Delaware Valley Tackle

Josh I'm there with you. I do free or deep discounted work all the time for young, beginning or needy anglers. Only thing I would caution you on is that unfortunately there are dishonest people in the world that will take advantage or charity just out of cheap or greediness. Too broad a program may become troublesome to monitor. I like the sentiment though.

The PQ has a spool mounted bearing. I don't recommend diy replacement without buying a specialized pin removal tool. The extra cost may not be worthwhile for 1 or 2 reels. Bearings should not require break-in especially at such high sustained speeds. I agree with the removal seals they are truly "non contact"

I don't like split seats in general. The minima 4 double swaged guides are super light and have held up well on the few rods I've used them.

That and the compulsion to twist them off. I've come across some that I believe were epoxied. Things happen. I wouldn't let this put you off St Croix , Fuji or torzite.

You're right on. Within a lineup fast and XF might mean something. Outside of that its a crap shoot. There is a system called Common Cents used by custom builders that has made its way into fly fishing. It uses the weight of a minted US penny 1999 or newer to quantify Rod power, action, resonance (recovery speed) etc. It works but I don't see manufacturers climbing on board any time soon.

If you're breaking rods with some regularity I'd suggest you re-examine your hooksetting, fish landing practices etc. it's really rare for a blank defect to not be obvious the first couple times it's loaded.

I have my plastics in zip lock bags in one of those cheap little bags BASS gives away. Stuff that into my duffle. My bag has flaps on the outside where I keep extra of the plastic I'm currently using. I found that if you keep reasonably organized and show respect for the boat (not stepping on seats , making spills, pickup after yourself etc) the boater will have no problem fishing with you.

One local pond is a 3acre oval. One end is shallow weed choked flat. Opposite end steep bank with some current from the over flow. One side has a sloping bank and a fishing platform. Opposite side Lilly pads and steeper drop. One corner had a rock pile. Deep grass throughout. I've fished there with UL, fly, spinning and casting rigs and caught on each.

Spoons get overlooked as old school. I bet those docks get hammered by jigs etc and the spoon was something different or "new".

I get gift cards from family that don't fish themselves. I'll go during the sale to maximize the gift but that's about it.

I always threw a duffle with rain gear some plastics and lunch in a rear compartment and a mid size tackle bag holding 5-6 trays between my feet just like you're doing. Maybe you can scale down some without necessarily having to meet the criteria of fitting in a deck compartment. ?

You could even say it can vary depending where In the pond. I approach ponds same as lakes only it's not as far from one potential habitat to the next.

This is similar to the argument some make for the mod fast. Like @Catt said though it's personal preference at the end of he day.

Absolutely. Very common problem to trouble shoot.

Braid slipping. 100%

Some kind of mix of carbs and protein along with water or Gatorade. Pbj works but I get tired of it.

These three rods will cover just about anything.

There's been some recent conversations on Rod building forums making a solid case for a mod-fast action for pitching/flipping blanks especially in the heavier powers. I don't see the need for XF. Plus the terms are so subjective sometimes you can't tell the difference.

have you flushed and oiled the stock bearings? That should be your first step. The PQ responds well to super tuning. If you feel like you want to go further look into ABEC 5 ceramic hybrid bearings. If you're going to oil them go Very light or save the money. High performance parts about the performance not max life.

The point of that post was that factories aren't working with super secret parts you can't match quality wise. I'm not saying to go custom based on price alone. I did a build like you mention for RW with more expensive guides and seat for well <$500

15 # braid is too light for frogging. Looks like an interesting option for everyday bass fishing though. I don't see the advantage of it over regular spinning tackle.

That's right. I'm not aware of any over the counter Rod that can not be matched or beaten performance wise by readily available components in a custom build.

Like anything else there are pros and hacks. I like to consider myself in the former group along with Scott Hovanec, Fishin Daddy and others that post here and on other Rod building sites. Ask questions and vette any potential builders you consider. Email me some details what you're looking for and we can talk on the phone if you'd like.

Still over priced compared to what you can get in a custom of the same price.

He'd be ahead of the game if he just bought the assets and launched his own brand. Starting from scratch is hard but not as hard as behind the eight ball. I wouldn't waste my time pushing yet another rebranded reel.