MickD

Rodgeeks has an natural blank which is the base price, with colors extra. They are still quite a bargain in color.

You can get the 7 foot MLF in Carbon 4. If you insist on 6-10 then cut the butt off 2 inches, but I'd just leave it alone. For your 6-8, use the 6-6 Carbon 4, adding a 2" butt extension if you insist on 6-6. I'd leave it alone, too. Do not shorten a blank from the tip.

Go long, it will handle more conditions than the short. For 7 inches one would sacrifice better performance in rough water? Not I.

When I did it the boat wouldn't go fast enough to drain. Another of many: Launching my boat without taking the tie down straps off.

I build and am not familiar with commercial rods, but what I like the most for Neds is a 7' 2" "walleye rod," which is a fast action med lite power rod. But I've used Neds on my St Croix SCV 7' fast action medium power rod which is more powerful than the walleye rod, and it works OK. I think someone already mentioned you don't want too much power with the light wire jigs, and a light tip helps strike detection by seeing the tip move. Ned rigging is not considered an active technique, mostly moving the lure slightly at most. But I've used it drifting and done well, too.

Yes, no problem. Less fragile than most FC, about the same stretch (those who doubt, search for tests), lower specific gravity so theoretically won't sink as well as FC, but I don't think that's an issue. FC may provide a little straighter line from braid to lure? I like FC for its being (theoretically again) less visible, but mono in the lighter weights should be OK. I use FC fly tippet material, pricey but you don't use that much and it's supposedly tougher than FC designed to be line. In the north for SMB, the greens with some red are the best colors, IMO. MY PB came on a new money Ned. Don't mix these with any other plastics or you'll have a welded together mess. Put them back into their own bags. They are tough, so easily can be used quite a few times.

I don't have that problem because I don't believe there is any need to have the leader as long as necessary to reach the reel. But if you want a long leader and are having trouble with the knot, learn the FG knot.

MTV (or MVT?) doesn't have the slot in the trigger does it? Painted Fuji ACS + Fuji Perfect Fit carbon thread?

Yes

To me the difference between a skin mount and a fiberglass one is all in the skill of the taxidermist. I know of two real skin mounts with friends that look like plastic fish. I believe all mounts are painted, even the real skin mounts. So why does anyone need the real fish? Where I often fish for smallies we take fish regularly from 4 to over 6 pounds. All of these fish are considered trophies worthy of mounting to most anglers I know. I have had 5 different friends take their personal best in the last 3 years from my boat. All catch and release, never a whimper from my friends. That fishery has a strong catch and release "ethic," I am glad to report. I think if it did not the fishing for big fish would go downhill very rapidly. On a national scale, mounting may not be a big issue, but I submit it can be in some local areas.

I thought the replicas did not require a real fish to be brought in as a "model" except for maybe the first one. EVERY replica requires a fish? If so, doesn't make any difference, does it. I just looked at the sites for fish taxidermy from fiberglass mounts that say "painted to your photo," and none mentions requiring anything more than the photo. Are you sure?

Only one rod for whatever I'm doing? Yup, 7 foot.

A dremel type saw, very high RPM, with a narrow cut-off (not sure what it's called, but a narrow abrasive disc) works well. Regardless of the tool, you want very small "teeth," very high RPM, very slow feed, and the tape mentioned above. I would take no more off than the length of the butt knob and cobble one on the rod and test it before cutting farther up. You can always cut again, but you cannot uncut it.

Maybe by a very little, but I like the SIC ring, the more tangle-resistant design, and the "jewelry-like" appearance of Fuji, and my experience with Fuji titanium alloy. Some, like Pac Bay, call their "titanium" guides solid titanium. ALL "titanium" guides are alloys of titanium and other metals, and I think they are all different. One brand, not Pac Bay, is very easy to bend, and they'll only take a few bend cycles to break. Not saying the Pac Bays are not good, but I'll go Fuji. The right combination of yield strength and flex, reliability (related to ring retention, mostly), finish (no burrs on the underside to scratch or cut the blank, smooth and well polished), durable (doesn't scuff off easily-black mostly), corrosion resistance (I think all titanium alloy guides are bullet-proof, but not all stainless guides), tangle-resistant geometries, foot design, weight, and customer support and information (guide heights, weights, responsive to questions, help in deciding options), specific designs for specific needs (like Fuji KB's with big feet for high stress areas of the blank, KT's with smaller lighter foot for the tip section, for example) , and value (good balance of price and performance, however you define it). Also, a variety of finishes for aesthetics and function.

If you want the ultimate then you'll pay a lot. How much better it is may be more in the head than in the hand. Keep in mind that skeleton seats may not be the best ergonomically. And the added half an ounce of the full seat is at the butt of the rod where it is of less importance. Make sure you have the lightest guides that will do the job, most likely titaniums. If I had your priorities, whether cast or spin, I'd use the Fuji KR system for spin and the Fuji RV stripper on cast with Fuji KB and KT runners on both. Titanium/SIC.

From my experience, sometimes nothing. However, in general, one expects them to be lighter and more sensitive. Not necessarily more durable. Some have action/power design features that are said to be of advantage, but not sure it's true. The blanks with nano particles are said to be tougher while retaining the sensitivity, but I really don't know if it's true. From my experience the Am Tac Bushidos and the Rainshadow Revelations are very hard to beat at any cost, and I think most of them are well under $100. Put a heavy guide set onto those $200+ blanks and you will be sorry you paid $200+.

Lots of time on the water (experience), forums like this (first heard of Ned rig), logging every trip with water temp, clarity, winds, and what worked and what didn't. Everyone is a student if they are smart because there is always something to learn and the conditions change year to year.

You can do a very fine, high performance, rod at significantly less than $150.

For the most part, me neither. I did take about a 3 pound LMB last year, and had a DT6 destroyed by what was probably a muskie, but it's a tough lake. I think I need to learn better how to flip, and get the patience to do it. Looking forward to your pM.

I'm not familiar with the spots for bass in FL, but I'm familiar with marriage. Don't go way out in the sticks; go where there is more to do than fish. Probably somewhere along the St. Johns River would be good.

in a word, experience. But there are some description specs that are consistent enough to be useful. The most important spec is lure weight which is of value to tell in the blank will load properly with your expected lure size, and not be overloaded (rod breakage) if you plan to aggressively cast heavy lures. If the lure is outside the specs, then you better do lobs rather than snaps. If you plan to cast light lures, be sure your lure isn't very far outside the lower lure weight specified. Blank weight: Usually the lighter blank is more sensitive, easier to feel the bite. Action: Since I use CCS objective measures a lot, I have found that Xfast, fast, moderate, slow, are pretty consistent between manufacturers. Not exactly the same, but close enough for blank selection for different techniques. The more you build with a certain manufacturer the more confidence you'll feel when selecting blanks. I am in Laingsburg, so if you want to visit after the weather warms some, we can handle some rods and discuss this further.

Improved feel of finesse lures, increased casting distance with similar strengths, more line on spool (only a factor in salt, IMO) with similar strengths, line lasts much longer without need for replacement. By the way, I've never found backlash knots to present problems with braid, but I have with that fragile FC.

You can set your low voltage alarm to about 10v, should stay above that. These units do use a lot of power. I would suspect transducer aim or defect. One thing that you might try also is to reset to factory defaults.

One reel is going into its 3rd year now. Looks like new. For my fishing cycle it's not that expensive.

Hitena Pureline 21 pound test, casts like most 10's. Pricey but lasts a long time and is troublefree. I use it for bones and barracuda plus SMB. Will be using their 15 on another reel just for bass/walleye when the other braid on it is ready for replacement.