FrnkNsteen

My rod lockers are too short to fit 7'6" rods, so my longest rods are 7'3" or a couple 7'4". I only use the longer rods for techniques where I'm fancasting areas and accuracy doesn't matter much. Closer work around cover when I need more accuracy is usually done by 6'8" - 7' rods, with my few 6' - 6'6" rods reserved for actions like poppers and jerkbaits where I don't want to slap the water as I'm workibg the bait. My most common length is 7' on casting rods and 6'6" - 6'10" on spinning rods.

Good point..... I rarely have to reverse braid, but have done it quite a bit with Berkley Fireline. Wierd stuff,... Way stiff when new, then turns softer gray color and lasts for quite a while. When it starts getting completely washed out looking, I reverse it out and start over.

That's the one I was trying to think of... Don't know where "Hyperlon" came from... LOL!! That may be true,..but I have not had any issues with any other drags, eapecially the ones with carbon washers.

Makes sense as it would allow the trailer hook to move around more

Good idea. But where do you get surgical tubing? I've been looking for a place to get it for trailer hooks for spinnerbaits

I have heard some of the entry level Lews reels that have the Hyperlon drag washer (Spelling??) have this issue if they are stored with the drag tightened down. I have a couple LFS Speed Spools that have the thick blue drag washer and have had issues myself. I tried cleaning their drag washers with a spritz of brake cleaner on a rag. One helped,.. The other didn't and I ended up just ordering a new washer from somewhere.

I use the above method using a couple spools, or if I have an open reel I can just pull it from one reel to another and use the braid on that one.

I don't have the KVD brand. I think mine is a BPS brand from Bass Pro and works ok on any brand of stickbaits I have used. I don't typically use the Ocho though to confirm if it fits their octagon shape.

My favorite right now is a no longer available 6'9" ML Fenwick Elitetech Smallmouth. It works great for weightless plastics, especially wacky senkos, but also weightless tubes up shallow around docks and laydowns.

Do you have a flat washer under the handle that sits on the step of the shaft? Every casting reel I have has one. I believe it gives a more confident stop for the handle to seat against.

It has to palm well, have a gear ratio of 7 or higher, preferrably something in the 8s, and have magnetic brakes,... Whether that be all magnetic or dual.

Can I ask what brand and model that boat is? We currently have a 10' Pelican plastic boat we use on the electric only strip pits around here, but as we get older it gets harder to get in and out of the back of the truck. My wife has also mentioned that it is starting to feel a little too tippy for her. I'd like to set something like that up that is smaller than the Stratos to get in and out of the small ramps of the pits, then would put a jet prop on it to also fish the smallies on the river.

Happened to stop by our Academy this afternoon and they are all gone there too. The whole H20 aisle has been cleared and restocked with huntung supplies. Most of the aisles of name brand plastics and hardbaits are pretty bare too.

^^This is about right for me, though I may go 2 hrs. My farthest though is our annual trip from Indiana up to Rainy Leke (Canadian side) to fish with family and friends.

I'm currently using a 6'10" MHMF Lews Hack Attack spinnerbait/buzzbait rod with a Daiwa CT Type R 7.3:1 reel loaded with 15lb Big Game mono. I use a variety of buzzbaits, but lately it has been SK Sugarbuzz or Skipn Buzz

I personally don't think spending more is always about sensitivity. To your point,... My answer would be No in regards to sensitivity, but yes for a lighter more balanced rod. I've spent more for moving bait rods for a couple reasons. Sometimes its due to the rod being lighter or more balanced, but also because certain lengths or powers are only offered in certain models. For instance,.. I like my Dobyns 704cb for jerkbaits and snall topwaters, or my 735cb glass or 736cb glass for cranks and chatterbaits. Did I need a Champion series for these uses,.. No. But those models aren't available in a Fury or Sierra series so I waited for sales and bought the Champion series.

Nothing at our Rural Kings. Everything at full price.... And higher than most places at that!!

I don't think you are held to it once you are outbid and can dispute it. Too many times people give up after being outbid and go bid on a different auction and would be stuck with two of the same item if that were the case.

LOL! It's the smacking the water at the boat that gets me too!! ? i know I'm in trouble as soon as it happens and look down and see trouble. Especially if you hear the dreaded pfffft sound!! ??

I don't have an Slx XT, but I have a couple of the SLX MGLs and really like them. They cast awesome, are very smooth, and are small and palm well.

Don't get me wrong though,... I completely agree that it's hard for them to compete and they will continue to dwindle. I appreciate the good ones and I try to support them as much as I can. Sometimes I end up supporting them much more than I probably should and it shows on my rod racks and tackle shelves!! ?

See I get what you're saying, but I can't seem to get that down. It just doesn't work for me. I cast with my right hand and cup the spool with my left to feather it for accuracy, then while my hand is already there, I close the bail and give the line a little tug. As for throwing motions,.. I use pretty much the same throwing motions for both spinning and casting and is mostly in the forearms pivoting at the elbow. I have very little movement in my shoulder, but I'm not just flicking my wrist either. Don't get me wrong,.. There are times I will just flick the wrist on a spinning cast, especially if skipping a Senko or tube under a dock, but normal casting motion for me is arms tucked and casting using the elbow and very little wrist.

Compliance is right... My issue is I really dont need the government making laws about EVERY aspect of our lives, but that's an area of conversation we don't need to get into. The main reason I agree with kill switch laws is the danger to others caused by a runaway boat! I would hate to think my not wearing one if something happened would lead to someone else being hurt.

Chatterbait is Zman's name for their bladed jigs, like Thunder Cricket for Strike King, Fogy for Siebert, or Shock for Picasso

I've seen too many videos like this and we lost a friend that hit a reef up on Rainy Lake and was thrown without his PFD, so,.... kill switch stays clipped to PFD and PFD is worn any time big motor is running