Michigander

Threadwork is definitely an option but for the area to cover which will probably be forward of the foregrip, I think paint is going to be better. Going to do a color gradient up to lime. Is the same finish I use for guides the proper stuff?

Fished a tourney there in 2019. It was... Interesting. Lucky you. I'm basically in the second worst Michigan desert, fishable water usually means at least half an hour in the truck, if not an hour or two. At least I'm not in the thumb, lol.

Additionally, there's UV resin or super glue and baking soda.

It adds enough for me. I noticed a real decrease in broken lines when pike were involved between straight braid and a couple feet of FC leader. So it's at least acting like a shock absorber for me.

I've got several hundred bottles of acrylic paint already, that's why it's my preference, lol. Just didn't know if there was like a solid color rod skin thing or a colored sleeve that was a better choice.

There's also the old trick of the plastic slurry for gap filling. Take some filament and acetone in a glass jar until it melts into a gel and then "paint" it into the gaps. When the acetone evaporates, it leaves just the plastic behind. You might have to use ABS to make the slurry, not sure if PETG reacts the same.

I'll believe you on #1 and you're probably right on #2. ?

I've got some Testors but my preference would be acrylic. Just wondering if there was a better option than painting.

I feel like a lot of the boat companies have been phoning it in for the last few years, I crawl around on all their new boats every non-pandemic year. Vexus gives me the impression that they think about every square inch of their boats. The Rangers are not built for the big boned among us, myself included. At best, I'm looking at bruised everything in a rough water run.

For my kayak, I look at satellite maps and go explore anything that I can float in.

If you're a big person, avoid the Ranger. Vexus....

Yeah, it's literally just marabou feathers tied onto a jig head. $10 a pair? No thanks.

Oh, so this is a multi part print?

Yep, premade carolina rig. You can find different versions of them pretty commonly but most look like that. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Top_Brass_Carolina_Ready_Rigs_1_pk/descpage-TBCRR.html?from=gshop&gclid=CjwKCAiAjp6BBhAIEiwAkO9WuvAu2Hj3SIUCpqkDKOVnYqBRiJ1MJxIWjppH03FPG0RifBs3Ut6OfRoC81AQAvD_BwE

I fish the Beast Hooks a lot in my weedy, pike filled lakes. 16lb test Sunline FC System Leader is fantastic. 15lb Invisex leader is what I used for years and still do. System Leader is just better in all categories except price and availability. MH is my preferred for paddletails if using mainstream rods , no qualms with throwing it on a heavy though. Or XH if I'm punching with it. I said mainstream because my favorite rod for this is an oddball 3/4H Kodiak by Big Bear Rods.

Why does PETG need sealing? That part is lost on me.

If I need to make the gap between the grip and butt on a cork split grip rod lime green, is there a better way than airbrushing paint on and then covering with rod finish? Or is that the best way?

Looks good to me. I'd throw one!

More likely suckers or carp. Musky love those rough fish. They have, they weren't, they're not. LoL

Just test casted my first non-kit rod out in the snow today. It is a fantastic feeling to have a rod that I put together purely to my own specifications.

Well, it's not porous or absorbent like wood is, so I think paint and a clear coat would be fine.

Yeah, they're good reels. The shockingly low price is just a bonus. I feel like Shimano just keeps those low to build brand loyalty in new anglers.

Casting Tatulas are perfectly fine rods. Nothing special, nothing terrible.

I thought about buying hair jigs but then I saw the prices, threw up in my mouth, and went back to my tying vise.

Well, if you're willing to go to $250 for a noticeable upgrade... Then maybe two combos is the answer. For a finesse spinning, a Shimano Sienna is hard to beat for the silly price of about $30. Add $10 for a carbontex drag washer upgrade. Then pair with something like a Daiwa Aird X Medium Light which puts you at about $100 leaving you $150 to get a decent Chatterbait rod if you reuse the reel you have on your broken Vengeance.