GReb

The HCJ rod is great for lighter Carolina rigs. It’s really a niche open water bottom contact rod which is why sold mine. The Cara Head Turner is currently my favorite rod. It’s become my go to 1/8oz Texas rig rod plus really good for single hook moving baits and spooks. The Head turner and Amistad are must owns IMO. The Amistad is a beast flipping creature baits around cover.

I’d assume certain dealers have priority. ALF is a major GLoomis authorized dealer though so you shouldn’t have issues there. They’re still a small fish compared to tackle warehouse If they have taken a step backwards that’s really a shame. I haven’t bought much in the last several years but 5 or so years ago I wore Brian and Graham out. There were ALF boxes all over my house. I think Graham may have moved on since I haven’t seen him active on Facebook in several years.

If you are near Memphis you can get a FedEx reel from Japan in 2-3 days.

I’ve bought thousands of dollars worth of gear from them with no issues. Saved hundreds through their used program on basically brand new rods and reels. If I don’t buy directly from the manufacturer they’re my go to. Brian and company have always taken care of me

I’ve yet to have a Doyo reel fail, abu or Lews.

The Buzbe are thick and very nice. The con is they are heavy and take up more space in the box. Rod Glove is a good option if you have an academy near by. They are a good balance of quality and price. They also have a bunch do color/pattern options to help organize if you are into that. Some of the cheaper one are a little too baggy for my liking.

This is why MLF resets the weights. Zero viewers on championship Sunday will really make sponsors happy.

34 lb bag

Did the trails terminate any sponsorships with those companies? Can’t imagine that was taken lightly by the organizations

The cool thing about kistler and ALX is if you call there’s a good chance Trey or Alex will answer the call and are happy to field any questions about their rods

Ah. I would say it diminished it a lot. He was the favorite to win.

What information could Scott Martin receive on the Big O that he doesn’t already know lmao

The SI article has all the information you need. When are folks going to stop giving bassmaster a pass? They are no better than MLF….

Falcon and Dobyns have both replaced rods under warranty for me with no issue at all

I tried some decent Abec 5 ceramic hybrids and did not see any real improvements. The sound is annoying but has quieted down some. I don’t see the point in spending the extra money on them. I’ve only had one or two spool bearings go out in 25 years of bait casting.

6’10-7’ is the sweet spot for moving baits to me personally. At that length you can have a light and well balanced rod that is comfortable to fish all day. I’ve tried longer rods and didn’t see any real benefit to the added length in most situations.

The carbon grips took me a bit to get used to but I like them so much they were put on last two custom builds

BASS has the worst in boat camera quality. Every year it’s nothing but constant buffering and blurry footage.

Ah I see. The carbon fiber handle on the Cashion is a love or hate material. I like it but I know some don’t. The only real pet peeve I have with Cashion is their guide wraps are hideous. They are fat like little footballs. But I’ve never had one fail. Their blanks are hand rolled in house and the models I own I have a perfect action but like I said they’re crankbait rods so I can’t speak for a general purpose rod. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one though….

I have several Icons cranking rods and love them. Wasn’t a fan of the Fury but this is not really an apples to apples comparison. The Icon is twice the price.

I love crankbaits but rarely have an opportunity to fish anything past about 12 ft. Over the past several years I’ve really simplified my baits to cut down on choices and costs. I have 2-3 different square bills, 4-6 ft divers, 8-12 ft divers that I throw. Couple of colors in each mainly shad pattern and chartreuse with a couple red squarebills for early spring. When baits are $10-15 each you really have to just find something you have confidence in and go with it. The Frabil pole is the best $35 you’ll ever spend

Or a cash bonus and no free ride into final round. Give each round winner $5k or something

They found the same fish in practice and both went to same stretch day 1 out of the lock. Typical Poche whining

Lots of drama circling the Apopka poachers today

I love watching Tak fish