gilkeybr

Try looking on facebook or a similar site for a local rod building group. For instance, I ended up finding a "SE Michigan Rod Builders" group and they were happy to help with these kind of things.

Well, color me embarrassed. I was looking at the thousandths scale on the dial, instead of the metric scale. Should have just started with the digital! Anyway, the tip of calling G Loomis was good. I called them and they will be sending out a tip guide ASAP, and didn't even ask me to cover the shipping. Great customer service

Today I realized that I had chipped the insert on my GLX853. Whoops! I pulled off the existing guide and am struggling with what to do for a replacement. The OD of the end of the blank seems to be ~.63mm (1.58/64ths) and the ID of the existing guide seems to be ~.65mm (1.63/64ths). When looking at mud-hole, I can't seem to find any guides with this small of a tube diameter. The smallest they have listed is a size 2.5 (~1mm). Any tips on where to look for a very small tube size such as this? Thanks in advance, Brian

I have the OG Levante Launcher and it separates just above the reel nut into two pieces, shortening it by a good 18". Not sure if the Orochiis are the same or not, but that would allow it to fit into your rod locker. I love my Launcher, the mod-fast action is really nice for deep diving cranks.

Another ringing endorsement for the Bantam. Of the Shimano reels I own, its the best bang for the buck IMO

I would consider a suspending jerkbait as well. Something that can be fished off the bottom

I like to have a set of curved locking hemostats, 6" or 8" depending on the size/type of fish. Much lower profile for getting them in a fishes mouth and not negatively impacting your vision of what you're working on! I like to have a set of curved locking hemostats, 6" or 8" depending on the size/type of fish. Much lower profile for getting them in a fishes mouth and not negatively impacting your vision of what you're working on!

When it comes to buying cameras even when comparing specs not all cameras are created equal. Just because two cameras offer "1080P" recording capability doesn't mean they'll have the same image quality. This comes down to sensor size, lens quality, processors in the camera, etc. Its hard to beat Go Pro when it comes to action cams. And, the nice thing is there is a VAST used market for them. I had a Hero 4 Silver and wouldn't hesitate to own another one. I think you could even drop back to a Hero 3 (Silver or Black) and get similar quality. 4K is unnecessary considering most monitors aren't capable of displaying it at this point. You should be able to find a Hero 3 or 4 for well below $100, probably even closer to $50. That would be money much better spent than getting some offbrand camera IMO. PS, I would avoid the GoPro Session line of cameras, even though the price will be tempting. These are less capable in terms of quality than the "normal" GoPros.

At 6'5 I rarely have an issue with rods being too long, although I definitely can see times where fishing jerkbaits from shore (instead of an elevated boat deck) a shorter rod is nice so as to not hit the water/shoreline. So i could understand why someone on the shorter end of the spectrum might want a shorter rod, especially fishing from shore. However, I find the opposite issue: Rod handles being shorter than I would like. Due to the length of my arms, the handle sometimes won't tuck up nicely under my arm. Some rods are worse than others, but overall I wish rods had about an extra inch over normal between the reel and the rod butt. Recently added a few inches to the handle of one of my more favorite rods and now I find I can't put it down! Its awesome.

Bummer because ALF just had a used Megabass Levante Launcher the sold cheap (~$100). I love that rod for deep cranks. You can seriously bomb a 5XD with it!

If you're bombing casts to open water, I'd put a vote in for a Teckel Sprinker frog.

I recently got a Dobyns Champion Extreme 741. Its a very sweet rod. Super duper sensitive and can really sling finesse weight baits. Looking forward to catching something big on it. Paired up with a Daiwa Exist 2506. I think its a very sweet combo. But maybe out shined by the Conquest/Stella pairing mentioned above

The Antares A is an amazing piece of equipment. Like a Bantam MGL on steroids. Smoothness is second to none, in my opinion. Only downside for the application you describe is its a bit small. Maybe you would want a 150 size Antares (or Monster Drive) instead. And if you're willing to order from Digitaka, you can get one for quite a bit cheaper than ordering from TW. I like my Conquest. But I still prefer my Bantam and Antares A to it

I find it pretty tiring to fish a jerkbait on a MH/F rod. I think M/F (M/MF) are much better suited to your typical 4-5" jerkbaits. Also I think castability is better with the lighter rod. Jerkbaits are like cranks IMO when it comes to required rod sensitivity. Typically you'll be doing your next sequence of jerks and you'll feel the fish on. Doesn't require a super sensitive rod: They're either on or they're not once you feel them.

The rating of the rod would be helpful here. For a long time I ran 30lb braid on my spinning outfit, as I think 30lb is a good "do it all" size and is comparable to 8lb mono in diameter. But, that was on M and MH rods. If it were me, I would put: ML: 10lb braid M: 15-20lb braid MH: 30lb braid Thats just based on the estimated lure weights you'll be throwing with each rod.

Got a sneak preview of the internals of Shimano's new entry level DC reel. Should really appeal to the masses

I too prefer the magforce Z to the SVS brakes. I feel I have much more control over the spool speed.

What is the difference between a Magnum TRD and a ZinkerZ? Yikes the ned phenomenon has gotten wild

I really really like my Champion 704CB for 1.5s. They load it up just right. Haven't fished the 704 with a 1/2oz lipless. Something tells me the 705 would do that a bit better. With a 20% off coupon you can get a Champion XP for near your budget!

How about a used Bantam MGL? I'd be hard pressed to find a better all purpose reel than my Bantam. And there are a couple on eBay right now to less than or around $200.

I have a 704CB (Graphite) that I really like. To me, it is the perfect 1.5 SB rod (and very good for wiggle warts). However, once you get over 1/2oz, it gets quite whippy. I tell you this only to reinforce what you've already suggested which is that the 705 would be the power you're looking for. Wish I could offer some opinion on the graphite vs glass question. One day i'll get a Champion glass rod to understand the differences. I think a 7 speed for jerkbaits/SB/lipless is perfect. Whopper ploppers I could see wanting a 6 speed, but even then I think you could make a 7 work. So a ~7:1 reel would be my choice.

I agree it sounds like a loose drag. However, I also noticed on my Antares A that there was a half-detent position on the thumb bar that caused this same condition. Spinning the handle didn't release the thumb bar, but the gears weren't engaged to the spool either. Was very strange. Maybe the SLX has a similar failure mode

I would go with the Aldebaran. After fishing with my 30MGL for a very short time I ran into a big problem: I wanted to put it on ALL my light (in weight) setups. Tried it on a 6'8ML, 6'6MH, and no its on a 6'10M Poison Adrena. Absolutely awesome on all of them. I think the only negative to the Aldebaran is the max drag pressure isn't super high, but that is a small concern for me. I had a Concept A for a short while. It was fine. I didn't keep it long enough to see the durability issues others describe. It was a clear step below the Aldebaran. Brakes weren't very intuitive to me (or easy to access). I assume the Concept C will be very similar. I didn't like the Lew's reels I owned (BB1 Pro). But, I never tried the Ti. Maybe its better than the rest?

The Bantam would be my pick of the litter for shimano offerings. And a second vote for buying JDM Bantam. I got mine 35% off the TW price. But, I see your intended usage would be jigs/t-rigs. You can find Zillion SV TWS for <$200 new. I have tried every adjustment under the sun it feels like for skipping the Bantam and I can't control the spool half as well as the Zillion SV. I would highly recommend the Daiwa for short to mid-range applications that might also require some skipping. The Bantam can definitely bomb baits and has a silky smooth retrieve.

You could tie a piece of leader on to a braid mainline just as fast as you could swap the spools out of a reel. Probably even faster. To me that would be a better solution than carrying an extra spool full of FC or whatever backup line you'd be wanting.