MickD

You can also add 6 inches to a 7 1/2 foot blank. Put the joint under the grip/seat. Just did one this way. Can't tell it was made from two pieces.

If you find an 8 1/2 you can always cut 6 inches off the butt if you really want 8 feet.

Got it. Thanks. If you're committed to glass because the original was glass, then that is fine. But, graphite can provide the same power and action with less weight than glass, so I think that all you need to do to get a very similar rod is to get a fly blank in the right length with traditional or moderate action, I would say no more than 5 weight, and you will have a very similar rod. I know that 3 is too light in power for a carp rod, and my 6 bonefish rod is probably at the high end for power for what you want. I guess I would go for a 5.

Sounds like you're looking for a fly blank? Why glass?

I prefer the irregular action. :-)

I've never heard of a "Regular" action. Must be a term that only applies to that brand. Which is indicative of the problem.

You talking about power or action? One can match any Japanese graphite power with wood, but not the action. The question is about power. Not action.

You can chase this topic around forever and get lots of conflicting opinions, but what matters the most (with respect to power) is getting a rod which casts properly, and the best indication of what to buy comes in the lure weight recommendations. Stay within that, then move from it based on the technique/environment. For example, if you are going to be hoisting bass out of heavy weeds with a big gob of weeds attached, go heavier. If open water, stick with the lure weight recommendation.

No, you won't get ticks or gear failures or any problems whatsoever in any reasonable reel you might select. Wasted worry. You've got very effective shock absorbers in the rod, line, and drag.

Next thing will be alerts linked to the "live" features that show swimming fish. Will alert us to the presence of fish and show with 360 or similar where they are.

You may be talking about tongue weight of 100. Certainly not the weight of the trailer + boat. Sounds like a small car nevertheless. What you need to do is to know the total weight of the trailer + boat/motor/everything inside it and compare that with the towing spec of your car. If you are not sure of it, even after consulting the manual, ask your dealer. I don't know where you live, but that might make a difference in whether you can get aggressive or have to be conservative. As the difference between level towing in moderate temps vs hilly/mountainous towing in high temps. Your dealer can help. Or a shop that does hitches. You have not given anywhere near enough info for us to really help.

There is no problem with running any braid through any modern guide. Other than possibly noise.

Flukes have been mentioned. They are great on river smallies. Fish them weightless, let them float down a little , then jerk, wait, repeat. It's not unusual to see the wake from an attacking fish. White has been recommended, a good clear water choice. Bubble gum and Tennessee shad are good, too. Use a size 3/0 EWG worm hook, hook through nose then up through body with the hook just sticking out the back. Get it in there evenly so the action will be good without going too far sideways or spinning. Wacky rig Senkos or equivalent are hard to beat, too. If I wanted to limit my carry to just a few I think it would be Senko/Fluke/small in-line spinner.

Look at the lure weight recommendations on the rods and get the one that best matches the lures you will use most of the time. If the rod is too powerful for the lures you want to cast it will feel like a broomstick and will make casting without a backlash much harder. I expect for your first you will be better served by a medium power. The lure weight recommendation is the most accurate indicator of the power of factory rods, and as a beginner, you want your best chance of success. That will come by best matching the lure weight recommendation. By matching the lure weight to the rod will make the rod load properly on the cast. If in doubt, go lower rather than higher in the interest of better casting.

I would include fiberglass cloth in any repair scenario. I repaired our swimming pool steps with glass cloth and epoxy probably 30 years ago. It has discolored, but still does not leak. The glass cloth will give whatever bondo or resin you use a lot more strength.

Leader material is stiffer than line which helps to keep blade bait hooks from tangling.

I use mono and FC leader material, not "line", for leaders, and have spools of it on board to replace a break-off. Which is rare, but even in the situation where I've cut off a number of times and the leader gets too short, I need replacement. And I have spools of various pound tests of leader material. Not line.

My favorite rod for snapping off bottom and swimming small swimbaits is a 7 foot medium light moderate/fast action rod. If you get too heavy a power the lift and drop in snapping just isn't easy to get right. you want the rod to flex some when you apply the action and its recovery on the drop helps keep the drop from being a fully slack line drop.. The mod fast action casts well and helps keep me connected to the fish. I don't think X-fast is the right action for this, if what you are asking about is what I do.

As above + whites, naturals, not dark. Think ghost.

For me no reel is worth $500, but it depends on an individual's financial situation and their priorities. Is it a great reel? I'm sure it is. Is it worth $500? I don't know, is it to you? Tatulas are pretty darned good.

In the video I don't see any lack of bend in the rod until the fish was gone, so rod technique, in my opinion, was not a problem. Could be lack of a good hook set. One thing that will work even if you are not using a heavy power rod, when finessed fishing, is to give a little slack when you feel the bite, then sharply SNAP the rod up. When the slack is taken up, the hook most often will be set without having to cross their eyes. Then you must, of course, keep a bend in the rod which prevents slack which would give the fish opportunity to throw the lure. This happened so fast that I think the hook was never set. But when it started sliding on the surface, it could be that the line tension dropped enough for the hook to come out. We have all landed fish where immediately on landing the fish we noticed that the hook had not really penetrated past the barb and dropped out. Looks like the fish hit on a long cast, braid will help. Not sure what you were using.

Vapparowhead, based on the bass in your picture, I think you should just keep on doing what you're doing, whatever it is. "Never change a winning game." Sorry, Vaparothead

Rapala DT, don't be reluctant to stop them now and then. Greens up here in the north.

I think you nailed the difference, which is consistent with the thinking that darker is better in stained water. Watermelon works fine, especially with red flecks, in the usually clear water of Saginaw Bay.