flechero

That's ok, you got the big fish and slimed his new carpet! ;D Congrats!

Don't ever quote Charlie Moore again! > ;D wasn't that from "dumb and dumber" referring to the [dead] bird he sold to the blind kid?

and leaves in about 15 hours! ;D

Everything RW said and add that for us who fish soft plastics a lot or mostly, that slinky in your line reduces most of the transmission of vibrations to you from the bait. Translated, you'll miss more bites since you feel less. It can also hinder hooksets, absorbing power like a spring. Moving baits aren't usually a problem since the line straightens out under tension of the retrieve.

Tungsten makes a big difference, I think. Will it increase your catch? Maybe, depends on you. I can fish a lighter weight, deeper. The density is such that it send vibrations up the line much stronger than lead, giving you a much clearer picture of what you are fishing through or over, in other words if you fish mono, you'll feel a lot more with a tungsten weight. The physical size is smaller so there is less weight in the way. (of rocks, snags and hooksets) As stated above, if they fit your budget, they are great... until I lose my job, I'll keep buying them. (and when I think that's close, I'll stock up before it happens! ;D )

I've owned several 844's and unless you just fish light line and are up north, I'd go 844 for your stated purpose. It will serve you very well. It has a light tip for a heavy rod so you can cast pretty light stuff if you want.

Now that's a different story! I would probably do that! (and then buy a BPS cranking rod to cover that need!!

Can you not get it repaired locally? Either way, if it's a cranking rod, I wouldn't upgrade. I just don't think you'll realize a gain of any sort, except the blue rods look great. ...lol Just my opinion, CB rods are a different animal.

Tremendous info, Bob, thanks for taking the time to post all of it! You answered several questions that I have about my home lakes.

If I could start over, I'd do most of it the same way... the 4 changes I would make would be: 1. learning the t-rig in the beginning 2. put $ away EVERY paycheck towards a boat fund... even when I had a boat so the next boat would be funded (stress-free and debt free)) 3. I would have night fished from the start 4. I would never have fished w/o a scale and camera!

I'd say to try and find a 50MG at one of the ebay stores in your price range. I bought several of them for right at $200 delivered. Or, look on-line for a Revo Premier... I also got one for under 200 delivered. I love the light weight reels. But I think both of those are freshwater only, I just noticed that part of your post.

Same here, glad you are dialed in! Since you asked, mine are all set very loose so when your thumb lets go, the lure falls to the ground quickly and will backlash if you don't stop it. I've always been all thumb, it is how I learned. (the 1 exception is my swimbait rod because it burns my thumb. ...lol)

Yep, just like loomis, st. croix, all star and all the other rod brands out there... there isn't a machine that assembles a rod (yet?). Whether or not they are individually spined, built without spacing charts, have hand fitted components, etc., etc. is another question altogether. (but it's what you are really asking, I think) I suspect not, based on widespread availability, but I honestly can't say for sure.

You can make a quiet entry by pitching, roll, sidearm or overhand casting if you stop the bait as it reaches the target... the only splash will result in the drop into the water... the lower the trajectory of your cast, the softer the landing if you stop it, regardless of the type of cast. Remember, accuracy will beat stealth 95% of the time, so don't get too caught up in it. (yes, that's a made up %)

That's funny!

What kind of "pro" was this? I think I would have told the guy that if he wanted to give up, he could reimburse my entry fees...

If you want a shirt to fish tourneys in and want a logo (unpaid) why not go to the C.A.S.T. website and get on of the Columbia shirts with the C.A.S.T. logo on it? That way you are representing a great cause and it says you care.

Med. isn't more sensitive, it just bends more under the same load.

You either need to replace the guide, or warranty the rod. It will probably cost you less to replace the guide, locally, out of pocket... than the cost of insured shipping to warranty the rod. If your shop is local, exchange the rod if they will for free.

I was thinking the same thing... even not considering the chemical aspect of it, dry ice is so cold it could permanently damage or kill the fish.

You're right, because it actually cost more to build a split grip. The time it takes to shape 2 grips and either add checks, ramps or take care not to need them, outweighs the "savings" of a few cork rings. Actually a rod builder on tt already discussed this and it is cheaper for him to do a split grip than a full rod, cork is not cheap it is 3.50 a ring for top grade he claims. And random made up statistics ftl : You may be right for the extremely small percentage of people who (occasionally) use CG-1 or "flawless" cork... but there is so little of it around and none of the factories use it, for most of the rodbuilding world, it's cheaper to build a full length grip. Unless your labor isn't counted, which of course wouldn't be an accurate representation of the actual cost of the rod.

I guess I'm in the minority... while I do own, I see that many people are better off renting. There are A LOT of people being foreclosed on that should have been renting... few people consider that the cost of ownership far exceeds the "monthly payment". No one here knows your specific situation and none of them will bail you out if something happens, so trust your numbers and continue to rent as long as it makes sense to your situation and family. What you did was very smart and it's what very few of the people in trouble did. Owning real estate can be a great blessing, but it isn't for everyone, all the time. You did your homework, so try to weigh the facts against the reactions posted here. But I'd weigh your facts 50X heavier, at least.

You're right, because it actually cost more to build a split grip. The time it takes to shape 2 grips and either add checks, ramps or take care not to need them, outweighs the "savings" of a few cork rings.

Jay, I think you read too much into this. It was a question, not an accusation.

Not such a great pic but here is the new 22 conversion. Just pull the slide stop pin to remove the top end and slide on the 22 top end. The black slide is the 22.