MickD

Has to be breathable, Gore Tex is the standard. If your budget is higher than hers, try to maneuver her into something else. You DON'T want to compromise here. You need to get what is right for you. How about Simms sun gloves and buff? Appeal to her desire to protect you.

Fly tying thread is what I use, allows plenty of wraps before building up into too big a wrap. Followed by a good, hard, head cement. I like UV curing epoxy, Solarex blue.

The NEW Supreme, right?

Neds in very clear water work well, no action need be imparted. Talking SMB.

I've never had twist problems with tubes, either tied directly to the FC leader or when using a small snap. I don't think most cheap barrel swivels will reduce line twist; I think it takes a quality ball bearing swivel. Hard data? Nope. Opinion/judgment.

A friend of mine has reported the same thing. I think part of the problem may be line twist. Braid is much more tolerant than mono or FC, but there is a limit, and I think it first shows up with a "wind knot" that forms in slack line.

On my baitcasters, it lasts about an hour. I have a lot of partial spools that will last a very long time in the pole building. But I have to admit, it works well for wind chimes. ?

I also agree with those advocating braid in the area of 10-15 pound test. With the newer 8 filament braids, the 15 will cast more like a 10, giving very long casts. That is what I do. I even use Hitena 21 pound, which casts like a normal 10. I just don't agree with 6 and 8 pound test FC leaders, especially if you're using FC line instead of leader grade FC. With FC, they are simply too fragile. I use no less than 10, often 14 in leader grade or fly tippet FC. Since the braid is so small and the leader at about 10-14, double uni's will work with all but the smallest guides.

7' 6" over a 7 for longer casts from shore, agree that St Croix rods are very good, and their power is a little more than you might expect based on experience with other brands. The power should be matched to the lure weight, so look at the recommended lure weights. I expect with St Croix that ML will be right. BUT, I recommend fast and not Xfast. You are interested in how the rod will cast (fishing from shore), and a fast action of the right power will cast more smoothly and easily than an Xfast, and will better for handling the trebles. AND, still be good for the bottom/finesse techniques. Best way is to buy from a store where you can take a reel and a weight that is about midway in the range of lure weights you expect to use. You don't have to cast, better if you can, but evaluate how the different actions load by going through the motions of casting. For a lot of the smallmouth techniques, a spin will work better than a baitcaster, IMO. Sometimes the fall rate of a 1/8 or 3/16 tube or creature jig will best match what the fish want, and you want to be able to cast light lures a long ways. Not to worry if you have seconds thoughts on your purchase. When you can, buy another. You will definitely find a good use for it.

Are you familiar with the term "water break free?" https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/waterfree.html Molded plastic parts often will have mold release or other contaminants on the surface. Even blanks can have stuff on them that can interfere with proper bonding of epoxy. Also, a new glossy blank surface is not the best surface for epoxy. Proper prep will assure you will never have an epoxy failure. Read the article above for info.

Answers above, no magic. It's all about support.

What's the difference between a faster tip and a slower tip? Or moderate tip. I know what the difference is between a faster action rod and a slower action rod, or a moderate action rod, but not sure of faster vs slower tip vs moderate tip.

For spinning, the rod should be the best quality possible in favor of the finesse techniques mentioned before. The reel basically holds line and lets it go when the bail is open. Hence the priority on the rod. For casting the reel should be the best quality in favor of the most challenging of processes, casting the bait caster. For the rod, just get graphite and it will work for most techniques. If you can cast effectively. Hence the priority on the reel.

Power is power regardless of length of the rod. If the manufacturer is doing it right. However, the longer rod will not feel the same as the shorter one. With the longer lever arm you will feel more torque for the same tension on the line. It will cast farther because of the longer lever developing more tip speed. Personal preference, but I prefer most rods to be close to 7 feet. It is more likely that a 6 foot rod will balance well, and it's more likely for the longer rods will be tip heavy. For some techniques balance is important while for others it is less important. Think the difference between holding the rod tip up vs tip down. There is one easy to use system to objectively measure power and action, and power is given as the weight it takes to deflect the rod 1/3 its length. The action is given as the angle to vertical that the tip is at this load (butt being level). A 6 foot and 6 1/2 rod with the same weight to deflect are considered the same power. It was developed for fly rods, but works for all rods. https://www.common-cents.info/

It's all about loading the rod properly to store then "spend" the energy on the cast. Like a hunting bow, the rod stores energy when it flexes. Too little weight for the power of the rod and it's inefficient and casting becomes more difficult and, IMHO, less accurate. Too much weight and the rod can be overpowered. It can even fail. So the recommended range is the manufacturers' statement of the range of weights that will not fail the rod and make it most efficient. You can go outside it, but if you go far up from it, go to more of a slow lob.

Never heard of the friction ring, have a number of Stradics in the family, no problems ever. BUT NOW, having heard about it, I'm sure at least one will start malfing. ?

Most likely cracked ring on tiptop. Use a Q-tip, insert into guides and rotate to see if the guide "grabs" the Q-tip or frays the Q-tip. Check all the guides.

Helix 7 is 12 volts, I'm sure. Don't go any higher without reading the owner's manual. Follow those instructions.

Vanish must now be different than the old Vanish that we used to joke about? Why the different pound tests, diminishing with depth? thanks,

Since the characteristics of a perfect line and a perfect leader material are not the same, I wonder how one product can be perfect at both. I have already spent a fortune on FC that didn't work as a line, so I'll let others take over here.

I don't throw heavy swim baits, but am not sure what the worry is? Isn't the weight of the fish the issue and not the weight of the lure?

Many builders don't use any tools other than their eyes and a bright light. Eyes are pretty good, especially when you point the rod at a window or other bright light source. The guides become silhouetted and misalignment is pretty easy to see. With small guides I find that running my thumb and forefinger along the blank from guide to guide will detect pretty small misalignments. Practice practice practice and one will find a method that works.

A tip, the last step before putting wrap epoxy onto the wraps, check alignment. You can still move the guides a little after color preservative, but once the epoxy is on, it's over. Don't ask how I know this. I have taken an old spin reel and cut the foot off making it into a pretty effective alignment tool. Which works with casting builds too.

It goes like this around here: "How many rods do you need? Don't you have enough fishing tackle?" Response: "How many purses do you need? Don't you have enough pairs of shoes?" I bought an inexpensive boat one time without first consulting her, and she's never forgotten. Nor have I. I don't try to trick her; I just do it and take my lumps. Trickery in any form isn't the right solution here. I simply explain that rod-building is my hobby and I'll probably never have enough rods, and that tackle purchases are based on replenishing and buying newly introduced stuff. I also explain that different techniques require different equipment, a lot like different occasions require different shoes. I don't think she understands or totally agrees, but she's not going to divorce me over it. She is in fact more frugal than I, and i appreciate that. But we are two different people who need to be ourselves. As you do. Works for us. I don't think tricking is the right thing to do. I think A-Jay has a good ideal about the wedding vows. You two should be able to have an honest and rational discussion over this. If you are taking food off the table or clothes off her back to finance your fishing, which is unlikely, then you need to reconsider your purchasing behavior.

A little heat (very little) should allow the tiptop to be straightened. Before trying to straighten the guides I caution you to consider the "dry wall principal," which states that there comes a time in every project when any attempts to make it better will most likely result in making it worse. I think you are already there with respect to the guides. For this minor misalignment, which will not affect the performance, I would give a call to St Croix, send them the photo, and see what they have to say.