Darren.

Shhh. Dadgummit. My wife might read this forum. Was actually, let's call it, auction roulette. And I won, though I never thought I would. So I had to explain it and grovel.

Technically, my Christmas gear was in the form of an "oops" click-to-buy Chronarch 50e a few months back... I offered Christmas and even my birthday in 2014 as compensation for the deed. My wife agreed to Christmas So 'twas an early Xmas gift for me.

Have the same reel, unmodded. I've considered changing out the handle to a Hawg Tech, but just did so for my Chronarch, so that project is delayed. Found the stock Lexa 100 to be just fine as-is, although I'm sure better bearings might make a difference. It is a good, solid, all-around reel. You'll enjoy it.

Another 100% of the time leader-user here. Agree with many here, and primarily because braid is expensive to retie numerous times in a fishing outing. It makes the mainline dwindle faster. Adding a leader slows this down tremendously. Albright, uni-to-uni leader knots have proven themselves to me over and over. I have 100% confidence in them. I learned to tie them (over and over) and test them which helped in my confidence of them. And like Oregon Native, I use hi-vis yellow, so prefer a leader for greater stealth - whether it matters or not, it's what I choose to do.

Seasoned greetings!

Welcome aboard, Gary!

Welcome aboard, Rick!

Has to taste like a ½ million buck turkey, otherwise .....

Good gravy, Blue, that's a beast of a kitty cat!! I'd love to have had scenario as yours. Nicely done.

Plenty here have! Most expensive I've fished with is my Avid... Held plenty more expensive rods in-store, but I'm out of that market at this point in life.

Merry C back atcha! I am a guy that likes Medium power rods for most everything I do. But given what you described, MH would be the best all-around choice, IMO. As for length, whatever you like. Brands, describe how high your budget is . I mean can you afford a Megabass rod, a Steez? Or are you talking $200 and under? We all love different brands, get your hands on as many as you can at Bass Pro, or other store. If you know the reel you will use, take that in with you and test it out on each rod to get a feel for the balance, etc. Worst thing to do is buy something online you've never tried based on my (or other) opinion and hate how it feels in your hands.

I use 20# PowerPro, hi-vis yellow. I do not recommend the red line, though, at least back when I tried it, my bait caster became red with all the color bleed. May not be an issue with newer line (i say this only if you are interested in red).... Color is most important to me for visibility. Green is just too hard for me to keep track of. But I mostly do soft plastics (TX, wacky, mojo), sometimes jigs. I want to see the line for any jumps and twitches. I also use a leader 100% of the time. I do this primarily to not use up the expensive braid with tying and retying of hooks all day fishing. I maybe retie the leader once while fishing, assuming I've whittled it down, or lost it to a snag.

Sounds like a decent deal enough. Scratches will happen in shipping and most definitely in hitting the water, running over logs, shallow rocks and such. Marks of use nothing more. Enjoy your new Ride, you'll love it, I'm sure!! Just remember to always wear a PFD!

Likewise to you both!

I started to fall into the "better equipment standard" trap. The "if I only had that rod, I'd be a better fisherman" method of thinking. While better equipment=better experience may be true, if one cannot afford to go that route, then it is too high a standard to maintain - unless one saves up and purchases when the money is available. And with my wife and I both working, 4 boys ages 9-16, all with voracious appetites, numerous pets, house repairs, etc., there are MANY more important things for me to save up for than a Megabass rod. I already have really good equipment, 95% of which is bought and paid for: 2 Stradics, 1 Chronarch, 2 Lexas, 1 Avid, 1 Premiere, 2 Compres, etc. Those should be more than sufficient for how I fish. But there's always something better out there, newer, lighter. My wife calls me a marketer's dream target, if that tells you anything LOL. Growing up, my Dad said I had "champagne taste, but a beer wallet." Something I've always struggled with, I guess. So contentment in the "what I want vs. what I need vs. what is sufficient for the task at hand"game is what I'm getting at. I know that's a subjective, "to each his/her own" type of statement, but for me it is about enjoying the sport as opposed to comparing myself to that angler over there in that boat/kayak fishing that type of rod/reel... Now if I can just maintain this standard of thinking at all times, I'll be okay, and won't have to explain to my wife why I clicked "buy now" on that item when I shouldn't have.

I bet more were trying to find the price of that pink casting rod... LOL

Bucket list for me ... peacock bass, that is. Those are really nice size for Florida!

Well...wow.

I snell any hook I can safely snell. I even worked out a method to snell a weedless wacky hook, but personally find the 5 turn Uni to be more suitable to such baits.

Those look rather interesting. Any idea what size hooks those are? I normally use smaller versions of the Gammy WGF (Sizes 2, 1, 1/0, but go as high as 2/0). I've also begun making some of my own weedless hooks with the 1/0 and 2/0 WGF hooks. Using lengths of Malin Malon in 20lb test. Have caught a number of nice bass with this wire. Felt 30, 40 pound were just too stiff. I'm using a tiny section of marine shrink wrap (glue inside) over the wire and around the shank. Works okay. I know there are better methods to attach weedless wire.

Probably the most consistent thing I do before going out is to check the barometric pressure. I'm still undecided on whether or not it *really* makes a difference in fishing. I mean, I went out this past Monday which had a low BP, but I couldn't buy a bite. And I've been out on days where the BP was high and had a great day. So it's just something I do with regularity before hitting the water.

You mean a weighted version of the Finesse Wide Gap hook? I ask because that's of interest to me. I attempted to add a crimp-on weight to a WG hook, but there's just not enough shank on it. I think the best weighted wacky I've used so far is the Buckeye flick-it models. I love the football head and the way the weed guard holds up (compared to others). Found some Owner Ultrahead Wacky hooks at ⅛ oz on clearance at DSG, picked up several packs. Only problem I have with these are the hooks are a tad too light and will bend out more easily than others.

Welcome aboard, Steve!

This is hilarious...

One more: Hawg Tech handle for my CH50e - swept, baby!