jimmyjoe

I use the 7/8 size. It runs deep, which I need only rarely. It catches fish, but it's not a spectacular fish-catching machine or anything. Just another lure that I can use when I need it. I use chrome, gold chrome and Helsinki shad. jj

Kinda expecting that, because I knew her age. She was always a VERY beautiful woman, even into her more mature years. The word was that she didn't take crap off of anyone, although that might have been a rumor. Nice lady .... and I do mean lady. jj

Punc-tu-a-tion. It greatly facilitates understanding. jj

If it's not obvious by simply looking in the shallows, then the only idea I might have is casting a net. jj

I've had trouble with Stradics, not just cheap stuff. I had one 2500FK and one CI4+ 4000FB noisy right out of the box. The retailer exchanged them. I also had a NASCI 1000 anti-reverse fail in a few days. Shimano replaced it. Not only that, but I'm having troubles with a Shimano baitcaster. Back in the '90s, I used Calcutta and Symetre reels. I had no problems. So yes, I'd say Shimano QC has gone downhill. I don't think they're any better than any other brand anymore. jj

This, 100%. jj

The analogy of the kitten with string is absolutely perfect. jj

Last year I ran 10 lb. Sufix 832, and I landed a young 30" musky on my "fairy wand" with no real problem. No leader. jj

Well, the wife got a tracfone. Junk. Won't hold a charge. I think I'll get a Lumix. Maybe. Just maybe. It's supposed to be waterproof to something like 24 feet. Maybe I'll have better luck. This whole subject is starting to be irritating. 12 y.o. kids can do everything lickety-split, and I can't even turn the thing on. I hate getting old, but I guess it's better than the alternative. jj

Yes, I read it. I would guess everyone did. And you're right .... it MIGHT not be anything mechanical. A lot of people pointed to the line, and I'm assuming the OP is trying to sort that out right now. If that's the trouble, then that's fine. But it MIGHT not be the trouble. It's possible that bearings or gears are the culprit. The point is that the OP needs to know whether this-or-that is or is not the trouble, so that he can narrow things down. It never hurts to investigate a little bit before you send something off to the factory. I had 2 Curado reels that sounded like this video. I sent them in, and Shimano changed the gear set in both. I had thought it might be the bearings, but it wasn't. As to why something mechanical might be wrong when the reels have only 100 casts on them, I'll just say that I make absolutely no assumptions. You just never know. jj

Take the "good" reel and one of the bad ones. Mark them with tape as "G" and "B". You're going to switch some parts around, and this will help you not get mixed up as to which part came from where and went to where. ALWAYS switch parts from the reel marked "B" to the reel marked "G". Consistency counts for a lot. Open them up, and switch out the main gears, but not the pinion. Put them back together and try casting them again. What you're watching for is whether the noise follow the main gear or stays with the untouched pinion. If the noise follows the main gear, the trouble is the main gear. If it doesn't, then open the reels back up, and switch pinion gears just as you did with the main gears. If the noise follows the pinion gear, the pinion gear is the problem. If swapping both main gear and pinion gear does absolutely nothing to change the noise, then your problem lies elsewhere. Yes, I know it was a bit of a bother to do all that changing around, but now you know what you're dealing with and what you're NOT dealing with. jj

Why do you find it necessary to put words in other people's mouths? That's not a good idea. You can disagree and still be civil. Considering the things that you have printed in this thread, it's just as legitimate to ask you; Are you getting paid to recommend anything on this site? jj

You're welcome! JJ

This should tell you something.

Short and wrong answer: yes. Longer answer: yes, but it will take a loooooong time if you fish clear water. The bugaboo about braid is not the material itself (it's softer than monofilament nylon) but the structure. The braid can pick up and hold silt from dirty, muddy water, and that is where you get the abrasion. That being said, there is another point to take into consideration. "Stainless steel" is not a very specific term. There are hard alloys of stainless, and there are softer ones. A manufacturer with a high degree of integrity will produce a good guide. A manufacturer that lacks that level of integrity will produce a guide with a lower level of quality. Good luck! jj

Glad to have you here! jj

There has been a discussion underway between me and @bogfrog about rod materials. There are some things in that discussion which may be misleading to people looking for a new rod. One of the things said was " .... Toray is a proprietary material available from only one company...." This statement is kinda misleading. Toray is not a material at all. Toray is a company. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toray_Industries This company makes many different items, one of which is carbon composites. https://www.toray.com/products/prod_004.html And Toray has proprietary materials. https://www.toray.us/toray/life/filtration.html And proprietary processes (3rd paragraph) https://cs2.toray.co.jp/news/toray/en/newsrrs02.nsf/0/F4FF9471A8CBCF16492584F5001F5352 I guess a better way to have stated it would have been, "Toray has a proprietary material available from only Toray." Toray has materials available for the competitive "graphite" market. https://www.toray.com/products/carbon/car_0020.html It looks like they have already brought to market a graphene-impregnated prepreg. https://g-rods.com/pages/about-us-2 I would guess that this is the material that @bogfrog referred to when he said, " ... Some of bbthe new nano carbon blanks are amazing. I have a rod built on an American Tackle "nanophene" blank that has a tip like an ultra light with a 4.5/64" tip diameter and a a butt diameter of less than 3/8" and it will cast a 3 oz bait just as hard as you want to throw it ... " Another statement that might be a little misleading is " .... in fishing rods this can be identified by the opaque, flat black color on the blanks ..." I don't know what can be identified by the opaque, flat black color on the blanks, but blanks that are commonly termed "graphite" are translucent , and the 15th paragraph down in this document notes that graphene is transparent. https://www.graphenea.com/pages/graphene So no difference there. It's true that the rod industry is changing. And it's true that graphene may be the biggest "new thing" to hit the market in a long, long time. It's also true that many companies (like Toray) have processes that are proprietary. But a buyer needs to have understanding and discernment. Just because the blank is a flat black doesn't mean anything. By the same token, just because it is translucent might (or might not) mean anything. Don't pick a flat black unpainted rod off the rack and think that because of its appearance that it's exceptionally hi-tech. And if it's Toray, you can count on it being high quality. You just can't count on it being a certain material unless it specifically says so. Thnx. jj

I think we've derailed this thread from the OP's original question. Other than providing him (and other people) with accurate information as to the value and characteristics of some-or-other rod that they might consider buying, it's probably best that this subject not be pursued here, but under its own independent thread. jj

" .... Carbon fiber is produced by baking polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, pitch fiber or other organic fiber in an inert atmosphere to dissociate elements other than carbon. At least 90% of commercially available carbon fibers are PAN carbon fibers .... " From https://www.torayca.com/en/aboutus/abo_001.html True. I don't believe that the material we call graphite today has any boron in it. I believe that process has been out of favor for about 20 years or so. As in all things, though, I may be wrong. Toray is a company. No more, no less. Yes, there have been a great many advances in the use of graphite materials, much of it in the uses of resins. Many companies feel they need to use catchy terms or phrases that make an impression on buyers, an impression that the rod or blank that they're buying is unique. And in a sense, it might be. In a sense, it might not. That's what I was referring to when I said "marketing incentives". The new materials coming onto the market (and nanophene is one of those with great potential) are generally available to anyone who pays the asking price. These new materials are justifiably different than what went before. https://www.graphene-info.com/graphene-introduction That doesn't mean that the many different companies all using the new, advanced materials are selling something that is different one from another. The marketing just makes it seem that way, which is why companies have marketing divisions. I still think that's a nice musky. ? jj

I know what you mean. When I was young, I heard old people talking about "taking it one day at a time", and I thought to myself, "Wow, that's really restrictive!" When I was young, I wanted to think ahead. Way ahead. I concentrated on things that were weeks, months or years in the future, and I thought those things would give me satisfaction. But now I'm old. The satisfaction that I wanted to experience from those younger days has been achieved. It's in the past. And now I've learned the wisdom of those old people I heard talking when I was young. I had thought that they took things one day at a time because they had no choice but to do it that way. Nope. You always have a choice. Always. Taking life one day at a time is the only way to let you appreciate and savor the time we have here. And I gotta admit ... there's a lot to savor. jj

I'll second this. I'm VERY picky about how my fish are cooked. I've never found any method that doesn't involve adding oils or fats that is good ... although at my age I don't use too much oil or fat. Conversely, I have the opinion that an air fryer works best with meats that are naturally fatty. jj

In what way are Toray not graphite? I know that Toray makes composite materials, but those are usually termed as (and advertised as) "composite". Some of those are really, really nice. Were those what you were thinking of? Most of the advertised Toray products in this country are, however, graphite. Marketing incentives and all that. Just because a company describes their products using a different word doesn't mean that there is any major difference. That's just advertising hype .... all to common today. https://www.torayca.com/en/aboutus/index.html https://www.nanoalloy.toray/en/product/ jj p.s. - Nice musky! ? jj

jj

I didn't need to know that. I didn't need to know that. I didn't need to know that. Trust me on this one. I didn't need to know that. jj

I never thought of that. Excellent advice. jj