Stasher1

I have the same rod and have no trouble at all using it for light t-rigs (4" worms with 1/8 oz weights) and 1/8 oz shaky heads. Perhaps it's more of a reel problem than a rod problem?

I hit my red PowerPro with KVD line conditioner while I'm spooling it on (like I do with every line), and have had no fading or bleeding issues.

I have red on one of my setups and it doesn't behave any different than the yellow on my other setups or the green I've used in the past. The only difference was the price.

Palomar for hooks and jigs, San Diego Jam Knot for cranks and spinnerbaits.

In that case, I'd say skip it. A two year warranty would bring you back up to full retail price, and that extended warranty would only be good at that store. I'd pass, but then again, I'd pass on Shimano rods in general. One of the big selling points for Shimano's rods over the years has been their lifetime warranty with over the counter free replacement at many dealers. With Shimano cracking down on the warranties, and dealers opting out of the over the counter replacement deal, they're no longer as appealing as they once were, imo. Think about it for a second, would you have bought that rod if it only came with a 1yr warranty? As rod technology improves, the sensitivity gap between the newer $100 rods and older $150 rods is rapidly shrinking. Some rod companies are resting on their laurels and coasting on their reputation instead of improving their rods. As they sit still, the other manufacturers are catching up, and in some cases, passing them by with newer lighter designs at lower prices. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing really wrong with the Crucial. I just think there have been enough improvements in rod design over the past few years that they may not be as competitive in the $150 market as they once were...especially when you compare them to some of the newer $100 rods. I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I'm feeling generous today and thought I'd share it anyway.

Even if the retailer currently allows you to swap it out, they may change this policy at any time. My local BPS will only do an over the counter swap on Shimano rods if there's an issue within the first 12 months. After that, you're on your own. According to the Mgr, this is the result of a request made by Shimano during a meeting with BPS management to crack down on the misuse/abuse of their warranty policy. Makes sense if you think about it. If you use the rod for a couple years and then the tip breaks, how likely is it that it was a manufacturing defect?

Yes, Shimano does offer a lifetime warranty on many of their rods but the retailer is under no obligation to swap it out for you. Some places will tell you to ship it back to Shimano for replacement. If that's the way this retailer operates, the $17 may be worth it to have your rod replaced since shipping a rod back to Shimano will cost you more than that.

I don't know....those prices don't seem all that impressive to me. I'm a PowerPro user and have several 150yd spools sitting in my line box downstairs, but I don't think I've ever paid more than $10 for a spool.

I have about a half-dozen brand new spools in my line box down in the shop. I kept thinking that I would get around to trying it some day, but I've switched over to braid for just about everything. What, in particular, did you like about it?

Sometimes people (and this not a knock on Glenn) tend to have shirts/hats made that appeal to them, not necessarily to the rest of the forum. Imo, a simple white or grey t-shirt with a small BR logo on the left breast and a larger logo on the back would have more universal appeal than a collared, polo-style shirt with an embroidered logo or a tournament jersey. I wear t-shirts all the time. I wouldn't be caught dead in a fishing jersey.

I haven't held a full-time job in over two years, so I have a lot of time during the week to hit the clearance sections of my local tackle shops and mass merchants. If i find a good deal, I stock up. Some of it I use, some I hold for a while and resell.

With the somewhat questionable reliability of e21's previous (more expensive) offerings, I don't think I'd be too interested in their "budget" rod. I say Veritas, but only if you can hold it in your hand and inspect it first. Some of the ones I've handled have had alot of excess epoxy, in some cases it was bad enough to make the hook holder almost useless.

The 3 yr old just started this season, so he hasn't had professional instruction yet. The other two have each been playing two seasons a year since they were about 4 yrs old, and have had numerous lessons. I never played baseball as a boy, so I don't feel that I'm qualified to teach them. I leave that to the professionals. Now, if they wanted to learn about skateboarding, bicycle freestyle, or mountain biking, I could probably help with that. That's what I was doing at their age(s).

The flip-side of this is volunteer/part-time coaches trying to undo several hundred dollars worth of professional batting or pitching instruction. I have three boys playing baseball (3, 8, and 12) and have spent a good bit of money on hitting and/or general skills camps over the past 8 years. The coach isn't always right.

I doubt it would cause a problem, but chances are, you already own at least a dozen other household cleaning products that would do a far better job.

To me, the cost of "wasted" line is almost insignificant compared to some of the other fishing-related consumables, like soft plastics. A spool of decent line costs less than a couple lunches at a typical fast food joint, and even less if you stock up when it's on sale. I use just enough mono backing to cover the spool with a single layer, tie on my braid and fill the spool. When/if I feel like changing line, I strip it all off and start over again.

I don't believe there's an aftermarket handle of knob available for that reel. Best bet would be to contact Pure Fishing and order a replacement handle for a President XT. It uses the same "soft touch" rubber/plastic knob as the Supreme and Arbor. If you don't feel like shelling out the extra $$, the wooden knob can be unscrewed from the post, covered with heat-shrink tubing, and reinstalled.

KY also works very well on vintage VW window seals. It's non-staining, water-soluable, and slippery as goose turds.

I think the Plat. plus is $30, Solene is $35 and if I remember correctly, the Slyder is sbout the same price. They also have a bunch of Shimano Sonora 2500 and 4000 reels for $35, Pflueger Trion GX-7 for $30, Pflueger Presidents for $40. I picked up a Trion just for the heck of it. This particular WM does kind of stuff on a fairly regular basis. A little over a year ago I picked up two Sonora 2500s and a Mitchell 308Xe for $15 each.

The Platinum Plus and Solenes are in the clearance bin at my local WM, along with a couple Slyders.

Having owned both, I'd go with the Trion and never look back. It's much, much smoother, and comes with a spare aluminum spool. Go to your local GM and handle both reels side by side. The difference(s) between the two will be obvious.

Yup. I've had that problem with every SC spinning rod I've owned. If you wrap the threads with a bit of teflon tape before tightening it down, you won't have that problem.

Spinning: AVS68MXF Casting: AVC70MHF

X2 I've also found it easier to feather the line with the off-hand and close the bail once the lure hits the water...unless I'm looking for a more vertical drop, in which case I just let it sink and close the bail when it stops.

What's your price range and intended use? Also, spinning or casting?