.ghoti.

I have a Viento. Not something I would have bought myself. My wife got it for me for a birthday. I have it on my jerkbait/twitchbait rod. It's just the thing for those early spring jerkbait days when you need to get the bait down and let it sit. The twitch bar allows me to make very small moves, leaving the rod in hookset position. It's also good for small poppers and original floating rapalas. I didn't think I would like it, but I do, for those limited applications.

I had a friend whose children were not vaccinated for anything. His wife was/is a vegan. One of those obnoxious types who can't wait to tell you what an evil bastage you are for eating meat. she believed a meat free diet would put her kids in harmony with nature and render vaccination unnecessary. I said I HAD a friend. He stopped considering me a friend after I told him his wife was a %@#^ing moron who should be chained up and not allowed out into the real world. I also offered to take him to a local clinic for vaccinations for his kids. All he had to do was find his testicles, get his kids, and get in the car.

Adam, any conventionally wrapped casting rod will twist under a load. It's just more noticeable in lighter powers. The load pulling the tip down, then to the side, and ultimately to the bottom, is the reason for the twist. I don't see how adding more guides would negate this effect, although I could be missing something. Test this some time. Tie your line off to something solid, back off about thirty feet and start putting a bend in your rod. If you want to see this very easily, use an ultra-light spinning rod turned upside down. Put a bend in the UL rod with the reel on top. It won't take much force until you see the tip guide at 180 degrees around from the stripper guide. It will take more force with a medium power casting rod, and even more with a heavy.

Think about how you hold the rod while fishing, and consider two basic scenario. One; you're fishing a "horizontal" bait, like a crankbait, jerkbait, spinnerbait, etc. You can't possibly "balance" the rod against the pull of a big spinnerbait or deep crank, and, even if you could, it would be out of "balance" as soon as you changed baits. Two; you're fishing a vertical bait, such as jig, t-rig, etc. You hold the rod pointing close to straight up. If you're holding the rod exactly vertical, it can't possibly be tip heavy. The only force on your wrist will be the weight of the rod and reel, pulling straight down. If you hold the rod tilted a bit from perpendicular with the ground, the forces on your wrist will be the weight of the rod and reel, plus a tiny bit of torque. The closer to horizontal you hold the rod the higher the torque against your wrist. The weight of the rod and reel remain the same no matter how you hold the combo. I also say that because I perfectly balanced a rod one time. I mounted the reel, and started taping weights to the butt end of the rod until it would balance perfectly on my finger right at the front of the reel. I then removed the butt cap from the rod. I turned down two brass c-rig weights to achieve the correct weight, and to fit inside the rod blank , and epoxied them in place before gluing on a new butt cap. I then proudly took my perfectly balanced rod fishing. I gave it away the next day.

Hey Lee, my fav fugly hat is at the bottom of a strip mine pit in Missouri. If you had made it to the RoadTrip last year, I would have stolen yours. You're making some fine lookin fish sticks, amigo.

try an unweighted bunny strip sometime. The fish don't have to be lethargic. It works any time.

I'm convinced that the worst thing you do to a rod, outside of breaking it, is to add weight to "balance" it.

Yes, the tip section of the rod will twist. The lighter the power, the more it will twist under a load.

Depends on my summer work schedule. Last year I had licenses for Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama. One time, a few years back I had licenses for Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. That was an expensive year.

I'm in, but only if we send tofu burgers.

Mercer has one of the most informative shows on WFN.

Well played, amigo. Well played.

It's a slippery slope you're on. I was in your shoes a while ago. Bought one JDM Alphas, and then a second when a good deal presented itself. I thought, OK, I'm good. Fast forward a bit, and I have five Alphas, two Certates, and a Zillion, all JDM. I kinda hope I'm done, but it doesn't seem likely.

I have the 7'L-R, which I would rate as a mod-fast action, and closer to medium power. Also have a 6'10" MH-F, which I would rate as fast action, and a bit more than MH power. Both are very light and sensitive. I have two Steez rods as well. The Tatula rods are about 80% of what the Steez rods are for about 30% the price. And, they are better rods than either of the Falcons you listed.

Now that's funny right there.

And, let me be the first to say, "I DON'T GIVE TWO SHEETS".

I knew there was a good reason why I like you.

Sorry, I wasn't calling you out. Just curious. I have a NFC blank, still in the tube, waiting for time to build a new rod. I've been interested in NFC ever since hearing that THE MAN was back in the business.

I haven't been following this story. Is it Edge, as in North Fork Composites, as in GaryLoomis?

Let's see, do I want to listen to Katy perry, or the lamest crew of commentators I've seen in years? I grabbed a book, and assumed position on the throne.

I had a stray thought about this. If it truly mattered what pro was using what gear, and we all wanted to fish with the stuff the absolute best guys were using, most of us would be fishing with Quantum rods and reels. I'm fairly certain most of us are not fishing with Quantum gear. That suggests to me that it doesn't matter a bit who is using what.

Due to release sometime Fall 2015. I'll have one.

Amen brother. Tell it like it is.

I fished for about thirty years with one casting rig, one spinning rig, and one fly rod. I now have a dozen spinning rods, two dozen casting rods, and half a dozen fly rods. So, no, you can't get loose. Enjoy the ride, amigo.

Diesel fitter