MickD

I fish bottom finesse all the time in MI where we have tons of zebra mussels and break offs from them is seldom a problem. I think 6 pound test mono is simply too fragile for this kind of fishing. I usually use 15 pound test braid with an approx 4 foot 15 pound test FC leader. The leader is leader material, not FC leftover mainline. It seems stiffer and harder than mainline grade FC. I doubt if the braid is actually contacting the mussels, at least when under tension it is not.

I gather from your initial post that the seat is what is moving relative to the blank, right? The way to fix it is to get epoxy between the blank and the seat. Gluing the two parts together in that slit between them isn't ever going to work. If the rear grip is loose, the fix is the same. Inject epoxy into the space between the loose part and the blank, force the loose part into proper position, and hold it there with rubber bands or clamps or some cobbled up method that you design and test before you start. To do the fix drill two or three holes carefully through the loose part and to, but not through the blank. Then inject adhesive epoxy into the holes. You want to get holes that are 1/8 inch diameter or so, and you want a syringe that will fit to those holes and allow you to build up substantial injection pressure. Inject quite a bit of epoxy; you want to get a large area wetted with it. If it's unclear, please respond. Big box rods, believe it or not, often use cardboard shims between the seat and the blank, they get wet and lose their integrity.

The only reason I can think of for using a leader on FC is to save using up the main line when cutting off lures. Yes, as mentioned, a leader should not be stronger than the main line. You'd like it to break at the lure, not in the main line.

l think you did very well to only lose a tiptop. Are you familiar with the hook removal technique that jerks the hook out? Works great, but can be a challenge for the fisherman who doesn't have another person to help. I've done it when the "geometry" worked, alone, but that is not always possible. But if it can work, it beats the hell out of pushing a hook through then cutting off the barb.

One of the reasons for most going with light or ML power is that it will load properly to cast the light ned jigs. So walleye jigging rods will work well. Select a rod with the recommended lure weight that includes your intended lure weight.This will allow you to comfortably cast the ned. Use braid of about 10 pound test, with an FC leader, and you will have a very sensitive ned outfit. If you don't want to use braid, then use 6 pound test mono.

I thought you had it. So you not only broke the rod, but the line too. Glad I've never made a mistake like that. :-) Try to use the one that most closely matches the ring size, if you can. If you have to use a tube size larger than ideal, you can "shim" the tip of the blank with a winding of thread stabilized by epoxy to build up the dia of the blank, then attach the tiptop with hot melt. If you use epoxy to attach the tiptop, if you break its ring, you may not be able to get the tiptop off.

Fish don't think. They have a brain the size of a pea. What fish do is react instinctively to the inputs they get from a number of sources, affected by such factors as how long since the last meal, rising or falling pressure, water temp, season, color, and I'm sure many more that don't come to mind. I don't even think that "matching the hatch" appearances in the lures, at least for most fish, most of the time means much. I've found that for the immediate moment of fishing, with my taking my best shot at matching what I think they want based on all those factors above, the best thing is to match the motion and size of what they want. If the match is made, yes, a very small fish will take a very large lure. And it has nothing to do with a fish wondering "I wonder if I can handle this thing?"

You may be able to retrieve the blank material from the tiptop with heat and picking at it with a needle or similar tool. Or drilling it out. If you get the blank material out try the tiptop on the rod end. If it fits, use some hot melt to secure it. If it doesn't fit, stick a drill that is very tight to the bore into it and rotate the drill, trying to open it up a tad. Then hot melt it on. Also, if you can find a tapered "bodkin" or similar tool you can sometimes stick it in and work it around to open the diameter of the tiptop enough. If these don't work, any tiptop with the right ceramic ring size (they are measured by the OD, so a size 5 is 5 mm in outer diameter) and tube size will work. As stated above, the tube size is in 64/ths, so use use a micrometer or similar on the OD of the blank, or the drill trick on the tiptop to get the size.

Modern reels have an anti reverse bearing, which is a roller bearing that allows rotation in one direction but not the other. I guess it can look like a sleeve, but if you look closely, there will be about 8 tiny rollers inside it. The geometry of the races allows rotation in one direction but not the other. The geometry differences are not apparent visually, I expect. I was suggesting that if it were in "upside down," it might do what you are observing. I have no detail on your particular reel, but if you can recognize the roller bearing, and it's possible to turn it over, try that. But don't do anything drastic. You have not damaged the reel, so if you cannot figure it out get a pro to fix it. And consider it a lesson learned.

Is it possible the anti reverse bearing is installed backwards? As another mentioned earlier? Reels may be uncomplicated to some, but I find them too complicated to go further than just opening them up to lube. If I think the reel needs more, I get it to a pro.

Let's get together on Sag Bay mid summer and you can find them for me. ? I agree on the wind, but it's still tough to find them, at least for me and many others who fish Sag Bay.

I'll bet big money it will. But to find out takes a big risk of having a big mess that is hard to get out of.

Not likely at this time of the year. I expect it might be an old video. I've never found them in mid-summer in Sag Bay. I don't fish Lake MI. St Clair, go deep, find weeds or rocks and fish out from them 20-30 yards. If you get one, keep working the area. If you find one, there will be others nearby. Save your days off for Sept/Oct.

You can fish it and apply later, but doing it before it is soiled is the best, easiest. If you put it on later clean the cork with a magic eraser, and maybe sand it if necessary to get the clean cork exposed before applying the sealer. If I planned to wait I would not take off the plastic until I applied the sealer.

You're my hero A-Jay. My son can back it in like you, but I cannot. If someone like I am who cannot rely on getting the boat that close to the dock is interested, I run a rope from my bow to the trailer boat guide at the rear of the trailer, back it in, let it float off, then gently nudge it in with the truck to where I can get the rope off the trailer boat guide and walk onto the dock to position the boat there, securing it like A-Jay does. A-Jay, cobble a couple 3/4 treated plywood steps onto your trailer to give you a wider place to put your feet. Helps a lot for old farts. With a little luck, you will age.

If you want to go fishing before getting it fixed right, just tightly wrap over the foot of the guide while holding it down with electrical tape and you should be good to go.

I agree with most of the posters who don't see a significant advantage to spiral. I don't feel the torquing that spiral eliminates. (fresh water, bass, walleye, etc) The heavier the load the more difference it will make. But I use micro guides on my casters, and they are quite low so really don't develop much torque. There is no reason why a spiral will cast farther than conventional, and it has been my experience that there is no penalty of casting distance either. I like it for trolling rods which are used in rod holders. They seem more stable in the holder, which makes sense. With the small guides in use most of the time today, I don't have that uncomfortable impression looking down the rod that something is goofy/wrong with the setup. With bigger guides I just couldn't get beyond that. If interested in making one, do a search for simple spiral, the simplest, easiest to lay out , and just as effective way to do one. In fact it gets the line to the bottom faster than other designs, so should reduce the torquing more. Comments that state that fewer guides are necessary are correct, but I've not found that to make a significant difference in anything.

I expect it will work fine, but have no experience with it. U-40 is very well known and highly used by custom builders.

Cork sealer will make it easier to clean them after use. Don't love them to death, but also don't wait too long to use the magic eraser again. As they start to look like they need some attention, give it to them. Yes, remove the plastic. It's only there to keep the cork looking good in the showroom.

I don't see an easy fix. Guide has been bent and the wrap ruptured. The guide can be straightened, but not in place. and the wrap is not repairable. Best solution is to take off both wraps, straighten the guide (or replace if it looks like the ring has been loosened or damaged-check for cracking by using a Q-tip rotated inside the ring-if it's cracked, the Q-tip will catch some fuzz), and rewrap. A good builder may be able to match the wrap color quite closely.

Nothing smaller than Kalins 5 inch, they work well on LMB, slow steady retrieve. Mardi gras is my favorite color, although others report good results for SMB in the brown colors, like motor oil. (during the mayfly hatch).

9 guides on a 7-6 on top casting rod is not too many. I often use 9 for 7 foot on top casters, and I've never felt that I was giving up anything on performance. But if you're going for the fewest guides, then spiral is the way to go, as Ghoti said. Do a search for "simple spiral casting rod builds" and see if you get instructions. If not, come back. Would take a minute or two to give them right here.

I've taken one to salt for the last few years, rinsed it daily, and it seems like new. Dr. Slick pliers did the same thing, blades moved so won't cut braid, can't seem to get them to fit right and stay. Not a good pair of pliers. I think they are made more for salt with the jaws good for pulling knots tight, and probably cut wire well, but no good for removing hooks and cutting braid.

OK A-jay. . .here you go! I've never fished Hubbard, but at that time of year I would first look for weed beds and rock piles in 9-15 feet of water, and fish away from the weeds a few to 20-30 yards and on and away from the rocks the same. I'm basing this on thinking that Hubbard may be like mini-St Clair or mini-Sag Bay. I'm talking SMB, too. If it has LMB, then in and right against the weed beds and possibly even shallower.

You are doing fine, I just wanted to clarify with my opinion.