J Francho

That looks like this soft plastic Heddon came out with in the late 80s. It was a dud, but on the surface a good idea.

I’m sorry you had to go through all that, without much support or guidance. It sounds like you are are doing your best. The situation must be infuriating, frustrating, and really, really sad.

Tatsu.

This.

Have someone make custom knobs for you.

I have both sizes of the OG CI4. The 3000 gets used for larger species as well as bass fishing. They are both spooled with 6# Tatsu, and neither experiences any difference in line twist.

I'm so, so sorry.

It's two lines out here. I often let a MS Slammer, or other large, floating swimbait trail behind the boat in open water as I fish another bait.

I know the local DEC econ officers by first name. The tip line is in my favorites on my phone. Poaching is a big issue here.

There's various reasons, multiple baits out restrictions usually coincide with trout fisheries. In some places, government environmental agencies place more value on the trout than the bass, like it or not. The laws aren't up for discussion here, neither are politics of any sort. Anything illegal will be removed.

We're done here.

I've caught plenty of fish dead sticking a Sammy. That resting behavior seems like it's by design. Pretty sure I paid around $12 for mine. That was years and years ago, though. It seemed like a lot then. Then again, the $25 I paid for my Popmax was well worth it. Hundreds of bass on that thing, too.

Based my on my limited experience pouring plastics, I'd bet the patent (should one exist) lies in the production process rather than the mold itself.

Flipping and pitching are just casting technique that you can learn to do with any rod and reel. @Sissyfishing your original post was both negative, and condescending (that means I talk down to you) to a population of anglers (BassResource members) that are a pretty well rounded, diverse group. It's easy to interpret your post as disdain for things we all do and love. Perhaps you have something positive contribute, instead of berating things you don't understand. Do some reading, bass fishing can be so much more than fishing grubs on a light rig. It can also be a simple past time that anyone can enjoy without special lures or equipment. We're done feeding into the negative.

Some applications of the "flippin' switch" were a little gimmicky. Some worked great for other things. Some were just fussy. The best I've found were on left handed Daiwa reels, usually designated "HSDL." They should have been called "pitching reels" though. The thumb bar was a switch on the top, and you could engage the spool after the cast without turning the handle. I still have a few. You can have them when you pry them from cold dead hands.

I'm kind of with you there, for a similar but not exactly the same reason. I do want a real fast tip, but the rest of the blank can bend more evenly, with a little less force. Saint Croix gets it close with IPC, their ML/XF taper being one I use quite a bit that comes close to what is ideal. I don't think it's just a braid deal either. I like it for fluoro as well. I want that tip to fling a bait or twitch it with a fast recovery, but have a nice, deep flex into the entire power range of the bottom 2/3 of the rod.

Since I use both hands to cast, I think this may the case for me as well. I had some shoulder issues, and switched to a two handed cast for everything, except pitching. I had a 6' medium/fast pistol grip Bionic Blade that was awesome for spinnerbaits, squarebills, traps, even spooks type topwaters way back in the 90s. It's funny, it was one of my most expensive rods, before getting a pile of Berkley Series One and Fenwick HMG. I miss those days. $80 was an obscene amount of money to spend on a rod.

When I go out, One-Eye Sammy is my wing man.

This is exactly what I do using a centrepin, but I'm feeding it line with gentle pressure of my pinky on the flange of the spool. These fish are usually pushing double digits, sometimes more. I'm using leaders as light as 4#. I've never felt I needed to do anything like this on even the largest bass I've caught.

I'm not even exclusive to bass, let alone one of them.

Use them, if they work for you. If you update to newer stuff, see of there's a scouting group, or boys and girls club or someone that could use them. Any that you have some sentimental attachment to can be cleaned up and displayed. My shortest rod in regular use these days is 6'2", followed by several 6'3" rods. The first is casting and used for topwaters and jerkbaits. The latter are all vertical drop shot spinning rods.

Gesundheit!

No, I use a centrepin for fish that put up a serious, prolonged fight. There’s no gears, no drag, and barely has knobs. Just a big arbor supported by a ball bearing. I control the level of resistance with my pinky. That’s my sports car. Bass fishing is my truck in 4 wheel auto, cruising along letting my brain work on other things than driving in stop and go traffic that is bass fishing.