MickD

Bite the bullet and learn a good braid to leader knot. It will give you the versatility to go either way. I suggest the improved Alberto. Tie it like the charts say, set it very tightly , then add two overhand knots of the braid tag end, tightened. I start with the loop of the leader in my left hand with the loop tag end pointing left, run the braid through the loop, keep holding with the left. Now wrap the braid around the "stem" of the loop, working left to right, seven times around. Now grab it with the right hand at the end of the wraps and wrap back seven times. Put the braid tag end back through the loop parallell to it as it comes into the loop. Now pull on the main lines to start the knot to tighten, pull on the tag end of the leader to close the loop half tight. Now wet the knot and set it tightly by alternately pulling on the mainlines and the leader tag end. You want that leader pulled very tightly to close the loop tightly. Now add the two braid tag end knots, set them as you tie them, and trim. This knot with a little practice becomes a piece of cake and will go through micros nicely with reasonable leader pound tests. I use it with 15 pound test and size 4 micros and it works great. Sensing your knot reluctance I would not recommend the FG, but the improved Alberto is easy and reliable. You really need a leader on your finesse rig to absord some shock (I think you get nice shock absorption with about 6 feet-I don't think you need 10-15 feet. If you're going that long just use all FC or mono), and you are not cutting off your main line every time you change lures. I also am one who has experienced line-shy bass in clear water even with fairly light braids.

I think you will have to have it custom made. I haven't seen a Tennessee handle complete rod in years.

Good call, Baron.

Other options to attach the reel are tennis racquette tape and bicycle handlbar tape. Both have good grip and look good.

Any idea where one might buy this color? I've looked at a lot of sources and think it may be discontinued. One can always paint one. Looks like a blue with glitter? Or metallic blue?

Ike's Smash of the Rapala DT series

Rod builders would like to get the rod if it's scrapped. They will use it for sleeves for the repair I suggested. I've measured the CCS values on one rod that I built, then broke, then repaired in this way. The CCS power and action numbers before and after the failure/repair were identical. The response will slow (probably imperceptively) due to the added weight.

You take the seat bases out and put them onto the new surface. Or install new surface mount ones. Keep in mind there is water under there much of the time regardless of whether it comes in from the top side. But you could seal the edges with quality caulk to minimize its entry from above. I think it would last for a long long time. I could be wrong, might be a bad idea. Might be a good one. Which is why I suggest getting some expert opinions.

I have repaired many rods using this technique, and it is not something that requires high rod building skills to accomplish. A friend of mine did his, first try at anything like this. The main thing is to get a good fit before applying rod-building epoxy and make sure the parts are well wet with the epoxy. https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html Since you have nothing to use, it's worth a try. Adding metal ferrules is possible, but this technique retains the original action and power very well without getting a flat spot in the action due to rigid metal ferrules.

I am no expert, but it would seem to me that you don't need to tear out and replace the floor, just fit treated 3/4 plywood over the existing floor and cover it with whatever you choose. The existing floor has to be supported by metal, so the new plywood will be supported just fine and the soft spots will be spanned just fine. Ask your dealer what he thinks about this approach. I used 3/4 treated ply for cobbling a casting platform onto a 14 foot open boat one time and it lasted as long as I owned the boat.

Yes, I have done this a couple times. I've found two types that don't tangle with trebles very much, the "all rubber/vinyl" thick mesh and the rubber coated nylon mesh which looks like a conventional mesh but has a coating of rubber.

Yes, and this can be adjusted with the length of leader used.

Yes, an alternative. But I like tying the terminal knots better with a leader and I don't like cutting my expensive braid off every time I want to retie a lure. So my preference is to handle the leader/braid knot with the improved Alberto, which I've found quite easy and fast and have the terminal knots with leader. I also just seem to have trouble believing that braid is not seen by the fish even though I know logically that in most cases it clearly is not. In my head.

Because I like the solid feel, sensitivity/bite detection, and good hook sets of braid which I cannot get with mono , hybrid, or FC.

It is fine. go fishing.

If one is using rods with guides smaller than about 6 mm and leaders about 15 pound test or higher the double uni can cause hangups on the guides. I'm not sure about how big the Kreh knot gets. I like the advantages of braid/leader so much that I deal with the knot issue and have found the Alberto, improved with a couple of tight overhand knots of the braid against the knot after setting it, works just fine with micro guides. Easy to tie, reliable. For what I do most of the time mono (and hybrid and FC) is too stretchy, feels like I have a rubber band in the system.

You just may be the Lone Ranger. I just don't seem to be as competent as the Lone Ranger. The Alberto with a couple half hitches of braid to finish it off is much more reliable for me than the FG.

I have a couple rods with them, my son a couple, both spin and cast. These are rods I built, not BPS rods. We have had no problems. They will not, as most materials will not, stand up well against DEET.

I've had this happen and have concluded that something about the presentation isn't quite right. Try changing size (smaller), retrieve as has been mentioned, and as important, the color.

I really like that he's pointing out that there is a negative effect in too many weaves-they won't tighten down and lock onto the leader. Most people seem to think the more the better. I will have to try this. I think it will not work as well with less rigid leader. He's using what I think are very heavy, stiff, leaders, so that finger length of leader stands out stiffly. That will not be the case for something like 10-15 pound test leader. But I'll try it. The weakness of the FG, IMHO, has always been that it does not work as well with lighter leaders as it does with heavier ones.

Does this engine have a separate oil tank that is pumped by a diaphragm pump in the engine? If yes, the diaphragm pump is notorious for failing and scoring cylinder walls. I hope that is not it, because if it is the damage is already done. When mine failed this way the idle quality and cold starting were screwed up also.

To beat the horse some more, if you set up to measure CCS you can simulate very well what will happen when you trim the butt. Just anchor the butt in the fixture as if it were the end of the blank. I agree with Ghoti that if you take less than about 6 inches off a blank butt it most likely will not change enough to be a problem. There are lots of 6 1/2 foot blanks out there. As Ghoti says , the power will go down a little. And it will get a little slower in action, so don't hesitate to buy one a little faster and more powerful than that which you want to end up with. It probably will work fine.

Recycling and trashing it in any form is risky since it may not be destroyed properly. Keep a plastic container and put the line into it. When it gets so full it's a problem to put more into it, burn it. That way there is no chance of it getting tangled up in a bird or animal. OK, you don't like the fumes and burning it. It's not a perfect world. Minimize the risk to everyone and burn it so it doesn't tangle anything. The fumes are a miniscule problem.

Yes, but if this happens one is taking way too much time with the process. Do it right, the first time over without going over and over, and you will be done way before it gets tacky enough to take a piece out of a foam brush.

Original poster's setup sounds very good. Mine is similar, but 7 feet in length. The major issue is that you need a rod that will load well in casting the light jigs, and you need light enough line to cast well with the light jigs. Braid of about 10 pound test is ideal, IMHO. I personally think a leader lighter than about 10 pounds is too fragile and I do very well in clear water with up to 15 FC.