FishTank

I have one of these that I bought at their Spring Sale. I got the 7' Heavy and its a beast of a rod. Well made but not very sensitive and somewhat heavy. I use it as a general purpose kayak rod for bigger stuff. My thoughts on getting four of these..... they are an exclusive rod which generally means exactly that. You get it at a select store, they make a limited run, and when they're gone they're gone. St. Croix would probably replace it with the regular full grip if you needed to warranty the rod. Since you are buying them one at a time, I would go with Avid instead. Much better rod.

Just topwater. Braid to leader for jigs and worms.

They are the $1.99 gold ones from Walmart. I think they are 2/0 straight shank. I can break one with two fingers I have fished with the Lazer Sharp and Trokar versions and they are not bad. The Trokars are some the sharpest hooks out of box I have ever seen next to X-point.

Oddly, a 6in wacky rigged senko.

One that I avoid and I have tried for years to get my fishing partner to stop using is Eagle Claw worm hooks. He doesn't tend to loose them much and so once he catches a fish or gets hung up the hook is dull and he refuses to retie. I have seen him set a hook on a fish like he's swinging a murder axe back and still come up with nothing or even (and on several occasions) break a hook on a hook set. My latest complaint on this hook happened this weekend during a tournament. He laid into a 4+ pounder, swung hard and lost him because the hook wouldn't penetrate. Oddly the fish came off more than once and hit it again. The hook wouldn't pull through. This cost us a spot in the money. Bottom line don't buy cheap hooks > buy good ones on sale.

Amazon has a 25 pack of Gamakatsu EWG 4/0's for $14. I also like BPS hooks. They are $2.50 a pack. They don't last as long as far as sharpness goes but otherwise I have been satisfied with them.

I tend to find the computer board lips hold up pretty well. Do they catch more fish? > I don't see much of a difference there.

Check out the fanny packs for fly fisherman. There are tons to choose from but they can get pricey. They are well organized for fishing.

The guys at TW......

I have a 6'8'' G Loomis GLX 803C and this my favorite rod for skipping. Somehow it just works for me. It allows me to keep the bait low without dinging something on the boat.

It's hard to say for sure. My thoughts though, if there are no visible cracks, you are probably good but I would just fish it anyway. Those dings do look pretty bad though.

I would invest in a better rod for those techniques, unless you're dead set on it. I have the Curado DC and it's a great real but it looks like you are building an arsenal, not adding to it. The DC reels to me are a nitch reel, great for specific situations. So based on what you stated above..... a St.Croix Avid 7'MH Fast and a regular SLX.

I have been using a G.Loomis 844C IMX for about 15 years with 50lb braid. I like the taper of MBR series rods. I have tried a few Mod. rods and didnt care for it with. topwater.

I like using straight braid for topwater only. I have been using about 10 feet of leader for most techniques when I am using braid. For 20lb, I try to go one size in bigger in diameter when it comes to the leader. For actual leader material, I use Seaguar Premier or whatever FC I left over on a spool.

You should post a pic of the damage too, for everyone to see. It is hard to assess without it. I also have this rod as well. It is fantastic. It maybe my favorite of the NRX rods. As far as repair from G. Loomis, more than likely it wouldn't be warrantied but you might be able to use their, sort of, no questions asked Expeditor Service. I would call to find out. Just keep in mind if this is the route you go, it may take months to get it taken care of.

Is there anything a DC reel can't do?

I have a couple of new ones that i picked up this year and a couple of old ones. The old one work great but the new ones seem to have a different hook. In any case, I haven't been able to land a fish with the new version. I have missed several fish as well.

Depending on the reel..... It's pretty easy. There are definitely more outlets. All you need is a part number and some patience. The last time I ordered from Shimano, it took about 2 weeks but I have heard it might take longer.

Parts availability, customer service and overall quality would make me look elsewhere at this time. There are several reels in this price range that should fit the bill.

From what I saw I like the new Curado. The one let down to me was the new Hobie kayak, the Mirage Lynx. It has a flat deck. Why would you want a flat deck on fishing kayak? All the stuff I carry no matter how stable it is would end up in the water. Also, if a fish starts flopping around, it will bounce right back into the water.

You can often find them cheaper on eBay and Sierra Trading Post. If you have a large head, these are some of the bigger frames they make. Too big for my head. Price is good too. https://www.sierra.com/smith-transfer-xl-sunglasses-polarized-chromapop-lenses-for-men~p~58ddp/?filterString=s~smith-sunglasses%2F&merch=prod-rec-prod-prod58DDP&colorFamily=01

It's been a tough summer so far but was able to get this one in the boat today.

I have been using an improved clinch knot with FC for quite some time but here lately I have had a few break offs. So I saw the San Diego Jam knot on this thread and I tried it today. No issues, it worked great. It may be my go to in the future.

If you already have a several rods to choose from or if you are adding a technique specific rod then I would go high end > A G. Loomis NRX+ 844C would cover a lot of different techniques. Personal preference, you don't need a high end spinnerbait rod or a high end crankbait rod for that matter unless you upgrading from what you already have. Another thing to consider is the warranty with each rod. Megabass may make a great rod but their warranty can't come close to Loomis or St. Croix.

In my career as a lumberjack, I cut down 57,687 trees. I know because I kept a log.