MickD

This video does not advocate annual replacement of either the bobbin or the cylinder. If one were planning to replace annually then the right way to test it would be to expose it to water and watch it inflate, then inspect to make sure it didn't deflate. That is not what she is saying. I had an auto inflatable pfd that was many years old in a compartment of my boat that got flooded by rain getting through a leaky cover and it inflated properly and stayed inflated until I picked up the boat days later. I think her advice to replace only if there is doubt about the condition makes good sense. As someone else said, CO2 cartridges are very reliable and unlikely to lose their charge. I've never heard of it happening. I used to have them on my bike and they never failed. The old adage of "if it isn't broken don't fix it" is good advice, tempered with good judgment and annual inspection as advocated in the video. When you tamper with the system there is the possibility that you'll screw it up.

Shaking and tip jiggling don't tell anything on modern graphite bass rods. I believe that most retail stores will take a return of an "unused" rod in the same condition as it was when purchased. Check before buying. Therefore one can buy it, take it home, and conduct the CCS process on it which will in no way harm the rod. It will give objective numbers on the rod for power and action. It will not measure sensitivity, but one can also run TNF on it to check its True Natural Frequency, and the higher it is, the more sensitive the rod probably is. PM me for instructions on TNF. CCS info is here: https://www.common-cents.info/caq.htm Do not be fooled by the focus of the CCS process on fly rods. It was developed for fly rods but works for any rod or blank. 1. Run the tests on rods you currently own to develop data for rods you like, rods you don't, rods that work for this technique, etc. 2. Run the tests on the purchased rod. See how it compares and fits with what you are looking for. 3. Keep it or take it back. For those who want to do CCS and don't want to invest in the 4 x 8 sheet of particle board and the space it takes, there is a way that works without all that. I can help.

I usually don't do the blocking wraps, just the locking loops over the ring. They are locked from being pulled out but less locked from being rotated into alignment. Try that. Or just a couple blocking wraps. And a little less tension?

I get them as straight as possible when wrapping, then sight down the blank against a light background, with good light, and adjust. Then apply CP, and after it's dry, I sight again and adjust one final time. A good way of getting them aligned right after wrapping is to sort of pinch the blank at a guide between my thumb and first finger, then slide my hand down the blank to the other guides and feel for an even touch on both finger/thumb. Sounds sort of crude, but it strangely does a pretty good job. I don't think there are any gimmicks like laser that work better than the human eye.

I said it would be and it is. Yet there are now four more comments after yours.

". . .Standardized Precipitation Indices and the Palmer Drought Severity Index to the full suite of 22 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change General Circulation Models for three IPCC-SRES emissions scenarios (B1, A1B, and A2 from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) listed in order of their emissions through 2100 from high to low). . . " These IPC models are not universally accepted. They cannot even be applied to our climate history and then give a result consistent with what happened. If they cannot resurrect the history then how can they predict the future? I don't believe anything based on the IPC models. No need to debate global warming on this forum. Better that we stick to fishing in the climate we have. I'll just make one final comment, I think this country is in for a rude awakening.

Show me a scientific paper that links the western drought with CO2.

Another insanity of this push is that so much of the battery material comes from outside the US , mostly from Communist countries. This is a national security issue. Much mined by child labor. All the supporting articles I see fail to even mention how much it will positively affect global warming. The amount is insignificant, especially with all the fossil fuel plants being built in China and India taking the numbers the wrong way. I see articles saying "The village of my ancestors is now under water," but no mention is made of how much the oceans have risen in recent history. I think it's a couple inches. This whole global warming/eliminate fossile fuels movement is full of dishonesty/hypocrisy/failure to address the major issues.

If you want to try it, I can walk you through it. Make sure you want to do it, though. I really like split grips, like the definitive feel of the butt knob. Are you sure you want to do it. Another approach is to just get another rod. One can not have too many rods. ?

I think it is ok, but it's not that difficult to do it yourself if you want to try. Try this: https://northforkcomposites.com/approved-rod-builders/ You can also do an internet search using terms like "Northeast USA fishing rod builders" or more specific to your state.

Not all braid is the same. The new 8 carrier braids (and more than 8 in some cases) are smoother, smaller diameter, and less apt to dig in than the cheaper 4 carrier braids. Since it lasts so long the price is not as big an issue as it at first seems to be. My favorite braid is Hitena Pure Line. I use 19 pound test for a spin rig on which I want lots of line since it is so small in diameter (bonefish/baracuda). But other 8 and above carrier lines are very good too. My fresh water finnesse rigs are usually 10 - 15 pound test with 8 - 15 leaders. For baitcasting most like 30 or above just to get a larger diameter.

If you want a separate small battery for the depth finder, check out the batteries used for wheelchairs and similar devices. I used to take one to Canada and it ran my old Lowrance LCC all long days, was quite light, didn't take up much space. And charged back up over night. Check its amp-hour rating against the draw of your depth finder. Look at Batteries, Bulbs, + or similar stores specializing in batteries. I always keep my big batteries hooked up to charging devices that charge then cut back and maintain. This will keep them charged without damaging them. For the small Canada battery I used a simple charger like one would use on a motorcycle battery, if I remember right.

Shimano Calcutta 100. Classic, beautiful, still casts very well considering its age. I have an old Pflueger Supreme free spool casting reel of my father's on display, neat, but not really fishable. I just cannot get used to the crank handle/knobs short span. He caught a lot of really nice walleye with it.

It has the advantage of being less likely to tangle with lures like blade baits, too. It's stiffer.

I believe but have no data that line-grade FC and mono's have more stretch than the leader-grade FC's and monos. I agree that the 8-12 feet length should work pretty well with either. I use a premium grade of fly tippet FC and am tending towards the longer lengths for stealth.

Send me a message and I'll send you instructions on how to do it and you can come to your own conclusions. I don't want to hear from lawyers of all the other brands.

It depends on how one defines "sensitivity." One expert argues that since the longer rod has a mechanical "disadvantage" relative to a shorter one of similar power and action, it will make bites easier to detect. For many years experts have argued that the higher the stiffness to weight ratio, the higher the sensitivity. And material and construction obviously can affect stiffness to weight ratio. The higher the stiffness to weight ratio, the higher the True Natural Frequency of the blank/rod. And now it is possible to easily, cheaply, and accurately measure TNF. And sure enough, the higher the price, generally, the higher the TNF. We are probably getting more sensitive rods by paying more. And, there is one brand that consistently has higher TNF's in my testing than the other brands I've tested. But we can discuss and debate "sensitivity" until the proverbial hell freezes over and still reach no consensus. One thing I know for sure is that there is no "sensitivometer." It is my opinion that if one is using FC or mono, and desires higher sensitivity (ability to feel the bite and lure action) the biggest gain will come by switching to braid, much higher improvement than seeking a higher sensitivity rod.

With tip down jerking, that's about the right length for me, too.

another way to do it is with a tiny black cable tie instead of an O ring. No tools except pliers to cut them, holds well, fits any lure.

The lower on the rod the break is the higher the probability of having a fishable rod after repair. I just repaired a light power spin rod broken about 6 inches below the tip and the owner is pleased with how it fishes. Yes, a newbie can do it; a friend of mine did it successfully. Use epoxy designed for rod building, not something from the hardware store. Consult these sites: https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/waterfree.html Keep the pieces clean and free of any contamination, and don't think that wiping with alcohol is necessary or correct. I have only used an internal plug once when I had a fly rod that was shattered in about in the middle and it needed the plug to hold the pieces together so the external sleeve would be supported. It worked fine. Usually only the external sleeve is necessary. Keep in mind that the most common error is making the repair too rigid thus forming stress risers. O'Quinn talks about this, if I remember right. I have found that it really doesns't matter whether the sleeve is glass or graphite, but would recommned using glass if you can find it.

I'm pretty sure there are some warnings on certain waters all over the country.

I'm not Daiwa expert, but really like my Tatula SX 103. Can one of the experts here explain to me the differences I would find between the Tatula Elite and the Zillion? thanks,

If you have a choice between carb and EFI, take the EFI. I can't imagine both being offerred, but I won't buy a carb engine any more. EFI's start and run better, last longer without maintenance.

Good advice, in my opinion.

If you don't have to return the broken rod to them, keep it. For three reasons. It may be repairable and good for a spare if not primary use. It also is a source for components (mostly guides) that you might need in the future. Pieces of the blank can be used to repair other rods. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html