Angry John

If it's a rod you really care about then seek out a craftsman that you trust. Quality guide repair seems strait forward until you see the product. See samples of the person doing the work. There was a local repair person here in Memphis and her work was not something I would ever seek out again. For a high end rod your looking for a true artist, and that most likely will also cost you two way shipping. Repairs are harder to make look right than a new wrap. DVT is a sight sponsor so you may want to check with him.

I use the full range and 12 and above does have its uses. I jig fish and toss 2 oz swim baits on 15lb and on my big sb rod I run 20. Even with a backlash I have not lost a 4-5 oz swimbait which cost enough to make a man cry. 10lb is my most used and if I could only use one line and weight that would be it.

I like single hook baits at night. Jigs are great baits and easy to get out of bushes and trees. Swim jigs and single hook Texas rugged swim baits are all winners. Fighting your gear sucks when you cant see. I run my favorite most familure setups at night. Copolly line make life easy as a small backlash is not a show stopper. Braid at night is not my bag of worms but others may feel differently.

Flourocarbon has a huge marketing campaign pushing programs. Tons of money to be made on a product that has its drawbacks. It's no miracle line and I believe not the best choice for most. If you have several setups and understand its limitations and accept them then it's just another tool.

The average bait in the glide big bait game is a hundred bucks. The Doughnut and a pizz drift are very common

It depends on the reel. My full size spools i let ride until on a long cast i dont have any line left to fight a fish. On my alphas i change line a lot because the casting distance is really effected unless the spool is near full. I run YHB on those reels so when its time to change it does not hurt. I only run flouro on one or two rods and keep it spooled for most of the year.

https://www.waff.com/2019/07/15/family-waterloo-man-infected-with-flesh-eating-bacteria-after-kayaking-tn-river/ I have spent a lot of time on this water system. Might be a fluke case but something to be aware of.

Depending ho how you want to fish you have choices. I like a little combat fishing punching is a way to get bit and it's a demanding way to spend your time but when you hook a good one it's a real battle. Heavy braid a strong hook, and a heavy tungsten weight and your in business. If your collection includes a good frog rod then your set. Frigging is also a good option on the same setup. The other option is go deep but having good electronics is key and if you have them the other good option.

Daiwa Luna, or ryoga. If your rod is a nice one look at a lin 10.

Punching does not load your rod the same way and going higher will not hurt anything. Power casting a swimbait while overloading a rod is different completely.

Buying used gets you a lot more but rod shipping prices are so bad now you will have to buy local for any real deals

I use 832 and I like 15 for ds and 20 on my medium rod. Never had a braid brake off yet.

So i know i inserted bullet molds into this conversation but good molds are between 80 and 110 bucks. That's a lot of shipping costs if your a dedicated caster and or just want to try a bullet without the larger commitment. There is a Lyman 38/357 mold out there that everyone raves about and i would like to try. Considering that i would like to borrow the handles as well that would be an even larger investment. I dont see myself running out and buying the town :0 For those that don't know mold handles are not universal.

I wish we could add bullet molds along with the fishing jig heads

There are no magic lures. What is working when the others are catching. Black blue and green pumpkin are the colors for those conditions for bottom plastic. There are tons of options but cutting those down to a manageable level is first. What type of lure is getting bit. If there feeding on the bottom and your working topwater then things are not going to work in your favor. Fishing like cards is a game of odds. 7 or 9" worms are not huge in your area but are big enough to get found. I would grab a curly tail worm to work the bottom and a popper to work the top. A pack of rage swimmers for the middle or the full range. If those three dont get it done the technical aspects need to be changed.

Yo Zuri in 6 10 12 15 and 20. 5oz baits on 20.

A hula grub on a jig head. 5" stick worm, or 4," keitech works well depending on the bite and their requirements for activity. The owner weighted hooks in the keitech keeps the hangups and snags to a minimum

So the compromise is weight on brass with better durability. I also feel better connected and smoother but that's me. Aluminum is light and strong. Well cared for brass gears last a long time.

Why not screw a steel ring in a white python!!!! A nylon strap to the reel foot would be plenty. Even paracord would be fine.

I have caught several frog fish in trees. Getting them back over the limb is almost impossible

I rather tether them in when not In use and hold the one i am fishing. If I'm on the move or trawling then a leash would be warranted. How you fish has a big impact on what system is needed. Any rod not in use should be restrained some way.

So your making assumptions. Are they lubricated the same. Are they made of the same materials. Are they spinning at the same speed.

When fishing stick worms I use copolly or flourocarbon and a 2000 series daiwa. 6 lb test seems to get the job done and I line watch as much as feel the fish even with the best rods. The fall is critical imo and any line tension really hurts the action

Braid is not my first choice due to cast offs. Matt Allen loves braid to leader and it's hard to argue his success. I use copolly and have no issues with treble baits. Braid to leader might be a better combo when trying to set large heavy guage jig hooks. Most 6" baits with those hooks will exceed any weight limit on a rod not designed for swimbaits.

Any heavy duty reel with 15lb yhb will get the job done. I use a sv103 but any zillion or tatula should do just fine.