MickD

I agree from what you describe that the guides and reel are not getting hurt. I also, like you, don't like the sound of the knot clicking the guides hard. Like mentioned before, I think you are using a longer leader than necessary. I recommend progressively shortening the leader and trying it at each new length. I think you'll find an optimum length for your setup that will cast much smoother through the guides. I don't know what the magic is, but I'll bet that somewhere between about 3 and 5 feet you'll find a sweet spot. Some do use super glue or UV cure epoxy on the knots to smooth them and toughen them against fraying. A well-tied Alberto is pretty smooth though, and these materials may not add much value. One thing about the Alberto is that the leader tag end goes first through the guides on the cast, so make sure you have a nice short tag end.

If the knot is going through the guides it can get beaten up so I would check every day, pull hard on it, doesn't look beaten up/frayed? Then good to go. If it starts fraying, looking beaten up, cut a few inches of braid and leader off and retie. Shame to lose the big one to a bad knot. But I agree that under the right conditions a line to line knot can last quite a while, especially if it's not going through the guides. Some use super glue or UV cure epoxy on the knots to toughen them and provide a smoother surface going through the guides.

Bass Pro used to have a rod balancing setup, still do? Same thread size? If you can match the thread size with a fastener, stainless steel screw, then I think you should be able to cobble up a balance setup with a visit to a hardware store, topping it off with a chair leg rubber cover. Or when you get the proper balance put some shoe goop over the end to provide a compliant butt. Or epoxy on a rubber bumper from an auto parts store. Mudhole.com has a balance kit + many removable fly rod fighting butts that might work.

Looks like you made some good purchases. I have not used Herters waders, so cannot testify, but try them on, make sure they are comfortable in the house before going fishing. Makes returns, if necessary, much cleaner.

In my opinion, the video is dead nuts on. Uses only the one hand, easy, you can slow it down or stop it with precision. Even works well with rods that you want to use two hands on all the way through the cast.

I would just get something on the back end to grip on and forego the balancing. Give it a try before dismissing it. I think adding weight to balance is counterproductive and never add weight to acheive balance.

I, like DVT, use very little in the way of grips on spin rods. In fact, my spin rods just have a ramp off the front and one off the rear. Link shows what I do. Since that article was written I have a couple more tips. The Pac Bay shims are more solid and sturdy than other shims, and the Riley Rod foam turns down into nice shims. Make the front ramp just smaller than the hood diameter of the reel seat for easier finishing (gives a "wall", the front edge of the hood, to finish against.) You will find these the most comfortable and sensitive rods. The hand just goes onto the front ramp with no big cork or EVA "grip" getting in the way, and you'll be surprised how good it feels. The threads are at the rear where most people don't ever contact them. http://clients.criticalimpact.com/newsletter/newslettercontentshow1.cfm?contentid=9599&id=1069

If you are getting breaks way below what you would expect with nanofil, I think you may not be using the right knots. Nanofil is very sensitive to having the right knots properly tied. More so than any other line I've ever tried. But my experience is that when the right knot is used it is a good line. The only advantage that nanofil has is that it is smoother through the guides than braids. If that is not important for you, don't bother with its knot challenges.

Cork grip? I think DVT means that if you make two cuts, one right at the butt and the other two inches forward you can put the butt back on at the 2 inch forward location. Any paste type epoxy will do, i recommend the fast cure ones so any clamping is made easier with less set time. I've done this to one of my rods and have many years on it with no problems. The trick is to get the cut clean and square. I use a little clamp device that I can put against my table saw crosscut guide, put the rod in it being VERY careful that it is square and level, use the finest carbide tipped blade you have, and slowly pass it through the saw blade. Taping will ensure no splinters, but if you do it correctly as above, you'll get no spinters anyway. If the butt area is tapered, make the pieces match by sanding with 150, 220, 600 sandpaper. Don't go too far with the 150. A final sanding of the whole grip with the fine will make it all look alike. I would then use Tru oil or cork seal to keep it nice. Try the oil or seal you are going to use on the scrap section of the butt to make sure you like it. Questions? danekm@aol.com

I see the question of "what rod for this reel" as being meaningless. The rod is not determined by the reel but by what techniques you plan to use and what fish you are going after. It's not about the reel. for what you have mentioned on your expected techniques, go for the most expensive (you usually do get what you pay for-more $$ will most likely give more sensitivity) graphite, medium power, fast action, rod designed for about 1/4-5/8 lure weight you can afford. If you have preferences of grip style (EVA, cork, split grip, etc), go for it. Since you are interested in jigging, soft plastics, you do not want any action slower than fast. Extra fast is ok. Legnth is just a personal preference, but I prefer 7 feet for the techinques you are interested in. I would line it with about 10-15 pound braid, use a 15 pound flouro leader, for max sensitivity. Use either a double uni line to line knot or an Alberto knot (follow the directions exactly), and you will have a great soft plastics/jigging outfit. It's not about the reel, it's not about the brand, it's about getting a rod suitable for your preferred technique, and in this case it will be a fast or Xfast action, medium power, graphite rod, 6 1/2 to 7 feet, other details determined by your preferences and available money.

I use nanofil and like it. It is not the same as braid, but it has the same sensitivity. The difference between nonofil and braid is that nanofil is quieter through the guides, the white is quite visible to fish so that you need to use a leader with it, and while braid requires specific knots well tied, nanofil is even more demanding. So pick your poison. If you don't mind the noise of braid, then I see no reason to go to nanofil.

I suggest you try a flouro leader to find out whether it makes sense for you. Only you can determine if it makes sense. It has its drawbacks, like needing a line to line knot, the knot may make noise going through the guides, or with small guides, it may not go through without serious noise or hanging up. What line to line knot? Start with double uni as it is pretty easy to tie, but don't cut corners with the number of turns, and lube it when pulling it tight. The Alberto is a little smaller, but not as easy to ty properly. Flouro terminal knots are a lot like braid terminal knots, but make sure you lube them (spit) when drawing them down. If flouro gets kinked it likely will fail. If you feel nicks in it replace it. Check the line to line knot now and then to be sure it is not beaten up. Rety if it is. What kind of material? A big spool of flouro LINE will work OK, but a spool of flouro LEADER MATERIAL is better for leader as it is harder and tougher, although in higher tests, it is harder to ty. If you use about 25 pound test it will resist pike teeth some, but the only reliable way to avoid cut-offs is to use a metal leader. I'm not sure how 25 pound leader material compares with your braid, but both can be cut by pike. What do I use? When I'm fishing for bass or walleye I use 15 or 20 pound flouro LINE for the leader and when a pike takes a tube, most of the time they snip it off like butter. When fishing for pike, or if likely to get a pike bite I put about 10 inches of 20 pound tieable metal leader on the end. It is pretty fine and does not affect the action too much if a cross lock snap is used. I use about 4-6 feet of flouro leader. Keep in mind that you seem to be pleased with the braid that you are using. Adding a flouro leader is done only to prevent fish-spooking by the braid. If you are not spooking them now, maybe it isn't worth the trouble.

The "rigging my way" post looks very good. I'll have to try it. A friend likes steel split rings, but if you like a slower fall, the plastic ideas make the most sense.

I use O rings without problems. I think if you are losing O rings you may be using too large a ring. Try a smaller, tighter fitting one, sized so that to get it onto the senko you have to roll it on rather than slide it on.

I agree with the comments on mono having quite a bit of stretch, most flouros having less and being more sensitive feeling (but I cannot prove it), but as also mentioned, all braids have so little stretch that it's a moot point as to which has the least. None has much at all. Berkely Nanofil is not really a braid, but it too has so little stretch that you can consider it essentially zero. Using braid and Nanofil brings up the issue of knots. If you use a flouro or mono leader you'll need to master at least one good line to line knot (double uni or Alberto are two of the best and not hard to tie). Even terminal knots with braids and Nanofil have to be different and better than mono or flouro knots. Palomar works well with braids, and there is a specific knot for Nanofil called the Nanofil knot.

Good luck on the BC skipping. Unless you are a masochist, just go with spin and enjoy yourself without backlashes. I have seen it done, but I'll bet only a very small percentage of BC fishermen can do it.

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Good advice, Crestliner. I will only add that for the Alberto to function correctly the tag end has to go back through the loop in the right direction or it will fail. I've made that mistake way too often until I realized that it is critical to the success of the knot. (Learned that here not long ago!)

I've never seen a plastic guide, can you show me one? The cheapest inserted guides are capable of handling braid without grooving. The cheapest tiptops may not be, but they are inexpensive and a piece of cake to replace if you find grooving. But the cheapest tiptops may groove with mono or flouro, too, due to the dirt in the water being carried by the line. Bottom line, in my opinion, is to not sweat it, and at the end of every year check your tiptop. Unless you really need high breaking strength, try braid of good quality (name brand, Power Pro and Suffix are very good) and no higher test than 15, and you'll be amazed at how easily it casts and handles, twist doesn't usually bother it (put it on the reel correctly, like your owner's manual describes). If you want to use a flouro leader (some do not and seem to catch fish fine) keep in mind it can sink fast enough to screw up the action of some surface lures. Use a good line to line knot, double uni or Alberto knots work well and are not hard to tie. Keep in mind that both need to be tied correctly or you'll get failures. Just do a google search for the knot name and you'll find some very good instruction sites.

It is possible to take the reel apart only to the degree that you feel comfortable with and you will accomplish a lot with little risk. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, too, and used to take reels totally apart, but I don't do it any more. Reels are just too complicated and there is too much risk of losing parts or putting them back in backwards or getting it put back together and having some parts left over. Now I leave that total cleaning job to a pro, like DVT. But I do feel confident enough to just take them partially apart to my level of confidence, clean them, lube them, and put them back together. And that is usually sufficient. One thing to keep in mind is to take good care of your reels so that a total disassembly is not often needed.

Need more info as posted above. Regular old Power Pro has caused me no probliems on spin or cast. Ever. Something else is going on. No break-in, line conditioner, or anything is necessary IF it is spooled properly.

I can think of no logical reason that braid of any test would cause a reel malfunction. Make sure you have no line contacting the frame or posts of the reel. I expect Kicker is right, but I've only ever noticed a sound from braid contacting the rod guides.

I've used braids on my Curados (200 E's) a lot. The pound test should have nothing to do with the issue. I suggest you reel the line into the reel so you are just spinning the spool when reeling, make sure the tag end and no other line is contacting any part of the reel (if you overspool you could get some line contact), and reel it. Make sure the reel is assembled properly with the side cover locked. Do you get the sound? If yes, then possibly there is still some line contact or, unlikely, a problem in the reel. There is no logical reason that braid would cause any kind of reel malfunction just from reeling it in. Kicker is right; braid makes a sound, but from the line running through the guides, from my experience. If it is really coming from the reel I guess it could be contact with the level wind eye, but I've never heard that.

You've got some great advice already, so just let me add that this issue goes beyond fishing tackle. don't worry about what others think of you. You will never meet the expectations of some people and you can go crazy trying. Besides that, as others have said, none of their business what you spend on anything.

I reel a spinner on the left side and a BC on the right. Go to a store and handle both attached to rods and see what you prefer.