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There have been some kayak specific rods in the recent past. Okuma thought kayak rods needed even longer rear grips and double foregrips to prevent high sticking. Maybe they work for So. Ca. yakkers jigging kelp beds but not anyone else. Quantum tried it too but you never found them on a rack anywhere. American Rodsmith's did a yakkers series a few years back that really fit the bill with shorter rear grips and pre drilled holes in the real seats to attach a leash to. No retailers around here carried them except Bass Pro, but only for a year. St. Croix has been quoted in magazines as stating there is no market to support kayak specific rods. Kayaking is slowing down a lot here. Everyone is jumping on the SUP bandwagon. Standing so there is no need for special rods any more. And that seems to suit the yak shops, now they only stock ultra high end St Croix and Loomis rods in cater to the high dollar customer. SUP's just doesn't fit bass fishing in waters stuffed with gators though.

Matching color hue has always been important to me. I've found success with it and doing so gives me confidence. Most commercial colors don't imitate the strange exotic forage found in south Fl. Like tilapia, sand bream and cichlids. If I jig fish its almost always a hair jig that i tie myself in color combos imitating them using EP or Congo hair, sometimes mixed with Steve Farrer and bucktail. I'll do the same mixing different rubber skirt material. I think you should always have the colors that give you confidence. Its natural to always fish better or a little harder when you do.

Problems include tight quarters, lots of brush hampering a backcast. Finding situations where you need to flip or pitch but a rod longer than 6ft cant fit in the space around you. I kayak too and rod butts are all to long for comfort unless you have a size 28 waist and flat stomach. So many long rods made now aren't really longer in the portion between tip and seat, they only add to the rear grip. Todays rods are made to satisfy a guy at the bow of a bass boat who fishes wide open waters. I myself mostly fish overgrown and overhanging banks, barely 20 yards wide. I need a combo that can pull out bigger fish from tiny man made waters most fishermen neglect to consider.

I think a bank specific sub forum would be useful to many. So often on the rod/reel forum folks who are bank fishing get suggestions on rods that hold very little practical purpose on shore from boat anglers. I imagine more than a few regretted purchase's they made after a short time of use. Just like in politics, boat anglers have more say a.k.a. Lobbyist like power. If it be on a forum, or in swaying manufacturers into making products better suited for only them.

It used to be St. Croix for years but I dont like their split grips, not enough to hold.when casting. Same goes with Shimano now too and I have small hands. I've started to buy Kistlers now.

An old Ambassadeur 2500 that always has a Sam Griffin custom Lil' Richard tied to it.

The Ambassadeur SX or the Revo SX? The new Ambassadeur SX is a revamped BCX and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would give you a favorable comment on the BCX. O.P., if you are referring to the Revo SX that's a different story.

Just Shimano's response to Abu selling those JDM Revo's don't you think? Maybe Daiwa will do the same.

I use Trilene Big Game for everything. 8lb. for spinning. 10lb., 12lb., 14lb. on baitcasting. Works good enough for any technique I care to use. I don't think you'll necessarily be compromising if you standardize. It depends on the types or styles of fishing you do.

I hope when they make it bigger they don't do what they've done here in Fl. The fishing department gets smaller and the knick knack section keeps getting bigger. Great place to go if you want a duck dynasty tumbler or a 3 man inner tube, but its getting harder to find legitimate bass tackle there.

Cant help you that far north, sorry. Paddle-fishing.com and the online fisherman .com are both full of guys from that area. They might be able to help you.

Deer Prarie Creek Park off US 41 just north of River Road. Cocoplum Canal in North Port. Myakka River north of Border Rd. All of these are a half hour south of you but productive. Stop by Cooks Sportland in Venice and hit up the guys for some advise, they will oblige. For more north Sarasota advise hit All About Fishing tackle shop. Its on northbound 41 just south of the old high school building and the 301 cut off.

The new Abu Revo spinning reels come with a spare aluminum spool. I just checked mine and the drag components are the same as the primary spool.

Not at all, but everyone has an opinion....even me. The typical pool cue manufacturers call a MH Mod. is not different from a standard Med. graphite model.

Just fashion. Manufacturers make what their marketing men sell you into thinking you need. They decided "pro's" gear fits all. We don't all fish mid south TVA reservoirs or southern California watershed. Not everyone sits elbow to elbow on the pointy bow of a glittery bass boat to fish. But they got everybody thinking that's the type of gear they need. Its just like now we need a 7'6" heavy moderate rod to crankbait. Most anglers couldn't tell it from their medium action fast taper you already have, but they fool you into buying another one.

They are hard to find. I prefer 6ft, can cope with a 6'6" and hate using longer ones. Gotta start making my own now between length and split grips I am not happy with much made today.

BPS in orlando has them in stock and on display. Interesting spools, bling. Sadly the Alt had grey plastic take down knob.

I prefer rods with shorter rear butt grips. From the sitting position, they get in the way a bit. I also found working a casting reel is easier than a spinning from that position.

Why do you say that? For quicker pick up? I feel the older style 2 phenolic resin brakes to give better braking performance myself, faster yet easier to control, at least for me.

When got my souped up Ambassadeurs from Jerry Foran who custom builds them, they were the farthest casting reels I've ever seen. When I did a take down, the idler cog was ever so lightly greased. Ive kept them all that way and like I said never saw any cut in casting distance. No grease flings off but to be honest the internal sideplates and frame should be coated in grease anyway. I also keep grease the cog's on out of the box my 2500's with the same effect. Congrats on finding a 1500, a great reel.

All mine have 1 or 2 b.b. idler cogs so the shaft gets oiled. I do put a very thin coat of grease on the teeth. I just feel better doing it that way. I see no change in casting distance.

I use 5'6" pistol grips 90% of the time and they have heavy brass framed Ambassadeurs on them. Never noticed them to be a wrist killer, and I by no means have strong arms.

I cant think of any sub $100 modern reel that would perform better than that original speed spool. That money would be better spent sending it to the boards 2 reel repair services for a expert cleaning and drag replacement with carbontec washers. If your dead set on a new one get a Abu C3 4600. Better and more durable than the blister pack Max's.

Can't say how much they have in the way of back play ROCbass, but the perceived benefit is that it gives your hookset a little lag time or stretch in a way. For treble hook baits such as crankbaits. True crankbait experts in the "pro's" feel this helps the angler from pulling the bait away from the bass when it strikes. If its a traditional anti reverse dog it will give maybe an 1/8th to a 1/4 inch bit of back play. Just a little more than the typical modern shimano really. To me it's true benefit is that it will offer a lifetime or reliability compared to the IAR bearing with its plastic cage. Especially in todays high drag power obsessed reel makers.

The IGFA is a fraternity of the highest upper class and most certainly will have access to a legal staff that will squash this poor guy at their first response to the letter of intent. Too bad, what a great fish, he earned it.