Deleted account

That's not a really thin walled blank, and it's fairly low on the rod, should be fine. If you are really concerned you (or a rod builder) can add a little finish or resin on it, can even put a monogram on it to commemorate fishing frogs in December in Canada???...

Just make sure the worm gear is lubed, and don't make long casts right away...

Oh yeah, It's gotta get spiked. I like where ya'lls heads are at.

I croissant with my mono.

I recommend some hot cocoa and Xmas music instead...

The reel will cast and handle swimbaits and other large baits fine, but the ergonomics will be annoying and/or you'll have to adjust how you hold the rod because of it's width.

Ok then....

Same here. It usually catches me some of my biggest prespawn fish every year, and is a great way to locate fish as they move up and down to spawning areas. I like the first cold spell after they move up in force, They usually stay shallow with their bellies on the bottom, and will only turn their heads and bite. My best lure for that.

It's doable with one rod, but it will be a compromise on each. I am more picky about my frog rod, I have a dedicated 7' MH than fishes on the heavier side with a soft tip and locks out in the top third. I throw buzzbaits on my big spinnerbait rod, That ploploplop monstrousity, I don't do, but either rod would work I guess.

I don't have a favorite, I usually mod and change the blades and skirts on most. I like Stanley's, Booyah, Mann's Hank Parker, Humdinger, and a bunch of others, but I usually pick up a bunch on sale and fishing show/flea markets, cause I'm just using the bodies most of the time. I will say that a willow/colorado catches fish most every where. There is so much to spinnerbait fishing (as with most lures) than just chucking and winding as some think. Other than crazy cold water, I always have one tied on, and they are just fun to fish and extremely versatile.

Spinnerbait.

"If I had one wish this Holiday Season, it would be for all the children of the world to come together, hold hands and sing in harmony"....

It comes down to one can either figure out how to catch fish on a given day on a given body of water or they can't. The fact that someone ends up doing it with a few or many lures is irrelevant, it's the fool and sage are almost indistinguishable thing. I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, in the places I fish, I don't need a lot of presentations or lures, not that I am not proficient at them.

No.

Yes, but IPT only varies in reels with the same gear ratio if the spool is of different diameter and/or are filled to different levels. Most LP reels have spools with very similar dimensions, so the difference is minimal. The other thing to keep in mind is that IPT isn't constant. It increases as your lure gets closer. Usually this is not significant, but if you use heavy braid (50-65) or mono (15-20) it may be noticeable on long casts.

I don't know if this is "right" or not, but what works for me is keeping the reeling hand off the reel, I basically push, nudge or flick the handle in rhythm as required. I find I usually either want just the slightest amount of slack, or a bunch between twitches. This goes for spooks, poppers and JBs.

Sounds like a tired reel with more than one issue, but anything is possible.

My head hurts....

I know what you mean, but I don't think it's that ^.

Zep IV, dark side of the moon, and nickle bags you could get a dozen chicks high on, and still light up in the AM? Yeah, that sucked!...

On advise of counsel, I would like to invoke the rights granted to me by the Constitution....

I don't own anything faster than a 6.3, so I use that. Seems to work....

You aren't too far from Green Top. I always made it a point to stop there on my commute to Norfolk from DC. Good shop. Online, there are all sort of places to get tackle. I find you can just google an item, and go from there.

So $3k for a motor made up of hundreds (or is it thousands) of parts, several different manufacturing processes, a computer board or two, and precise tolerances is a lot, but $400-$600 for 4 oz of graphite is what?....

Congratulations and good luck with the new job. You have your job cut out, them packages is ugly!