Tywithay

Haven't used an Extreme, but I wouldn't buy another Champion, so I'd say it's worth the extra. The Champion felt dead to me. The Kistler KLX feels far more sensitive to me for a lot less money.

It's not really thinner, it's just properly rated. 10lb Japanese line breaks at 10lbs. 10lb US line typically breaks around 14lb, and has a similar diameter to that of 14lb Japanese line. Been telling people for years not to look at the pound ratings, because they're basically useless. Diameter is universal.

Maybe the same tapers, seeing as Gary Loomis had design input. Otherwise, the blanks aren't even close.

There's a reason that there's so many options out there. Some people make more money, it's just a fact or life. Buy what you can afford, or what you're willing to spend; then go out and have a good time fishing. Who cares if someone else has a nicer rod, reel, truck, boat, or whatever? I use some higher end gear because I WANT to, not because I need it. I can afford it and frankly it's nobody else's business what I want to do with my money. Bashing anyone for what gear they're using is pathetic, in my opinion.

I have some 12lb on my Chronarch CI4+. Only made a dozen or so casts with it so far, so have nothing to really add to this point. It seems to handle and cast quite well. No clue on stretch or abrasion resistance. I'll know more in the coming weeks.

I could probably pull a boat with a rusty 1978 truck, but I like having my newer F150. In the same way I like having nicer fishing equipment. Nobody is saying you can't catch fish or have fun if you're not using high end gear, but it certainly adds to the excitement for me. I have cheaper stuff and more expensive stuff, neither makes me a better fisherman necessarily, but if I feel like I am going to do better because of my gear then I'll be happier out on the water.

I just do whatever feels most comfortable. Sometimes varies by reel.

I ask people in my bowling league whether they breathe in or out when they throw the ball, to mess them up. You find all kinds of oddities when your focus runs astray.

I end up smashing my pinky and ring finger into it. Tried holding it as you do on occasion, can't stand it. Really wish they'd just do away with triggers. When they were designed reels were round and much larger.

Can't tell you how many cranks, plastics, etc.; stopped counting. As far as rods and reels I bought: Stradic CI4+ 2500 Stradic FJ 2500 Shimano Chronarch CI4+ Shimano Curado 200I Daiwa Tatula 100P Daiwa Tatula 100H Daiwa Tatula Type R 100H Daiwa SS SV 103 Daiwa Tatula 70MF spinning Edge Mag Bass 705 ALX Custom 7'4"H That's it so far. Need to add another rod or two at some point.

Heard it from other tournament fishermen, face to face.

We have dirty water, it freezes, and whatever else you can think of. I have a handful of both regular and micros, and I cannot tell a difference between the two, other than the obvious size difference. I'm sure the weight difference has a positive effect on balance as well.

Is there a reason why? It's no different than a baitcaster, except the spool is just sitting there on the floor.

Hard telling. I have what I would call "average" hands I guess. It wasn't so much the circumference for me, but the length of the eva at the back. It was so short if rode on the end of my palm. It just felt odd in my hand. I found the same issue with the St Croix Legend Tournament spinning rods. If that eva piece were an inch and a half longer, it would have been tolerable. It's more of a personal preference thing, but I have seen a couple others share the same sentiments.

Haven't used that exact rod, but I've used the Cumaras. I found the handles to be way too small for my liking, which in turn made the rods feel tip heavy as well. I really wanted to like them because the blanks, guides, etc. are all great; just couldn't get past the tiny handle. Shame too, because the black Cumara rods were amongst my absolute favorites.

I agree with this logic. You could probably do 2 really nice combos that would cover every bit as many applications as the other 5, or even add a 3rd and still have some really nice combos. I've noticed over time that more is not always better. If you're buying a number of combos just to have more, you typically end up not even using half of them. I made the decision a while back that I was only going to have a handful of really nice rods and reels that would all get used; I am much happier with my arsenal because of it.

Where do you find a Powell Endurance for $150? I haven't seen them that low since Powell raised the price to $199.

I've heard tales in the past of well-known pros having custom rods and reels painted to look like duplicates of their sponsor's gear too. I don't know how true it is, but I've heard it multiple times from more than one person; must be at least some truth to it.

He'd have to find used ones.

I would definitely search for good prices, or wait for the next big sale. Might even wait until TW has their gift card sale for fathers day and buy 15% off gift cards, then use the gift cards during the 4th of july sale to double up my 15% again. You could get $1380 worth of gift cards for $1200, so you've added to your budget. Wait for the next 15% off sale and you can turn that $1380 into over $1500 worth of gear in the end. It helps to savvy when putting together a budget.

I've used Duckett White Ice and the Ghost actually. I took them back almost immediately after using them. The White Ice was ok, just not for me. The Ghost I took back because of the guides. Not having a hard ceramic tip guide is ignorant.

Could be a number of things. Definitely don't go up in diameter, that'll just make it worse. Likely, it's too much line on the spool, line was put on the spool incorrectly, or it's too stiff of a line (likely not the case if you're using XL). KVD spray should help tame it, as will just using it and breaking the line in. I'd also get a fairly heavy sinker, cast it a long ways, then reel it back in keeping the line tight. Fluoro will be worse than mono, braid would probably lay more limp, but I don't recommend it for kids because they typically get snagged a lot...braid and snags won't end well; easier to use a mono that can easily be snapped.

That's why I typically use fluorocarbon for "feel" techniques. 20lb mono isn't thick at all, if you're using a quality mono. My 19lb Defier is the same diameter as 14lb Berkley, plus it's more limp and has better abrasion resistance. When using fluoro, if I want no stretch I'll use Shooter, which is about as stiff as it comes. With that line you get sensitivity when the line is slack or tight, unlike braid which is only useful when the line is tight. Plus, you get the invisibility of a clear line and it's quieter through the guides, which makes it feel better to me. If you're using a rod that's already sensitive, like an NRX, GLX, etc.; you can feel the braid rubbing the guides and it makes it harder to concentrate on light bites, in my experience.

I'd rather have 6 of just about any rod over a Duckett. The blanks are the diameter of a tree trunk, and they just look cheap. They had the audacity to put a SS tip guide on their Ghost rods, which will groove and deform over time. Not a fan.

Smaller diameter line lays better, in my experience. When you use such a heavy diameter, you're also going to be tying a big knot. A big knot can sometimes leave a big lump in your line when you spool over it. I use 10lb backing for everything. I bought a big spool for like 8 bucks at cabelas, has 1725 yards or something. I can back a large number of reels with that, especially since I reuse it the majority of the time.