MickD

I didn't read it carefully enough-I thought he wanted a pistol grip. Sorry for the confusion. If there is a significant difference between the sensitivity of an exposed vs non-exposed reel seat, I'd be surprised, as Spoonplugger mentioned.

Unless I'm missing something, the only thing standing in the way of installing a seat and grip from the butt is if the seat ID is smaller than the blank butt OD. Then it's got to be done from the front. But if the seat/grip ID's (cork grips can easily be reamed to larger ID's)are larger than the butt OD then the blank taper can easily be accommodated with masking tape wraps on the blank thus providing a constant diameter just a bit larger than the seat ID. If the tape wraps are totally encased in epoxy they will last forever and the structure will be fine. That's why I suggested contacting Mudhole to find out what the ID of the seat is.

https://www.mudhole.com/Pistol-Grip-Casting-Handle-Kits Whether this can be adapted to your rod or not, I don't know. But it's worth a call to customer service to get their advice-Mudhole has great customer service . I recommend having the OD of the blank where it enters the current seat/grip when calling.

Mine doesn't make strange noises like that. Since it is making the noise when turning, it most likely is external, so lube in the right place might help. Look it over closely to see if there is a place that you may have missed that could be making the noise. Contacting the manufacturer is always a good idea. They should know their products better than anyone else. Yes, I know, sometimes they don't.

It's not about what brand battery, it's about the battery's condition based on its use, charging , and maintenance. If it's an old battery that has been performing well for years and now it isn't, and you've maintained it the same way for years, and your fishing duty cycle has not changed, it's time for a new battery. But charge it and take it to a dealer and have them do a load test on it. If your use has changed, then it may be that the lakes you are now fishing don't give it time to charge on the motor's alternator. Do you charge it between trips? If not , you should. Put it on a charger between trips. You don't need a deep cycle, you need a starting battery. But the brand is less important than its duty cycle, age, charging history, etc.

Have you ever noticed that line marketing claims sound a lot like a wine label writer was involved? I used to use Yo hybrid in 12 # test and found it a very nice casting (baitcasting) line with no use of KVD or other treatments, but found it too "stretchy." Interesting spectrum of opinions.

The hospital urination "jars" work very well, hold plenty, not easy to spill. I rinse it overboard, but keep in in the livewell.

I think Ontario is that way too. Really puts the religion in compliance.

If you are not getting good distance with 4 # braid, something is seriously wrong. Any reel, with a 7 foot rod and 4 # braid, should cast very well. I just don't know what to propose to fix cast distance.

Might be beginners luck to try the spinner, but they are known to be good SM lures. I think there are a number of old lures that would work (again) if we would try them. I'll bet the Jitterbug will catch fish just as well as the now popular WP. There is another old lure, Arbogast I think, that I cannot even find a reference to that used to be a killer on SM when I was a kid, looked like a Johnson Silver Spoon, painted, with a skirt. It and many others (River Runt) would work today.

Elderly = older than I.

Why not start her on one of yours to see if there is enough interest in getting her her own? I'm not sure what the reel size has to do with hook sets, but I'm willing to learn.

Since Marcel is excellent, it means there is more than one excellent guide on Lake St Clair. I know of two others not named Marcel.

Bass fishing on St Clair can be very good all summer. The catch and keep season doesn't open until June 15, I believe. It's pretty late, anyway. Which means the DNR is trying to avoid anglers keeping spawning fish, so it's that late. The problem in any month is finding them, but if you have a good guide they will find them. If you need a guide recommendation, message me. I know an excellent guide. Not sure how open he is, though. Later in the summer the bass go deep and for me are really hard to find. In early June they shouldn't be that deep yet. That is a good time to go there, IMHO.

Removing tiptops that were put on with any epoxy is a challenge to do without damaging the tip of the rod. It can be done, but I would leave it to a pro. The wrap over the tube for about a 1/4 inch or a little more if you can get it will be much stronger than just epoxy. Sort of like plywood- the two components work together. If you don't use color preservative the epoxy will penetrate the thread a little better and bond tighter to the tube. If you use hot melt that was designed for fishing rod building you'll have the best chance of not having a heat problem. Not all hot melts melt at the same temp, and the ones meant for rods melt high enough (usually) to stay on in a car. The interior of a car in AZ gets up to about 140 F, if I remember right.

For really clear waters ghost is very good. Subtle tan/gold back with translucent creamy lower. Hard to find.

I usually just stop at the tube, too, but if I lived in a hot climate and my rods were exposed to "hot car" temps I would wrap over the tube. The wrap with its epoxy will keep a tiptop from moving if the hot melt gets too hot.

21 pound test Hitena braid is .006 diameter. If you want a low diameter braid.

Fishing as deep as you are, braid will make a very big difference in feeling bites, no matter what lure. The length of the leader between a couple feet and 4-8 will not not diminish the sensitivity much, but will give a little stretch in the system which is good. I use 4-5 feet of leader grade FC using double uni knots if the guides will allow, FG is they don't like the unis. If you use too much leader it will end up on the reel, which often causes trouble. Better to keep the knot out of the reel. Regular line grade FC will work, but the leader grade is stiffer, tougher , and more abrasion resistant in my opinion.

One time fishing pads I had to put a leader onto 15 pound white nanofil to get LM to bite a super fluke dragged across the pads. My son was doing much better than I using the same lure, but he had a leader. Surprised me, but it seemed very clear that the leader made the difference.

I've never seen a poor review of U-40 exc one that mentioned "stained" spots. That had to be caused by something that was on the cork before it was sealed with U-40. I highly recommend it. It keeps cork looking good longer, easier to clean, and minimizes chipping if the cork has some "loose pieces." One coat only-the cork won't accept more than one.

Which means, A-Jay, that you prefer a more moderate action than the current trend toward X-fast , right? The moderate actions are also, IMHO, easier to cast accurately, just plain easier to cast. Of course for any rod to cast well it has to be used with the right weight lure or it won't be loaded properly. Plus more tolerant when fighting and landing fish.

I think you mean medium power-fast action. Many anglers prefer the moderate action to slow things down since most of us set the hook too soon on the strike when fishing surface. Also, if using braid, it would be good to slow it down a little.

The stiffer leader material FC also offers an advantage when fishing blade baits. Its stiffness minimizes tangles of the lure and leader both in casting and working the lure.

That's what I see, too. While not everyone wants to or can afford a custom rod, this is one area that custom rods with cork grips that started as individual cork rings will be far superior. Cork rings are not filled; almost all pre-formed griips are. Because really good cork is getting pretty hard to find, and when one finds it, it is very expensive. If I had this rod and it bothered me I would buy a $10 Winns grip wrap (available in many colors and designs) and wrap the grip. Will be better than new. Better grip, looks sharp.