Chad that rod was just my fishing rod straight of the shelf the reel was a Tica Dolphin I bought on special line was .28 Duraflex a 15/50 ultima .65 taper leader and a 100gm lead.
The rod had been thrashed by every man and his dog. (The modification to the rod came later when Neil turned into a 6 piece rod , much easier to get into your vehicle.)
The number of OTG casters at the Nats I believe was more than in past years. Good to see.
As far as the number of 3oz breakouts go they must be fairly popular as we manufacture and sell several thousand every year.
The lighter leads have become more popular because of the thinner line available now and rods that do a bit more casting for you.