.ghoti.

I always liked hot sauce on french fries.

That is an eye opener. I've replaced a lot of tip-tips over the years, but I've never seen one in as bad of condition as that one. It should have been replaced a long time ago. Hard to believe it got to that sorry state without the owner noticing. As far the spliced handle section goes, custom builders have been doing exactly that for years. It's a way to get a blank for a specific application when none exists. This just a very poorly executed example. To simply assume that no other manufacturer would ever do such a thing is to do just that; simply assume.

I'm with flyfisher on this one. Keel weighted hooks in current, other wise unweighted.

In a nutshell, that's it.

I have a Tatula ML casting rod, that I'm very impressed with. It's hard to beat in it's price range, if you think you can use a mod-fast action. I now have three mod-fast action rods, and I'm liking the action more and more. A lot of the high end JDM rods are regular, or mod-fast, action, and I'm now thinking these Japanese are onto something we've been missing, but that's a topic for another thread. This rod loads well enough with light weight baits to take full advantage of what your new PX68 has to offer. I have a Alphas on mine, and that reel has never performed better than it does mounted to this rod. St Croix has a 6'9" ML-XF in the Avid series for less than 200 bucks, but I don't have one of those, so i can't comment on it. I've been more than pleased with all of the St Croix rods I own; Avids, LTBs and Legend Extreme.

From that list at Penzeys, I like the Italian and the Tsardust the best. Tsardust makes a great dry rub for any kind of pork, as well as great sausage. I have to warn you; once you order from Penzeys, all other herbs and spices are inferior.

Once you start amking your own sausage, the store bought stuff is unacceptable. Allow me to suggest this: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssausageseasonings.html

Well, Happy Birthday, and you may as well buy two.

I wish I could give you a detailed review on the SS SV, but I've only done some "backyard" fishing with it. Been to busy to get out on the water. I am very familiar with the Alphas platform; I have five of them, so I have a few observations. First impressions; it's lighter than an Alphas, but not really enough to be noticeable when mounted on a rod; a little greater line capacity, which is irrelevant; drag is about the same strength, but is a bit smoother; 7.1:1 gears vs 6.8:1 or 5.8:1, and the SS SV is noticeably smoother out of the box than a stock Alphas. The biggest difference is the spool. I haven't put it on a scale, but with both empty spools in hand, the S spool is lighter than the Alphas spool. I was casting a bare 1/8oz jighead with it, but I can do that with a Alphas. The spool braking system is a different version of Magforce. I'll need some more time with ti to be able to say, with any credibility, if it's an improvement. SO, is it better than the Alphas? I don't know yet. It might be. This reel is being touted as the replacement for the legendary, discontinued TD-Z, and thus, should be compared to it. I have two of those, so I can offer a few observations on that subject. The S is a little lighter, the spool is a little lighter, the drag is better, the retrieve is smoother, it casts a bit better, and the difference in braking systems is up for debate. But, I'm comparing a new reel to reels at least ten years old. The two TD-Zs I have have are still fine reels. Will I be able to say that about the SS SV ten years from now? Who knows, but I do believe Daiwa may have a worthy successor to the TD-Z, and it's about time.

Contact Fenwick. They may very well send you a prepaid shipping label. They are very good at customer service.

It's good stuff. Won't solve all your problems. Like Mike said, it ain't magic, but it helps a lot. They used to be a Bass Resource sponsor, and a bunch of us got free samples at the RoadTrip, a couple of years ago. I've been using it ever since.

I have part of it right now. Just bought a Daiwa SS SV, and I have a blank still in the tube, wating for time to build it. Phenix K2, 6'8" ML-F, 1/16 - 5/8oz lure weight, 4-12lb line weight. The rod blank weighs just 1.23oz. I have a set of Recoils, a carbon fiber MVT reel seat, and some 6lb foam to turn into grips. 6lb foam is lighter, and tougher than cork. I'll be going for a minimalist build, everything I need and nothing more, hoping to get a finished rod not much over 2oz. 2.25oz is a very real possibilty. 2oz is pushing it. Put that together with a 5.3oz reel, and I'll have a bait finesse combo lighter than a lot of reels.

The rule is, you go down the slide, not up.

Don't over-think it, just try it.

I've made a note to self, next time I order a bunch of Daiwa parts, I'll get some of these. I order from a dealer who's about 50 miles down the road from me, and I only do larger orders. I hate to pay ten bucks shipping for 3 bucks worth of parts. I keep quite a few in stock, but I haven't done an inventory check lately. I'll try to keep you in mind, amigo.

LOL Now there's a solution.

I know I don't have any of those. It's what everybody else calls weights for the centrifugal braking system, and the reel should function just fine without one, as long as you have the other three.

You need your reel to match your socks?

This is the only correct action. Steroid pills for a four or five day course may be prescribed as well, or in place of the shot.

Decent mechanical skills are what you need to get started building rods. You need not be "artistic" to build a perfectly functional rod. If you look at the rodbuilding forums, you will find rods built by some people who have real artistic talent. Doesn't make their rods fish any better, but, man, some of them are beautiful. Personally, I'm not into bling, for bling's sake. I'd rather spend my time making sure everything is fitted together, aligned, wrapped and finished as perfectly as I can. I find some "beauty" in that. Don't allow any perceived artistic deficiencies stop you from trying your hand at rod building. Just beware. You might like it. And, it's no way to save money.

I have a 7' ML-R Tatula rod, and use it mostly for small cranks. But I have used it for very light plastics and micro jigs. It is easily sensitive enough for bottom contact presentations. As long as your hooks are sharp, hooksets are no problem. And you don't need braid either. I use 8lb test mono on mine. I think there is a general misconception about just what a mod-fast action rod is. A mod-fast rating does not mean the rod has no power, or backbone. It simply means that the power is a little further down the blank. You don't have to swing any harder, you don't have to swing any faster, you just have to swing a little bit farther. I have several rods now with regular, or mod-fast actions, and I'm liking them more and more. There's a reason so many of the ultra high end Japanese sticks are regular action. I think they're onto something, and have been for a while. We have yet to catch up. If any of the Walmarts near me had those rods at those prices, I'd go get some.

I have two blanks standing by, waiting for my four week Christmas break. A St Coix spinning blank 5S70MLFG and a K2 TX683ML-C. Both to be built as bait finesse casting rods for reels I just acquired; a TD-Z I'm in the middle of tuning, and an SS SV, which I think needs no tuning at all. The SCV is rated down to 1/8oz and the K2 down to 1/16oz. I have two of the new Alps MVT carbon fiber real seats, and two sets of Recoils. I'm going for a light as possible, minimalist build on both rods. The K2 blank weighs 1.23oz, and I'm hoping to get a rod not much over 2oz when finished. The SCV is a 1.5oz blank, so 2oz finished weight is not possible, at least for me. Custom is probably your best route to what you want, but you're not gonna get there for 250 bucks. Unless you do it yourself, of course. If I were you, I'd contact DVT, and see what he can do for you.

Tony, I have three rods capable in that weight range, and you're not gonna like hearing about any of them. 1. Setyr 6'6" M-F The tip on this one is very soft. It's almost an XF action, and loads well with 1/8oz. Good luck finding one of these. Setyr went out of business a few years back. 2. Kistler Helium LTA, one the original series 7' ML-MF. Loads well with 1/8oz, rubberized cork split grip that I really like. Good luck again finding this one. 3. Tatula 7' ML-R Another mod-fast action good down to 1/8oz, but with a full length EVA grip. $150 MSRP. Out of my selections, the easy one to find. I really like mine. It usually has a small crankbait tied on, but I have used it for light plastics, micro jig duty, and it is easily sensitive enough for any bottom contact presentations. A ML top end with at least medium backbone. 4. St Croix 6'9" ML-XF LTB. I had one of the full cork handle versions, and, in a fit of stupidity, sold it. I took it on a White River trout trip once, and was throwing a 1/16oz bucktail jig. I don't know if the newer 6'10" version is as good at the lower end of the range.

If you have the schematic, give me the part number. I have a lot of Daiwa parts, and can send you one, if I have it.

i've never had a problem with returns at BPS. I give them and Cabelas both top marks for customer service. They've both went above and beyond for me.