MickD

My teen-aged granddaughter started on a Fuego and it went very well. She picked up on it very quickly. I use Tatulas, but I have to admit, the Fuego I gave her was a pretty darned good reel.

Always willing to learn. One thing that has disappointed me about rodbuilding is how little curiosity their generally is, and how stuck in old beliefs so many builders are. I find knots fascinating, and am always trying suggestions I see here and elsewhere.

https://getbitoutdoors.com/tutorials/ I would be VERY careful about using heat to remove the guide epoxy where the guide was initially installed. Better to try to get it off without heat first. Epoxy is not a thermoplastic, so it does not melt. Heat can soften it, but it can damage the rod structure as well if you use too much of it. I think every rod builder at one time has probably screwed up a blank by applying too much heat.

I assure you I've done my last wrap, so I won't be doing the comparison. But, I have noted that with XFast actions, which don't bend much into the butt section until heavily loaded, that the TNF is unaffected by the difference in weight of SS and titanium reduction guides on a spin blank. Fuji KLH 20-10-5.5M. So I doubt if a wrap would affect TNF. Or any other function exc maybe on a very slow action fly blank or a slow action ultra light. The tiptop is at the exact worse spot on the blank for added weight. Note that I said on that particular blank the difference was measurable. I did not say that the SS tiptop significantly affected the blank/rod's fishing qualities. TNF measures the recovery speed from deflection. That is what TNF measures. The faster the recovery speed, theoretically, means the longer the cast because the blank's tip speed in recovery is faster, so the lure is moving faster. An article on TNF was in a recent issue of a rodbuilding magazine, and if you want a copy of it so you can better understand it, I'll be glad to send one by email.

I'm always amazed by these discussions. But I think, unless one is turning off all the cast control devices on their reels, how can minute bearing differences make a significant difference? I just don't get it, but I'm willing to learn. So teach me. thx.

The issue needs to be about what a wrap like that does functionally and what it does esthetically,, and what your priorities are. Functionally, it does not detract from the function of the rod. I challenge anyone to show a measurable functional attribute of a rod that is diminished by a wrap. Most likely will be mentioned weight. It's at the right spot for added weight, and it amounts to almost nothing, so this is not significant. If one values asthetics, then this kind of wrap can add a lot of value. I say just relax, do what you value, they all fish just fine.

In-Fisherman did an article on research on why fish bite and sorry, could not find it. But the bottom line was that fish bite based on their reactions to a number of stimuli which include color, size, shape, movement, "sound," etc. In other words, a number of stimuli. The more we can match what stimuli they are somehow "looking" for at the time, the more we will catch. But exact detail is not necessary. Once my son and I were fishing smallies in very clear water, so we could see the fish react, and we had caught live crayfish for bait. We couldn't get a bite on them, but took a few fish on tubes. I think the problem was that we could not present the live crayfish in a manner that the fish were "looking" for.

See DVT's comments. I don't know the answer to this question. I was suggesting a second one to get the ceramic ring, but I see that the Cerecoils have ceramic rings. So I don't think a second double foot is necessary. But what I would to is what I always do with casting builds, Fuji RV6, then 2 or 3 KB's, then KT's to the end with an Arawana SIC tiptop. All the KB/KT's and the tiptop ca be the same size, whatever you want for the build. 5 makes a lot of sense for something like this.

The size of the first guide is not as important as its height, and most builders like a size 10 double foot placed about 19 inches from the reel level wind guide, then the rest of the guides can be the same size. Since recoils are a wire guide, (right? , no ceramic ring?) I would consider a second double foot guide as you suggest. Probably sized to be the same ID as the recoils. Location and number of guides depends on the rod blank characteristics. Use the two line stress test at this site : https://anglersresource.net/static-load-tutorial/ Some think the two line test is more complicated than the one line, but the exact opposite is true. Since the blank is loaded by the line to the tiptop and not the line through the guides, the guides stay put better and may be moved without unloading the blank. If I were ordering guides I would order 9 plus the tiptop. Rule of thumb is rod length + one, but I always end up with + 2 based on the static load test.

In my opinion this is ONLY rational argument I have seen for deleting the switch.

"Hydrotherapy IV"

The Legend SCV70MF is one of the favorite rods of my son, his wife, and me. I think I've made 5 of them for us. Mostly used for tubes and similar finesse.

I have had a few Albertos unravel so when I tie it I leave the braid tag end long enough to tie two overhand knots pulled tightly up against the knot. Problem solved and doesn't make the knot bigger. Yes I tie them correctly, but when aggressively snapping small swim baits off the bottom, some came unraveled.

Then what is your question?

Yes yes yes yes. I find it very helpful to have the history of how I did under the water temp, date, etc of the past, and yes it does repeat. I don't record every fish, just a broad brush of how I did and any suggestions I might want to save.

I disagree, not "totally".

Asking to compare actions between different blank makers, especially ones with a lot of blanks, is not realistic. Any blank maker can get any action and any power in any material. The question about different grades of materials is more clear cut. I've developed a method of checking the natural frequency of rods and blanks with an Android device, very easy, and it almost invariably shows that the higher the grade of material, the higher the True Natural Frequency will be and the faster the recovery from deflection. Not all agree, but I believe that this is an indication of sensitivity , too. If two blanks of the same length, power, and action have different True Natural Frequencies then I belive the higher TNF blank will have faster recovery from deflection and likely higher sensitivity (ability to feel a bite). Theoretically, faster recovery should mean longer casts. One can see the drop in TNF as he adds guides, so lighter the better on guides, especially out away from the butt. I use Fuji KB's and KT's for running guides, often in titanium, most often in size 4.

Exactly! I have never opened a new reel, and I have never had a problem with a new (or old) reel. When I lube them I only go in one "layer," to minimize the risk of screwing it up. If a reel has been dunked or is really old and in need of complete work I send it to an expert.

It is my opinion that the American Tackle Bushido series and the Rainshadow Revelation series blanks are about at the sweet spot of price vs performance. You can spend a lot more, but won't get much more. For a first build I would recommend a relatively inexpensive blank, maybe a CRB by Mudhole or something like that. They are good blanks, and the rod will fish well. If you screw it up you won't be out so much money.

Flexcoat.com and Mudhole.com have a lot of tutorials, getting a good book will help, too. Taking a class (Mudhole offers them) would be ideal. If going X-ray you might want to consider the mirror finish for your first rod, wrapping over the ridges of X-rays gives me trouble and I much prefer a smooth blank to work on. It's pretty easy to build a hand wrapping rig, you can tension the thread through pages of a book or get a real tensioner to mount on your wrapping rig. I recommend you get your materials from a real rod building supply shop and not the hardware store-materials designed especially for rod building will eliminate some surprises and failures. (Thread/wrap epoxy/color preservative/epoxy adhesive)

Next Sunday, Long Island, Bahamas with my son for bones. It doesn't get much better, IMHO.

Bill Norman Crappie Cranks and Deep Tiny N's are very good, I especially like the gel craw and bumblebee finishes. Just checked Norman's site, and looks like the lures I recommended have been superseded by some others. Might find some on Ebay, worth a try because they really do work well. Bass , walleye, perch, bluegills, and of course, crappies.

From what I see on line with Halo rods, their butt knobs end in a sharp angle, not very comfortable, IMHO. I build my own with nice, comfortable, gentle, curves. 🙂

https://common-cents.info/ This is a handy chart, too: https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/nfc_urrs_masterchartv1.0.pdf

Keeping in mind what its function is, I expect you could remove it and replace it with something flexible that you cobbled up to fit and to provide the same function. When you are confident you have it nailed, then glue it into position. I would try the closed cell polyurethane packaging material first, then maybe some weatherstripping material. What do you have to lose?