FloridaFishinFool

You are right. The wood has got to go. Most of it. I decided to keep the small wood foregrip on this one. Here is the first rod to have wood grip removed. I also removed the guides as the original builder missed the spine alignment by 2 or 3 degree so that is being corrected for this rebuild into a spinning rod. Correction... the original builder missed the spine alignment by a couple of degrees for a baitcast rod. He was close. But since this is going to be a spinning rod now, the guides go on opposite side to have a rod properly aligned as Gary Loomis teaches it. Now I just need to get some new cork. Its now 99% cleaned back to blank and dot on blue tape shows new spine alignment slightly offset from original build and original artwork. Only 10 more of these to go... This particular old rod had 3 different woods making up the grip. Its a GLoomis 766-1 heavy flipping and pitching rod. He had a cedar butt cap, and solid Florida pine wood handle grip- that cracked and split lengthwise from butt end, and the foregrip looks like tiger eye maple which is staying on the rod. The old guy made a custom shaped Bass Pro "power hump" type of grip made out of pine wood. I plan on doing something similar in cork. But first that wood has got to go! No power tools. Just careful nibbling away at the wood using the grain to my advantage to help split it off the rod blank. The tool of choice here are a pair of Snap On flush cut side cutters in the larger size with 3/4" long blades. The wood was no match for these sharp cutters. It also removes all the heavy epoxy from blank as well since they are flush cutters with sharp blades. These even chewed off the reel seat quickly. I may wind up removing the wood grips from all of them. Way too heavy and out of balance. Going to take some work but its giving new life to classic old Gary Loomis custom rods.

Wide magnets work wonders! And to the OP, try and keep both springs the same if possible. In your OP you said you might pull one spring from a retired reel. My suggestion would be to use both matching springs from the retired reel rather than 1 spring from one reel and second spring from another reel. The springs may be close enough to not even matter, but I like to keep them as even and equal as possible- if possible- and it sounds like it is if you have other reels to borrow springs from, I'm just suggesting to keep them matching as much as possible, but its not as critical in this location as DVT and others have noted.

I love looking over a thread like this one. So much great tackle to see! Lately I've been on a vintage rod and reel buying kick in part because that's what I have been finding. At one rod shop the owner just purchased an entire estate of an old custom rod builder who liked to strip off the cork from his rods and install heavy varnished wood. Holding each rod is like holding a slippery broom stick and heavy and out of balance. The owner knew I like older vintage Loomis blanks and so I get first and second shot at the entire estate. So I carefully went through each rod and chose my top 5 rods, 3 GLoomis and 2 North Fork Composites. The shop owner knows he is going to have trouble selling these Loomis rods because of the wood and poor craftsmanship of the dearly departed. He left glue visible and sloppy work on some rods. So he is making me some decent deals. I picked up 5 of my choice today for $100. I'll be back for several more next week and carefully look through what is left. I plan on repurposing a couple of these rods. Some will get cork back on them and spiral wrapped guides and updated some, while a couple of them may be turned into spinning rods and get more use out of them as spinning rods. He held back 1 GLoomis telescoping 7'6" flipping and pitching rod to do more research on it. Sounds like the price on that one is going up already. I want some of his older LCI or Loomis Composites, Inc. rods sold by All Star rods out of Houston, Texas. He has two of them in there I may grab later on. The 5 rods I did buy today are going to be a lot of work I can tell removing some of this wood. I may leave the wood foregrips on some in his memory, but the slippery heavy wood handled have got to go. Just look at all those custom made solid wood broomstick handles on all these rods! Ugh! What would you do with these? Keep or strip and replace with something newer and lighter? Some of the foregrips are small and not adding much in weight and may remain on the rods, but the heavy wood slippery grips have got to go! I passed up some good custom Loomis rods just to get at these first. I'll go back for the second "best of" grouping of rods next week. Also picked up a couple of reels and other rods this past week. I got a nice 7'6" MHF Redbone spinning rod and Shimano Stradic 5000FH for $50. The Redbone rod is in the shop getting guides repaired, but the reel is all finished and ready to fish again. I put a Stradic FG handle on it rather than the white FH handle: Smooth and quiet as when new again. All new bearings and rebuilt AR on this one, and removal of old friction ring and debris inside of reel. And I stopped by a pawn shop in Palatka, Florida a few days ago and picked up an older Abu Revo S lefty for my 12 year old son. I offered the shop manager $5 cash for it and he took it. All it needs is rebuilding and a cast control cap. Looking forward to re-examining all those Gary Loomis estate rods again next week. I don't find a collection like this one very often. And actually the old guy's hard work at stripping off the cork and replacing with heavy wood is actually working in my favor and making all the rods cheaper and at $20 per GLoomis rod is definitely a worthwhile buy for me. And since I have to remove the wood grips anyways, it makes the transitioning from a baitcast rod to a spinning rod less of a hassle and more worthwhile that way as well. Forced re-customizing of old custom GLoomis rods! Does not get any better for me! And I'm liking the price too!

A good question. And I wanted to know who invented the tube..... "Bobby Garland is credited with inventing the tube bait, known as the "Gitzit," in 1964, making him widely recognized as the "father of tubebaits". Originally designed for light-line fishing in clear water, the hollow plastic lure with trailing tentacles became a revolutionary, highly productive tool for targeting smallmouth and largemouth bass." So when you ask what is the tube lure? To me it is a great lure to catch with because it works, and it has also been a great lure to catch fishermen with as well. But once you get locked into buying into the tube fishing system, you find yourself in an endless trap. The following image does not even show the Shaw Grigsby method. I love old Shaw Grigsby, one of the greats, but I never let him sell me the tube system. Today lots of companies make tubes and tube hook variations. If one is not careful tubes can really turn the bait monkey into a gorilla and cause your boat to ride low in the water. I think the answer to your question is shown here by Shaw Grigsby back in 1991 on one of Florida's crystal clear spring fed rivers near where Shaw lives in Gainesville, Florida- but I do not recommend "wetting" a lead weight in one's mouth. Shaw does it on camera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLO-8gJJ80Y BassmasterShaw Grigsby - Old School Tube Fishing - BassmasterLong before the flipping tube was a staple of shallow water, Shaw Grigsby, was using these mini-squids to take other anglers' entry fees. And for inquiring minds... I actually spent the time awhile back trying to figure out what reel Shaw Grigsby was using in the video above back in 1991. And I think I have it figured out. Its a Quantum Great White 4W spinning reel. Today these are quite rare and difficult to find. Shaw had an endorsement deal with Quantum back then. He is seen wearing a Zebco hat, and back then Quantum was a side brand owned by Zebco. Shaw has modified his rod and reel requirements over the decades since the 1991 video which in it he says medium and medium light rods was the way to go, but listen to him now: "He throws the tube on spinning tackle, usually with 8- or 10- pound test fluorocarbon line. "I'm using a 6-foot, 10-inch Quantum Shaw Grigsby Signature Series rod (Model No. PTS6105FSG) that I designed specifically for skipping and casting tube baits at sight fish," he says. "It's tremendous for worm fishing too. It's kind of a medium-heavy, so it has a lot of power in it, and it's got a parabolic bend which makes it easy to cast but it won't pull the hook out of the fish's mouth. Once you stick him, it'll hold him." His rods have gotten longer and with more power over the years. So has his line. Back in 1991 I think he said he was using 4 to 6lb line. Now its 8 to 10lb. A slight increase.

Rodman Update.... failed to pass Senate by a couple of votes- this time. Notice it passed the house 107 votes in favor of removal and only 3 who voted no. This issue is a snowball rolling down the hill right now. No stopping the eventual removal in my opinion. Does not matter if I am for it or against it at this point. Its out of all of our hands at this point. Just reporting the current status... "Legislation to remove the Rodman Dam and restore the Ocklawaha River failed to reach a final vote in the Florida Senate during the 2026 session after being blocked by leadership. Despite strong momentum, including passing the House 107-3 and passing three Senate committees with only one opposing vote, it died before a floor vote. The Florida Times-Union +2 Key details regarding the Senate situation: Committee Support: The bill (SB 1066) passed through committees with minimal opposition, winning votes of 8-0, 10-1, and 17-1, with a total of 22 senators voting in favor of it in committees. Opposition: Senator Stan McClain was the sole "no" vote in the committee hearings. Blocked Process: The bill was deemed "suffocated in the dark" by leadership after it failed to move to the Senate floor for a final vote, marking the second year in a row the legislation failed in the Senate. Senate Makeup: The Senate has 40 seats, with one seat vacant at the time https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2026/03/18/decades-after-a-florida-canal-project-was-abandoned-advocates-are-trying-to-reunite-2-rivers/ Decades after a Florida canal project was abandoned, advocates are trying to reunite 3 rivers The dead trunks of cypress trees, cabbage palms and other wetland plants briefly emerge during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Freshwater fish swim in Cannon Spring, one of the lost springs of the Ocklawaha River, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Marion County, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) A guide leads kayakers on a tour of Silver Springs on Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) The dead trunks of cypress trees, cabbage palm and other wetland plants briefly emerge during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Fisherman throw their lines into the Kirkpatrick Dam spillway Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Nina Bhattacharyya, executive director of Florida Defenders of the Environment, stands near the Kirkpatrick Dam on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) The Kirkpatrick Dam, Rodman Reservoir and spillway are visible on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin) A great egret stands on a dead tree trunk during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) An American alligator rests on a narrow piece of land during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) The town of Welaka on the St. Johns River is visible Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Welaka, Fla. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin) People enjoy the Kirkpatrick Dam spillway Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) The remains of a wetland forest are revealed during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin) AP The remains of a wetland forest are revealed during a drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Palatka, Fla. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin) PALATKA, Fla. – It was supposed to be Florida's version of the Panama Canal — a shortcut for boats to pass through the middle of the state from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf instead of navigating around the peninsula. But work on the Cross Florida Barge Canal was stopped in 1971 over environmental concerns. Since then, a dam and reservoir built for the aborted canal in northeast Florida has drowned a chunk of the Ocala National Forest, put 20 springs underwater and disrupted wildlife crossings, including some used by migrating manatees. Every couple of years, when state workers empty the reservoir to clean out muck, those lost springs reemerge and cypress saplings begin growing on previously submerged land. For several months, the area returns to its natural state. The latest drawdown of Rodman Reservoir, the first in six years, started in October and ended in early March. But environmentalists want to permanently open the 7,200-foot (2,200-meter) Kirkpatrick Dam and reunite the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers with Silver Springs, one of the largest spring systems in the U.S. “By removing the dam, we would reunite the waters,” said Nina Bhattacharyya, executive director of Florida Defenders of the Environment. “We would have springs reemerge. Wildlife would be able to move back and forth -- migratory fish, manatees and so much more. Removal of the dam would really fix a wrong that was created decades ago.” A legislative setback, and vows to keep fighting The latest effort to make that happen, after decades of trying, failed last week when lawmakers didn't pass a bill before the legislative session ended that would have supported a $70 million project to restore the Ocklawaha River by opening up the dam over four years. Advocates for restoring the river said they plan to regroup and identify the best strategy for moving forward, but they remain optimistic given how close they came. The measure had passed the Florida House and was awaiting a Senate vote before the session ended last week. “While the bill did not receive a final vote in the Senate this session, the strong bipartisan support it earned reflects growing momentum for restoration,” Bhattacharyya said Monday. During the drawdowns, what used to be on the 9,500 acres (3,844 hectares) of submerged land becomes visible. Bear and deer tracks are spotted. Wild turkeys and sandhill cranes return to the dried-out land. Thousands of drowned and ghostlike cypress, palm and maple tree trunks reveal themselves as the water drops. “It's haunting, like a graveyard,” Karen Chadwick, a charter boat captain, said recently as she maneuvered her boat among decayed and graying tree trunks jutting from the water. There are also concerns about the safety of the dam, which is past its life expectancy. Advocates for opening the dam say a structural collapse could endanger hundreds of nearby homes. “Something is going to happen, maybe next year, maybe in a couple of years,” Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur, the legislation’s sponsor, said last month during a committee hearing. “Something has to be done.” ‘This system is a national treasure’ Nature filmmaker Mark Emery told Florida lawmakers recently that the Ocklawaha River was unique as it was historically fed by the extensive Silver Springs system. But huge schools of mullet and catfish have disappeared from Silver Springs since the dam choked the flow of the river and reduced the number of fish getting into the springs, he said. “This system is a national treasure,” Emery said. “Hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water feed and cool the river. Before the dam, you had a direct waterway to the ocean with small springs all along the way.” Some angling groups oppose anything that would permanently empty Rodman Reservoir, saying it has become a world-class fishing spot and supports a local economy of largemouth bass fishing, camping and birdwatching in rural Putnam County, which is among Florida's poorest counties. Supporters of emptying the reservoir say it will remain an outdoors haven, if not more so. Plus, the reservoir reduces nutrient levels in the water and could be used as an alternate water supply at a time when Florida's population is booming, Steve Miller, president of Save Rodman Reservoir, told lawmakers in February. “There's a bigger picture than what is being shown,” Miller said during a legislative hearing. “Don't gamble away on speculative outcomes.” Fixing misguided projects While the construction of the dam was a mistake, locals have made the best of the situation by creating businesses geared toward outdoorspeople, said Putnam County Commissioner Joshua Alexander. “We have created chicken salad out of chicken,” Alexander told lawmakers. “We are not a rich economy, and I believe it would affect our economy.” A restoration of the Ocklawaha River would be part of a long history in Florida of restoring a natural environment that was upset by a misguided public works project. The Everglades in South Florida had shrunk to half its size due to water supply and flood control projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before a multibillion-dollar effort was launched at the start of this century to restore the network of wetlands. Similarly, the corps dredged the Kissimmee River and installed canals in the 1960s to reduce flooding in the interior part of the state, but ended up upsetting the floodplain's ecosystem of birds and fish. Efforts to restore the river were launched two decades ago and completed in 2021. “Nature is very resilient,” Chadwick said, “if you just get out of the way and let it do its thing.” ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

My son and I have been very happy with the Shimano NASCI and Miravel. His current favorite for newer reels is the miravel. Super smooth. We do have a nexave, but I'd recommend the miravel in that price range. I see others are as well.

12mph and under. I always avoid center of lakes and large bodies of water because wind can change quickly, and I always use the trees to help block wind. It is one of the first things I check before going out, and as soon as on the water, take wind into consideration for where to fish on some lakes if too windy just to use the trees to block wind. In the summer here in Florida the radar and weather can all look clear going out. And then once on a lake a storm can form right over top of us quickly and hit us with winds sometimes reaching 70mph. I have had to run for shelter numerous times. Calm lakes can turn into white capping 24"+ swells in seconds. When I am on lakes if I think bad weather may happen, as I work my way around lakes I am always keeping an eye out for places to shelter like empty open boat houses and bridges which I have had to use many times. Sometimes we will fish around a bridge and keep it close just in case. Another issue we have to deal with here in Florida in my area is the east coast sea breeze. It is kind of separate from the normal weather predictions. Winds can go from calm to 20mph straight winds in seconds when it hits. A great topic!

A reel I never heard of until today is the Lufaxi DC reel for less than half that price at $42.78. Electronics controlled casting for under $50. I wonder how this one would compare to the Zana Max? I'd be curious to try it. A couple of Lufaxi review comments: "It’s like a shimano slx in terms of quality, it can cast ultra light up to 25g lures with ease. You adjust the dc by removing the side cover. I tested it against my antares dc and it wiped the floor with it ." 2nd comment: "The reel is very nice, lots of control over distance due to the magnetic braking system and the dc braking system is very strong, leaving a very low percentage of backlash / runover of the line. The reel is very light as well and has a deep spool yet you can still cast light lures down to at least 1/4 oz (i tested, but you can likely go lower)." Photo from sales page showing cast controlling electronics circuit board.

Sounds like a dating rampage is about to happen along with the new renaissance man busting out! For most guys it hits around 38. You are slightly behind the curve but not out of the game. New wardrobe. New look. And girlfriends half your age! Been there. Done that. Its how I wound up with a second set of kids. lol Stay focused on fishing! Nah forget that. You only live once! Make the most of it! Dating rampage IS fishing! I'll leave it here before I get in trouble- again. Post photos!

My answer is no to your question because I don't buy JDM, but in my opinion when you place items in your cart no one should be able to buy them back out of it. If you have committed to purchase those items, then the store should honor it once in your cart- with an acceptable time limit to allow you to shop for a bit longer. But if you fail to purchase within a reasonable time period, then maybe it could be considered as acceptable to remove items from your cart and sell them to others. This situation should be changed to prevent this sort of thing. We deserve better. I hope I am not alone in thinking this way. I am trying to imagine walking around a grocery store with a cart full of groceries only to have others following me around pulling items out of my cart as I shop. It just makes no sense to do it this way.

I'd go with those down at the bottom. I'm not a fan of deep diving lures because here in Florida those run right into the bottom or thick vegetation. I want a lure a little more controllable and one that stays within 4 or 5 feet of the water surface. So those at the bottom are more versatile in my opinion and can be used in more variety of ways than deep divers.

Sorry OP, but I cannot help you with Duckett specs. I am jumping in here because I want to point out this may the first rod and brand I have ever seen that says "built using AI." This could be a first and surely not the last. We may be replacing men like Gary Loomis with AI. I never even considered this until reading this thread. All new. Curious if anyone might conclude AI can build better rods than humans? Let us know how it goes with this rod.

To add to this thread on the Shimano Cardiff reels drag washer situation... I have not checked yet to see if Shimano still has drag washers for these reels still available. They could be discontinued. But sad reality for reels like this old Cardiff introduced around 2003 is that all of the aftermarket drag washers found online are completely inadequate in several ways. Number one, I showed above how the cross weave carbon fiber drag washers just wore out and fell apart under larger saltwater fishing loads contaminating the inside of the reel and gears with loose gritty debris. So to avoid getting back into that same problem again, I opted to use anything other than carbon fiber drag washers. But if one does a quick search on ebay for drag washers for this reel take a look at what is found... https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=cardiff+401a+drag+washer&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_odkw=cardiff+drag+washer&_osacat=0 Only 4 results pop up. And ALL of them are aftermarket cross weave carbon fiber drag washers. Precisely what I am trying to avoid. And to make matters worse, the company who makes all of those carbon fiber washers offers different sets with one that fits and one that does not. This situation with that company is 100% unacceptable to me. I avoid them always. I never order from them and will never use their product because for one, what they sell are not really drag washers and is directly behind why this reel had problems to begin with. So for anyone out there with a Shimano Cardiff reel needing drag washers, this is a huge problem. Take a look at the original washers laid out side by side and notice the 2, maybe 3 different sizes of hole diameters necessary for proper fit: Now take a look at what some "professional" company offers for this reel: https://www.ebay.com/itm/121537057114 There is no way this aftermarket set of drag washers is going to fit or drop right into any Cardiff reels. NOT physically possible. That company does not even try to get the sizes accurate or correct. And this is a huge problem that should not even be happening. I did find one full set that might actually fit the reel: https://www.ebay.com/itm/252830790280 And its nice to see that 3rd level drag washer above is a thin one, so this company did make a good attempt at correct sizes for the Cardiff. But when people order up drag washers for this Cardiff, they need information like this to make sure they purchase the correct sizes if they don't have the skills or tools at custom modifying drag washers for perfect fit. Buyer beware these days! So open the reels up first and get very familiar with your drag washer sizes and double check what you are buying is the correct size and fit for your reels before buying the wrong drag washers. We cannot trust all of the suppliers to do it for us.

I was glad to read the doctor who wrote this article included all the latest genetic research ongoing here in Florida. I had my Florida list out and cross comparing it with the article to see if he was going to miss any and pleasantly surprised he didn't. I shared this article with my son so he could learn about the different species and make it a point to maybe try and catch one or more of each specie throughout his lifetime. So this article has served its purpose in teaching the next generation. Thanks for posting it.

There are some great looking lures in this thread. I just received my wobblers in the mail yesterday. When I made this purchase I sent a note to the seller asking nicely if they would please include more blue than just the 1 their sales photo showed. And I was pleasantly surprised they complied. The sale was for 10 lures, but I received 11 and it included 1 extra blue lure so that was appreciated. My son and I are going to split these up. He gets 6 of his chioce, and I get 5 that are leftover because I already have just 1 blue one all worn out missing half its blue paint, but still catches fish. That new golden shiner color is looking pretty good too! These are excellent for schooling bass and actively feeding bass. Now to remove all those split rings where the line ties on...

I hope LGDFW got his gear situation taken care of. Let us know... This old Cardiff was put back together last night and qualifies now as a modified drag stack. As shown above, the cross weave carbon fiber type of drag washer was simply not holding up to larger saltwater fish and were being worn down badly causing lots of debris to float around inside the reel, but what bothered me about it was how much of that debris wound being ground into the gear teeth. So to avoid this from ever happening again I decided to modify this reel's drag washers, but with this particular reel drag washer sizes are critical to the reel's proper operation. So this reel went from a stock combination of 2 carbon fiber drag washers and 2 Dartanium II drag washers, to now a custom drag washer stack of 3 different types from 3 different unknown brands except for 1 drag washer is a 40 plus year old Shimano cross weave cloth type of drag washer that was common in Shimano reels back in the 1980's. This type of drag washer seems indestructible as they hold up well for decades of use. So I simply adjusted what I already had in stock at home from years of reel servicing, and modified the fit of just one drag washer and the rest of them just dropped in a perfect fit, but its how they fit this reel that made all the difference in the world. Starting at the bottom of the drag washer stack the gear was beveled or raised lip on both side of this reel's gear. Top and bottom specialized fit. The primary first consideration for finding a suitable replacement drag washer for this location is drag washer thickness because this washer dictated inside the reel the exact positioning of the main gear itself. So maintaining precise same height was critical. The next two size considerations for this washer was internal and external diameters. The hole had to fit the raised lip on the gear, and the outside diameter had be small enough to clear the anti-reverse pawl so it could operate without obstruction. Since this reel comes with a modern AR bearing, I could have just as easily removed this AR pawl and expanded the size of this washer to increase drag ability, but I opted to not do that this time and simply custom fit a new washer into that defined space. In following image you can see the original drag washer sitting in place showing the needed space clearances and below it the new custom fit washer. I opted to use drag grease on the entire new drag washer stack. Customizing to fit is a simple use of a hand reamer and vise. Note, this red washer was not used because it had too large of external diameter. I was merely checking the fit in this image and passed on this one. Once the first drag washer was in place, I found a decades old Shimano cloth or felt drag washer that was a perfect fit. All greased up and installed above with worn out original drag washer shown below. The only issue I had here was drag washer thickness. The felt washer is thicker than dartanium and so I had to be concerned that the "ears" of the middle key plate were still catching the main drag gear in their assigned slots. And it fit perfectly level within, flush to the top, but as drag is increased it will push the ear'd key plate deeper into the main gear assuring a good grab with no problems. A workable fit. Notice the debris attached to that key plate? I had to scrape this off. This is in part why the drag was not smooth upon receiving this old reel. The drag washers were run dry and so there was some sticking and loose debris being ground around in the drag stack that led to this situation. Another reason why I opted for a greased stack this time. At this 3rd level of the drag stack I had to be very concerned with height to make sure those ears went down inside the main drag gear. Could not miss this one. So I had to use very thin drag washers. At first all I found was some old Bass Pro carbon fiber drag washers used in their top of the line reels like Johnny Morris signature series reels. Some very good well made drag washers and very different from what is commonly found out there. These I save when I can get them. Even ordered a bunch of them from Bass Pro so I have plenty in stock. It was a good fit until I found some old teflon drag washers of the perfect size. In following image I stood up all 3 drag washers for size comparison. Teflon on left, Bass Pro in center, and stock original washer on right. The teflon and original washers were same thickness while the Bass Pro washer is thinner. And the original worn out carbon fiber washer is laying beside the new ones below. The slightly increased size of the teflon washers provided a little more surface area for increasing drag friction some. And I opted to use a second teflon drag washer on top in the 4th position and finish it up. I could have opted to run a partially greased drag stack and not use any grease on the teflon drag washers since teflon is a lubricant all by itself, but I opted for smoother drag operation with slightly reduced friction ability for this reel. Since it has 4 drag washers, the combined effect will be more than enough drag for this reel. All finished up now with the original stock worn out drag washers on deck. All tested out and plenty of drag and now ready to fish with again. And down the road if need be, I can always go back inside the reel and remove the drag grease from the two teflon drag washer and increase drag friction ability some. I even replaced the corroded Cardiff handle with a nearly identical 1990's Shimano Curado handle and simply swapped out the grips. A perfect fit. My 12 year old son was asking if I could install a power handle on this reel, and I can, but I have to find one first. I'll check with the shop first and online last but that is for another day... now for some new line and back to fishing. This reel is going on a 1985 GLoomis custom rod made for snook. It also had a GLoomis reel carbon reel seat on it which cracked and broke apart so this rod sat around unused for decades until I found it in a pawn shop in Deland, Florida for $5.00 with a Daiwa millionaire reel on it I tossed out to replace it with this Shimano Cardiff a much high quality reel and more well built too. When I modified the GLoomis custom rod, I changed reel seats to a spinning rod reel seat and moved it nearly 6 inches closer to the butt end. Now that rod can be used with either spinning or conventional reels equally as well. I've already had it out bass fishing with a spinning reel on it. The old Loomis blank is a moderate fast with deep parabolic bend to it which is perfect for the soft snook mouths so as to not rip hooks out as much as today's modern stiffer rods can do. Another successful free reel project done and heading back out on the water. This one now belongs to my son for his saltwater fishing fun.

That's the heftiest dink I ever saw! I'm not buying the battery was dead! Dead on purpose! Ha! I'm looking at the size of the mouth compared to the hand. Not a very big mouth. It will be closing in on 7 pounds on Monday when he goes back to work and tells his buddies about it! lol! It was huge! A giant! No seriously, good catchin'! At least you are catchin' them! Some of our members are so desperate to fish they are out in the snow in their front yards casting in the snow! Thanks for posting! And I'm with Green Pig, I'm not so sure that one would pass 3. What did you catch it on? Post the catch details please.

The fastest simplest way to "fix" that is to simply cover it with heat shrink. And cover it twice just to be sure. Put one small piece on, shrink it down. Cut another piece to size and and shrink it down. Problem solved. You can also try moving the wire physically so that rubbing does not happen any longer and keep on rocking with minimal effort here. And you can put a secondary cover over top all those wires to prevent rubbing.

Not going there Glenn! lol My Ollie's always has something interesting and cheap too! I make it a point to stop by if I am passing by Ollie's just to see what they might have for a cheapskate like me. I just texted my 12 year old son this one since he is so into saltwater fishing this would be a good one to use around bridge pilons to jig it around structure. Grouper and other would be all over this- whatever it is. Looks like an octopus and comes with 10 ink tablets to make this thing try and appear natural I suppose. I wonder if bass would eat it? Now my kid wants one in every color. I have said quite a bit on the forum here that pawn shops are also a great place to find tackle. A pawn shop near me has a pile of old wood lures still in brand new condition in original packages and no pricing on them. Make it up as you go along. Just offer them a couple of bucks and its yours. Make a deal. I got one for $3.00 just to be nice. I was going to offer $2 but did not want to tick them off into telling me $5. This place always over prices their rods and reels. Waaaaay over prices them. A pawn shop secret is to look for rods and reels in national brand chains of pawn shops. Those stores are willing to haggle on prices. But pawn shops owned by mom and pop and its their only store- beware. They make their entire income off just that one store only. And so they tend to jack up the prices as high as they can and are less willing to haggle them down.

I think casts_by_fly is on to something concerning the design of that rod. I think the metal tube may explain the physics. If the rod is hollow at the point where the rod exits the metal tube and too much pressure is pulled on the rod tip, it could cause the end of the metal tube to act like a pivot or fulcrum point. That could possibly cause the rod blank to crimp inwards some at that exit location as rod is pulled to one side of metal tube and away from the other. So maybe the butt end of a tubular blank was filled in with epoxy up to just past that point where rod exits metal tube so that it can withstand greater loading force by being solid at that particular location rather than tubular? If so, then in manufacturing process, they would have known where on the blank that spot is, and then use a measured stick to push a plug into the blank to just past that exit point and then back filled with epoxy? Just tossing this out there as a passing thought for maybe why the blank is solid at the butt end. Simply a durability issue for the manufacturer to spend a little more on epoxy, and one extra step in production to try and avoid possible breakage down the road. Phenix may have been forced into doing something like this if they had too many broken rods returned that were left hollow and snapping at that exit point. Just theorizing here.

I'm curious what is the source of your suggestion Loomis made blanks for Phenix? Before I posted my comment above I double checked, and here is what I found to help clear up any confusion- unless there is another source that AI and I am not aware of: AI Overview Based on available industry information, G. Loomis did not manufacture blanks for Phenix Rods. While Gary Loomis founded G. Loomis (later sold to Shimano) and now operates North Fork Composites, Phenix Rods utilize their own proprietary materials and are manufactured independently, not through a partnership with G. Loomis. Key findings regarding this topic: No Known Connection: There is no evidence suggesting G. Loomis produced blanks for Phenix. The second point to clear up is that as far as I have ever known Gary Loomis did not use boron in his rod blanks at any point in his career outside of Lamiglas. He avoided it because of his experience at Lamiglas who did use boron until they also stopped using it all together. So when Gary moved out of Lamiglas he left boron behind as this search shows: AI Overview Based on the available history of G. Loomis, they are primarily known for pioneering high-performance graphite, IMX, GLX, and NRX technologies rather than boron. G. Loomis focuses on advanced carbon fibers and specialized resins, as explained in this G. Loomis rods video. Loomis Material Focus: G. Loomis focuses on, as shown in this G. Loomis GLX rod review, lightweight graphite and proprietary carbon fiber technology. Boron Misconception: While some older custom makers (like this Lamiglass boron rod mentioned on Facebook) used boron, it was generally considered, as discussed in this Reddit thread featuring Gary Loomis, too heavy for the high-performance, lightweight rods that defines the Loomis brand. Therefore, G. Loomis did not produce mainstream boron fishing rods, relying instead on advanced graphite, as seen in this G. Loomis NRX rod discussion. I cannot find any information to support either suggestion. Do you have a source you can share? I'd sure like to see it. I have followed Gary's career closely and so this is an interesting subject to me. Even if Phenix did source any blanks from Gary Loomis, they would not have been made of boron. I don't think I have ever seen a Loomis boron rod ever. Its a material he did not like to work with. He went in another direction. So from what I can tell you have a boron rod made by Phenix. And I also don't think Gary made solid rods. Never seen one of those either. Hopefully this may clear up the origins of your rod. You asked this question: "Does anyone know if G Loomis made any other solid carbon blanks in the 80s/early 90s?" And the answer I believe is no. He never made solid rods out of graphite that I know of. And one last search on phenix and boron rods made when and where came up with this result: AI Overview The original Phenix Rods, featuring boron graphite, were manufactured in the United States, with the company's roots in the California fishing scene starting around 1977. These early, highly regarded boron/graphite rods were produced prior to the company's shift in manufacturing, which eventually moved overseas. Original Manufacturing: The initial Phenix rods, popular for their boron/graphite construction in the late 70s and 80s, were manufactured in the USA. I do hope this helps to clear some things up. The reason Gary Loomis avoided boron once leaving Lamiglas is because of the Fenwick situation they got into. Search it up and you will find boron was dropped because it is very brittle and early on in graphite fishing rod development manufacturers had a tough time with a lot of rods breaking. Fenwick suffered this tremendously. I believe it is also why Lamiglas stopped using boron. I asked google search one final question: "why did lamiglas stop using boron in rods?" Search results NOT AI: Lamiglas and other manufacturers moved away from using boron in fishing rods primarily due to the high cost of the material, complex manufacturing processes, and the advancement of high-modulus graphite, which offered similar performance benefits without the drawbacks. Key reasons for the decline of boron in Lamiglas and other rods include: Extreme Manufacturing Costs: Boron was incredibly expensive to produce, far more so than even top-tier graphite, making the final rods less accessible to the average angler. Brittleness and Fragility: While boron filaments added strength against twisting, they were prone to sudden, catastrophic failure upon impact, sometimes turning into powder when subjected to sharp shocks, such as being struck by a sinker. Advancements in Graphite: The rapid development of high-modulus and improved-strength graphite made it a more versatile and cost-effective material, allowing for lighter and equally fast-recovering rods without the fragility of boron. Production Difficulty: Incorporating boron filaments into graphite sheets proved difficult and labor-intensive for manufacturers. While some companies like Fenwick (with their Boron-X) and Orvis experimented with them in the 1970s and 1980s, the "boron era" was relatively short as the industry moved toward superior, more durable graphite technology." In my opinion Gary Loomis never bothered with boron in any of his rod blank companies. He saw what happened at Lamiglas and he knew about Fenwick as well. He wanted to avoid all that in his own career. AI Overview Don Iovino Phenix rods, particularly known for pioneering "doodling" and finesse techniques, were primarily made during the late 1970s through the 1980s. These vintage rods were popular Southern California tools, often featuring boron and graphite, developed alongside Iovino's 1976 discovery of deep-water bass fishing techniques. Just trying to clear it up some....... hope it helps. I believe you have an all Phenix rod there and a nice one!

I did not know Loomis made any Phenix blanks. As far as I knew Phenix had made their own until transferring production out of the country. I've also never heard of Loomis making solid blanks. All new to me. Cool old rod though. Boron rods are getting really rare these days. Boron was a hard material to work with because it is so brittle and often difficult to get a good bond with the blank resins.

That was very good! Enjoyed that one. When computers generate hit songs, who gets paid? Our future is deep trouble. We won't be able to believe anything we see or hear from now on. I hope you do some more of these! Can you make some all new Skynyrd? And Outlaws and Allman Brothers? I need some new Southern rock! Don't care if it is real or not. Anything is better than what real musicians are making today. Program it for the classic 70's sound! FreeBird take 2!

Who's brain is bigger the fly or the worm? Guess I opened a can of those! Can't wait for the sasquatch brain modeling! We already have alien brain modeling! Man Glenn you blew my cover! Didn't you know I'm a top secret Russian spy and you just blew my cover for super secret surveillance lures I cast everywhere on top secret fishing rods and reels connected with string theory? Now I may have to fish in Siberia with a short ice pole and dumb old passive lures again. Just my luck exposed on a bass fishing website! What's string theory? Heck they don't even know if there IS a string theory. I thought you were talking about some new fishing line. At least they HAVE video of bigfoot! And in Ohio six sightings in the last few days has made the news! The chase is on! Here is a link about as bad as RT: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/six-reported-bigfoot-sightings-northeast-ohio-within-four-days-spark-cryptid-flap-speculation See! Bigfoot is REAL! Patty says so! Now I gotta go pack for Siberia. Wait. I can't. I live in Florida. Now I gotta shop for clothes for Siberia first. I got nothing to wear there. Flip flops, shorts and t-shirts won't cut it. Thanks Glenn! I liked Florida better & around here all we got are skunk apes. Wait, Nessie isn't real? But all those documentaries? I believed! Heck I'm still in trouble for blowing it with Santa Claus for my youngest son. She will never let me live that one down. At first he was upset too, but now he's thanking me. She is not however. Isn't Patty gorgeous! Smoking hot!