webertime

It's just an observation about St Croix but it seems the breakage of blanks is almost entirely the new tapers and powers. The Legend Xtreme, Elite, X all use the older tapers/designs and seem to be ok. Bad glue and cheap seats is just being cheap which sucks.

One of the closeout Megabass Orochi Launchers?

Braid to 100ft of fluorocarbon. No loops or twists with only 100ft. Less issues with wind blowing the braid.

Mid 80s to mid 90s was magical for me as a kid with all the excitement and innovation in that time.

It's several places on Google/Wikipedia

NFC 807 with a spiral wrap. They most amazing carolina rig and football dragging rod. Seems soft/moderate in the hand but when you get to dragging it's immediately an "Ohhhh I get it now" moment. 1/2-1oz is it's wheelhouse. I know this will sound goofy but it's also a great chatterbait rod.

I've fished with guys from the BassPro tour and invitationals. Guys with wins on those levels. One guy, super good dude, fishes with Exprides even though he's sponsored by another brand of rods. Another bought my OG Aaron Martin's Dropshot Megabass rods off me in the boat and still uses it, again sponsored by another company. Of course there are guys fishing with what they are given by sponsors makes some financial sense for sure but there's a ton of Pros that out on the water use what they want.

Shimano = $4,500,000,000 in revenue (25% is fishing, so $1,125,000,000) Daiwa (Globeride) $808,000,000 in total revenue (fishing, golf, cycling) Just Shimano's fishing, is 39% larger than ALL of Daiwa. From a business point of view the expense of developing a DC reel is stupid for Daiwa given how pretty they're sitting now.

SV is a "heavier"/stronger brake. All daiwa brakes operate on an inductor getting pulled into a magnet. The different models (PE, Hyper long cast, boost, SV boost, Magforce Z, Magforce 3D, etc) are variations on that general design. Some have smaller inductors or lighter magnets. Some use a softer/lighter spring attaching the spool and inductor. Personally OG Magforce Z is the best.

I don't want to say yes and I don't see the need for a Daiwa DC reel. But... New stuff sells. I think the number of good combinations of inductor, spring, magnet and detent (clicks/range of adjustments) has sort of been hit at this point for Daiwas mag brakes. Keep going lighter, sure. Make them even more bombproof, ok... but for Daiwa it's pretty incremental at this point what they can do. Not complaining at all... Rolex is the same way.

Yup!!!!

I'm an enabler for sure!

Legend Xtreme rods for $125

If the tape fix doesn't hold, use an old soda can. Cut a thin strip and put under or around the foot of the reel, with tape or the can you're essentially just making a shim. It deforms less and is easier to work with.

I'm 99% sure 95% of guys set their brakes once and barely play with it once set (save for wind or going from a 1/4oz to an ounce lure on the same rod). I use either Shimano or Daiwa, obviously braking type doesn't play a role in that decision. I think mechanical brakes might be easier to produce and keep up, but a good magnetic brake works just as well and might be easier to fine tune. I don't feel the need to have dual brakes. If you're shopping for a reel, try the reel and see what feels best for you. I personally do not like the SV brake on Daiwa and much prefer the older Magforce Z. Nice thing is i can just swap out the spool (or spring or inductor) to get what I'm looking for. That being said I'm pretty experienced and know what I want and somewhat mechanically inclined.

Pearl and silver work fine. Love those little shiny fat nuggets

I just did this for the St Lawrence river from before the dams being built, very fun project with fruitful results.

The ones from www.rodprotech.com and I assume others will get damp. But they float and have a built in lure wrap that makes sliding on and off easy. I love mine.

Both of the "Magnum" baits you got are great

At this point arguing over Daiwa or Shimano is like fighting over which twin sister is hotter.

Rainman

15 for shipping though.

It's got a pretty small spool for 20lb. 17lb Tatsu or some thinner high end line might be workable.

Sooo the slippery slope with them is taking too many out and their viability. Up on Champlain the ice fisherman and shooters (yes shotguns, yes it's a thing) take so many breeders out it's hard to catch a good one. They leave them on the ice or just to float and rot. Add in the pickrel spawning with them creating hybrids (yes it's also a thing) and it doesn't take much to damage their population. Final thing, they don't protect beds (none of the pike family do). On Champlain we have this invasive called a Tench, St Lawrence has the gobies... they go in and wipe out entire nests of eggs. Now it's super rare to get one over 40" when a decade ago you would get a teener a year. I caught 2 pure pike all this season which is shockingly low for up here. Yes they're annoying but for those of you fortunate to have a fishery with them, treat them well, they are very important.

(Pulls credit card out again...) dang it!