RichF

I'd call up St. Croix and see what they have in the factory store. I called last year and got leftover Rage rods for $50 a pop.

Curado available for Pre-Order on TW.

How is tube fishing any more boring than drop shotting!? LOL

I'm pretty sure you can only use 4 rebates per household/address. Just have a friend fill out the forms. lol

Another vote for St Croix and Kistler. I'm also a huge fan of the Shimano Zodias line. Getting custom rods would be nice but they don't come with replacement warranty programs like most brands do. I'd kick myself if I spent $250 on a custom build and had it break.

The Zodias is way better for sure! I bought one around the time they came out and absolutely loved it. When Shimano said they were replacing my old Crucial with a Zodias, I was pretty stoked.

I'm right handed and use a right handed baitcaster. I don't get the switching hands thing. I make two handed cast most of the time, with my left hand above my right. No switching involved.

I use a Powell Max 704 CB with straight 30lb braid. I have no issues but I also might not use topwater plugs as often as most anglers.

Most of the jigs I flip grass with have a horizontal tie. I honestly don't think it makes a big difference either way. The jigs I like just happen to be built this way.

Did you happen to have line tangled around the tip when you set? That seems like a weird spot for it to snap. I know the new Crucials (which are now discontinued) only have a one year warranty. It sounds like yours is within that one year so they may replace it under warranty. If they don't, Shimano has a new replacement program. If you opt for it, they will ship you a replacement for 50% off msrp, free shipping. When you get it, you have to send your broken one back to them (also free to ship). On the plus side, your replacement will be a Zodias

Some people just suck. What boat he/she owns has no bearing on that. Some of the nicest people I've ever met on the water ride around in $60k rigs while some of the worst have moss growing on their deck carpet and ride around the lake with no cowl on their motor. The guy in the OP's tournament would've been a butthead no matter what boat he was driving around in.

The Curado and Citica I are the same price on TW right now. Get the CuradoHG, 7.2:1 gear ratio. It's strong, holds the right amount of line, has a smooth drag, palms well, and casts great.

I like Trilene 100% a lot and don't have any issues. Honestly, the best thing to do is just keep practicing. Taking off some line should help. Line conditioner might help a little but here's only so much you can do. In the end, a well trained thumb is the by far the best way to tame fluorocarbon.

Senkos are killing too many bass! Time to ban that darn thing once and for all . Sorry Mr. Yamamoto.

A big reason why my father and I steer clear from Oneida tournies haha. Now that Burnies retired, he's only gonna get better out there too!

Try a little more spool tension and a little less brake. Don't try and throw too hard also. That used to be my biggest issue. I'd try to throw super hard to get it way under. I've learned that it doesn't take much to get a jig far under a dock.

Burnie's a good dude. He's done a lot of great things for the Upstate NY fishing community. He's definitely a hammer on Ontario and Oneida too.

There's already one on the market, the Connect Scale. Ott Defoe uses it. Retails for like $80 I think.

Mustad KVD short shank triple grips.

I used 14 and 16lb last year quite a bit. I really liked the 16lb. The 14 was iffy for me. Even though it was only a slight step down from the 16, it just seemed exponentially less abrasion resistant. Both sizes handled well. All in all, it's a pretty good, cheaper fluorocarbon.

I like 30lb braid paired with a medium action, moderate tapered rod for top water plugs with treble hooks. I like fluorocarbon for cranks and jerkbaits but mono or copolymer is good also. 50 lb braid for frogs (the only choice for me). I also use 50 to 60lb braid for flipping and pitching, depending on the type of cover I'm fishing. I like the braid around a lot of submergent vegetation and opt for 16 -20lb fluorocarbon around docks, wood, and rock. Soft plastics can mean a lot of things so the line spectrum is quite wide for me here. 12 -17lb fluoro or 30 - 40lb braid depending on what type of plastics, cover I'm fishing, weights, etc. Lastly, for finesse, 15 -20 lb braid or 6 -8lb fluorocarbon. You can get really in depth with matching line sizes to baits, rods, and techniques but I recommend keeping it less complicated if you're just starting out. A 30 - 40lb braid can cover most heavy applications, a 10 -12lb copolymer or mono can cover most treble hook baits and some soft plastics like senkos, and an 8lb copolymer or mono can cover most finesse needs. While I really like fluorocarbon, it's not the best line for beginners because it can be unmanageable. There are endless combinations but these should get you started.

Do you mean Sunline FX2? If so, both are great but 50 is pretty perfect for frogging. I've been using it for quite some time now and have yet to find anything I like better.

That's Duckett quality right there

The only thing I see at the end of the pros' handles are caps to make them float. Guess they could be adding weights in there but I doubt it.

They're better than any others I've used but they'll still fog your glasses if you have it up over your nose. That's pretty unavoidable though no matter what buff you have on. I always wear mine all the way up with only my nose exposed. I just put suncreen on it and my cheeks for extra protection.