MickD

You may be protected with Paypal, but there still is the hassle. I buy only from 99+. The ratings are so important that the reputable sellers will do almost anything to support their ratings. If there is no rating, or if it's below 99, I would skip it.

There have been a really large number of anglers on here that I remember preferring St Croix ML to M power for smallmouths. And preferring it to any other rod. Yes, St Croix ML is a little more powerful than most other brands' ML's. My favorite smallmouth tube rod is a St Croix SCV 7 foot medium. I have used a Rainshadow ML, same length, in a pinch, and IMHO, it is not as powerful as it should be for finesse techniques. Rainshadow M's are fine. but the St Croix is my favorite. I built a 6 1/2 foot SCIII for my grandson, M power, and it's a lot like my SCV for power.

There really isn't a legitimate "knock" against them. They do not have a ceramic ring, so they would tend to groove more than ceramic ring guides, but guides don't groove much anyway. It's the tiptop that grooves much earlier than the guides. They have the advantage of being, as stated above, lighter than ceramic ring guides, therefore resulting in a more sensitive rod, which is what you are looking for for finesse. If you want the lightest rod available, then you use these guides. Although the difference is quite small. Rod design and building has compromises, like almost everything else. Cost, durability, weight, corrosion, etc. Most knowledgeable builders know that most premium guides are overkill in some attributes, but if someone wants the best in those attributes, that's what you go with. Despite the cost disadvantage. It is not a safe assumption that a manufacturer will use the same brand guides as reel seat.

With all due respect, the real problem is not removing the hooks from the fish, it is the initial shocking strike. Fighting the fish can be an issue, but it's really not the controlling issue being dealt with here. When you feel the hit, and find nothing on your line but a straightened hook or open split ring, you'll know what the OP is talking about. The solution is not more care in removing the hook because there often will be no fish to remove the hook from. The solution is heavy duty split rings and hooks.

It's more than just drag. Heavy duty split rings and maybe even more than 2X treble hooks are in order. For these fish the hardware requirements are the same as for king salmon.

Anyone have experience that indicates the best replacement net to get for a 24" diameter net. It has to be fairly deep, so I'm considering a clear vinyl net. It also comes in black, and I know carbon black is added to plastics to provide better resistance to UV, so maybe I should go black. Anyone have any experience with the clear?

Any reel in the price range you're looking at will last almost indefinitely if treated right. I would go with a 2500 or 3000 size, and Daiwa is making some awfully good stuff these days. Pfluegers are very smooth but their geometry seems different than Daiwa and Shimano, which fit me nicely. Don't hesitate to use Ebay if you stick with sellers with 99+% positive ratings. Treated right = keeping it clean, out of the dirt and sand, don't submerge it, close the bail manually at least most of the time, lightly oil it now and then, clean and grease the gears every couple years or so depending on how much it's used. Leave the drag off over the winter or other long periods of non-use.

Use whatever will cast the weight you want to use the distance you want to cast it. We tend to overthink stuff like this.

Best is to pick the power, as in light, medium light, medium, medium heavy, and heavy based on the weights of the lures you will be casting. Lure weights are listed in the descriptions of all rods and blanks. The action as in slow, moderate, moderate fast, fast, and extra fast is more open to personal preference, but many anglers using trebles and fishing surface like moderate or close. It seems to be more forgiving , fewer hooks tearing out, and many think it easier to cast than faster actions. Many prefer faster actions for spinnerbaits. I use both fast and moderate actions for chatters, whatever is handy.

https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/rodusage.pdf

In the purest world where money doesn't matter and perfection is assumed, yes, the rod is broken and not worth trying to salvage. In the world I know and live in, if I can salvage a rod that costs a significant amount of money to replace, I'll do it. Worst case scenario, it breaks again. Most likely scenario, it works forever as intended. But I have data that says the repaired rod will fish just as well as it did before breaking. If we disregard what is going on in our heads. Which I admit, is not insignificant.

Your comment can be interpreted a couple ways. If you mean it's a waste to replace the tiptop, you're right. If you mean it's a waste to repair the rod, I believe you are in error. By putting on an external sleeve as instructed in the link I posted a good repair can be done. The action and power will be essentially the same. On one of my repairs I had the history of the CCS data when the rod was new, and I checked it after repair. Data unchanged. It obviously will be a little heavier, by the weight of the sleeve and epoxy, but I couldn't feel it.

You are right that the action will be ruined if you simply replace the tip, but it will not be XXXF. It will in fact be a lot stiffer (more power) but slower. Regardless, it will not be, IMHO, fishable. 4 inches is too much. And you are right that usually a good repair can be done. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html I've done a number of these and they have all worked fine.

X2 on LOTS of care picking out backlashes, which you most likely will get with FC, at least at first.

There are lots of good quality, colored blanks at a reasonable price. You might get some ideas from this site-note the "granddaughter rod). http://clients.criticalimpact.com/newsletter/newslettercontentshow1.cfm?contentid=9599&id=1069

If your spinnerbaits will get bent from carrying in a bag in your pocket then you need to buy better spinnerbaits. Most likely fish will bend them too. With just a few, a baggie will work fine and be more compact than any hard box regardless of size.

No, I do not see any correlation between straightness on blanks with respect to cost. Or company (AmTac, Rainshadow, St Croix/Rodgeeks, Point Blank.) Almost all are within that 3/16, most within an eighth. I build on blanks that run from about $60 to about $200, most in the $70-$120 range.

I am a builder and have a "trained eye." I've been working on that eye for about 65 years. If the bend is easily noticeable, like you keep seeing it and cannot forget about it, then it's too much. If it can be masked by building with it up so it's not going to the sides, then fine. It won't hurt anything. While I don't know, I expect that manufacturers don't even notice the slight bends and don't bother building on the straightest axis. Most blanks I see, when put onto my wrapper with two supports, one at the butt, and one about 2 feet out, will not show more than about 3/16 of an inch of tip position movement when rotated. I asked a blank maker one time about a blank that moved 1/4 and they wanted to replace it. Built on the straight axis, tip up, it is not noticeable. To me.

Sticking with US manufacturers is pretty limiting. If not insisting on that there are thousands of very good blanks out there from Mudhole, Rainshadow, American Tackle, Rodgeeks, and on and on. First, I would look to a moderately priced blank for my first build. American Tackle Bushidos are a very good blank at a very good price point. The reason I say this is that your first build will not be your best-that will come later. Better to learn at a moderate price point. You will not be disappointed with the Bushidos, and the Rainshadow Revelations and RX6 blanks are very good blanks. I have no experience with the mudhole blanks, but they are very popular and therefore good. You cannot fool people forever. I would start with a moderate fast action, the length you want, power possibly going a little above your lure range to gain a little more versatility, still will cast well. 3/16 to 1/4 is not much of a range. I suspect you will be going above that a lot with the techniques you mention. Cast or spin? Look at the Fuji KR concept guides for spin, see the Anglers Resource catalog for instructions. The Fazlite guides are very good guides at and depending on which you choose, can be very affordable. You have a bazillion options, so it's hard to recommend.

Regarding the bends. A rod should not have a visible bend. Contact the mfr or dealer.

I know what a mod and mod/fast action ROD are but don't know what a mod and mod/fast action TIP are.

How do you get spin line to come off the spool cleanly? Mine gets caught on the notch in the spool and skips all over the place, often coming down on the wrong side. Taping the notch hasn't worked for me.

Your observation is right on. While we keep worshipping "faster is better," they are using moderate action rods for most techniques.

Won't be frozen. Fish will be taken. Mark your calendar and check back.

Cool. I remember all that stuff so well. I loved the red/white Hula Dancer. So did the smallies.