flechero

Nothing... You can still get a sub $20 combo at wal-mart and worms still live in the garden, if you don't mind digging them up. And you can still catch fish in a t-shirt. ...lol We decided that we wanted (and now can afford) to buy better and better stuff. I used to own cheap stuff... they still make it but i no longer buy it. Another thing to look at is the price of any item years ago and adjust for cost of living and inflation.... if you compare apples to apples, it's not much different and in some cases it's actuall cheaper now.

Avid, For $20,000.00 there are tons of good,dependable, slightly used vehicles around. And as Catt points out, there are new options as well. If you opt for 2 wd, there would be even more options. Buying something outright is always a great way to go. Not being bound to truck (or boat) payments is one of the best feelings there is. (Google: Proverbs 22:7)

I hope you guys got some good rain. We only want little showers, just enough to water the grass. ...lol We still haven't even come close to recovering from the flooding. Belton Lake is still 23 feet high!! And that's from the flooding we had 2-3 months ago! The floodgate has been wide open this whole time (except 2-3 days when there was downstream flooding) The water level was teetering on the spillway for about 6 weeks... They are saying it might be the Holidays before we see "normal" water level. What a year!

Between $10 and $54 per guide. A wild guess- about $100-$150 for a casting set up, depending on guide types. For you, RW, it's somewhere between pocket change and lunch money! ;D

The G.C. rings are thinner, lighter and "twice as smooth" as SiC. They are not plated or coated, but a solid ceramic ring. Make sure you compare hardness of the guides and coatings on a common scale. I think the top end materials are closer than you think. (search "Vickers scale" or "ring hardness" on RBO, a few of the guys there have posted this stuff in detail. Having said all that.... I'll fall for it once. ...lol I can't really answer your question, at least not until I use them and have some real world usage to report on.

No, at least not this year. That's one of the biggest complaints- Loomis only selling a part of the line up in blanks. You do have other options... there are other brands, blank mods, etc. I'd suggest finding a builder in your area and having a sit down with him. Each guy has his own set of ideas and alternate solutions. Plugging a 4" butt section isn't difficult... for example, if your rod is 7'4" X-fast, you could plug a 7' fast and it would become an x-fast. If it was a mod fast, cut down a 7'6" fast by 3 inches and use a 1" cap, etc., etc. ReelMech had a builder lookup page he posted before, maybe he'll see this and add it for you. I can't remember what page it was. Guild maybe?

A few more times and it won't go back in. You can warranty that for the guide. Or just have that guide replaced. But for your list of mods... a custom rod is probably the best option. Lots of builders won't go into mods like that. (at least none that I know) It's too risky and if the blank gets broken, the builder has to eat it, plus it's twice the job to mod as it is to build fresh. Especially if you change guide locations, the rod's finish will most likely look like there used to be a guide there. You describe a custom rod, and for what you would spend in mods, you could probably have one built. For example, I would charge you the cost of a new build and then "accidentally" break the old blank and start fresh. ;D Just kidding, I wouldn't take the old one to start with. At least that way you will have 2 rods you love.

I missed this question on my above response... They are used on lots of factory rods, it's just not advertised. Name recognition, plain and simple. Fuji is the fishing world's "Coke." If you saw a cardboard tag on a rod advertising Amtak or Pac Bay guides, would it get your attention or make you more likely to purchase it? Most people wouldn't recognize that.

Yes, they are the industry standard. They are good quality & very affordable. (and rated for braid) Good topic... For a long time, I think Fuji was miles ahead of the others in guides. These days, I still give the "best" to Fuji in the higher end guides but there are some good products out there by other companies. (There are lots of Fuji guide copies out there... ReelMech has some good stories on that) Besides Fuji, I've built with 4 types of the Batson guides- the PVD TiCh, Blue TiO, H and standard zirconium. All are good guides, all have a place and I'd use them again if they fit the design criteria of a build. I've used AmTak and Pac Bay on repairs (to match factory stuff). I normally stick to Alconites or Ti SiC on my own rods. I still want to get the Gold Cermets but for that much $$$ I have to wait for a very special blank. ...lol (this winter I'll get some) I use mostly Fuji ECS seats but before they were offered in sizes over 15mm I used Batson exposed seats for the big stuff... they are surprisingly nice. (comfy and sturdy) But everyone asks for Fuji seats so that's all I actually stock. Spinning seats are a different story (long story actually) I have yet to use the same one twice. My favorite was a comfort contoured wooden seat used on LBH's rod. It was super comfy and looked good. I'll use that on my own next spinning rod. On fly rods, I have yet to use a Fuji component... but that's a discussion for another day. ...lol

My favorite was the MBR784 IMX... but I think you bought it from me! ...lol Built a replacement (custom 784) and now use it for fat Ikas.

on a less serious note- I bet the offender will wish he had a do over when he's in jail... they don't call it the pokey for nothing! The funny thing about the TX-OU rivalry is that most of OU's team members are from TX.

Yes, it's fair. And in Loomis's case, they require the broken rod be returned so you are actually only paying shipping both directions under the Xpeditor warranty. Your shipping prices also vary by destination and place or origin so sometimes it's a few bucks less and other times it's a few bucks more.

Sounds like you are a split second off. I am another one of the no tension pitchers, all thumb. From the description, it seems like you are releasing the thumb while the rod's tip is still "working". Try a slower release with thumb... slower meaning later and not all at once- it's more like the end of a cast but in reverse. As the tip is about finished let the spool begin to rotate for a split second and then let off... I think your just getting the spool started too fast. Remember a pitch is like an upside down cast, but with all wrist.

That's a new one to me. Sounds like a rod holder issue or something. ?

Yo-Zuri's core. ...lol

You are an artist! Always fun to see your work.

It all depends on what you want to end up with and what you are willing to spend. The Batson blanks are budget friendly and great blanks (RX6 and RX7- I've not used RX8) for the price... the Cabela's blanks are usually well liked but I have no personal knowledge of them, other than they are very affordable.

That's what I use, but preference always plays into it... I usually lean towards the heavier of two choices.

That's probably fine but may feel a little light.

If I remember right, you asked about the storm swimbaits... if that's the case, you can fish those on the same rod you'd fish the chatter baits, swim jigs and several other things. Nothing magical to look for in this type of rod. I do fish the storm baits on occasion and have used several different rods for them. Anything you like in a fast action is fine... Just make sure the rod is rated to cast the weight range of the lure you are going to use. There are several rods in your range from some BPS and Cabela's rods to the All Star Classics. Depending on the ratings and series, you might like a MH or a H for this stuff.

I'd say the prices reflected the age of the baits. You happened on a color they had some old stock left in and that's why there were multiple prices.

Fun times

Just call or email, Karen sells retail also.

I'm shocked that it's that small of an increase in price!! Of course that's likely a wholesale jump so us retail customers will pay a little more I guess. damnpeoples, The new blanks should outperform the old ones... until now the following only applied to SCIV and SCV blanks.

Yup, I also think that the easiest rod to start with is a casting rod... (I only build spiral wrapped BC's) Fly rods require more planning design and spinninng rods (depending on your layout method) take a little more effort (IMO) to get the guide sizes and layout just right. Even though a light flyrod for panfish might be a little easier, learning to wrap guides with a light fly blank will deter you from attempting a second rod!! The tip sections are so little that you'll go nuts trying to wrap those as a beginner. Also, i think the split casting grip is one of the easier ones to turn. (fly grips are the hardest if you turn your own.)