kickerfish1

What species of catfish?

They simply aren't getting every dime back they have in the rod when the sell. They may be able to sell the rod for parts cost if they are lucky but they aren't getting labor and msc materials out of it. Two years ago I bought a custom rod for $225 shipped. The blank on this build alone was $219. There were no names like "Built By" or "Built for" on it and it was only used once or twice and you could hardly tell it from new. As far as I am concerned anybody that says differently is full of it.

Most die hard bass guys will cringe at the sight of a stringer full of bass. It is just one of those things that tends to rub them the wrong way. I will be completely honest and say I am one of those guys. However I will tell you I have kept a few over my lifetime. When I was about 10 years old I caugh a fish that was pushing 6.5 pounds from a lake in MN. Dad wanted to keep it so we could get it mounted. The other bass I recall keeping were caught on live bait when I was young as well. The fish had swallowed the hook so bad we didn't have much of a choice ... release a fish we didn't thing would make it or keep it and eat it... we ended up keeping it. Now the other point to consider about keeping bass or any fish for that matters is more or less from a fisheries management standpoint. Certain lakes may have size restrictions or numbers restrictions for daily bag limits. There is a fine line between over harvesting and underharvesting. The smaller the body of water the more this comes into play especially when considering lakes under 200 acres or smaller private ponds. Some pond owners manage their ponds in a way to select for numbers and some for size. A pond with few bass and plentiful small bluegill will setup for more of a bigger bass fishery. There will be fewer fish competing for food, and obviously more food for them. Also consider the food chain in that lake. Are there other bigger predatory fish that could eat the bass? Something like larger pike or muskie. If there is they may keep some of the bass in check and help take out some of the smaller fish. While I really dislike seeing people keep bass in some situations on smaller bodies of water with stunted populations of smaller bass, it may be one of the more effective management strategies.

Some will favor the money in the reel and some in the rod. I like them to be somewhat equal with not much of a gap in price. I wouldn't put a $50 reel on a $300 rod nor would I want it the other way around. That would be like having a brand new 60k boat and pulling it with a $2000 truck from the early 90s. Sure the boat will be pretty awesome to use when it is in the water, but there is a chance the truck could break down trying to get it there. My general theory is for feel apps spend a bit more on the rod. For moving/reaction baits put a bit more in the reel.

I think that is a fair assessment of the Avid vs IMX - (for price and warranty I would give the nod to the Avid)

The thumb is just there to lightly feather the spool to act as an additional brake. Most of the time it is during the cast and right at the time the bait is about to hit the water. It can be somewhat hard to explain but once you have done it enough it becomes 2nd nature.

RW, the older GLX rods are great rods but I believe the OP is talking about the newer GLX rods with the split grips. I would rank the Loomis in terms of performance as: NRX, older GLX, newer GLX, Older IMX, ...

Something around 1/16 oz is probably going to need be fished on light action rod. Like others said try to look at the rod ratings for lures and match it to what you are wanting to throw. Also for something that small you may need a lighter line too, like something around 4 # as the smaller diameter line will be a bit limper and should help cast a bit further. And anything under 1/8 oz isn't going to be casted real far anyways.

Yes, and depending upon what price you are paying for the GLX and NRX rep sample/dealer demo may be worth it for slightly more.

Glad the rod made it to you safely. It's always a toss up on shipping a rod no matter the carrier or tube material used to ship. Some of the damages occur on the conveyor or from mis handling from workers thinking they are toy javelins.

I use the Dobyns Champion 705CB Glass Fast Action rod. It is absolutely perfect for squarebills and a host of other baits. You can find them on sale for around $200 new and around $175 or less used. I bought mine for $150 several years ago when my local Cabelas was clearing out all their Dobyns rods.

The Conquest and other round reels, really excel for moving baits. For a dedicated chatterbait reel I would pick it over the Metanium as I prefer a reel with an aluminum frame and a touch more weight behind it. It is wicked smooth and powerful and you will hardly be able to tell you have a resistance bait tied to the end of your line. When I fish a chatterbait in the spring or fall I am fishing it slow. I want just enough pace to the bait to make the trailer tail kick a bit side to side.

I was excited about getting one but the consensus seems to be they are just an ok rod. Not the greatest for reel techniques and tip heavy. Perhaps an alright moving bait rod. Since hearing the less than impressive reels I have decided to pass on the series as a whole.

I would leave the gold handle on it and replace the cork Daiwa RCS knobs with the stock Shimano knobs.

You did a fantastic job! Other than adding an olive/GP colored flavor, I would not change a thing.

I would advise against it unless you have a big high line capacity reel. If it is a 2500 size of smaller I would suggest 6 or 8# Yozuri Hybrid.

I think Yozuri Hybrid is worth it for the price. Plus it is sold in bulk which is another plus.

Its simple: 1. VBS reels are set and forget - Occasionally engage or disengage a break pin for baits/wind conditions 2. Little maintenance needed at the end of a fishing outing 3. Easy to maintain and clean 4. Parts are still readily available 5. Both the 50 and 200 size cover about 90% of the bass fishing apps except a few select things 6. Reels are comfortable to palm 7. Built well and proven 8. Plenty of aftermarket options for tuning especially on the 50 size 9. For some they may prefer the colors (Pearl white chronarch) or (Dark green metallic Curado) 10. Some forget just how good a reel is until its gone -Look what happened with the Chronarch D since it has been discontinued. I believe it retailed for $220 or so and now they are fetching $225 to $300+ It also comes down to supply and demand. Right now there is a high demand for them and there doesn't seem to be a lot of them coming up for sale, but when they do the sellers are able to sell them for a premium. It doesn't happen with every discontinued reel but occasionally a reel will bring in more used then it did new.

Depends upon condition. If it is near mint with box I would think $300 or more would be possible. Some like the two toned color scheme and slightly different features the 13 Met has over the MGL. Also add in the fact that they have all pretty much dried up in Japan and it makes it more of a sellers market.

Kevin - Also consider the fact that there won't be any warranty for the 2nd owner. Typically blanks like those are of the Mudhole brand, will have the user register their blank for warranty purposes. The other issue lies in the fact that some will have the rod spiral wrapped which again is something that doesn't appeal to everyone. Like you noted graphics, colors, and reel seats are the other piece. The fact is that most custom builds never will be sold at what the original owner paid. You have depreciation and the fact the 2nd owner doesn't care what you have tied up in labor and small materials costs. Here is an example: Lets assume you have $250 tied up in materials for the build. Lets assume you are charged $100 shipping and labor by the builder. Total cost for the 1st owner is $350 out of his pocket. There is no way he is selling that rod to the next guy for $350. I know a good amount of guys that fish a lot of customs. When they sell them they barely get the cost of the guides and blank back. There is NFC custom build on TT that has sat there for weeks now at $300 YTD. The guides and blank alone clear $300 easily. At the end of the day the right rod, built to look a certain way, and with components that link up to what a secondary buyer is looking for could be sold for not much of a loss. It just isn't something that happens all that often.

Those are sort of dated prices. A years or so ago that would have been the norm. For some reason or another the last 6 months have told a different tale. Norma used reels are fetching $125 -150. Reels close to mint or mint are getting $150-175 and NIB are becoming extremely rare. When they pop up they are getting well over $180 with most close to $200+. If it happens to be a 50 sized they seem to draw even more.

Epic!

Sharp looking rigs OSB! That top rod looks incredible. Combining older reels with modern rods only adds to the fun factor. Nice to see another flourocarbon finesse user. Everyone and their brother thinks braid or braid plus a leader is the way to go.

Excellent outfits MB, but that comforter!

There are many varieties of hair jigs you have your true finesse hair jigs under 1/4 oz with most around 1/8 oz. Then you have hybrid hair jigs that are bigger like what Northstar sells. Lastly you have ledge jigs which are heavier and longer in length. You are likely wanting the first and there are several guys on here that tie them. Andy's custom hair jigs might be worth checking out.