Further North

No kidding. I'll take my 19 year old daughter's level of maturity over that of more 40-50 year old guys than I can count...

For me it comes down to this: Have a process. Follow it. Don't get distracted. If you do the same things every time you launch, it'll become habit and you'll be in good shape. Start the year with a check-list, make sure your'e on the right page... I had one semi-goof last year (forgot to unhook one of my tie downs), and it was because I got distracted stopping to help another boater at the ramp...and didn't go back to where I broke off.

...and we will be, forever...because different people get to this place at different times. Exploring and learning is cool! This is the only really important answer... ************************** The same topic comes up in fly fishing, where most reels are more expensive than casting or spinning reels...but are quickly switchable. I took a run at teaching myself to cast lefty (I tend to be right handed, though I can bat and shoot pistols both right and left) with a fly rod last year...made some progress, but not enough for me to be happy with. Most of my issues were with hook sets and final delivery...and hook sets (strip setting) are completely different with a fly rod than with gear.

Tim, here's pictures of the knots: ...definitely 50# Knot-2-Kinky. Not as sure on the line. ...as you can see, the knot's been in the line for quite a while I believe I tied it on Lake of the Woods in July. It's got tons of pike and a few musky on it...as well as some aggressive smallies and largemouth. For most of that time, it's had a #5 red and white Mepps on it. If I changed it up, it was for another #5 Mepps. There's a slim chance it had one of the smaller Doctor Spoons on it.

Tim, I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's 40# Suffix 832 to 30# Knot 2 Kinky. I'd go look, but it's minus something out there. I'll try to get it later and get a picture...it's a snug little knot. I tie a swivel and snap on at the business end with a perfection loop.

That's a really good idea, thanks!

There is no "best". What there is...is an intersection of your willingness to spend money and the performance of the reels...heavily impacted by what features/style you you like. Determine your budget... Figure out what you like... ...and just as important, what you don't like... That'll knock it down to two, maybe three reels. All will be excellent, given your budget and the feature set you like... ...at that point, buy the one like best/has the best price, depending on what your individual driving motivators are... Can't go wrong...Don't let other people's opinions sway you. Then...set up right, go fishing.... ...or Abu Garcia, or Quantum...depends on preference...

Can't confirm that, it will do them no harm. Modern technology won't be impacted, we're not talking 1980s fiberglass... I drive a 2014 Ford Escape, frequently carry 9 ft. Fly rods back and forth to the lake...zero damage so far...and my least expensive fly rig is 2-3x more $$$ than my most expensive gear rigs... Don't over-think this...Any modern rod can stand a few hours with a slightly bent tip... I'd challenge anyone to PROVE otherwise. We'll ask the rod makers...

Dooood...you're makin' me choke on my Scotch...knock it the hell off... ...if you wanna wake up screaming in the middle of the night...think about tying that stuff (Cranks, Jerkbaits, topwater...anything with a t-t-t-treble hook on it...) into a Perfection Loop. Stephen King can't touch it... PS: the secret is to use a Mustad Fastach swivel through the knot....Just sayin'....

I expected a quote about upper arm bones...

I don't know what it is about the Uni-to-Uni...I just fight with it. For some reason - and I get that it's not rational - I find the FG and Alberto easy to tie. Who knows? You wanna have a real laugh? I fight with the Palomar knot too...but I force myself to tie that one... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm with you...'cept it was my left thumb... Here's my take: with 50# braid and 30# wire leaders, that knot's gonna be about 4" long...what got my attention was "...60 wraps...". I tie musky flies... ...with less than that....

Ditto. ...but it was the OCD part of me that was fascinated. I've seen "owl on a stick" macrame projects that are less complicated than that PR knot. Good call. I can't tie the Uni-to-Uni on a bet...it's a fine motor skills issue, I'd need a 3rd hand...but there's nothing wrong with that knot.

That makes perfect sense...as I mentioned in another topic today, I live in a place where the waters are infested with musky and pike (thank God!)...so even my bass rigs tend to run leaders because there's little I hate more than a second of tension followed by a limp line as a two foot pike makes off with a $7.00 Rapala... ...I was pondering this...and it struck me...that the advantage of the FG over the Alberto only becomes important as line diameters increase... When you're fishing 10# braid to 6# flouro...knot diameter probably isn't an important factor....bump that up to 50# braid and 30# (or 50#) wire leader...that's a different conversation altogether... I do a lot of the latter, little of the former...because of the toothy fish infested water. ...BTW, you've got some incredible musky infested water not all that far away...I love where I live, but TN would be a pretty close 2nd place for me as I wouldn't have to give up teeth...and the bass fishing would be better. Trout are probably a push (look up the Driftless Area).

I like the Alberto, and use it for connecting single strand wire leaders to braid. The FG (if practiced enough so you can tie it on a pitching deck) is better (smaller through the guides) for Tyger Leader, Surflon and Fluorocarbon...for me...YMMV, there's no wrong answer.

Saw this one on the same site, actually looks tieable on a boat bouncing around in the waves: ...claims 100% of line strength. ...but the Bimini Twist and the tag end pointing the wrong way don't excite me. Not gonna go through the guides well.

So...I'm kind of a knot knut...It's my technician/continuous improvement focus...I've settled on the FG for 95% of leader to main line connections... Saw this one today: https://www.sportfishingmag.com/100-percent-pr-bobbin-knot-video ...and though the technician in me can admire the potential of this thing...even the dedicated pike/musky fly tier in my says..."That's over the top!" But it made me smile anyway.

Nailed a couple key points there! Pike and musky are not big running fish (very often...every once in a while one will surprise you, but it's going to be a slowwer, steadier run as opposed to the explosive run of a steelhead or a saltwater fish...and it'll be years between these fish)...so... You don't need a lot of line...150 is plenty and you can make less work, no problem. What you do need, is strong line...Some may disagree, but 50# braid is plenty and 65# is what is on my "target" pike and musky rigs...but...and this is key point, rods, reels and everything else aside: You need good, solid leaders, and an effective way of connecting them to your braid. Most of my leaders start out as about 18" of 30# or 50# tieable wire connected to the main line with an FG knot. Sometimes I will use an Alberto/Albright knot. I will use heavy (80# and 100#) fluorocarbon for some specialty rigs. I will use single strand leaders (Knot 2 Kinky) on some specialty rigs as well. Best example of this is that I have found a #5 Mepps to be an insanely effective search lure for toothy fish, so I've got 30# single strand Alberto knotted to 50# braid with a 100# Mustad Fastach swivel. This rig has accounted for 48" musky and 42" pike....Rod is a 7 ft. medium TFO, reel is a 7:1 -ish regular low profile bass reel. I tie in either a swivel snap, or a snap at the business end, usually with a loop knot (I lean towards the perfection loop). I really like the Mustad Fastach clips and swivels...have not had one fail yet and they are much faster to swap lures on. ...so...what does all that mean? I live in a - thank God - pike and musky infested area. So...with the exception of of a few finesse set-ups, the lightest line you'll find on my rods is 50# braid FG'd to a leader of some kind (probably Tyger Leader, but I've got some AFW Surflon as well). At the end of the day...ree;s don't make that much of a difference as long as they aren't junk and they have a decent drag. ...one thing: Get big toothy fish in the boat as fast as you can! Toxins build up fast and unless you're planning on eating them, do the fish a favor and use appropriate gear...be prepared to de-hook them fast (even if it means you cut hooks and replace 'em later) and for God's sake, don't hold them vertically for your photo-op...their internal organs have not evolved for that. Big pike and musky are decades old...Please don't be the guy that kills those fish and pulls them out of the breeding pool and the resource for the rest of us! ******************************************************************* BTW, my #1* pike/musky rig is a Shimano Calais DC 201 on a 7' 9" TFO GTS 797 XH. ...that won't fit your price profile, but there are plenty of reels that'll work in place of the Calais. Had I been on a budget, I'd have gone with an Abu Garcia REVO Beast, most likely. *2017 stats: 20 musky...lost count of pike...but well over 100.

Lot's of options out there, but tell us a little more about your primary use first. When you say heavy cover, do you mean thick weeds, or lots of structure (sunken trees, etc.)? What Kinds of lures will you primarily be throwing? What kind of rod will the reel go on? ...I'm a multi-species fisherman with a bias towards toothy fish, so I might be able to help dial you in better if had some more info.

Pretty close to the same, except Mad River, and Crestliner.

Wow...that's scary. That kid is crazy lucky the crash didn't result in some life changing injuries. ...looks like the same kind of boat I run, too.

I've had the "same" rod broken three times now...all by other folks. Friend tried to help put the rod in the back of the car after a day of fishing...ran it into the seat...snapped the tip off. Friend's boat, rod in rod locker, he takes it out...but like your's rod locker closes on rod... Same guy, my boat, two weeks later, a week after getting the replacement from St. Croix...I'm taking the rod out of the locker, he looses his balance falls on the rod locker lid...snap...I thought he was going to cry... Gotta love St. Croix's Gold Star Service Plan...

Most of the noticeable scratches in the decals on my boat are from branches along shore when I go in close to retrieve a lure I threw on shore... There is a beauty on the port side bottom from a Canadian rock though...

There are Suzuki motors (and plenty of other brands) out there with thousands of hours on them with no re-build. ...I wouldn't sweat it.