MickD

Phenix calls the M1 I have Medium power X-fast action, and the CCS Action Angle is 78 degrees, which is about where most Xfast actions are. It's called medium power and at ERN 17.2 it is close to the ST Croix SCV70MF. If I remember right it weighs 3.6 oz with a size 17 Fuji pipe style reel seat.

I have a process that easily measures the true natural frequency of blanks and rods. While there is no objective test for sensitivity, most knowledgable rod people think that sensitivity is proportional to natural frequency of the blank. Certainly, recovery speed is proportional to natural frequency. The Phenix M1 in fact has quite a high natural frequency, higher than similar blanks that cost less and are called things like RX6 or RX7. From what I have found the more you pay for a blank the higher its natural frequency will generally be compared to cheaper blanks of the same power and action. You are getting value for your money if recovery speed is important to you.

Not familiar with the feather, but I've built a spin rod on the M1 7' 2" mxf and it's a very nice rod. No complaints. I use it for finesse, and it works fine.

https://www.nalms.org/secchidipin/monitoring-methods/the-secchi-disk/what-is-a-secchi-disk/ I just go fishing, try different lures and colors, and if I don't catch any I say "Water wasn't clear enough today." ? Seriously, like everyone says, just drop something over and watch it go down. I've had some pretty good days when I thought the water wasn't clear enough. (smallies) If it gets too clear it can be tough.

REad WRB's post earlier. That's probably the problem. It might be helped by upgrading to carbon fiber and drag grease. Never had this problem with Pflueger, Shimano, or Daiwa, all different price points.

I prefer that my guide wraps look cylindrical rather than like footballs. And in the interest of fast response time and max sensitivity I want to keep the mass of the wraps as low as reasonably possible. It is easier to get that appearance with low build, two coats, than it is to achieve it with high build. I also often have a defect in the first coat that needs fixing, so a second coat is necessary anyway. One can get the same appearance with high build, but they have to concentrate on putting it on very thinly. I simply think what I want to accomplish is easier to do with low build, or lite build.

Of course. When the fish are really active. Finesse might work, but not as well as faster presentations.

Nothing works all the time. If this doesn't work, try that. If they are not here, they must be there. If they are not shallow, they must be deep. etc etc etc

If I can fish the east shore of Saginaw Bay in the summer, when water temps are sometimes too high, and the wind is from the east, it will push the warm water away and bring cooler water in. And most likely fishing will be better than if the wind was from the west.

This discussion of "is it the thread or is it the epoxy" has been going on almost forever. So here is my take on it. It's analagous to plywood and composite materials. The result is greater than the sum of the parts. Neither the thread/epoxy does well alone, neither the wood/glue does well alone. But put them together and the result is better than one would expect knowing the characteristics of both parts.

You want the rigid checks to be larger than the diameter of the rod at the point they are installed. That is because the rod goes oval when stressed. Not much down in the griip area, but some. How much larger? It is somewhat a guessing game unless you have the blank dimension when ordering the parts, but it's better to err on the large side than to err on the small side. If the one you get is too large you can wrap some thread under it to maintain concentricity and when epoxy is applied the gap will not show. Maybe another builder can help here, but I would say go about .010 larger than the expected diameter. I use mostly the flexible rubber/vinyl checks, so don't have this issue. I like the "black line" appearance of them (when I use them, I don't always), totally encapsulating them with a nice filet of epoxy. I think the aluminum checks generally, especially on split grips where one may have two or three of them, look gaudy and phony. Like too much makeup on a woman.

I think the product I was referring to was more of a tape which would require much less skill to wrap, easier to learn, faster to accomplish, probably a polymeric tape, but not sure.

While I don't know exactly what you are referring to , I do know that a company is developing a wrap product which is much more efficient labor wise than thread wraps, and it sounds like what you are referring to. Don't be surprised if much changes in the big box rod world soon. If I made my living wrapping for a big box company, I would start looking around for other opportunities.

St Croix rods are generally a little more powerful than other brands, for the same descriptive terms. So your observation is consistent with this trend. I expect a longer rod will make a difference. I use a St Croix SCV70MF for smallies with tubes, and have no problems. Its tip is probably more powerful than yours, but being longer and fast rather than Xfast, it probably gets into the powerful butt less quickly than yours does. Rods are complicated. And all M's aren't the same, and all XF's aren't the same. Another advertisement for the use of CCS numbers in describing rods. Consider that a 7 foot 3 inch XFast medium power rod is the equivalent of having approximately a 5 1/2 foot moderate action light power rod taped to the end of a 2 foot broom stick. Think about it.

What length is the rod? While X-fast rods have soft tips, they get into the power of the butt fast, and if too short may not give you enough "give" in the system before the force builds fast. If 7 or longer, I would think it would be fine. Mono and FC really stretch about the same, although many don't believe it., But yes, a mono/FC leader will help, might want to go longer than you are now using to give more "give." I use 7 foot XFast ML power with 14 pound FC fly leader tippet material, 15 pound braid, about 5 foot leader, and don't feel I have a problem. I don't land them all, but do most. I probably set the drag lighter than most would, but as I mentioned before, in open water there is no need to horse the fish. Did you notice how I set the hook (when conditions allow it).? Often when getting a light bite, I drop the rod to get a little slack, then sharp snap up to set the hook. When you get it right you feel the solid "hit" as the slack is removed and the line becomes tight. Thunk! But it's not "ripping there jaws out," it's more snapping the hook into them.

Original poster didn't mention bending or breaking hooks, which I'm sure he would have if that were happening. If the fish are getting off while surging then it is not slack line that's causing the problem. Which leaves managing the drag, line stretch or lack of it, or too powerful of a rod. I've never had a reel that cost over $200 (a couple do now, but not when I bought them) and I've never had a situation where I blamed the drag for missing a fish. I've used a lot of reels that cost less than $100. When set on the light side they all work just fine. I also very very seldom ever adjust the drag during a fight. Set it right and forget it. I have backreeled at times in the past , but found it was too easy to screw up. Works fine on slow fish, but not so much on fast fish. Back reeling is going to be impossible on many current reels which don't have an anti reverse switch. I think the answer is to concentrate on good sharp hooks, the right hook set, the right drag setting, and patience.

If this is true, it is not a case of not keeping tension on them, it may be the hook is tearing out. No need to adjust drag during the fight, set it right and live with it. Try a heavier hook. I don't remember right now the brand of jig that I use, but it's a little bigger, heavier, and a heavier hook than Z man. But not a major difference. I think you are being too aggressive with them. Lighter drag setting, drop the rod as they surge, but keep a bend in it.

You don't need to back reel, just set your drag a little lighter and let it do the job. Less chance for error. When you feel the fish, give a little slack, then sharp jerk up to set the hook. Not a really super heavy jerk, just a sharp, fast, moderately powerful jerk. Then be patient, keep the bend in the rod all the time, and let them tire out. You don't have messy water, so they have nowhere to go to tangle you. Most of my smallie problems come when I get too aggressive. I also fish open water like you have. I have gone to other jigs with a little heavier wire than the Z man jigs. Z mans are just too fragile, and a little on the small size for hook size, IMHO. FC or mono will be more forgiving than braid, but I use braid with 14 pound FC leader, about 4 feet, and I land most fish that bite. You will gain from some stretch, but feeling bites and setting hooks will be more challenging.

Original question: Am I nuts for buying Tatsu? Answer: Yes

If I were building the rod as a baitcasting rod I would use a trigger seat as Chris suggested. Ergonomically better for the casting process with baitcasters, in my opinion. Makes the rod more stable in the hand. With spin the hand wraps around the rod and captures the reel stem, not so on baitcasters, so the trigger sort of locks the rod into the hand.

I like this color/trim combination.

I agree. Just thought that for display only the reel could be attached to the tap handle with structural epoxy adhesive. The plate seat will certainly be very stable.

There are two issues, 1. attaching the tap handle to the blank. 2. attaching the reel to the tap handle. 1. I think, without seeing the tap handle, that the challenge is to bore a hole through the tap handle. Which I think takes a lathe. If you don't have one, maybe you can find a craftsman around you that can do it. 2. If you use white silk thread and wrap the feet of the reel to the tap handle, and don't use any color preservative, the thread will go almost transparent. Use wrap epoxy over the thread. Or experiment with a polyurethane glossy finish over a dowel wrapped with white silk to see how it looks. Whatever you do, experiment on disposable stuff before committing your collectibles. Any other ideas, builders?

OH NO! Glad I just bought two slightly used Supremes. HOLD ON, DAIWA, we are counting on you. IMHO, dumb idea to get rid of the switch. I'm curious, it sounds like you feel they are more sensitive than most other rods. How did you come to that conclusion?

If an anti reverse switch is important to you, then the new Shimanos are out. For a little over $100 you can get a Pflueger Supreme or a Daiwa Fuego. Both good reels. Supreme XT's are quite a bit more expensive, have what is considered a better drag, but I've had no trouble with the base Supreme drag. Or anything else. I build my own, so have no rod recommendation other than go for a fast or X-fast action with a power rating based on lure weight recommendation of the rod, matching the lure recommendation with what you will be casting.