This might be long. I took out two great guys on a charter yesterday,(Jon and Paul), that had fished with me last year in the heat of the summer. There were totally different conditions this time. The water was cold in the low 40″s, it was also high, fast, and dirty. Not the easiest conditions. I didn’t fish with them, I just took them to some “hot spots” advised and observed. The bite was very light, they needed to fish slow and feel everything going on with the lure. First I noticed their equipment, Jon had brought a good rod and reel alright but Paul had, and I won’t mention the brand, a big box store rod, the kind that won’t break and a low end reel. Trouble was I knew he wasn’t feeling the bite at all with that heavy dull rod. The first 2 1/2 hours he had caught only 1 fish and he was doing everything right to do so. I suggested that he try one of my customer rods from Big Dady Rods, a 6 1/2ft medium all around use rod. LEW’S had sent me one of their “Custom Lite” reels to try so that was also on the rod. I told him that combo rod and reel would feel like a toothpick compared to what he had ! He was amazed at the feel of that combo and it was like a light switch was turned on! He started catching fish after fish and by the end of the day he had caught double what his buddy had. At the end of the day I gave him a business card for Big Dady Rods. I hope he gives Randy Emerich a call. He had the skills, he just didn’t have a sensitive rod needed that day. They were with me for 6hrs and basically caught their 43 quality fish in the last 4 hours. I was happy I could help.