MickD

I assure you, this is not a realistic option for bonefish. Been there, done that. Didn't work out well.

I never add any finish to a factory blank. Like Chris, I will finish a rebuild with Permagloss, a very thin, light, hard but flexible, UV resistant rod finish. For graphite or glass rods it is a much better option than traditional varnish, if that is what you are specifically talking about. It cures very fast, and has a nasty vapor, so you need good ventilation and a special technique. Here is an instruction from one of my rodbuilding friends, one of the most skilled and experienced rodbuilders I know: "I use a foam cosmetic pad. Pour out some permagloss into a small measuring cup use the foam pad to soak up all the perma gloss. I take the saturated foam pad fold it over the blank and swipe it up and down the blank very quickly, takes less than 30 sec but not more than a minute. I wear nitrile gloves when applying. All you want to do is wet the blank with a very thin coat. I hold the blank in one hand and swipe with the other. Start at the tip and move down to the butt. When finished I just lean it against the wall with just the tip touching. The permagloss will not sag because of the thin coat. If you get sagging you applied to much! Let it set for a 1/2 hour or so and repeat to make sure you have complete coverage. If your humidity is very low (like in Southern Cal) may take a little longer. This works extremely well. Like Tom said, I have found it almost impossible to get a good finish by brushing it on. Instead of a foam cosmetic pad you can cut the foam off of a foam paint brush and use it, this also works very well just more expensive. This process gives a very nice finish that is extremely hard and will never yellow. Hope this helps."

NFC has two types of carbon fiber, the regular which are very firm but nice in my opinion. Just how soft does cork feel? The fact is it doesn't feel soft at all. The other type of grip they offer is "soft touch" carbon fiber. I have not tried them, but a builder I highly respect uses them all the time and loves them. The biggest factors in the ergonomics of grips are their shapes and their sizes. Most use grips/seats that are too small. Especially on spin. I never use size 16 spin seats any more.

Me too. While certain rods do work better than others for some techniques, most rods can do well many different things. Especially longer rods.

Digging in is less or not a problem with premium braids which are rounder than some old braids. I use 21 pound test Hitena Pure Line and have no problems. Recently landed a shark of about 50 pounds, had the drag set very tightly on a Stradic 4000, and afterwards it cast 1/8 oz jigs just fine with no digging in experienced. Previoulsy mentioned Suffix 832 doesn't dig in either based on my experience.

High quality, whatever that means, AmTac, Point Blank, Rainshadow, MHX, NFC, Phenix, Lamiglass, and many others providing blanks. Strength- Have to ask, what is your definition of strength? Sensitivity- Go with the priciest stuff you can afford and it will have the highest modulus and most likely, but not guaranteed, the highest sensitivity. Durability- Might be in conflict with sensitivity since most high mod blanks are more fragile than low mod blanks. Crisp actions- I think this means fastest recovery speed, which would again lead to the highest mods you can afford. It's not easy. But defining your priorities as much as possible is helpful.

What is your definition of "best?"

If you are using the same product for leader and line you are missing the specific advantages of each. Everyone understands that line has to be manageable, and that means that for floro, it is soft. But for leader, stiffness is better than softness. Stiffer, harder, product likely is more resistant to cutting, less fragile, and its stiffness is an advantage with techniques like blade baits, with fewer tangles on the cast and the working of the lure. And for fishing surface lures, mono is better than floro because it doesn't sink and adversely affect the working of lures like Pop R's, and walking the dog.

How does it cast? I don't care what's in a reel as long as it works. And all my Tatulas work very well.

Have both pieces of the broken rod? If yes, you can repair it and while its recovery speed may be off a bit, it will fish pretty well. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html I've repaired probably 6-8 rods and they all fish just fine.

What is your definition of "best?"

My grandson used to take a book along. He knew we were going to be gone quite a while.

I used to use Yozuri Hybrid on casting gear . It is very soft, much different than FC. But I gave it up because I thought it had excessive stretch. For spin, it's all premium braids for me now. Will never go back to FC or mono except possibly very light mono on panfish outfit.

Not every manufacturer's "fast" action is the same. There is a great deal of variation. I have no idea what Fury's fast action is like. Too bad manufacturers don't give CCS numbers, then we would all be on the same page with respect to power and action. Keep in mind also that the longer the rod, the less important action is to keeping fish pinned. I think just about any action will work if the length is 7 1/2 feet.

Then it's not about lure weight at all, which is what I think you asked. It's about applying too much force to the line/fish. The stiffer the rod, the easier it is to apply force. If you are worried about it then use mono or a long leader which will put some "foregiveness" into the system. The best system for what you are asking is to have a rod whose power is consistent with the lure weight you want to cast and has a moderate action, especially if it's not very long. The longer the rod, the less important having a moderate action is for keeping fish pinned.

If a rod is overpowered for the weight of the lure cast it generally makes timing on the cast more difficult to achieve. At least that is what I have observed. One can get used to it, but it is somewhat more difficult to control the cast.

I don't blame him. He is right.

When I travel, I carry my rods, all travel rods so no longer case than about 36 inches, my reels/lures/etc, or at least part of them onto the plane so I can fish if my luggage doesn't make it. I might stink, but I'll fish.

If "Delta" means you will be flying Delta Airlines, you most likely will have to check the rods as luggage. won't fit in overhead compartments, and may not fit in the closet at the front of the plane. I would check with Delta for their policy. I just flew Delta, and it depended on the agent how many pieces I could take onto the plane, even though sizes were small.

An easy, accurate method to check a scale is to buy a gallon of water at a store that has a butcher shop and have the butcher weigh it on his scale. The weigh it with your scale. That would tell you at about 8 pounds how accurate it is. But better to just estimate the weight. That way you have heavier fish. ?

Rig it as instructed earlier and try varied retrieves. Slow and steady, slow lift and fall, and also a fairly sharp snap from the bottom. The last retrieve is made by counting down to find the bottom, then on subsequent retrieves, just before it hits, or as it hits, snap the rod tip up about 2 feet, drop the rod tip taking up the slack, and let it fall again on a slightly taut line. Great smallie and walleye lure.

One does not have to bend a rod that far to test the line. So rod failures, if one uses his head, is unlikely. But I submit one doesn't even have to have a rod in the system. There is nothing unrepresentative about testing without a rod. It's physics, not magic. By the way, I recently landed a 40-50 pound black tipped shark on 21 pound braid (a brand that is not a sponsor, but contends its pound tests are accurate, probably 3 year old line-great stuff) with 14.6 pound leader of the same manufacurer. Very high, constant, pressure on the fish to handle it. On a rod rated for about 10-16 if I remember right.

I won't buy a reel without the switch. Even if they never build another with it, I'm set until I die with reels with the switch. But I think it's a big mistake to eliminate it. I've been warning readers of this forum for quite a while now, so regular readers should not be surprised that some new reels don't have it. A good drag cannot replace some of the functions of the switch. the ability to easily and smoothly, with little tension on the line, to let out line cannot be done easily without defeating the AR. Opening the bail is a sad substitute.

I think the achilles heel of the lighter braids would be its sensitivity to shocks. I'd go heavy with a fairly long leader to help get some give in the system. Unless using a pretty small reel, I don't think line capacity is an issue.

Keep in mind that not all reels these days have anti reverse switches. If that feature is imiportant, make sure you get it. I don't think any Shimanos have it any more, and some Daiwas don't. Tatulas do, last I looked. I love my Tatulas, very light, solid, smooth. This might be a good time to ask those of you familiar with buying Japanese versions of reels from Digitaka, do the products come with similar warranties to the US reels?