Nor-Cal Basser

I have one. Absolutely awesome reels. I need at least two more.

I'd venture to say you're correct. A coworker of mine travelled to China to oversee the operations of vacuum furnaces for a company he used to work for. Man, the crazy stuff I've heard... Knowing that tungsten weights are made in China almost makes me not want to buy them, but the advantages are just too good.

It'll definently weaken the guide, seeing that the guide frames are made of aluminum. Bend any metal in and out of position and it will stress and break eventually. Non ferrous metals will do this faster, including aluminum. Just don't keep bending it back and forth and it won't be an issue. I would call TW and see what they say too.

The drag is probably loose. There should be a star shaped piece connected to the handle, known as the star drag. Turn this forward to tighten the drag as much as you see fit. I fish with the drag locked down, but others do not.

I'm not a huge Curado I fan, but I'll take any Shimano over any Lews reels.

You have to remember that, legally speaking, the Senko and Rick Clubb "knock offs" aren't exact copies. There are enough differences between products to be legally considered separate patents so that they do not infringe on an already existing patent. These may be very, very tiny differences, but they are enough to be legally considered completely different products than the original.

Interesting. I've never cared for Quantum personally, but that's a nice upgrade over many other reels. I may have to give them another shot.

They're decent scopes, especially for the money. Leupold owns Redfield, but they don't carry the Leupold guarantee. American made, that's a plus.

I've personally broken 40lb braid when frogging, so I steped up to 50lb as my minimum. It is far to heavy for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, but since the OP will be using frogs, in my opinion, it's a workable option.

Since frogs are in the mix, 50-65lb braid. That being said, I would be using 14-17 lb mono/fluorocarbon for spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. Frogs just don't work with anything but braid based on where and how they are fished. Braid isn't ideal for the other two, but it can be made to work. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

Big fan here. I have three CZs myself, all are the model 527. One in .223, 7.62x39, and the brand new version in 6.5 Grendel. Awesome little rifles.

IRod Genesis 2 Bub's punch rod. It's a 7' 11" H/MF, designed specifically for punching. Best punching rod I've used, hands down. I've thrown S-Wavers and whopper ploppers on it in a pinch and it works pretty well. Still, if punching is your primary use, this is your ticket. As stated by Robert Riley, reconsider your length. A long rod is VERY helpful for punching. Gives you leverage and makes it so much easier to pitch and flip that bait right where it needs to be.

Do you have backing under that braid? If not, there's a 99% chance is just your braid slipping around the spool.

Dobyns generally fish lighter than rated. I'd say the MH is good up to 3/4 and the H up to 1oz.

Curado, only because I'm not a fan of Quantum. I find Shimano's build quality to be among the best, whereas I've experienced issues with Quantum's finish peeling off. 12lbs of drag is plenty. Many of my reels have 8-10lbs and even double digit fish can't peel line off. Shimano just makes a better feeling reel IMO. Oh, and I'm in love with the X-Ship system Shimano uses. The extra support on the pinion gear is a HUGE plus for me. BTW, don't ignore Daiwa either. They make some really awesome reels.