MickD

Thank you! I appreciate your comment. By the way, first try at Sag Bay tomorrow.

30 pound braid is too heavy for most spin outfits, IMHO. Premium braids in 20 are very good, but for most braids, about 15 casts well. I never use mono or FC on spin any more, all braid. But when I used mono, about 8 pound was max on reels like that.

If you have the guide wrapping/epoxy down pretty pat you've gotten the hardest part down. Assembling grips/seats/etc isn't that hard. Locating guides can be learned pretty quickly. Lots of good info on line, videos/tutorials. Unfortuneately there is a lot of bad info out there, too. But there are some pretty reliable sources, so if you want to go further, let me know and I'll get you pointed in the right direction.

XF action is a good choice for drop shot because for a given total rod power the tip will be softer so that gentle bites will be sensed without the fish feeling as much resistance as they would with a slower action/same power. When one sets the hook the lower section of the rod quickly comes into play. I don't think it's critical, but I do believe that XF is optimum. Probably XF action, medium power.

When there are multiple failures it usually indicates that the rods are being damaged by striking gunnels or similar impacts, gettin jammed, high sticked, etc. Fish don't break rods. Fishermen break rods.

Hitena Pureline, 21 casts like 10 of most braids. No problems, lasts for years. I've never had a "bad spool" of any line except the old Vanish. But those were not "bad spools," they were just Vanish. After Hitena, I recommend anything Suffix. I think all of the newer 8 "carrier" braids are very good. Some will say, "boy, those are expensive lines!" but since they last for years, are they expensive? And, you only go around once. Make the best of it.

The only way I know to correct waviness is to lightly sand off the ridges with sandpaper on a block. If you don't use a block you will not sand just the ridges. Be careful not to go through and affect a decal or the blank. Then apply another coat, not too thick. Maybe another light sanding and another coat. Of course the best thing is to avoid it in the first place. I NEVER apply epoxy in a volume that will result in my having to wick it off the bottom. If one is putting that much epoxy on, it's asking for trouble. The second problem that many have is fooling around with the epoxy too much. One should be able to within a total time of a minute or two apply it, check it out, fix any bubbles, then LEAVE IT ALONE. As Ghoti says, apply it immediately after mixing it. I do the long sections first before the wraps since the waviness will show up more there and I want the freshest epoxy on there. If the wraps are a little wavy looking then another coat will probably fix it since they are short, not long like the decal/butt area. If those reading this have not already read the link I offered in a previous post, find it and read it. Good stuff by a real expert.

I have never been able to master applying wrap epoxy with anything but brushes. I don't recommend using much heat. Some do and do well with it, but I have found that too much heat will make for waviness. I warm the wrap epoxy a little by immersing the bottoms of the epoxy containers in warm water for a couple minutes, but it just makes it warm and not hot. The room is about 70 degrees. Yes the longer sections are most troublesome, but using strokes with the brush that are longitudinal with respect to the blank, long strokes wetting all areas but not so much that it drips off. I use lite build and use two coats. Excessive build with one coat can cause waviness. Here is a good tutorial on wrap epoxy. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/betterepoxy.pdf

Regarding waders, yes go breathable. And I believe you get what you pay for, meaning that the more expensive ones will most likely be in the long run a better deal. One thing that is very important is to get a comfortable foot. My waders don't have well formed feet, and the foot material is the same as the rest of the wader. The result is that putting my feet into the wading shoes jams up the material against my toes making it very uncomfortable. I think that neoprene formed feet would be much better.

Any of the FC's sold as "leader" will be harder and supposedly more abrasion resistant. However, hard mono leader material is pretty stiff/hard, too. I like a stiff leader because it keeps baits like blades from being so tangle prone on the cast and retrieve. I'm now using a couple of the Hitena fly tippet materials.

The end of what? Not sure my lighter will be accurate enough on the water to burn only what I want it to burn. The braid needs no "bead," with the added half hitches, and IMO, neither does the leader.

First, I agree that the requirement to tightly/aggressively/strongly set the knot is essential. However, your emphasis on having no braid tag end left is misguided. The braid is so limp that an eighth of an inch of tag is of no consequence. And trying to cut it off with no tag left is risky, possibly getting the instrument cutting the knot itself. Your method of going back through three times is fine, but I submit that doing two half hitches of the braid after setting the knot is more effective. Ever try getting a tight knot of braid to loosen up?

You need no more than 6 out and 6 back. BUT. . . to make the knot fool proof set it very hard (wet with spit), then finish with two braid half hitches to prevent any chance of unravelling.

It can be done under a split grip if the layout of the rod allows the joint to be under the seat. If you can work that out, no one will know and the rod will work fine. The only problem with this is that the extension and the upper blank may not match. Which is what I encountered on the one I just did. I put abalone between the seat and the butt and some up above the seat to match, and it's a great looking rod.

I used to do this before GPS, but never got it accurate enough. I guess it would depend on the water/distances involved. Obviously, GPS is the way to go now.

You can also add 6 inches to a 7 1/2 foot blank. Put the joint under the grip/seat. Just did one this way. Can't tell it was made from two pieces.

If you find an 8 1/2 you can always cut 6 inches off the butt if you really want 8 feet.

Got it. Thanks. If you're committed to glass because the original was glass, then that is fine. But, graphite can provide the same power and action with less weight than glass, so I think that all you need to do to get a very similar rod is to get a fly blank in the right length with traditional or moderate action, I would say no more than 5 weight, and you will have a very similar rod. I know that 3 is too light in power for a carp rod, and my 6 bonefish rod is probably at the high end for power for what you want. I guess I would go for a 5.

Sounds like you're looking for a fly blank? Why glass?

I prefer the irregular action. :-)

I've never heard of a "Regular" action. Must be a term that only applies to that brand. Which is indicative of the problem.

You talking about power or action? One can match any Japanese graphite power with wood, but not the action. The question is about power. Not action.

You can chase this topic around forever and get lots of conflicting opinions, but what matters the most (with respect to power) is getting a rod which casts properly, and the best indication of what to buy comes in the lure weight recommendations. Stay within that, then move from it based on the technique/environment. For example, if you are going to be hoisting bass out of heavy weeds with a big gob of weeds attached, go heavier. If open water, stick with the lure weight recommendation.

No, you won't get ticks or gear failures or any problems whatsoever in any reasonable reel you might select. Wasted worry. You've got very effective shock absorbers in the rod, line, and drag.

Next thing will be alerts linked to the "live" features that show swimming fish. Will alert us to the presence of fish and show with 360 or similar where they are.