flechero

It's not always an option... you can't run a trailer while skip topping matts or threading trees & bushes. If you fish a lot of open water with buzzbaits then yes a trailer is good.

McDonald's drive thru on way home from lake!! I like to catch 'em, not eat 'em! ...lol

Amen, brother!! I set hook after: "one-thousand-one" or as I feel weight, whichever is sooner.

Key words here, "as long as you don't switch hands". Catt & I are right handed with cranks on the right side of the reel. Switching hands is mandatory and the reel crank points upward. Does this make sense? Ronnie Yes, perfect sense. You guys had me sitting there thinking how do they pitch with the wrists rotated the other way! ...lol I can't bend my wrists like that! ...lol

I am lefty and use a right retrieve reel. I end up with the reel being somewhere between 90 degrees and upside down, handle facing down when at 90. (the shorter the rod, the more it goes upside down, on longer rods it's more of a 90.) That made a lot more sense in my mind than in type. ...lol Won't handles always be down, regardless of hand, as long as you don't switch hands to cast/pitch?

Bass Fisherman, you sandbagger!!!! How many times have you dressed us down with something like: Sure seems like a lot of money to throw away. You could do some real good work in your community and with various charities if you spent that money on something important. Think of the number of homeless people you could feed and get blankets for in this cold weather. Shameful, absolutely a disservice to your community. People are freezing and starving right in your own back yard, how do you sleep at night knowing that those people could have had a warm blanket and a simple meal? Well, that was a lot milder but the feeling is close! I'm revoking your rights to give us a hard time any more!!

You don't need sensitivity in a crankbait rod... but still the graphite version is WAY more sensitive than the glass rod. I'm sure an argument could be made for a fast action "feeling" a little more sensitive than the mod. (graphite to graphite) I really think the sensitivity is the same or close since the same material is used to make the mod rods, it's just a different taper and wall thickness that give it the different feel... But the different feel is not (most likely not) the transmission of vibrations, it's the effect of levered tip vs. body of the rod.

Yes. The crankbait rods are just a moderate or mod-fast (no catalog in front of me) and the "regular" graphite is fast action. The mod and mod-fast will bend more through the mid section and feel "softer." Most people like this for crankbaits, it is easier on you if you fish them much and it is harder for a fish to throw the treble hooks as the softer rod 'gives' more during of head shaking and jumps.

Awesome boat!! Nice colors. May your first scratch be small and low. I remember the first one still and my boat is a 94 but don't remember any of the rest since then ...lol fishing an underwater fence row and slid across a t-post. Most awful sound I've ever heard! :'( I keep scrolling to look at your pics... what a good looking boat!

I wouldn't even waste the time to oil it... I'd swing back by academy and exchange it. Purely on principal.

Well said, I'm also placing emphasis on making and spending time with new friends. I'll refrain from making many on the water goals... the one I do have is to put my passenger(s) on to some big enough fish that they call me for an "assist" in the landing! There is no telling what conditions will be like that far out. Spring weather in east Tx is wildly unpredictable... we could be anywhere between wearing coveralls w/neck gaitors or shorts with sunscreen. ...lol

All Star makes a great rod at each of their respective price points!

Call one of the service centers and order a curado 100 B spool. They are like $35 and a direct swap out, they increase your line capacity enough to go up to #20 XT. They work great, all but one of my 50 MG's have the 100 B spools in them. I carry the original spools as extras, loaded with different lines for different circumstances. A cheap solution for the "trip of a lifetime"

What type of seat & epoxy did you use? (some epoxies have lower tolorances to heat) Also I have seen posts on RBO on replacing seats, if you search there you shoudl find very specific suggestions.... look for one by Jesse Buky (sp?) he actually has a method of cutting and sleeving the blank so you don't risk making it mush from heat. Others claim his method is indetectable so I think it's worth looking for.

That's sort of vague... Loomis offers a wide range of rods for "a couple hundred" In fact, for that range + 20 or 30 dollars, you could swing a GLX from fatfishfarmer... I don't think you could ask for much more rod than that!! But if you have to buy at the show, I can't help since I don't know what will be for sale there.

I'd for sure go with graphite, no hesitation! But I would get a MM or MHM in graphite (PC66MM). I have a MHM graphite and it will cast the little stuff very well (PC70MHM). And they are way lighter than glass!! I have the 6' 6" MLF SCIII blank (Avid) that I built up as a spinning rod, I think it's too light for what you want to use it for. I'm not a fan of glass either way but I can only see using it for big, deep diving cranks where the extra weight can cushion some of the resistance.

My miss... it's good.

Sounds top notch!! Can't wait for some pics! I've never seen the red framed fuji's before. They also have my card on file. ;D (seriously, they really do!) I might actually be on Robert's speed dial. ...lol

Muddy, I wasn't looking to ruffle your feathers or offend anyone, just asking a sincere question... Like I said in my original post, I'm surprised at how many people say they hold out or hold back... that never felt like the theme of personalities in this forum so I didn't expect it and maybe I stand corrected. You and everyone here has the right to hide every detail if you want, it won't affect my fishing, just my thinking.

It's purely preference and comfort driven. You can get a feel for it by taping some weights to the very back edge of your rod... one at a time to feel the gradual change in balance point.

Just a "guess" but how about this... You have a right hand retrieve reel and use your left hand thumb and pointer finger to tension the line as you fill the spool, and while tensioning, you are holding the line to the left side, causing it to pile up over there. There is enough slack in the line guide on most reels to allow that to happen. And yes, I know this from experience. ...lol

I like alconites too, they are THE BEST GUIDES for the money, IMO! I just had asked for a bunch of Ti guides and Santa came through with enough for a couple rods so I figured I better use them on the nice blanks!! ...lol The All Star 807 is a SWEET blank. I still have 2 of the 806 Titaniums left but sold my 807's back in the summer. I still have 2 of the 827's and an 826 but they are +T. Is fishstick where I saw all the different finish and trim pieces for the tubing handle material? Someone had several different ends and trim parts for those... I thought about ordering some but lost track of where I saw them. ...lol

Sweet!! For sure get a few pics... (no lollygagging, get them soon!) How about some details to tide us over?? What blank, seat, guides, etc.? Be sure to resist the temptation (later tonight) of touching the finish to see if it's hardened yet. :-? Yup, I did that on the first one... figured if it set up in under an hour, it had to be cured to the touch in 4 or 5 - NOPE!! ...lol Now I never throw away my foil with the excess finish until the next day... I stick my fingernail into the extra so I don't screw up the real thing! Ahh... humble beginnings!! ...lol I don't but some people do. I don't use them for anything so I leave them off. You just have to find a way to finish off the front of the reel seat... whether it be a winding check, thread/epoxy ramp, or just a finish ramp, what ever suits your taste. Lots of people use a single ring of cork and make a tiny little foregrip just so it looks more normal. What grip did you put on backwards?? How about a pic, we can probably help you with a specific suggestions to either correct or improve it.

Club repair is usually very reasonable. call any course or shop for contact info of a local person or shop to repair.

I'm a little surprised at how many people won't share info/spots. I almost never fish in anyone else's boat so it's a one-way street with me. I always fish the water i feel is best for the day and time... so if I have someone with me which is most of the time, they are going where I feel we have the best chances of catching fish... honey hole or not. And if I see them another day on a spot I showed, I'll stop and say hi, and ask about the success. There is plenty of water and other good spots to fish. I like exploring new water so I guess I'm less locked into the same old spots if some get outside pressure. Do you non-sharing people fish junk water when you have a passenger? Why waste the gas and time to go if you don't fish what you think is good water? Besides, fishing a good spot with a friend and catching fish is a great time.... fishing with a friend and protecting your holes is like casting practice... thanks anyway, I don't backlash much.