Will you’ll find there isn’t a standard. Every manufacturer has their ‘definition’. A GLoomis will feel completely different than a Shimano or Fitzgerald. Brian Barde , being a rod builder can get more specific. In the end, I prefer a rod that acts as a shock absorber between me and the fish.

The only age that matters is the age you stop learning. Only then, should you start counting down to zero. Think about it.

Mack, I use Stradic fm's exclusively for spinning, and i'm extremely picky about my gear. I have the 1000, 2500, 3000, and 4000. The 3000 is my go-to. They took a lot of technology from the Stella's and brought that to the Stradics. That's what i'm using in BLat's shakey head video. It's just sooo smoooth.

Kevin Skovenski man that’s all situational. I have to default with whatever has worked in the past. I was a powerpro guy for years and moved to Daiwa j-braid by accident. But then again I’m not sponsored so all the $ comes out of my pocket. Everyone has their own comfortable setup since there are so many products out there.

If I have a long day ahead of me I go back to my competitive ball regiment. I’ll load up on carbs and protein the night before since I won’t be taking in nutrients properly that following day.

Ultimately I spent too much time in line management vs other braids. Take away the cost out of the negatives it’s almost mechanical concerns. What makes it good is also what makes it bad. It’s not a tensile strength thing, it’s more of a coiling and coating issue.

In no particular order, it’s a high maintenance braid, the coating wears down very quickly after use so lots of cutting off a few yards and re-tying leaders to get rid of the grindy sandpaper feel. Casting gets really rough after a while. That kind of defeats the purpose.

It has a ton of memory which doesn’t go away even after stretching. This makes it jump off the spool. I’ve noticed loops under the spool multiple times. Mikeyballz had the same things happen to him on a reel he was testing. My stradics did the same thing.

A simple Alberto connection is a royal p.i.t.a. Since it is so slippery and doesn’t seem to dig into flouro like others and you have to use at least 30% more wraps for a secure connection. I use about 15 foot leader with 12-15lb flouro.

Just a lot of really weird things to deal with instead of just spooling it on and fishing with it.

Thanks for the lesson and the encouragement. I put it to good use in Pennsylvania and back here in Florida. It has become my go-to when it’s not right for hard baits.

I was part but I’m going to be reviewing them again. I’ve been considering a few different options. Definitely won’t be a new boat. Going to leverage knowledge and resources on a gently used.

That’s the Barde we know!

I wish I had your level of patience. It certainly paid off for you. Nice job