MickD

One thing not mentioned yet, but that is important, is that the duty cycle of marine engines is really heavy duty compared to cars. They operate at wide open throttle much more than auto engines. It takes very little HP to move a car down the road at 70 mph, and wide open throttle accelerations are rare compared with marine. What this means is major money for heavy duty components. Also, as has been mentioned, the emissions requirements require a lot of sophisticated electronics, sensors, etc. That is similar to cars, which have gotten very expensive, too. The good news is that with proper care, most will last a very long time. My 20 year old 4 stroke Suzuki ran like it was new when I sold it. I sold for a better boat, not for a better engine.

Maribou feathers are killers for SMB, and are about like the feathers recommended above, are fairly inexpensive at fly shops or on-line materials dealers. Get a medium sized whip finisher for jigs, smalls are too small to easily clear the jig head. I'd go to a fly shop with a jig head and ask the expert there to sell you a whip finisher that will work well for the jigs, AND ask him/her to show you how to use it. Keep trying with the whip finisher, as stated, once you get it, you got it. And there is no better way to finish the final wraps. There is a Sally Henson hard clear nail topcoat that is supposed to be UV resistant, dries almost instantly, not expensive and is better than some of the fly head products on the market. Some of them are pricey and they don't seal really well. The on-line jig images look to me like they have rabbit zonker strips, too. Rabbit is also very good for the same reason the saddle hackle/maribou feathers are-it never stops moving in the water. Olives and blacks are very good, white also for very clear water. Barred strips seem to have some magic in them.

Right on. It's not a bad thing to solve problems for some. If I contributed to the deterioration of this string, I apologize. Not my intent.

That's the way it is with any single inexpensive purchase, for the most part. Rodbuilding sources have it; most order it as part of a bigger order so the shipping isn't as big of a deal. One outfit that offers it for less than $3, and has a ton of great tackle, rodbuilding, lure making, stuff, etc, is Jannsnetcraft.com. If you want a threader, combine its order with other stuff and it takes the pain away. They have some pretty cool custom colors in a lot of lures. If you search for it, search for "Fuji stainless speed threader." Fuji catalog says it's for guides above 3.5 mm.

As above , Beetle Spin is very good. Another way to fish them that is very effective if they are in the top 6-7 feet of water are small Norman Crappie Crankbaits and Deep Tiny N's . The gel coat crawdad finish is very good, but not the only one that takes not only crappies, but bluegills, perch, smallmouths, largemouths, and walleyes. Retrieve quite slowly, stopping now and then if a steady retrieve doesn't work. The two lures are so similar that I really don't know what the differences are. But they both are very good lures, easy and fun to fish when that bobber is getting boring.

Please keep in mind that I never said the RTD didn't work or that the Fuji will work better for everyone. I was simply commenting that it's not my cup of tea. For me , in my condition, I like the simplicity and price of the Fuji. But the RTD is obviously is the right solution for many people for many different reasons. Some physical, some preference. No need to question those folks more.

This guy is not the type to call all rod builders know it all. He has just found that when his company started publishing CCS they had lots of noise from people arguing about their numbers. And he concluded it's easier to avoid the conflict by not publishing. Yes, CCS goes a long way in bringing clarity to rod characteristics with objective numbers. I don't disagree with your last statement. They probably employ wine label writers to write their rod descriptions.

I hope not to confuse more, but it is possible that fish getting off trebles when fishing from shore (long casts, right?) might be due to poor hook sets, not hooks tearing out. What line are you using? If mono or FC, on a long cast, with stretch, you won't be applying much force on the set. If braid, with no stretch, hook sets should by as good as it gets, maybe too good (meaning tear-out could be happening.) Good luck. When you get out of this you will know a lot more than you did going in.

"Micro" is a subjective term applied to guides that are small, but they come in many sizes, some not so small, (a subjective term), some quite small ( a subjective term). "Micro" really doesn't mean enough to allow anyone to answer a question like this that doesn't even include the diameters of the lines used. Will a single foot fly guide pass a uni-uni with ease? Will a double foot guide pass a uni - uni with ease? It depends.

I don't get your point. And if you knew who said it, you would know he is not a fool.

What matters for lure retention, for not having the lure pulled out of the fish's mouth, is the force applied to the line and the rate of buildup of that force. Let's go to the extremes for the sake of discussion. If you have a heavy power rod in moderate action is the force applied to the line more or less than that with a medium power extra fast action. Like the rod I described with the light lively tip? I don't know without knowing more about the specific rods. And most likely trying the rods. What I do know is that the SB841-3 works well with cranks and a lot of other stuff too. And what I think I know is that with the right power, extra fast actions will work with cranks. My son has two Anglers Resource Point Blank rods that I made for him, and they are a lot like the SB841-3. And he uses them for cranks all the time and has not trouble with hooks tearing out. Until we get to dealing with objective numbers for power and action, we will be struggling with issues like this. When I asked a manufacturer's rep why they did not publish CCS objective numbers he answered that it is so much easier to not offer them. He elaborated that when the numbers are out there a bunch of know-it-all rod builders complain the numbers are wrong. It's just easier to avoid the issue and say "medium heavy." I like the response above from spoonplugger, good stuff. I think that any time you see "mag" in the rod description, it will be extra fast action. But who would write "mag" to describe a fairly light power rod? But there is no reason you cannot have a light power extra fast action rod.

They aren't balanced until you put a reel on them. I know, go ahead and beat me up. But IMHO, balance does not occur until the reel is on the rod. And then, that darned lure is there to screw it all up.

The final weight will depend on design and materials, i.e. split grip or full? natural cork or burl (burl is about 1.5 times the weight of natural), or other grip material, guides (although this is minor today with most using small guides). I usually find my rods weigh about 1.6 - 1.8 oz + the blank weight. These are both spin and cast with graphite seats, split grips, and small or no foregrips. I just finished a spin off the Rainshadow SB841-3 and it was 4.0 oz. (burl cork, split grip, small foregrip), Fuji corrosion control stainless KLH reduction + 6 5mm KB's and Kt"s. The 841 is called a medium light power but it is much more powerful than that. The fact that it really is an extra fast action with a really powerful butt makes it a very versatile rod that will cast well anything from about 1/16 to 3/4 and will handle big fish well. I built on the same blank earlier and found the rod great for casting light squarebill cranks, works pretty well with tubes and snapping swim jigs off the bottom for bass and walleye. I plan the earlier build to be my bonefish spin rod for casting glider jigs when the winds are too high for fly. This type blank shows the inaccuracies in the power and action ratings from manufacturers. I think Rainshadow is a little confused by its having such a powerful butt coupled with a light, lively tip.

Search for fly casting videos. There are some good ones out there. Deneki and Orvis are ones I know.

Will work, but not the easiest or least expensive option.

I think it's more power than appropriate for the lipless cranks I throw. The biggest issue in casting lures is to have a rod that loads properly with the lures you throw. What are the recommended lure weights for this rod? I use lipless cranks of half ounce or less, and use med or med light power rods, which load quite well for them. Moderate action is right on. Just make sure you are not trying to cast 3/8 oz lures with a rod rated for 3/8 - 3/4. Better to hit the middle of the weight recommendation for your most used lures.

I respectfully comment that for bass a 7-8 is more powerful than necessary. A 6 will be fine. The guides will be fine, as mentioned above. Not a bit of worry. The big issue with fly fishing is to match the rod with the proper line weight. Every fly rod I've built has objectively measured to be almost one weight higher than its advertised rating. Which means they all cast better with a +1 line weight. Meaning, if you buy the 7-8, buy a 9 wt. line. Or buy a line that is described as a "Quickshooter," or something that describes a line which will work better in loading a rod properly for shorter casts. This is especially important for fly casters who are not experts. Like you and me. The heavier line will load the rod properly at the shorter casting distances that beginners can make. You're not going to be making any 60 foot casts right away, and will do much better with a +1 line weight. True, the higher power rods will handle larger flies and poppers better than a 6, so if you plan to use them rather than reasonably sized streamers and poppers, then go 7/8. But go up 1 on line weight. https://www.wideopenspaces.com/10-flies-slay-monster-bass/

Depends on the diameter of the leader and what knot is used. The FG knot most likely will go through any micros ok with the diameters of leaders and braid lines that are used for bass. Most knots probably will not with leaders above about 15 pounds. But the only way to know is to try it. If you are asking because you want to buy one but are not sure, I recommend you buy a rod with regular guides and not have to worry about it.

I think you have it all wrong. With an old Ugli Stick with mono she would feel nothing. With a modern hi mod graphite with braid she definitely will feel most bites.

There are many diameters available for shrink wrap. Just find one that is the same diameter or slightly larger than the hump. It will work. As above, measure the hump!

The wraps are stretched onto the grip, so they fit tightly. But if you want, you can use contact cement to really "stick" them to the grip. I don't think you will find that necessary, though. There also are shrink wrap materials available. They are cylindrical, slip over the grip, then are heated with a hair dryer or similar heater to shrink tightly. Look for them at Mudhole.com or Getbitoutdoors.com or Batsonenterprises.com to get more info. If I remember right, they are not very expensive. or search "shrink wrap tubing fishing rods"

Winn grips are affected by DEET insect repellent, as are most plastic and rubber objects. They are used on muskie and salt water rods, so they are in fact pretty durable. As for sensitivity, since they are pretty light (lighter than cork) they should be pretty sensitive, but you know sensitivity, no objective test for it. The inner material is EVA, and the skin is molded to it, so it cannot be replaced. However, it would not be that hard to cut off and replace a rear grip. A front grip is less likely to get worn out, and getting a new one one would most liklely require taking the guides off, so that's not a bit easy. Winn offers Winn wraps, a tape like bike handlebar tape and tennis grip tape that is the same "sticky" material as the surface of a Winn Griip, and they are easy to use. In fact if I had to replace any kind of grip I would use these. If you want to find out how Winn grips feel in action, about $10 will buy a wrap that you can put onto any other grip material. Winn grips are a core of EVA covered permanently with the "magic" Winn material. The cores are reamed to fit the blank, then glued on with epoxy or double sided tape like golf grip replacements. Then there is the Winn wrap which is explained in another post here. I should clarify what I meant by replacing a grip with the wrap-it works for deteriorated or chipped or other nasty grips, but it is a tape and as such it won't replace a structurally compromised grip. For that a remove and replace is required. The wrap will work for deteriorated but not structurally compromised grips. It's just a tape. To fix a structurally damaged grip requires a remove and replace.

Another good way is to let the rod hang over the back of the boat a little so that when the engine is turned it snaps the end off the rod. This works equally well for both cheap and expensive rods. A way not yet mentioned is to allow rods to be uncontrolled on the deck within a few inches of a vertical surface to the rear of them. The tip might be pushed against that surface due to rough water, and break the tip. I think hi mod graphite is more susceptible to this than low mod or glass. But I know it sometimes works just fine.

If you ever get lonely. . . I've seen your pics, could drive up for a day with you to sample some of that kind of smallie fishing. Neat rig, too. I took your advice and use the Lucas on my black Lund and it looks like new after two years. No it doesn't. As the boat s-l-o-w-l-y floats off the trailer the vehicle is going nowhere. The loads are almost nothing. I can understand everyone doing what they are comfortable with-they should do exactly that.

Another common way of breaking a rod is to put your hand out the blank a ways and then lift something. The file below is very good for defining the proper and improper treatment of rods. i give a copy to everyone I build a rod for. With modern hi modulus graphite, rods are more fragile than they used to be. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/rodusage.pdf