Jrob78

I've used the 27x method. It requires having the reel you plan to use and buying an extra guide or 2 but when done right, it works really well. The MicroWave system should be much easier to implement but I have no experience with them.

I don't have a favorite new rod but I think the new St. Croix Mojo's are going to be pretty sweet. SC3 blanks on a $120 rod is tough to beat.

Alconites is where it's at for me. They are cheap and I've never had any trouble with any Fuji Alconite guides. I will use Ti Sic on "special" rods but 90% get alconite.

That was because of gearing, not bearings.

Every blank is different. Static testing is the best way to decide guide placement.

I would never send anything I valued to Mike's. I'm sure they take better care of customer's reels than they do people buying stuff from their website but I wouldn't risk it.

Less bearings isn't going to make a reel retrieve a spinnerbait any easier.

I assumed when you asked, "why pay the money over a Veritas or a Veracity," you meant that you didn't see the Duckett as being a better rod. That's why I responded the way I did. I have no personal experience with any of those rods so my comments are based on the benefits of micro guides alone, not on any specific rod.

If you think the Duckett rods are no better than the Veritas rods, that makes the decision pretty easy. Micro guides don't add $50 of value to a rod by themselves. In fact, I think they make Veritas with micro guides and Ducketts with regular guides. The main benefit of micro guides is they remove weight from the tip end of rods. This makes rods more responsive and fish closer to the raw blank. The more weight you add, the less efficient a rod becomes. Most of my rods have some degree of micro guides. The weight savings and benefit of said weight savings is "all that" for me.

This is my experience as well. It did take eliminating those other reel brands to get here though.

Yep, good cork cost considerably more than EVA.

When you're starting out I think it's good to try different things. How are you really going to know what you like if you don't try different brands?

In general, light line casts farther than heavy line.

A Royals/Cubs WS would be pretty cool.

Those are both awesome choices. If you decide on the Tatula make sure you shop around, they can usually be found much cheaper than MSRP.

The 2nd half of the season was a blast and we weren't supposed to be in the playoffs. I don't take that for granted but it's hard to lose like that. I was indifferent to the Jays until this series but there is some bad blood now. It will make the ALCS more fun to watch for me.

I don't have a Bantam here to check. I'll check tomorrow if nobody else knows for sure.

I'm sure you're right. I'm going to have to look.

Edit, I'm going to have to take a reel apart. lol

I think both brands are owned by Pradco.

I like the Warbaits head for a weedless swimbait jighead. I usually just a regular swimbait hook around vegetation though.

Don't know what a Bantam B51 is. You unscrew the side plate like DirtyDeuce described. Also, you can buy a Chronarch 200 handle for about $30. It will come with the knobs and fit in place of the original handle. I don't know if the Curado I handle will work with the Bantam's drag star.

I use a MH for every technique you listed. You might try to find a MH with a softer tip or even go with a MF action if you want something different.

What a bummer. Rangers choked the game away in the 7th with 3 freaking errors. I hope the Astros or Royals murder the Bluejays.

Wow, I am up against the 1 guy with a worse record than me.