MickD

I think many of the knot failures reported are due to not setting the knots tightly enough. Even the simplest knots work well, IMO, when tightly set because the leader gets put into plastic deformation which forms an actual mechanical interlock of the leader with itself. If one doesn't believe this, carefully cut a good, tightly set, knot apart to remove the braid, unwrap the leader knot, and see what the leader looks like. Another fallacy with many knots is the "more is better" philosophy. On knots like the FG and Alberto, there is an optimum number of wraps/weaves. When more are used the knots often don't tighten properly. I agree with the comment about a better knot than the FG on light lines. The FG was designed around heavy saltwater leaders that are large enough so that there is plenty of material to be deformed and interlocked. With the lighter leaders that is not the case.

No, I have an Android and the recommended app works for it. Is Gauges an Apple app that can record the period of a vibration by sound? I'll take a look. thx Yup, Apple app. Don't know if it will do it or not. Has to record the period of a vibration using the mic on the phone. Other Android devices, like Kindles work fine. You don't have to have a phone.

I was speaking regarding the reel mostly about spinning. I must be holding the rod/reel off the fulcrum a little. I noticed after changing out a 4000 Stradic for a 3000 LT Daiwa that I felt the balance had changed.. Might have been the total weight I was sensing. Regardless of what's going on, I don't add weight to rods. I did once upon a time, added too much weight to a casting rod, and had it torque right out of my hands overboard. Luckily I caught it. I think if balance is a major priority for a fisherman he is better off avoiding longer rods and sticking with the shorter ones.

Florida Fishing Fool makes some good points. Much depends on your preference. I don't add weight to any rod. I think the most productive way to change the balance is with the reel used with it.

For my types of fishing bait is not necessary, and my boat, in its 8th year, has never had any live bait in it. I know it's needed for some, but I don't do that.

The braid hitch knots are smaller in diameter than the two layers of leader + braid wrap, so they do not make the knot any bigger than it would be without them. With the leader/line combinations I use, leaders up to 15 pound test, the alberto is insignificant in size compared with the bore of the 4 mm micros I build with. The main thing is to get the leader end cut off right at the knot-leave no exposed end to catch on the tiptop.

I have found that by tying two half hitches tightly against the knot, using the tag end of the braid, that the Alberto becomes bullet-proof for unravelling. No need for any glue or substance other than saliva while setting the Alberto. The half hitches do not make the knot any larger.

Learn to measure CCS and all the mysteries about action and power will be solved. At least for rods you have in your hand.

Thanks, Chris. I appreciate your comments.

Would this have more to do with the line rather than the type of reel?

Thanks, Chris, but I'll stick with 1:1 by volume. Better fits my intellect. If I want more or less than 7 grams of mix, it's easy peasy . "Nothing in epoxy will stop UV light from penetrating and dulling what is underneath the finish." I'm glad you explicitly made this point, one which many in the building community don't know. They think UV inhibitors will protect the thread, especially metallics. But they won't.

You don't want a sinking flouro line, and you don't want a flouro leader. The sinking screws up the action of many surface lures by pulling them under on the twitch. Use a braid without the Gore fiber, and use a mono leader. I like Suffix braids and XT or similar mono . The leader is the most important to ensuring proper surface lure action.

Andy Dear states that clarity of the hardener was one of the goals achieved in the development of Gen 5. I have not yet tried it, have a lot of Gen 4 left and have no problems with it. Give us some detail on how handling a 4:3 by weight proportion is as easy as 1:1 by volume with syringes. I can see a scenario where you make it easy by using the same amount every time, but I don't want to do that. Sometimes I want different amounts. thanks.

As WRB says, use the thumb and point the rod at the snag, pull on the rod. I have never tightened my drag to retrieve a snagged lure. And I have never locked it down. Maybe that's why I don't have reel problems.

I think if the reel is sort of quickly deteriorating, it's due to contamination from sand or other external stuff getting in. I've bought a lot of reels of all brands over the years, and have never had one go from smooth to anything less than smooth, and I've used most of them for many years. Cheap reels, expensive reels, doesn't seem to matter. I just add some lube now and then and keep them clean. Why would one person's reels go bad and another one's reels never go bad? Maybe it's not about the reels.

It is amazing stuff for sure, sort of like a premium cloth duct tape with no gumminess.

If the issue is keeping control of the line on the spool, there are elastic bands sold, 25 for less than $20, that work very well. Search Amazon "fishing line spool keeper band."

Thank you, glad I could help.

This is because many keepers are an inferior grade of stainless steel. Even for us rodbuilders, the grade of stainless is never mentioned on keepers offered by the components companies, and I noticed the inferior corrosion performance many years ago. I use high grade SS single foot fly guides or titanium keepers on all my builds now. It's pretty easy to wrap a single foot fly guide onto a rod, and might be the beginning of a new and rewarding hobby, so I suggest those wanting keepers to try it. Building your own opens so many doors to enjoying the fishing. You can better match the power and action you want, you can get the ergonomic features you want, you can get the look you want, and you can get the quality level of components you want.

Lots of suggested rods. No subjective measurements of what the rods actually are for power and action. Oh how nice it would be know what the numbers (CCS) are for some of these "great rods."

Rods when shortened from the tip get slower in action, not faster. It's physics, and isn't a matter of debate-that's the way it is. If it was just an inch or two , probably not detectible. What you might be experiencing is expectation bias. The power will go up slightly. "Soft fast" isn't a good way to describe action since "soft" implies power. If it's less than fast, it's as mentioned by another, possibly moderate fast. But all of the subjective describers are not very accurate since all manufacturers are very loose with the descriptions. I have always described fishing a rod that has a couple inches off the tip as being like what happens when your bird dog gets impregnated by the mongrel down the road. The dog still hunts just as well, but you feel a little differently about it. Still the same dog. It's about me, not the dog.

I think everyone has an opinion but no one has data. My opinion is that since 8 casts way better than 4, and I've seen no difference in "fragility," I only use 8. Or more-Hitena Pure Line has 12 in the higher pound tests.

What is the reasoning here? Data? TIA

One aspect of rod building that is often overlooked is ergonomics. On my first spinning rod build using "standard" components I ended up with the reel too far from the butt and the butt would catch on my elbow crook when going low to high and vice versa. Cut off about an inch and it was fine. Size 16 spin seats are too small for me for all day comfort. My span from thumb to little finger is 9 inches, and I find size 17's fix that problem. Some standard component butt knobs for split grips are poorly shaped for comfort, sharp angles and edges. Not all of us find the same baitcasting seats comfortable due to differences in preferences and how we hold the reel. Keep ergonomics in mind.

I have used some Beyond Braid line, and it performed well. I don't know if it's coated or not; maybe they have different versions. I didn't measure its diameter, but it didn't seem particularly thin. I think most manufacturers are not telling the truth about the diameter of their line. In my experience, 8 strand braid is thinner and performs better generally than 4 strand. I just bought a couple versions of Japanese Seaguer, and they look to be super thin and smooth for the advertised pound test. I have not tried them yet. Up until now my favorite braid is Hitena Pure Line, but it has not been available for a couple years. It is a premium braid and pricey, but lasts a long time and performs very well. The Seaguer lines looks to be a lot like the Hitena..