fish.

Next time don't delete it. I restored it for you. I figured you deleted it by accident, and not to start trouble.

It's only as complicated as the Internet.

Downman74, I would not assume that growth rates in a cold blooded fish and a warm blooded mammal are related to genetics in the same way. Besides, even if the magic "big fish" gene were there, and you factor in that a fish grows throughout all its life, the bigger the fish is, the older it it is, and the more opportunity it has had to to spawn. That is of course, assuming that the circumstances surrounding its remarkable size do not include sterility.… you might check out some other fish records in regards to that one.

Wasted genetics? How many seasons do you think that fish passed its genes on already? Not to mention what makes you think it's genes that makes a record bass? There's no research that supports that idea.

Braided cotton: JoAnne Fabrics? Surgical braid: you local brain surgeon? Micron: your local physicist? But seriously, I believe there is flat Dacron available as fly line backer. Not sure you'd want to use this, I recall gramps "drying" his line so it did not rot. Spectra and Dyneema are brand names for the same material that makes up all modern braids. I'd get over your prejudice of line treatments, and try KVD Line & Lure. Opens new doors to lines I would not have tolerated without it, like CXX.

The snow doesn't really bother me, but the cold does. The past couple winters have been colder than I ever remember. If I really hated it, I'd figure out a way to move.

8# equiv is about as light as I go.

I'd love to see our bogus NY record fall...

Actuall it was the "new lady" lol. My buddy, who runs a snow plow company, had both his knees replaced, and loaned one of his plows to his next door neighbor so she could take care of both their driveways. She got stuck on her way over, lol. It was so easy, I was inspired and bought my own tow strap afterwards. I'll probably never use it, buts there.

Not sure what -40 C is, but we had -10 this morning, and snow has accumulated over the 4' mark in my yard, with piles well over 8'. My neighbor has a pile as tall as her house from the plow guy. Sorry Hootie, not feeling the violin music for you.

I hardly flip. I pitch cast just about every combo I own - including spinning rigs. It's such an effortless cast for most short to medium casts, that I just do it without thinking.

Yesterday, I pulled a snow plow out of a ditch, lol.

He can go with that, but then it's just a nice fish, a personal best, but not a record.

I am not a huge fan of braid, though it's on around half my rigs. I have "monofilament" line on the other half, but exactly ZERO are the old school, nylon mono. A few have fluorocarbon. A few more have line I'm trying out. The rest have CXX copolymer line on it.

Any Quantum PT reel I've had apart had stainless bearings in it. Bearing quality can vary widely, so what is it you are trying to compare to?

I've never had a bearing, pawl, or frame screw wear out on my own reels. E clips and retainer springs can break or get lost. The only parts that wear down with normal use would be the drag washers, which can be replaced with Carbontex that last indefinitely, and spool shims, ehich will never wear out if you use light spoil tension.