The Next KVD

You could probably remove a lot of those bearings and not notice a difference. Bearing quality, where they are placed, and overall tolerances in the reel are what matters.

Kinda sad. I got 3 of them last year when I visited the factory for $50 each. Wish I had more cash at the time, I would of walked out of there with more of them at that price.

The main benefit your getting from fluoro leaders is the added abrasion resistance. Other than that, the invisiblity is there as well and a faster sink rate. Sensitivity is negated on a slack line because of the braid main line.

The 7' MH/F is actually my all time favorite stick and to me is my standard choice. I can do just about everything with it except when light baits and line come in to play. I can flip heavy mat, fish a jig or worm, fish a topwater, use it as a spinnerbait/buzzbait rod ect.

#9 Rapala Shad Rap

St. Croix probably has one of the best warranties and customer services in the industry. Never had to use the warranty, but everytime I call or email them they have been nothing but helpful. That's why I will continue to build my rods on their blanks. I got the experience of taking the factory tour last fall and the guys in the back are all class acts and gave some good advice to a fellow builder. If you ever get the chance to visit or are in the area, make sure to stop in there!

15lb P-Line 100% Fluorocarbon

I would use 30 to 50lb braid with 40 being the sweet spot for just about everything. If you need a fluorocarbon leader you can use any diameter line you need to get the job done. I use an alberto knot to tie my leaders to my braided main line.

I generally don't use anything under 7' baitcasters but my girlfriend who is shorter than me uses a 6'6" MH for throwing spinnerbaits around shoreline cover, squarebill cranks, as well as plastics and jigs.

The lightest I have used is 4lb P-Line 100% fluorocarbon. It truly is fun to hook and fight a good one on that lb test. However, I normally throw 6lb as my lightest in a tournament situation.

Its all personal preference. Those colors are going to be used in the same circumstances which is usually off colored water or worse. I don't think it matters as I have thrown both with good results. The icing on the cake for me was one day I ran out of some black with blue flk tubes and the closest thing I had was black w/ red flk. and continued to pound the fish. I now really only carry one of those colors now after that experience.

7'MHF St.Croix Avid for all my bottom contact baits and some moving baits, a 7'MHM St.Croix Avid for cranks, and a 6'10ML St.Croix Legend spinning rod for finesse work.

Unless your going to be fishing in muddy water, I'd probably keep it as backing atleast that color. I have used 25lb green as flipping line and like it for that.

50lb braid or 25lb Trilene 100% fluoro

Tatula gets the nod even though I find it too big for my hands. Otherwise you can get the Bass Pro PQ's for under a $100 and on sale for $80.

Stick with the main brands, any of the Seaguars, P-Line, Berkley 100%, Sunline are all tried and true for me.

I would venture to guess that with a lot of guys using braid with no stretch, some give in the rod is beneficial in not tearing he hook out of the fish's mouth.

10lb fluorocarbon

Extremely reliable line. Use it on most of my setups all the way from 4lb to 20lb.

I normally use 10lb braid for everything except for my spinning rods I use for dock skipping. Than I put on 30lb braid.

Just got my first one last week and it is by far the best spinning reel I've had. Feels extremely smooth much smoother than my Shimano Sahara's. Have not got any fish on it yet due to the ice still on the lake. Casts great in the yard and is extremely light. Mine is the 30 size. Needles to say I ordered another.

Everyone has their favorite. In my mind your wasting your money if you don't buy a spool that regularly cost around $20. Just been my experience that those lines hold up better due to better fluoro resins used. Stick with the main brands like Berkley Trilene 100%, P-Line 100%, Sunline Shooter and Sniper, Seaguar Tatsu, Seaguar Abrasix, Seaguar Invisx. and you'll find one that you like. The cheaper fluorocarbons have only given me issues and broken lines on many a fish.

use a hitchhiker screw in for plastics. For jigs and spinnerbaits take some tubing available at any hardware store and put a cut off section over the hook. Just remember to take it back off for game time!

Its been my experience Fluorocarbon lasts ALOT longer than mono and hybrid lines. They don't absorb water and not affected by sunlight. I have some 15lb P-line 100% Fluorocarbon that have been on some of my rods for 2 years already and that's with fishing 5-6 days a week on average. They also are more abrasion resistant. Tackle Tour did a lengthy test with a bunch of fluoros a few years ago and found that as mono's absorb water they get weaker. The main drawback from fluorocarbon is that when they stretch they don't return back to the same length/shape (deform) 100% like mono does. Smaller lb test fluorocarbon I tend to change more often but its usually at the same rate as I change out my mono setups.

Fluorocarbon is better sensitivity wise when there is some slack in the line over braid which really is only sensitive when there is very little to no slack in the line. I'm sure most of those guys were deadsticking their baits in areas that they believed a bed was and that is why they chose to go to fluorocarbon.