MickD

If your rod has a cork foregrip you can "notch" it to provide some shape to accept your index finger. Don't get into the blank with your notch. It is not impossible to add a foregrip. Buy one of the diameter, length, and diameter you want, ream it to an approx good fit to the blank, split it and glue it onto the rod, then finish it. Done right, the split line should be pretty unobtrusive.

After the early shallow bite I think your odds of finding them are pretty slim in Erie. Once they move off it will be too dangerous to go for them. At that time find some largemouth bays.

Go fishing, don't worry about the guides. I've used braid on my old cheapo rods and never had a guide groove. Tiptops, yes, but these were old very cheap rods with guides/tiptops made long before the current braids. Most tiptops are a piece of cake to change. If you have to come back here and ask for advice.

My most important "tool" is the mailing address of a good reel repair pro. The reels are getting too complicated for me to be taking them very "far" apart, even spinning reels. Don't even mention bail springs to me.

For heavy lines and leaders the FG is the best because done right, it is the strongest and smallest of the line to leader knots. The problem with it is that most people have trouble learning to do it right, and as a result they have a number of failures before they figure it out. The easiest, most reliable, (probably most popular) hardest to screw up, line to leader knot is the double uni . Search for a video (I posted one here just the other day) and you'll find it a piece of cake. Just lube it as you set it. Its only problem is that it gets pretty big with high test leaders. Others will suggest other knots, but keep in mind that what works for some doesn't seem to work for others. The FG didn't work for me at first, and many other knots don't work for me ("don't work" means I get surprise failures with them.

The rod shown above is the result of putting too much priority on weight and not enough on ergonomics. After using that rod all day, put an old full seat/full grip rod into the user's hands and he would think he was in heaven.

There must be something wrong with me. I never thought about it before. :-) "it" being kayak fishermen.

FC is the most expensive line of all. Because we keep trying to find one that works well and in the process we buy a dozen, take them all off, then buy some more. Lots of partial spools left. None on the reels. Good that you are going that light. Might work. But you will be losing sensitivity.

Braid to flouro with a double uni is easy and very reliable. While you're watching TV practice. I'll bet when you do your "wraps" you are not going over both lines with the wraps. Inside the loops. I think that's about the only mistake, other than not wetting when setting the knots, that there is to make with the double uni. I prefer knots to swivels since I can have a longer FC section without worrying about winding it into the tiptop. this video is very clear, but it does not mention wetting the knot before tightening it. That is very important with any knot.

Yes. Many custom builders do just that with their builds. You don't need to chip anything away for what your pic shows. Don't make a mess of a simple project. Remember the "dry wall principal." There comes a time when anything you do will make it worse. Just recoat it.

Leaders need be no longer than 4-5 feet. I like to use FC designed as a leader material. Much more expensive, but you don't use much, and I believe it is much tougher than FC line used as leader. Its stiffness also helps keep blade baits from tangling on the cast.

Two very good choices. Not hot sauce oil and grease. They dry out, stain everything, not good choices.

I have done so.

Best plan is to buy a $200 reel on clearance or when a new model is coming out. As with all products there is a diminishing incremental improvement vs price. Meaning that going from a $50 reel to a $100 is probably going to get you a lot of improvement, but going from $100 to $150 will get you improvement, but not as much. I think going from $200 to the even more expensive reels will get you very little unless you are fishing salt. I've only worn out a couple of spin reels and they were priced less than $100. I have a lot of $150 to $200 reels that are getting quite old, but still fish like new.

My 60 hp Merc is only 2 years old, and have had no problems. I tend to agree that with proper maintenance that failures will occur earlier rather than later. Which means I won't be purchasing the extended warranty. In general I believe that if the warranties were not in the manufacturer's interest (thus not in mine) they wouldn't offer them.

Interesting how things work. For some just fine, for others not so hot. I had trouble obtaining hook sets with this hook on LMB. Based on a few fish that I (barely) caught it appeared that the "corner" of the hook just off the barb was contacting the roof of the fish's mouth keeping the point away from penetrating. I bent the hook into a more rounded shape and got better penetration. I really do like the designs/variety of patterns/quality/full skirts of Siebert, just am not convinced that that hook shape is right.

Some recommend scuffing the old epoxy with a Scotchbrite pad or similar. But use nothing else but the mild abrasive, no alcohol, for example.

I believe the new Ugly Sticks are nothing like the old ones, but haven't tried one myself. I'm going from their descriptions. The old Ugly Sticks were simply awful, IMHO. Heavy, floppy, poor sensitivity. After I started using graphite I could never go back.

My mistake. Readers who doubt .ghoti's comments should keep in mind that he and I are speaking about action and power changes as defined by the CCS system. Which I believe is the only objective system for measuring action and power. http://www.common-cents.info/ I agree with earlier comments that trimming from the tip almost invariably results in an action that is unpleasant to the user's "feel" when compared to the original blank. Before cutting from the tip use a guide down the blank the distance you want to cut and try it out. The guide may be simply taped onto the blank and will last long enough to evaluate. Before cutting from the butt move the reel seat up the distance you are considering and try it out. Never do something that you cannot undo without cobbling a way to try it out first.

Have you seen the Winn grip tape, a lot like bike handlebar tape or tennis racket tape exc its surface is the same as their grips. I think it's about $10 a roll of 8 feet. Easy. Mudhole.com and other rod builder supply outfits.

My point is that with FC and mono the most sensitive rods still will not be very close to their potential for sensitivity. Regardless of the rod, the biggest improvement in sensitivity will be when one switches from FC or mono to braid. Since sensitivity, as far as I know, cannot be objectively measured, it is an opinion. No data, just my subjective observations.

If you are not using braid don't expect much from a high end rod. If you are using braid and a high end rod then you are fishing the most sensitive combo possible. With any rod the biggest gain in sensitivity is to use braid. An FC leader of reasonable length will not cost significant sensitivity.

The software is on the Anglers Resource web site. http://anglersresource.net/ As stated before, I would do a 20 stripper KLH-H (first guide) and then it goes 10 KLH-H, then 5.5M . these are called the reduction guides. The next guide, your first runner, is called the choke guide. I advocate using the 20 rather than the 16 because if you later decide to use heavier line, it will work better than the 16 setup with negligible down side. If you haven't gone to the Anglers Resource site, do it. Read all about the KLH guides, watch the videos, run the software. But software is not really needed. Put the stripper (the 20) at about 20 inches from the tip of the reel shaft mid-point (it moves fore and aft, use the mid travel point), put the next two so you can look down through them and see a bulls-eye, then place the choker (first runner) to get the bulls-eye, then move it out just slightly. Locate the rest of the runners based on your stress test, and you've most like got it. Test cast, and move the three reduction guides in an inch as a unit, then out an inch as a unit, and go with what feels best. As mentioned before , don't over think it, but take advantage of the resources offered by Anglers Resource.

This person has a need for special ergonomics which to him may be more important than balance. But if he wants to re-balance the rod he can slide and glue some lead sinkers into the sleeve or blank end to adjust balance. It won't take much since he is only taking off an inch or two of blank, which is pretty light. Smallieaddict, if you think you'll want to re-balance it then check it before you start to find the balance point, mark it, and when you do the rebuild add weights to get the balance point back where it was. Keep in mind the rod will be heavier. I generally do not add weight to affect balance, but this may be a case where it is warranted. Your choice. Cobble it together with tape to be able to try it out before final gluing.

I've been to bluegill ponds where the fish get riled up anticipating feeding as soon as people show up on the shore.