MickD

The last time I wanted a needle I went to a local big box pharmacy and bought one for a buck or so. Amazingly cheap. Get the biggest needle you can. Most likely after injecting epoxy, might be easiest to just dispose of it. Pharm can probably do that too. After you inject, you may have tracked some epoxy onto the grip; use alcohol generously to clean up. Keep an eye on the area until the alcohol has completely evaporated to be sure you got all the epoxy. If in the end you don't like the appearance or feel of the grip you can cover it with the Winn Grips wraps. Very nice.

I cannot figure out how to determine the length of a track, or how far I traveled in given day. My old Eagle had an easy to use "trip odometer," for I cannot figure out how to get that function on the Helix 10. I've asked Humminbird, but that takes a while. . . Anyone know this?

The reason I recommend Med over Med Light is that I believe feel and hook set is more reliable on a Med power rod for all but the Neds and similar really small stuff. I agree that the best Ned rod is Med Light. If you fish tubes and skirted jigs, I believe Med is a much better rod than Med Light. I prefer Med for drop shot, too.

Medium power for sure, ML is not a good choice for finnesse, IMHO.

Unless you can get the crawlers packed in the paper bedding, before you allow them in your boat, wash all the black crap off them, and pack them with wet newspaper topped with ice cubes. Don't allow that black crap even close to your boat. If you do, sooner or later you will get stains that most likely never will come out.

Split shot for weight, easy, fast, cheap, easily adjusted weight and position. Drop shot weights are not necessary, or even the best solution.

I would not recommend trying to get the grip to move if the bottom feels secure, just inject as previously suggested. You probably will fix it fine with injection, and that will not risk creating the bigger problem of tearing the grip. If that doesn't work, come on back.

Photo doesn't show the butt end detail. If the grip can be slid off the back, then you can get much more epoxy on the interface than injecting will provide. Cover the interface with epoxy, slide the grip back on, rotate a couple revs to make sure you have it all over the interface, and clean up with alcohol (denatured).

What year was the US intro year for the Airex spinning reel?

Tom, I agree with your first statement. If manufacturers published CCS data, we'd have the objective data, but they don't. A few blank manufacturers do provide it. The Action Angle CCS number tells the story on action, X-fast, fast, etc. Angles below about 70 degrees are probably moderate, 70 to about 75, fast, and 75 to about 80, X-fast. But I don't understand your statement about balancing the rod at all. By their nature, an extra fast rod will, for the same POWER as a fast (or any slower action), have a softer tip. This aspect of their action makes them, in my opinion, able to cover a larger lure weight range. The softer tip allows them to load with light lures, and with heavier lures one gets into the "backbone" thus loading well with heavier lures. Sometimes the softer tip feels a little floppy and imprecise, depending on factors I don't really understand, maybe the blank material of a particular rod. I don't believe that X-fast actions create any problems when using braid except possibly in the heavier POWERS. With what we normally call medium POWER, I don't see braid as a problem. Yes, these last comments are an opinion, not objective.

I have gotten ID info from manufacturers, but the fact is, the suggestion to TRY IT takes all the mystery out of it. It either works to one's satisfaction or it doesn't. All it costs is one guide.

Regarding the "extra" weaves on the FG. I have noticed that the FG isn't as reliable on lighter leaders. I've been doing 20-22. The problem I notice is that the braid half hitches come loose when snapping swimbaits off the bottom, so doubt if extra weaves will affect that. A drop of super glue works well. thanks for the info

I don't see any issue with your setup. There is absolutely no risk in using lighter with respect to damaging anything. Any line on any rig can break if the pull exceeds its strength. You can protect the line with your drag. I really don't know where the manufacturers get their recommended line ratings. I've heard it relates to the dead lift capability of the rod, but I'm not sure. Recommended lure weights are pretty good indicators of power. You ask if the line (I think you mean the 10 pound test leader) could break on a cast or hook set. Yes. On a cast, especially with the heaviest lures you are using. On a hook set, probably. Pay attention. If it turns out to be real, just go up on leader test-there is no difference in casting distance with different leader pound tests. Just go fishing and then react to any issues that turn up. They won't be damage to the rod or reel. By the way, how did you end up with 35 weaves on the FG? Seems excessive. I'll bet only about half of them are working to grip the leader. Cut one of them apart and see if the leader is "kinked" for the full 35. I would like to know what you find if you do it.

YOu are right. And that's fine if you keep measuring ID's, but all we are saying is that when manufacturers specify guide size they are talking the OD of the ring . So if you measure the ID of a guide on a rod and it's 5mm, when you contract for a new rod, if you contract for 5mm guides, you will not necessarily get the same ID as the ID on the guides you measured. The builder can find out what the ID is on any guide by checking the manufacturer spec sheets, so it can be handled. I don't know why manufacturers started specifying OD's, but they did, all do it, and it's not likely to change after all these years.

no argument on thinnest, but I've had many failures, usually when snapping swim baits off the bottom , the knot has unraveled. l think that sealing the braid half hitches with UV curing epoxy or super glue helps. But it's not a knot without issues.

As I see it there are three things to consider: 1. Every time you change a lure (if tying directly to the braid, no snap) you will lose a few inches of your braid. 2. Terminal knots using braid are more critical than with FC, meaning that some of the knots you may use for FC won't work with braid. Most likely braid knot is the palomar, but there are others. 3. Is 10 pound braid as abrasion resistant as 8 FC? I doubt if fish will see your line, but you can camo it by marking it in a mottled fashion with a sharpie. You can control the shock issue through proper handling of the rod.

With 5's you are limiting yourself to the FG, in my opinion, as a knot like the double uni will not be very smooth through the guides. The FG can be really good, but it can also be quite quirky for reasons I don't really understand. One good thing is that the FG seems to work better with the higher pound tests you plan to use than it does with leaders below about 20.

Can you post a photo so we can be sure we are understanding the problem correctly? Right now I think you are not liking the distance from the axis of the rod to the reel caused by the seat locating the reel too high, away from the axis of the rod? If in fact the geometry of the seat is the problem, then I agree that the only reasonable fix is to change the seat which involves cutting/tearing the current one off and installing another. Lots of labor $$ if a pro builder does it. Not a good job for one inexperienced with doing that. I'd really like to see a photo.

St Clair is one of the best smallmouth lakes in the country, and it has very little deep water structure, and deep is where they are for the most part right now. Especially the big ones. I'm struggling with finding them, but my expert friends tell me that deep weeds are a place to start. Find the weeds and fish the edge and quite far out from the edge-they don't always hang out at the weeds or immediate edge. Also, they move, so a good spot a day ago may have nothing today. Dragging tubes in the shipping channel works at times. Good luck.

If your boat is equipped like mine, 1650, it will have on-board chargers for the trolling batteries, but not for the starting battery which also runs the electronics. I did have trouble with the starting motor going down in charge, probably because my electronics are such hi amperage devices compared to the old days. I bought a starting pack (the trolling motor batteries are hard to reach under the center rod locker, so being able to jump it at the battery comparatment is much handier.) I also added a single bank on-board charger which fits into the batter compartment, so required no wiring changes or cobbling. Both can be bought for about $150. If your boat has exposed (non-retracting) rope cleats watch out for tearing your clothes on them when leaning over the boat from the outside. They also can trap rods that are leaned on the rail, easy to break the rods. If your live well makes noise but doesn't pump, the pump valve is closed-either at the live well or at the pump. The pump is accessible through the circular hatch right by the engine. Start right away keeping the engine and hull clean of the white deposits that always form. I wax mine with Lucas liquid spray wax each time I use it-it takes the new stuff off easily, takes only about 10 minutes since it doesn't have any old stubborn stuff on it.

I used dilute CLR on mine, and it worked fine. Mine was not as bad or as long term as yours, though, so you may have to clean it many times. Once you get it cleaned up, use Lucas liquid spray wax each time after it's in the water, and it will clean the new, fresh, deposits off and put a shine on it (if there is a shine still left). A-Jay, what's the Lucas product's name-you recommended it to me, but I forgot its name.

I agree that backing is a pain because it's hard to get the spool filled properly. You get pretty good at estimating the more you do it. If you really want to do it right, 1. Put the amount of line you want to use onto the spool first. This is the length of line you want to end up on top of backing on your reel. 2. add backing to the level you want on the reel spool. 3. Move it all to another reel (I keep a couple old reels around for this-they must be able to hold more line than you expect to use. Now the backing is on the bottom, but not on the reel you want it on. 4. Move it to another "slave" reel. Now the backing is on the top. 5. Move it to the reel you want it on, the backing will be on the bottom and the line you want to use will be on the top and at the right level. What type of line for a starter fisherman? I don't see a problem with braid if the son is going to be under supervision and mature enough to understand and follow instructions. I think mono over about 8 pounds is often too stiff for spin. Florocarbon is simply too fragile and stiff for spin for a starter fisherman.

Filling a reel with 300 yards is a waste of money, but if you dislike backing enough to waste the money, then do it. One way to save money is to reverse the line on the spool after a couple years and use the new end.

I will have dealer check it on my next trip in for other work. I'm not convinced it is putting out what it should be, but one indication that it is working to some degree is that the voltage indicated on the fish finder is higher when the engine is running than when it is not running. How are you defining and measuring 100%? thanks, Mick

One thing to keep in mind is that if the rod is pointed at the lure, as in bonefishing with flies, it's out of the sensitivity "equation." Then it's all about the line. Logically, the closer you point the rod at the lure, the less its characteristics will affect sensitivity. When fishing with the tip high, then that is when the rod's characteristics will most affect sensitivity (along with the line). Seems like we should shut our computers down and go fishing. ?