Michigander

I think, psychologically, I prefer not to see it as a line item then. ? Yes, I noticed that the discounts apply when you add them to the cart. Depending on the type, you only seem to get the discount on the first blank of each type. I was looking at the X-rays due to the alleged extreme sensitivity. I got on a great pattern for a couple months this summer where I was really struggling to discern when a fish had the lure. I was using a good quality rod but I was still guessing when to swing on them. Was hoping to build a rod that would give me the edge in detection.

As a less explosive option, several years back I boiled a turkey in Italian salad dressing and it was amazing.

The $35 shipping cost +$10 a blank for excise taxes makes the deals less good but I'm still interested. Interesting that they don't have a regular Medium in the lineup. That's a pretty narrow functional weight range...

Sounds perfect, I like an accurate Medium and a MH with some teeth.

Thanks! Well, as long as I can have them ready for April, I'm good. LoL. Are the specs on the manufacturer web site accurate? Or do they deviate in action or power from what is listed? How's the backbone?

@Westcoast @Big Swimbait@spoonplugger1 Little bit of threadromancy, so I apologise. The X-ray sale is back on this month. We're you all happy with your purchases? What do the X-ray blanks have going for them compared to other sub-$100 blanks?

Yeah, I think I hit that paywall before. The wife just got hired to teach some college classes in January so I'll have to get her library login credentials... ?

Where's a good source for scholarly articles/papers on the subject? I've been looking but haven't found much.

They're here in Michigan too. Reported to DNR and they said they were harmless. Cool to see though!

Oh... Didn't know that was an option! I'll research that. Unfortunately, the guides have to be redone as well because they are trashed. I'm basically going to have to strip these bare and rebuild everything. Never done it before, so if I fail hard, then I'm not losing much and at least gaining experience!

That's awesome! Hopefully I get a cool niche rod out of this too. Worst case scenario is I'm out a couple bucks worth of parts and I had a fun winter project.

Well, they were modified by someone else which totally ruined them. Cutting off the bottom will remove most of the problem areas. If there's no backbone left, then at least I'll have a new bluegill rod. Better than what I have now.

So I've got two 7' casting rods that are basically unfishable for reasons I'd rather not get into. That being said, I really love the blanks and think I could possibly save them from an eternity in the corner of abandoned rods by doing some drastic experimental surgery. They are roughly MH+, and I want to cut the bottom 12-18" off and redo the guides and handles. I'm aware that this will change the properties of the rod, but I don't really care what it'll be good for as long as it's more than the nothing I've got right now. Is this worth a shot? What might I expect?

Taking the Triton out tomorrow for its last run of the year, then winterizing it. Sunday will be on the kayak. ?

Tie most of my own jigs. Wanting to move to tungsten jigs this winter, going to have to find some suppliers with the styles I want.

Usually a solid white one and something that has a light belly and a dark back are all you really need. I have the full rainbow, but you'll get there eventually, no need to rush.

Here in Michigan, I was tearing it up in March and April when it was still cold but then fishing got tough once the days got nice. All the bag weights are much lower this year than last in my local tournament club. Seems like it's picking up a bit lately but this summer was brutal. I think a lot of it had to do with the increased pressure from the legion of people who were killing time until they could go back to work during the COVID-19 lockdown. I stopped going to one of my little honey hole lakes because it was constantly ringed with shore anglers.

Awesome! It's a great tool in the toolbox, for sure.

Any size reduction for gear is appreciated in a kayak. ? Also, a very niche thing, but if you've ever put the front of your boat under a low hanging tree and had to fish from a knee or closer to the prone position, then smaller handles would help. I find myself in this situation once or twice a year.

I like having the "big gun" of the 7'11" XH but I use my 7'5" H waaayyyy more as it's a much more versatile rod. Spend your money on the rod you will use the most.

Haven't fished those, but I've been using this $200 TFO Tactical Elite 7'5" H (TLE FS 756-1) for pitching jigs this year and I'm incredibly happy with the sensitivity.

7'6" H Moderate braid to FC leader for pitching jigs and a 7'11" XH Fast straight braid for pitching/punching soft plastics. Both work well for me.

I've had really good success this year pitching a Jackall Archelon on a straight shank flipping hook. It really goes in and out of the thick stuff better than other baits I've used previously. I feel like I can get through with a slightly lighter weight than other offerings. Ideally, I'm looking for a slower tumble through the weeds rather than it rocketing down. It also doesn't get torn up quickly by repeated abuse. Weighing your line every time is important. I don't feel the initial strike very often, I think they just suck it in and sit there. It's a different kind of fishing but it works for me.

Fished a tournament last night and the thermometer in the truck read 100 degrees. That's hot for Michigan before July. It was a scorcher out there.

Pitching a tube is a favorite tactic for me. I usually go for the bigger tubes and the Largemouth really like them. They are versatile baits as well. You can imitate a craw and a Bluegill all in the same retrieve.