Jrob78

That's what unsanded blanks look like. I'm sure they were pretty specific when designing the powers and actions of the new blanks and probably sent samples of the NFC blanks to try to match.

Invizx is a really good line and I always found it to be very manageable but a little more stretchy than some other fluoros. Sniper is my go to but I've used Invizx a lot too. I use fluoro for all bottom contact applications, copoly for moving baits and braid for frogging and heavy vegetation. They all have their place for me. I've never found fluoro's memory to be a huge issue. Its sensitivity for bottom contact baits and slack line is worth whatever drawbacks it has, for me.

I like glass for chatterbaits and modfast graphite for spinnerbaits but prefer a standard MH F for swimjigs.

Owned the X-Bites and have the UP now. The UP is much more versatile and handles a wider range of baits better. To me the X-Bites has a weird taper and power combination. It's amazing for the stuff it handles well but that range is pretty small. I loved it for 5/16th-7/16th finesse jigs and 3/8oz jigs with lighter trailers. So 1/4-3/8oz t-rigs are in its range also but I didn't like going much past that in either direction. I found it to be more sensitive than the Utility Player but UP is a much more versatile rod and really fun to fish.

This is always a tough one to pick. Christie won the last one here with 43 lbs ?

Digitaka and Japan Lure Shop are my go tos for reels but I've bought from Asian Portal several times too. Find the best price with shipping and go for it. Also be aware that PayPal has their own exchange rate that isn't favorable so use a credit card if you can.

I wasn't a big fan of it with anything below about 3/16 oz weight for t-rigs. I didn't feel like the tip loaded well with 5" Senkos, which are pretty heavy. 3/8oz jigs should be in its wheelhouse though. I ended up breaking mine (my fault) so I don't have it anymore but I considered buying another one. What it does well it does really well.

The X-Bites is a weird one for me. It's very light and very sensitive but I feel like it is the least versatile rod I own. It is perfect for 3/16th-maybe 1/2 oz t-rigs and finesse jigs but outside of that range, it just doesn't work well for me. It feels like it doesn't have a ton of power but it has a stiff, fast tip so anything light doesn't load well and anything heavy that gets past the tip, overloads the rod. It is a fantastic finesse jig rod though and when you stay in its range, it's hard to beat.

Last fall I was bank fishing a pond with an inclined bank. I was at the waters edge at the bottom of the incline. At the top of the incline was a Megabass Xbites with a Zillion strapped to it. On my back cast my spinnerbait managed to hook around the rod and fling it into the water in front of me while simultaneously blowing up every bit of line on my reel. Luckily the rod didn't go too far into the water and I was able to reach it without getting wet and it didn't end up getting damaged. I did have to cut off every bit of line on the reel I was casting. I was there alone so at least nobody saw. lol

Yeah the LCR is a nice little gun, it's perfect to throw in a pocket and with the Hogue grips it absorbs recoil pretty well. I probably would have bought the .357 too, had they had one when I got mine, good to have the option. I will never forget shooting my dad's snub nose .357 when I was a kid, couldn't have been more than 8 or 9. He'd loaded it with some low power .38's but put a full power .357 magnum in the last chamber. I got to that last shot and the gun nearly jumped out of my hand and he's just standing over there laughing.

Lol yeah I know. The .357 is a few ounces heavier than the .38 model but I imagine it's still a handful with full power magnum loads.

Ouch, A LCR in .357 has to be hard on the hands after a few shots.

Digitaka is a little more but fast, free shipping, JLS is cheaper but you will pay shipping and a PayPal conversion fee https://www.digitaka.com/items/4/4/2/STEEZ+A+II https://japanlureshop.com/daiwa-23-steez-a-ii-tw.html

The Steez is a little wider at the front of the reel. They are very similar in size. They both fish and palm very comfortably to me.

I agree with @FishTank. I have a couple of each, plus a couple of the other Zillions variants, (JDM HD and Silverwolf). Performance wise, the Steez is a more refined version of the Zillion, in a different profile. I got mine from a JDM site and paid about $100 more for the Steez than the base Zillion. I love the Steez but the Zillion is a fantastic reel too. I actually like the Zillion HD more than the regular Zillion but all of them are great. If money isn't an issue, the Steez is awesome, if you want to save a few bucks the Zillion and Zillion HD are also great. Definitely check Digitaka, Japan Lure Shop, Asian Fishing Portal or one of the other JDM sites for a good deal and buy with confidence.

I feel like one handed casting has mostly become a thing of the past, largely because rods are getting longer and longer. It's hard to accurately cast a 7' or longer rod, handle length does also play a part in that though I'm sure. So my advice to your friend would be to pay attention to handle length but also overall rod length.

I adjust all my zero adjust reels. Once I get them set how I want them I don't normally have to mess with them much but I like my spool tension looser than it comes from the factory.

No, the North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 and didn't win the cup until 1999.

The Steez A and A II have 34mm spools and the A HLC has a 36mm spool

Pro sports in general are high pressure and dealing with that definitely separates the elite from everyone else, but I imagine the pressure is even bigger in fishing, or at least different. Most of these guys aren't making millions and many of them are living paycheck to paycheck, in the beginning at least. Not knowing if you can afford gas to drive back home is a different kind of pressure! I will have to check out Ben Milliken on YouTube. I know the name and I've seen his videos pop up but I don't think I've ever watched any.

How much tip did you lose? Gluing on a new one is super easy but if you lost very much it will definitely change how the rod fishes. You can do it yourself though, don't pay someone.

Man, I feel you on that! I've always been introverted but it has definitely gotten harder as I've gotten older and as my friend group has shrunk. I'm also more confident and less concerned about impressing people so that helps balance it out some. It's hard to imagine the pressure these guys are under and how one slip up, that probably wasn't even his fault, ended up costing him so much money and a win. At least BP is doing well financially and it won't harm is career. This win might catapult Davis Jr's career and at least keep him on tour for years to come. I am definitely going to be looking for the story to come out about what happened.

Good on you for stepping out of your comfort zone. I struggle with that stuff too but like you said, it usually always ends up being worth it in the end. I feel terrible for BP, he seems like such a good dude and lead the tournament the whole way through only to lose on a dead fish. He's going to lose sleep over this one.

What an awesome day that must've been!!