Holy smokes! A $500 rod and reel setup?! I felt bad about spending $70 on another crappie rod a while back and I put a $30 Okuma line counter on it! lol!!

As I was reading your post I was hoping it was not going to end with you jumping in or falling in and getting an... ummm... enema from an unseen stick or stump sticking up!
Good job on saving the rod and reel!