I was trying to give the lure an "old" look by using a thin layer of paint, but you can thicken the paint to cover up the wood grain so that it appears a little newer, like the picture of the actual modern lure (below, right)
As you can see, its not that braid is clearly better than mono, despite the higher cost
There isnt a rod on the market at any price that has these same capabilities, so being able to snag it for well under $150 is pretty impressive
If you need a carry-on travel bag and don't do wheels, or like to wear backpacks, get this bag." Michael L, Pakt Traveler I'm a Flight Attendant for a major airline and have been using this bag for a couple weeks
I think that is more of a personal preference and was really based on what I was carrying at the time