MickD

Probably enough info/help now to go "kill" some bass?

I am not familiar with that fly rod, but most fly rod blanks are too "floppy" and soft, too slow action, to be good rods for other applications. They usually have CCS action angles around 60 degrees, and about 70 is optimum for most light spin and BFS builds, IMO. I have built two rods for spin based on fly rod actions, and while they do well for distance, they are so "floppy" short cast accuracy is a challenge. I highly recommend blanks with AA's about 70, designed for cast or spin.

I said that roughing it up will help a little, but cork does not absorb like wood so it won't give similar results. I cannot answer any better than that. Try it and see. Previous comment on varnish or paint, yes you can do that . And if you put the stain in the varnish, then the color will be in the top coat. But not many like to do that. If you custom build you can buy a multitude of different shades/colors/light/dark of burl cork rings from which you can build your grips.

Cork does not take stains well, doesn't absorb like wood does. So it's difficult to change the color of it. One thing that will help is to rough it up a little, then a stain might darken it some. Tru Oil, a gun stock finish will darken it, but it also will harden it because it solidifies on the surface, like a paint. So if the feel is important, I would not recommend it. I have it on a casting rod and it doesn't bother me, but some on this forum are a lot more sensitive to the feel of cork than I am. Great minds, Spoonplugger. We were writing at the same time with the same info.

With cork these days so full of filler, I believe sealing it keeps the filler in longer, avoiding the deep pits better/longer. I don't detect a "feel" difference. I guess I'm just not that sensitive to the feel.

I mentioned Craigs list because I sold a boat on it for much more than I thought I could get. Use all options.

Ask a dealer what it's worth in trade in. Then add about 20% to that number and advertise on Craig's list.

I use mostly 15 flouro and 15 braid. I don't care what anyone says, Albertos can fail even if tied right. BUT, put two half hitches onto the knot, pulled tightly, using the braid tag end and the knot will be bullet proof. The knot will not get any bigger and will be reliable. It will be reliable with any pound test line or leader. Think about how difficult if not impossible it is to get knots out of braid if they have been pulled tight. When I used to get failures of the true Alberto I was always sharply snapping small swimbaits off the bottom.

Right! All this "technique" overkill is just that, overkill. Most rods are very versatile, and what different people like for different techniques varies. A rod is basically just a combination of length, weight, power and action, try to figure out those characteristics as best you can, buy what seems to make sense, and go fishing. Almost any technique. The higher the price, most likely the better the components and the lighter it will be for its power. Set up your own CCS setup to get more knowledgeable about the numbers of power and action.

If you haven't changed the water pump impellor in a long time, it's time. If you have, and maybe you've been in the mud, you might clear the problem with a wire into the pee hole. Guides in the Bahamas are doing that quite often.

"Why do treble hook weights change the actions of jerkbaits?" Why would changing the weight of the hooks NOT change the action ?

What would make a reel specifically a "jerkbait" reel? thx

.145 oz, a little more than 1/8 oz.

I use it all the time, like it for its durability and beauty. But it actually weighs 1 1/2-2 times as much as natural cork. On my spins I only use 7 1/2 inch rings and 4 1/8 thick rings. For baitcast I like carbon fiber and that is significantly lighter than burl cork.

Cannot remember what caused it, but had one with about 30 pound braid and had to cut it out. Took a long long time with that tough braid.

Me too. I will go in what I call "one layer," which is taking a look inside, lubing, might do some cleaning but not usually. If I dunk a reel or if it's gone many years and I suspect it might need serious "rehab" I send it to a pro. Reels are just too complicated and too easily screwed up these days. At least for me they are.

There is a lot of discussion on this forum about BFS, bait-cast finesse system. With regard to the issue of the most appropriate BFS rod characteristics, I submit the following: - The most important characteristic in casting, whether spinning or bait-casting, is to match the power of the rod to the weight of the lure being cast. This allows the rod to efficiently and effectively store and release the energy generated by the casting motion. Too little rod power and the rod is overloaded and “collapses” on the cast. Too much power and the rod doesn’t store much energy, and it’s like trying to cast with a broomstick. - Next is the action. It seems the fishing community is equating action speed with rod quality, and effectiveness. Everyone wants a fast or an extra-fast action. The faster the better. But this is wrong. The action should be tailored to the task that is the most important, and with BFS, the task is casting light lures as far as is practical. And the best action is not fast or extra-fast as they are usually defined. - One should keep in mind that the subjective descriptions of action (slow-moderate-moderate fast-fast-extra fast) and power (ultra light-light-medium light-medium-medium heavy-heavy) are not consistent. Therefore, they are not accurate. Not dependable. Even within the same manufacturer’s line, there are inconsistencies. CCS, Common Cents System, is an objective measuring system that allows us to accurately compare and select blanks and rods that are the best for their intended use. I will be using CCS numbers for the rest of the discussion. For more information on it search the internet for “Common Cents Rod Rating System.” - Now to the meat. Rainshadow has recently introduced two blanks that make a lot of sense if one builds his own rods and is looking for the right BFS blanks. They are the REVS72L-3 and the REVS72ML-3, members of the Revelation line of blanks which I consider a real “sweet spot” balancing performance and price. Interestingly, they are travel blanks, three piece 7 foot 2 inch length blanks. Rainshadow calls them “fast” action; I call them “moderate fast.” The CCS action angle, which is the CCS number that describes action is about 71 degrees. Many “crankbait” rods are from 65 to 70 degrees. “Hotshot” rods are over 80 degrees. A familiar rod to many, the St. Croix Legend SCV70MF is about 75 degrees. The action of these blanks makes them easy to cast accurately, with the timing of the line release not being as critical as it is with blanks most call “extra-fast,” about 80 degrees. - The power is described accurately, in my opinion. The L is about 270 grams CCS, or an ERN (Effective Rod Number- think of fly rod weight numbers) of about 11.9, and the ML is about 400 grams, or an ERN of about 15.1. The previously mentioned St. Croix is about 465 grams, 16.9 ERN. I have cast the spin-built ML with 3/16 oz. Ned jigs with a Ned on, and it does wonderfully, getting very good distance with good accuracy. It should do well as a BFS for similar weight lures. I plan to use it casting light jigs to bones in the Bahamas. If one is looking for lighter lures, maybe the L would work; I expect it will. ( CORRECTION: I have now cast them both and the total lure weight was .230 ounces. I get the feeling that the rods could go both higher and lower in weight and still perform well. ) Link to the blanks: https://batsonenterprises.com/revelation-rx7/revelation-rx7-3-piece-travel-bass-freshwater - Bottom line, if you want to build a BFS rod, I think Rainshadow has a couple good options for you. If you buy a finished rod, go long, and go light. And hope you got it right. - If you want to really understand the rods you have, build yourself a CCS rig. If you need some tips, let me know in a message.

Then cast side arm. I can cast almost as high with a 6 foot rod as I can with a 7 foot rod, if I try. If one is having distance as a major criteria in his casting of light lures, then length is important, and longer is better. The proposal to go up in length is appropriate. With longer length comes a sacrifice in balance and accuracy to some degree. If one is willing to accept these in the interest of getting max distance, sounds right. I find it interesting that most of the comments don't even mention power, which is the most important characteristic in casting-matching the power of the rod to the lure weight.

If an anti-reverse switch is something you value, check the reels to be sure they have them. Many nowadays do not. Some professional reel servicers will not service off brands, so that might be of some importance.

Call me a skeptic, but I don't believe the mortality numbers that come from tournament advocates or operators. Common sense tells me that a fish immediately released has a better chance of survival than one put through the tourney routine, transported many miles in many cases from where they were caught. We had a nut here in MI who was advocating tournaments that would allow bass to be taken from their beds, taken miles away to weigh-ins, etc. That is a guarantee of bed failure, but this tourney advocate was trying to make it happen. But he argued that it would not harm the population. Naturalists with doctorate degrees in fishery management came to the rescue with their data that disproved the position of the spawning bed tourney advocate. If immediate release is worse than transporting/remote weigh-in/etc, then why are some tournaments going to immediate in-the-boat weigh and release? Are they advocating the "higher mortality" of immediate release? I think we have to be skeptical of data from those with a financial interest in tournaments. And I think the bass populations would be better off without our current tournament activity.

Don't buy without 1. Seeing the service history 2. trying it out on the water.

The biggest PIA is with the black stuff that crawlers usually come in, gets all over the boat no matter how careful one is. A tip for those going to Canada, unless rules have changed, you can take crawlers into Canada if they are packed in the newspaper packing instead of soil. And that is much easier on the boat than that black soil. I'd like to go back to Canada at least once more to see how I would do now that I know how to fish lures, especially swimbaits, better. I think I could beat crawlers.

I don't consider live bait cheating, but I do consider it a big PIA.

Your choice. My choice is to go no further than one layer in and I have found I don't need to go further unless it's been on the bottom of the lake for a few days. Then I send it to DVT.

So you had taken the reel apart, right? Another argument for going only one layer in, letting experts go further?