MickD

Or. . . spool up with a quality mono and save the $$ and the headaches. It really does work just fine. OK, FC fans, unload.

When mixing wrap epoxy, or any two part material, here are some tips: - Thoroughly mix it, dragging it together in all directions, working to scrape it towards the center. - For wrap epoxy I count to 150 seconds before stopping - When taking it out, take it from the center. Any poorly mixed material will be at the edges. - Blow the container you will use to clear any collected dust, and be sure it's a clean container. Some use a new piece of foil every time. - Clear bubbles at the container by gently blowing the surface through a straw. - Clear bubbles at the rod by passing THE SIDE of a butane lighter flame by the whole area of the epoxy while rotating the rod. Don't put the flame under the rod.

I used to add balance weight until I almost lost a casting rod overboard in Canada, casting aggressively overhead and the rod torqued right out of my hands. It was about a foot deep when I did a deep reach over the side to snag it. Increased moment of inertia/angular momentum means it's harder to start and harder to stop. I no longer add balance weight, just build as light as I can. I can see how with pitching it might make some sense, but suggest the best way to figure it out is not to calculate, but to go fishing and adjust to what you feel you want. I still maintain that arguing balance with a bare rod, no reel, makes no sense. Rods are always tip heavy, so build/buy the lightest you can, and maybe the shortest you can if balance is a high priority with the reel you like. Depends on the combination, not just the rod. You don't know what the "needed weight" is without knowing what reel is being used. If Dobyns is adding weight assuming the reel center is the balance pivot point, they have to be adding a lot of weight to their long rods. And what about the lure? And the angle the rod is normally fished for the technique it's being used for. My answer always comes back to: Lightest rod/lightest reel/go fishing.

I don't know why it would not work. Use it generously. Lots of glued contact area between components.

Shape is much more important than material, IMHO. It also depends on hand size and the type of fishing (for example grips on muskie rods and BFS need to be different for obvious reasons). For bass casting rods I'm getting to like the NFC carbon fiber grips. I have a hard time understanding how anything can be much lighter than they are. But I like the look and feel.

As far as what amount of weight to add, you have to decide that. There is no formula. I think if you try to balance with the lure hanging you're going to have to add a lot of weight. Best way is to add weight in some temporary way, like weights/coins/washers/etc under a slip-on butt knob (Bass Pro used to make one, but I don't think they do any more, I could not find anything) and fish it. When you know how much weight you like, then a custom builder probably could affix the weight permanently. The Cush It recommended by Mike L should work.

I've used Sally Hanson too, and it's a pretty good product in a pinch, especially for repairs when one doesn't have the right tools, materials, or location to do it the way he would like. Good stuff to have with you on a fishing trip.

Use epoxy designed for guide wraps. It's not an adhesive like hardware store epoxy, it's a casting resin. Most of them cure overnight to fishable strength and they are clear, durable. Mix it for 2 minutes, measure it with syringes. It doesn't dry, it cures by chemical reaction , so each molecule of hardener has to find a molecule of resin. so it has to be measured accurately. Yes it can be done by eye, by approximation, but sooner or later you will have a failure.

I always fill my spin by letting the line loop off the stationary filler spool. If the reel rotor spins clockwise when adding line when viewed from the front then the line comes off the filler spool counter clockwise. And vice versa if rotor spins the other way. Those little notches in the filler spools do cause some problems-I think they are used by the machinery to drive the spools when filling them. Sometimes one can fold a sticker over them to keep them from catching the line.

As suggested above, you have to keep them from shifting in the tube. If it worked before and doesn't now, something has changed allowing the rods to move. Simply padding the ends will probably not be enough. You have to keep them from shifting in the tube.

If you cannot clean it to your satisfaction put a Winn Grip tape over the problem. Will feel like a new Winn, lots of different designs/colors.

Nice post, Mike Jr. Appreciated. Everyone makes mistakes and learns from them, so keep on building and learning.

Yes, good chance of them both being present, especially spring and fall.

I wonder if anyone is overthinking this issue? Any oil suitable for any light machinery will work. Just don't go overboard and drench the bearing. Keep it lean.

Wahl hair clipper oil (Amazon) or sewing machine oil available at sewing shops should work just fine.

You don't have trouble with FC dragging lures like chug bug/popper types down as you pull after a rest? FC sinks. I find mono does not affect the lures' proper action like FC does.

Put a rubber band through the ring so you can apply tension as you apply a little heat from a butane lighter. If it does not come off readily then stop. If it does not come off readily with a little heat then it was epoxied on and I would recommend having an experienced builder deal with it. Too much heat can destroy the last inch or so of the blank. The size of the ring is not critical-anything close will be ok. The tube should be just larger than the tip of the blank, which can be measured when the tiptop is off.

Learn to measure the CCS numbers of your rods and in time you will have a good understanding of what you have. With the use of CCS growing, you will find more fishermen who can provide numbers of their rods. There is also a growing data base of CCS numbers, mostly associated with builders, but some factory rods. Sometimes factory rods of St Croix can be correlated to blanks for which there are data. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1r3zv1ygtuUjPBa-c5LT9RTYeDR_pnCDIkVIdDv0YoeQ/edit#gid=1592691333 https://www.common-cents.info/ As has been mentioned before, subjective ratings even within one maker's rods, are notoriously misleading at times. And one never knows until he buys.

Right on the drop shot. If your friend is catching them, duplicate what he is doing.

Those favoring the double uni may not like how will they work with size 4 running guides and 20 pound leaders. Too big. It is easy to tie correctly, very reliable. a fine knot when conditions for it are favorable.

No, new rods still use thread to attach guides. Epoxy is popular because it builds a high, glossy, smooth, coating over the thread. Other ways of stabilizing/strengthening the guide/thread combination, like polyurethane, have been used providing a different but still effective look. There are some other options on the horizon, tapes and strips, and they may work. More to come, as I see it.

If the Alberto is catching on the guides the double uni will catch even worse. Seven up and seven down is what I do. Make sure you really set the knot hard. If you don't it will be bigger and will likely unravel. I set mine very hard then add two half hitches of the braid tag end which prevents unravelling (ever able to get a knot out of braid after it's set tightly?) Set the half hitches tightly too. They will not make the knot larger or more prone to catching on the guides. What you are experiencing may be affected by the length of the leader, so try some changes to that.

"Sleeve ferrule, because of the larger O.D., has local higher MOI and a dead spot in the taper." Not all multipiece rods choose it, and while this is an argument for it, it is not OBJECTIVE evidence of higher sensitivity. I doubt if any exists. All the arguments I've read have to do with achieving a smooth action, not with any difference in sensitivity. And even the action argument isn't compelling any more, IMHO : Here is an opinion I found (Midcurrent) : However, the advent of high-tech graphite, new and stronger scrim materials, and modern design methods have allowed rod builders to create much slimmer, more efficient, and smoother sleeve-over ferrules—to the point that there are no longer any significant overall differences between rods constructed with each kind of ferrule. Trika says they objectively measure it. Valid? I don't know. NFC about a year ago said they can measure it, but have never provided any data to back up the talk. If one believes that sensitivity is proportional to True Natural Frequency (many experts have argued for many years that it is) of the blank/rod, then it's a piece of cake to measure TNF with an Android device.

I would like to see some objective evidence that a spigot is more sensitive than the ferrule joints commonly used here. That flex argument doesn't make sense to me. Yes, I'm a skeptic. Makes sense that the 2 piece is an accommodation for the smaller vehicles typically used in the country of origin of the BFS.

I am a 10. When I don't catch, it's all the fishes' fault. Not mine. I don't play golf. Not big on accountability.