QED

GSM Outdoors agreed to buy GYBC last year. Are you reporting that the deal finally closed or did GSM Outdoors sell GYBC off? Important distinction and possibly old news...

I have the PA 163M (JDM) casting rod with the regular fast action. It is quite versatile and handles light (but not ultralight or BFS) stuff well. For lighter stuff they make BFS specific models (JDM).

I'm sure a lot of rods are broken not by usage but by accident via car doors, being stepped on, etc. Personally I buy dupes of my favorite rods even though I haven't broken a rod yet (knock on wood). Warranty may not work well for discontinued rods, since you often only have the option to receive a similar, newer model.

CT SV 700 (right) vs CT SV 70. Both sweet reels. Stella FK.

The Steez CT SV TW 70 isn't the same as the baseline CT. Per Daiwa, the former is the best reel they've ever made.

Steez CT SV TW 70 and Stella FK are around $700. Perhaps we have different definitions for "high end."

To be clear, based on current market conditions, $300 is mid-tier at best. The high end has moved to about double that or more.

I was lucky enough to grow up near the SJ County delta system. I used to cut high school to go fishing at the nearby deep water turning basin where one could catch really large stripers or largemouth bass and occasionally salmon.

As you can see from some of the snarky responses, there isn’t a good option. For high end rods you might want to reuse the handle if possible, but otherwise just toss it.

Graphite Shimano GR-01451 - ultralight. Caught a 15 lb striper on 6 lb test while fishing for largemouth bass in the SJ County Delta system. Hell of a fight. Still using it as my primary rod.

Not hidden but somewhat obscure - old Fenwick HMG ultralight Tennessee cork handled spinning rods. Still successfully using them...

Several grains (not grams). But definitely lighter and if you remove the split ring and use the snap, there is no meaningful downside. Grains are an uncommon unit of measure but are used almost exclusively in gunpowder measurements because you really don't want to get that wrong...

The running depth(s) is something that you have to decide. For a basic set that doesn't hurt the budget, I'd get a shad or Tennessee shad finish along with a crawdad finish that resembles crawdads in your area. Weight(s) depends on your fishing gear/style. Finally, I prefer balsa baits such as rapala/bagley's but it's not a critical variable. Don't get carried away with too many running depths, finishes, and weights or the combinatorial explosion will kill your budget.

I fish light and very light crankbaits. I pulled the split rings [permanently] and weighed them on my powder scale which has very high resolution. 0 and 00 vmc duolock snaps [NOT snap swivels] weigh less. Don't know where you are getting your data from.

I haven’t seen the Galloping Gourmet but I did briefly watch his later series Graham Kerr’s Kitchen which attempted to show healthy versions of sophisticated dishes and the ingredient substitutions were dreadful.

Good ultralight spinning gear is readily available in the US, so no need to go the JDM route unless you want something different. Ultralight and BFS casting gear are a different story though BFS gear seems to be becoming increasingly available in the US market.

Perhaps Bel Lange’s “The Outdoorsman?”

No need to fantasize. I don't recommend stuff I don't use.

I think you need to look up the definition hearsay.

Taking hearsay and then treating it as fact is not helpful advice. Magnesium is much lighter and if properly designed and reinforced as necessary, it needn't have any notable flex in this application while still being lighter. The downside to magnesium is expense.

Steez CT SV TW. A bit spendy though - but worth it.

If you are looking at adrena rods, the JDM sites have a much better selection of rods vs the USDM versions. Highly recommended.

I buy high end gear so each individual rig is on the order of $1k or more. If you count the house near the mountain lake, then you're into millions. Nothing is inexpensive in Silicon Valley.

Sounds correct. Add really smooth gear mesh and tight tolerance build quality to that list. The 1000 size is not especially heavy for that form factor. Nice pictures BTW.