Darren.

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!

Welcome aboard! I'm sure you'll get some tips soon from folks who've fished that lake. Good luck!

Disabled certainly deserve places to fish, and if your laws are as you say, then perhaps getting in to politics will be a good route to go. You could also go the route of having a petition signed by locals, working with local news sources to bring attention to issues, and so forth. Good luck, Bill.

Welcome aboard! Can't help you with blank lures, but some lure builders on the forum might...

Welcome aboard! Only one way to find out, mate. Git 'er done! If you catch, you didn't waste your time And if you don't, you didn't waste your time because you were fishing!

Welcome aboard, Ben!

Welcome aboard!

At least some of 'em came to play! Congrats!