Darren.

A hearty congrats! Well done to you and your Dad!

Welcome aboard, Myron! You'll want to hit up @TOXIC as that's his neck of the woods!

I'd offer a welcome, but probably already did back when you joined in 2014 So welcome back! Nice review. Never handled a Hammer rod but they sound like a solid offering in the crowded rod market.

Awesome! Rod so strong it doubles as a kung fu weapon that can catch fish, fling propane tanks as projectiles, and serve as a jumping platform.

Welcome aboard! I use braid + leader, always now. Used to use straight braid back in the early 90s but when I got back into it and learned another thing or two in the 2000s I switched to braid/leader. Mainly due to expense of braid and desire to preserve it as my mainline. I can retie multiple times before cutting into the mainline when I use a leader.

Congrats!

I've been trying to think of something smart-alecky to say, but it'd end in embarrassment if you saw a picture of me attempting the same thing. I have work to do

She likes things that disturb the surface!

Welcome aboard, Taylor! Nice beast!

I've had both a Lightning and Lightning Rod Shock. I'd take the Shock. I felt it was more durable, but sensitivity not compromised. I'm not sure about the Cabelas rod, but I'd have no problem with it if it felt good in-hand. A rod's IM rating can be confusing, just do a search in the forum or on Google about IM. Rod makers don't even agree on what it all means, sadly. One of my favorite rods is an IM6, and has great sensitivity. Also have IM8 rods that I love... EDIT: I just looked at the Tourney Trail rods and do like them and would pick over the BPS Graphite, just FYI.

Both look fantastic! Great work!

I haven't used mono in years, but I did put some 8lb Trilene XL on as a leader the other day for fun since I found a spool in a storage container. Didn't stay on though. For me it is between copoly and Gamma Edge fluorocarbon. While I agree with @J Francho true leader line is best, I prefer to use "regular" fluoro spools as it is much more cost effective (for me). The waters I fish don't suffer from the zebra mussel scourge, and aren't too rocky, either. As far as breaking strength, Yo Zuri Hybrid is pretty darn hard to beat by my experience. I've found the Gamma Edge to be pretty good, too, compared to the small sample of other fluorocarbon lines I've used. Will probably stick with YZH and Gamma for the foreseeable future.

Welcome aboard! Being new to the sport, I'd also suggest spinning gear. As you have already done, I recommend the combos offered at Bass Pro, Cabelas, Dick's, and so forth. DSG has sales quite often, and if you're signed up for their rewards, you will get emails with coupons for purchases. Last thing you want to do is take a suggestion here, order it never having felt it in your hands and be disappointed with the decision. These combo deals are usually about $20 less than buying each separately. Also look at Pflueger President reels (though I personally don't like them, they're solid - I'm a Shimano fan) for an affordable long-lasting reel. http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/spinning-combos#facet:-70000000000000000787011410111510411997116101114,-70000000000000000295539&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:& In that link there's a Pflueger President + Bass Pro Graphite rod for $70 - on my screen it is the 6th combo. I've used Bass Pro rods from MicroLites up to Carbonlites and they're all really nice, quality rods for the money.

Can't answer the question, but welcome aboard!

Excellent stuff here. Thanks for the discussion, Tom! I remember glass rods, though I wasn't a dedicated fisherman then. Sensitivity for me was the bobber going under water in those days! FF to today and I've spent a lot of my $$ on fishin' sticks! I've said it in other threads, and agree completely, that sensitivity is in the hands of the holder. Like @Catt says, it's between the hands and brain. Experience is the great teacher. Just last week I fished a Mann's Jelly Worm (8") TX style, and caught a 2 pound bass in a grassy flat about 40 yards away from my kayak. Was using my Chronarch 50e and a MH Carbonlite, 6'6". I set the hook on instinct almost immediately when I felt something different as I was slow dragging it through the grass. It wasn't like someone rang the doorbell, or pounded on the door saying "FISH IS ON, DUDE!" like a bobber would indicate or your rod being ripped out of your hands. It was different, subtle, but there. I'm convinced it was experience and ability (based on learning from experiences) that taught me to look/feel for a difference between grass and a strike. I don't give all the credit to my $100 Carbonlite, though it did play a role. I'm pretty sure I would have felt that subtle strike on my $50 rod as well simply because I've had similar experiences on it. All this said, I have a long way to go to get to where many of you guys are in terms of knowledge and experience. This is where I'm at today. I fully expect to be in a different place a year from now thanks to more experiences piling up. I fully expect my understanding of sensitivity to continue to evolve.

Ok, folks. Another fish X-File. Fisherman nearly dies when catch jumps down his throat http://nypost.com/2017/10/12/fisherman-nearly-dies-when-catch-jumps-down-his-throat/

If you try to pinch open a Speed Clip, then yes, it is one of the most difficult to use. Do not do that. Instead, place the lure eye along the clip eye and wedge it open by pushing down on the speed clip. Simple as pie.

Likewise for me...when I use hard lures. But unlike @J Francho, I like Norman's Speed clips!! That said, I also use duo lock snaps, and now that I have looked up the Decoy egg snaps, I'd consider them in the future...

The fact I can't do things on a mountain bike today that were crazy simple back then. The fact that I can't lose weight anymore by merely thinking about it. My wife hated that, LOL. Fishing stuff? Perhaps that I got most of my Dad's old tackle boxes and gear. The smell of that stuff when I open one of the boxes reminds me of childhood fishing memories big-time.

I buy insurance for our iPhones, MacBook, and my iMac. Next time I buy a MacBook or iMac I may not. They've been quite rock solid over the past many years. iPhones, worth the money so far. Other stuff, including fishing gear, no.

Can't help you on portable fish finders, but cool user name, and welcome aboard!

Nice review!

Congratulations! Nice PBs!

Welcome aboard! Sounds like a challenging area to fish! I fish mostly soft plastics and use the Ned rig, drop shot, wacky rig, texas rig. One thing a lot of us have found is that when things are frustrating on the water, we tend to go faster with whatever we're fishing. Not sure how you do things, but if you think you are going slow enough, slow down some more.

Welcome aboard, @NashLouie!