jimmyjoe

Let me add one other thing, if I may. Back at the end of '18, I thought about having a custom rod made. There was something specific I wanted. I was helped a great deal by @Mick D and @spoonplugger1. Eventually, I had a rod made by Ron Schneider down in Arkansas. It was built on a Batson blank, an IP963F, I believe. I got it about 10 months ago, and I've been using it ever since, trying out different reels and different lines. I fish six days a week, weather permitting, and I love that rod. I absolutely love it. Fish don't get off of it. It's light, well-balanced, tough and responsive. It is by far and away the best rod I've ever handled for the price, which was less than $250. It casts really good distances (I'm a shorecaster) and it's easy to be accurate with it .... not something I associate with an eight foot rod. It has Kigan guides. jj

Good for you. Just because you haven't, doesn't mean other people haven't. I never saw a Ford Pinto explode in a wreck, either, but I decided not to buy one. Bottom line is this: If what you say about the rod you have is correct, then as I said, GOOD FOR YOU! I'm happy for you!. Congratulations! Obviously, you like that product! And I like the products I have. Other people like the products they have. Some people rate highly products that are quite inexpensive. Other people rate highly products that are far more expensive that the ones that we have been discussing. It's all up to the individual. There are things I don't like. And if I don't like them, I may express my opinion and say so. Once. Other people may disagree with me. They may express their opinion, too. It's happened. Quite a few times, in fact. Being an old fart, my memory is poor, but I don't remember using the word "garbage", and I don't remember someone else using the word "garbage". Maybe I'm wrong about that. Have you visited that rodbuilding site yet? jj

There are a LOT of things that go into the design of a rod other than just the guides. Kigan guides are not "garbage", and the fact that they're not Fuji doesn't mean that they're "sub-standard". I've fished Avid-X rods for three or four years, and the guides are excellent. I also have Fenwick rods with Alconite inserts in the guides. The Avid-X is a totally different design. You might like one for your fishing needs, or you might like the other. That doesn't make one garbage compared to the other. Another thing: you compare based on price. An American-made rod is not price-comparable to a Chinese-made rod based on price. Not the cork, not the guides, and especially not the blank. That doesn't make either one "garbage". Many people to whom I've spoken have told me that SIC guide inserts are easier to crack. In other words, they're more brittle. I've tended to avoid them for that reason. If you chose a BPS product over a St. Croix product BASED SOLELY ON GUIDES, then I'd ask you to explain to us why you believe that guides are the most important factor in a rod: more important than action, weight, flex profile, longevity, durability and speed. There exists a forum that has many VERY knowledgeable people in the industry. Perhaps you could go there and discuss this matter with them. That forum is rodbuilding.org. The Fenwick Techna rods that are on the market now don't have Fuji guides, don't even have Kigan guides. They have Seaguide guides. They cost $200 and up. I haven't heard any complaints about them. A rod is more than just the guides. jj

It can't be said any better than that. jj

It depends on two things: are you fishing from a boat, or are you a shorecaster? Secondly, how close to cover and snags are you planning on playing these little devils? If you're in a boat and have a lure retriever, you might not lose 3 a year. If you're a shorecaster, you might lose 12 or even more. I would. The closer you get to cover and snags, the more you'll lose, even if you're a boater and you have a lure retriever. If it were me, I would cast the whole 100. What the heck; if you have too many left at some future time, I'm sure you can sell them. OTOH, if you find out you really love them and cast too few, you may regret it in the future. You ain't gonna have what you ain't gonna have, you know what I mean? jj

Definitely. Black bucktail Musky Killers, Eppinger Dardevles in Black Magic and Grey Ghost and a Bomber 16A in black will catch musky, pike ..... and nice bass. ??? jj

Good to see you here! jj

Thanks for the info on Tectan. I can scratch that one off. jj

Probably. My only point was that some people are accustomed to one system much more than the other. Good luck with your Orra. jj

Thank you very much. jj

If it were me in your situation, I would flush bearings and re-lube. Also, that's a magnetic reel. The SLX is centrifugal. They don't cast the same. Are you more accustomed to magnetics or centrifugal? jj

Yes, but it has hellacious memory for the first few casts, and those first few casts can be important. They might be the most productive casts of the day. It's also somewhat "wiry". These qualities disappear with heavier lures, but for 1/4 oz. stuff, Big Game is .... well, irritating. Doesn't cast all that far with light lures, either. I think it's great for the bigger stuff, but it's just not a good light lure line for the way I throw. And when I said "longevity", I guess I wasn't specific. I noticed some nylon lines really degrade in midsummer's direct sun and high heat. That's where the idea of longevity came in. As for nicks, I check my line often, and re-tie as needed. Thnx anyway. jj

I've heard A LOT about that line. No retailer near me carries it, and no one I know uses it. How limp is it, and how well does it take the heat of midsummer? Does it exhibit longevity? (At that price, I would expect it would.) jj

I upgraded (via Smoothdrag) on one Stradic and one Daiwa reel. I think I agree with what someone said several years ago: carbontex is not smoother, but it takes the heat of extended drag use much better. So if you're gonna horse'em in with strong line (like heavier braid), stay with factory. It you're gonna use lighter line and wear the fish out, then use carbon. jj

I use Big Game on my heavier rigs, but I like to experiment with lighter lines and lighter lures on my M/MF rod, throwing cranks. The reel on it is a Shimano Casitas 150. The most problems are the 1/4 oz. cranks; balsa lures like Rapalas and Bagleys, or 13A Bombers, 6th Sense Crush minis, 200 Bandits and 1/4 oz. Wally Divers. I definitely don't want to go over .012 line for this, at least not for this upcoming year. Does anyone have an opinion as to 1) which .012 line casts the furthest, and 2) which .012 line has the best knot strength? (Remember, I'm a shorecaster.) Thnx jj

Everyone wishes they had will power. You don't need will power. You need won't power! ? jj

Glad to have you here! jj

I used to think I was a boring old fuddy-duddy, and one of few. But you guys make me feel like I'm part of a family, and a pretty big one at that. Thank you, fellow fuddy-duddies! ??? jj p.s.: Sazerac at 10:00, bedtime at 11:00.

I had the same problem with J-braid, plus it had abominable abrasion resistance. I thought I had it spooled too loose, and it was digging in, so I re-spooled under pressure. It worked .... for one cast. Then it was same old, same old. I threw it away. I have since decided to not use braid. Presto! Problems disappeared. If you beat me thoroughly about the head and shoulders and MADE me use a braided line, it would be Sufix 832. But you'd first have to pry my Trilene Big Game out of my hands, and that wouldn't be easy. ?? ?? jj

Whoa ..... I apologize if I gave the impression that I didn't catch some (or any) fish on soft plastics. I did. But they're a no-go in the river, too many gill-hooked fish, too hard to get the particular action I want, not as snagless as I expected and I only had 2 days this last year when some other lure didn't get me equal numbers of fish, or even more. The "best" was wacky-rigged, and I lost plastic left and right on that. Did I mention that I hate bluegills? The OP did ask about lures that "just didn't work for you." I interpreted that a little differently, so that's my bad. jj

Nope. I don't give any advice on things I know nothing about, and I don't fish the way you're describing. You get a free pass from me. There are other people on this site, though, who can (and probably will) give you loads of good advice. Give'm a little while ...... jj

Everyone does this. It's "piqued". And the possessive of "it" is "its", as in "a reel and its gears". "It's" is a contraction for "it is". Sorry. Ancient English teacher resurfacing after decades. ? jj

Sounds like a guy I'd like to fish with. ? jj This is one small part of my decision. https://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/skinny-fish.html There's definitely more to it, though. jj

No more soft plastics for me. From now on, it's spinnerbaits, spoons, inline spinners, crankbaits and blade lures. If they don't do it, then I go home and try another day. jj

Before you take it back, put a line on it that has a diameter of at least .011 inches, or 11 mil. Literally any line at all, braid or mono or fluorocarbon. Then try it again. See whether there's a difference. jj