Darren.

Welcome aboard, Derek! Take your pick. I've never owned a Pflueger, but do have a Daiwa, which is a very smooth, solid reel. If you are able to take your rod to a local store with both the reels you are interested in, ask to put each on and gauge the balance and feel of each. I think you'll be able to pick the winner once you've paired them up with the intended rod.

That doesn't sound right. My SS8 is as smooth as a baby's bottom going through my guides. Especially compared to regular PP. That's really strange. Assuming your guides are AOK...

Nothing from me, either, just a welcome aboard, Ed!

Odd. I really like it. I got a great deal last summer on a 1500 yard spool of 15# test and now have it on a number of my spinning reels. Have regular PP in 10# on at least one spinning reel, and 20# regular on my bait caster. I thought I'd not like SS8, but have been pleasantly surprised by it to the point where I'd likely buy it over regular next time. I'm wondering if you got an old, or bad spool. I think you can email PowerPro and explain the problem. From memory, I believe they will send you a new spool, or something.

Almost kissin' cousins! Except for the color...the weight...but everything else is good!

Usually when I use shrink wrap I use a plain old lighter, works well Have repaired a lot of phone charging cables thusly.

That was a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing. I have watched a number of his vids over time, never saw that one, then again, I don't normally use tungsten for TX rigging...but will remember this trick for the future.

Welcome aboard, Tyler!

Welcome aboard, Tim! Good luck on your quest. Lots of folks on BR in that area. I'm sure someone will chime in soon.

Wow. Nice fish. Confusion aside

Welcome aboard!

Just placed an order with Siebert for some tungsten drop shot weights! Great deal.

For me, I can use either/or. But I prefer cork. Doesn't really matter if split or full. Something about the feel of cork that I like. Again, if the rod is right and doesn't have cork, it is not a deal breaker.

Welcome aboard!

Seeing how this is a duplicate, you should ask the moderators to delete it...

No doubt a great kayak, but you really should mention you are sponsored by Wilderness Systems.

Welcome aboard, fellow Virginian!

Welcome aboard! My Lexa had some issues with the thumb bar engaging during a cast. It messed up the anti- reverse pawl a little bit causing noise. I was able to straighten it out and that took care of the noise. You do have the option of sending it in to DVT, he repairs reels and has a great reputation here. He's also a site sponsor, his link is on the right with the other sponsors.

Welcome aboard, Bill!

My experience with the Extremes are in-store, not on water, but from in-store comparisons the CL are not only lighter, but they transmitted little taps to the tip top a bit more crisply than the Extreme. Obviously not a field test, but there was a notable difference. I also had one of my sons help me by gently ticking the top sections of the graphite on each with his finger nail. And with eyes closed, again, the CL felt crisper. So hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'm with you, Mike. I so enjoy live worm fishing under a float. My youngest son was getting bored fishing for bass the other week, so I convinced him it wasn't just about bass, but anything that bites. So he used the worms and slayed the sunfish. He ended up catching a 3 pound bass that day, too, but on a soft plastic... I've got a number of long poles (no reels) for this very purpose. Really puts fun in fishing.

Welcome aboard, Michael! I don't have experience with BPS reels, but I'm a big fan of their Carbonlite rods. I've got both the previous black versions as well as the current white. Both are quality rods with the white feeling maaaybe a tad crisper.

Are you using plenty of lubrication (spit) when you tighten the knot? That is often the critical piece as no lube=high friction=heat=weakness.

Good suggestions above. If St. Croix is your rod choice, I recommend ML. Carbonlites, M. You can often find Carbonlites on sale at BPS, and Shimano Stradics on auction site for a very good price... As far as sizes, my favorite for bass fishing is a 1000 size. Keeps overall rig weight down, and can handle serious bass. If you are not into Shimano, there are great reels from Diawa (Lexa), Pflueger, and others.

Yes you can, but it is not the best idea, as it will slip quite easily. So best to either put several yards of backing (cheap mono), or yes, electrical tape. I've spooled straight braid on a few of my Stradics, but usually use backing.